Healthy Living and Aspergers - Is it Easier than it looks?

Everyone has problems with Healthy living or eating and well it's January and we all know what that means:

"Tis the Season to Diet!" 

We've stuffed our faces over Christmas and really had a little too much to Drink over New Year and after all that food and Mulled Wine has been taken in by our bodies it's common knowledge that January is the time to diet! And it's EVERYWHERE! 

If it's not the glossy mags or even your local Newspaper telling you what the best and new fabulous diet is for this year as they all seem to trend then it's the TV and the bombardment and peer pressure to conform and actually lose weight can start to get to every girl whether they have Aspergers or not. 

I've talked a little bit about perception of appearance and body confidence before but never fully as a topic on it's own. 

And as it is New Year and a New Start to the New You (Feel free to grab a bucket!) then it can be a little bit annoying when you begin to over think and analyse in fact what you look like and how much you weigh and whether or not you should be contacting Weight Watchers or Slimming World and join the gym  (other slimming clubs are available) because you carry a little bit more weight than the general population or you want that beach body NOW.

So before everyone starts panicking, take a deep breath and relax! Plus if you want some chocolate go and get yourself some! 

Apart of my idea for Dear 2015 was to take some of the pressure off and take easy little baby steps rather than throwing yourself into anything and damage your body I would say if you are concerned with your appearance or weight or anything else in your life like say if you smoke my first point of contact is and other professionals would advice this is: 

1) Go and see your Doctor:Now going to the doctor can be stressful! I know that and even though we hate it or the thought of sitting in a crowded waiting room with strangers can cause mild to medium panic attacks but if you want to make any minor or serious changes to your diet or to find out more options on the best to improve your lifestyle- STEP AWAY FROM THE MAGAZINES AND TURN THE TV OFF and make an appointment with the doctor! The doctor can give you advice on where you can go and also advise you on what the best option is for you according to your body. 
2) Counselling is GOOD!: With Aspergers it would be advisable and a little tip as well to talk about counselling to approach the negative issues if you have any to do with your appearance and general mental health issues that go hand in hand with Aspergers like Depression and Anxiety.  Having this kind of support from someone who is objective and who you trust is the best option for you.  Having a councillor can also put some demons that you carry around with you that could be linked to other issues such as weight and relationship with food. 

3) Having a positive relationship with Food.

It might sound odd but a positive relationship with food is where you have a passion to cook or a joy for cooking rather than just eating and I know that if there is an eating disorder problem then your relationship with food and the kitchen can be toxic rather than good. It's about understanding what portion size you need and what foods suit your body and how your body processes the foods you eat. Again a Doctor can advise or refer you to a specialist for more help.  A Good and well balanced relationship with food can also improve mood and stop you reaching for that chocolate bar every time you feel upset or sad.

It isn't just food that can have an effect on how you feel or your body appearance - it's all about perception and how you think deep down. Learning to Love you is another thing and something that again every girl struggles with but I think Autism can also have a negative factor onto this as well. 

No one is going to look like a model in a magazine!

 All girls come in all shapes and sizes and another factor to this is whether you are curvy or you have more of a thin frame we never really like ourselves or be proud of our appearance. It's just a female condition is some ways to never be happy with the way we look and that is me included! 

Again it all comes down to how you see yourself. Counselling is a good idea again to explore the mental side of how you see yourself and maybe unlock the problem and find a solution. 

The other thing is that you need to understand and learn to Love and Respect yourself. 

And before people start reading this and raising their eyebrows, I mean it in the most non cheesy or quirky way possible and i'm still in the early stages of learning that myself or accepting who I am as a person- so I can't be up on my high horse as it's still a learning curve for me. 

Part of learning to love yourself is not just about the outside - it's about the inside as well. 

The saying: 

"Never Judge a Book By It's Cover." 

Is a really important thing to understand as the metaphor of the quote and the meaning behind it. 

Appearance is not the only thing that is important, it's who you are on the inside.

Ok so this comes down to another big issue that should be another blog post- which is a really good idea and I will touch on this some more in detail. 

Aspergers and you - Where does it become apart of you?

The title will be better than that when I elaborate more on this subject but in a brief overview for the sake of this post I'll explain in more detail. 

One of the problems that I seem to have faced and seeing in other Aspergers Girls is learning to distinguish between personal identity and personality and Aspergers. 

Aspergers is apart of you and does form a little of your personal traits and personality but it does not have to control you and define you as a person. 

Everything has a positive and a negative impact on your life and that includes your Autism whether we like or not. 

The problem with a Late Diagnosis and also not being given enough information on Aspergers is that it can feel like it controls you and in a way take over you as a person. 

Taking away from interests and other factors when stripping down to the bare minimal of yourself right in core as it where the question is posed of :

Who you are Really as a Person?

For Example:It is like being given a puzzle and then being asked to create a random picture although the puzzle is made of odd shaped pieces that don't fit together properly and you can't make a clear of definitive picture that makes sense to any person let alone yourself. 

When it comes to it, it's learning to trust in yourself and understanding as a person what your qualities are and what factors form you as a person. It's not all about likes and dislikes but more about how you feel on the inside and what you want out of life. 

Although that is a different subject all together... 

Life mainly and how in 'Normal' terms is about experiences and how we develop and grow and influences from the outside world can also have an impact on you as a person. With Aspergers as a Natural Factor we need to know where it begins and ends when it comes to personality and identity. 

All I know for sure is that I have a Name and a Date of Birth and that I am 22 years old and that some of my personality or traits and behaviours were inherited from my parents and others I have developed from my experiences and what lessons they have taught me and that is a building block to who I am now which will develop and change as I grow older and hopefully wiser. 

A Healthy lifestyle then is not about diet and exercise and more about learning about yourself as a human being and how your mind and body work together. 

So for us Aspergers girls it's about understanding about our autism and gaining a little bit more understanding about ourselves rather than going to the gym and dieting. Which is a tricky thing but we all manage it and that is something we should be proud of.  

Sophie xxxx