Published on 12, July, 2020
My relationship with food has always been terrible, even before I was diagnosed with autism.
I would eat very large plates of food as a child, and would pick off of other people's plates once they had finished. I loved sweets, so much so that when my mother started to hide the sweets, i would dig through the cupboards until i found them. I ate and drank things so fast that i would have frequent nausea. I never stopped mouthing, so any pen, pencil, lid or bottle cap would either be chewed to an unrecognisable clump of plastic or swallowed.
Even with the diagnosis, i haven't seemed to control myself. I know now that i mostly overeat because of a lack of mental stimulation and because of sensory input, but I can't change my diet no matter how hard I try.
However, i do worry that at the rate i am going, i could end up with diabetes.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
A good place to start is if you try to get into a fitness regime. It's very difficult to lose weight by exercise alone, but it's a good way to get yourself into the frame of mind you need to be in to start taking your food intake seriously.
People overlook weightlifting for example, because it's hard I guess, but the good thing about it is your body continues to burn calories for days afterwards as muscle recovery is happening.
Yes, I find regular, ideally daily, physicall exercise regulates my eating or desire to eat.
Start with walks, do Couch to 5k, and yes look at strength exercises as well as aerobic.