Loving Yourself as Yourself
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Sometimes, when you get older your body can change. It did in my case – I became curvier, and I’ve learned the hard way that keeping a healthy weight takes work! But your body isn’t the only thing that changes, your mind and your opinions starts to change as well. Instead of wanting to play with toys, you want to learn more about certain things, some of these things might include “What do I like about myself? Or, why do I look this way but she looks that way?” These are just a few of the questions I’ve asked myself in the past.
Over time, I developed some really terrible eating habits and for almost two years and I struggled with my body image and with stress. I am thankful to this day that I told my parents about it because I know I have their support in being able to move on to healthier habits. And yes, I was scared to write about this, but I felt it would help me and maybe someone else who has similar struggles.
At first, I was just stressed out so I would buy a bag of chips or cookies to try and forget about it (I don’t even remember what I was stressed out about!). And when I realized I had finished an entire bag of chips all by myself only one thought came into my mind “now I feel even worse than I did before!” and then my new stress would be over gaining weight and not feeling healthy. It practically became a routine. I’m ashamed of what I put my body through, but at the same time I’m proud of myself. Eventually, I talked to my parents and let them know that I was struggling.
I still don’t remember exactly what they said but I know that my mom and dad were going to be supportive of me and help me get back on the right track. They gave me some really great tips that have helped me a lot. Little things like leaving my money at home so that I can’t stop and buy snacks, and instead, pack things like cheese, grapes, eggs, yogurt, nuts fruit, tea, (peanut butter is a really great source of protein). And when you work out and have a goal that you’re working towards, treat yourself, but not with food…. maybe with a new shirt or a pedicure instead. My dad showed me how to portion my food properly. When I want to eat out when I’m bored, I use my mom’s trick and pretend only have $10 to get me through the week. Then all of a sudden, I’m not wasting my hard-earned money to fast food!
Being on the spectrum, I am a person who craves routine. And changes to my routine are stressful – this makes very proud of myself for changing the bad habits I’d developed. I am now eating healthier foods and snacks so that I don’t stress about calories as much. I still enjoy French fries every now and then, but just a small order.
I still worry about what I eat, but it’s no longer a major source of stress for me. And I’ve started tasting new foods that I used to push away! I am proud that I was able to overcome my bad habits. I’m losing weight the right way and I count myself fortunate for having a family that is always there to help me.
Until next time,
Sarah