Life is all about choices. When we are adults, and especially with challenges where our brain is wired differently, it can cause the brain to be skewed in nature, causing us to not take care of ourselves and not make the right choice when it comes to being well.
The brain is a unique device. Particularly for someone who is autistic or has other challenges when it comes to being able to make choices about what to do to take care of themselves. It can bring a skewed sense of feelings when it comes to wanting to do something by not seeing the lens of what benefit it can provide someone. Many times what is sought by someone is what makes one feel good at that very moment and numbs the pain or other rough feeling they may be experiencing at that moment.
When doing something new as I have been doing last week such as going to the gym, I am learning that it is not just going to say that I am going. Rather, it is putting in the work and doing what I need to do not only when I am there, but also what I am putting in my body, counting calories, etc. I have needed to be accountable for this for a very long time for the weight loss support group that I have belonged to, so I know I need to do it. In 2023, I took a stance and said that I was going to be accountable because I know not doing so would result in having to pay a fine to the chapter for not keeping a food journal.
We live in a world today where there is so much technology that can help you achieve your wellness goals. There are fitness trackers for all budgets and even on the devices themselves to aid in this effort. Some of them even come with the tracking tools and menus necessary to be accountable. It also takes some simple choices like measuring food and with that making wiser choices and realizing whether one needs something or not.
When we are autistic, the relationship with food can be very challenging. Our brains cannot sometimes send signals when we consume excess quantities of food or drink, thus having a less desirable outcome. This along with factors with medications, etc., can further compound these challenges. It is a catch-22 in a sense where there has to be a learned control factor, especially if one is needing to be more independent, although there may be some who may never be able to do so, it is important for individuals that do be on their own and learn that sense of control.
For me, I had to realize that if I am going to lose any weight, then the actions that I put forth at the gym are only going to work if I do the work to control what I put in my body in the means of food and drink as well. While I understand that even neurotypicals have issues with this effort, this is more compounded by an autistic person and further exacerbated by having medications that want us to constantly eat and drink such as I do.
If we are going to make the right choices, it has to be a full-fledged effort. It is by researching and doing what is right for yourself and working to the best of your ability to be well. I also have to say that sometimes mistakes are made and when they happen, you shouldn’t be hard on yourself for making them. Just recognize what you did and work to move beyond the faults.
There comes a point in one’s life that they want to make a change for the better. For me, that change has been long coming but I know that doing so will make me a better person overall and that I may even have fun doing it! It is all about making the right choices and rectifying when you make a mistake and moving forward.
Dustin's Dynasty 