[harbaughjb]

Hey. I was recently diagnosed with Autism, and I'm SUPER happy I got diagnosed (finally, after years of fighting for a PROPER assessment...got diagnosed with gender identity and even borderline personality disorder, which is completely opposite of what I am). I found a doctor that listened, had me do a whole assessment paper, and even talked to my parents for a full history. So, I know that's what it is.

Here's my issue. Food both excites me and bores me. I HATE most foods, and that's only increased with how most foods deal with me. I found out I have the symptoms of Crohn's, so when I eat things like salads and whole grain stuff (anything HEALTHY), I get intense pain in my abdomen. I only get relief, right now, from simply not eating those foods. But, I want to lose weight! All the foods I CAN eat are JUNK, but I'm scared to eat anything like whole wheat bread, cut out my sodas (caffeine and the carbonation are the best things for me, since caffeine calms me and the carbonation actually makes my stomach feel BETTER, believe it or not), eat ANY veggies (since they all tend to be triggers for Crohn's), and even add healthy alternatives. I'm sensitive to stuff.

Here's my question...is it OKAY for me to spend more money on the food I DO eat? I tend to eat a lot of food from restaurants, because they do it the way I like. They also give me different foods that I know I can handle. McDonalds is, surprisingly, one of the ones I CAN handle. And Dairy Queen. And a few other restaurants. I tend to order in or send my hubby out for those foods, since that ends up being the only stuff I DO eat.

Is it okay that I'm picky? Am I even being PICKY? Or is it justified, since half the food out there gives me anxiety over whether it will hurt me or not?

I don't know. I'm nervous I'm bringing our food costs up. I'm not a large woman. I'm a size 16 at most, and this is after giving birth to two kids. And, when I exercise, I lose weight. And, I also don't eat a LOT. I eat a bit here and there, but it's usually take out or certain dishes that need more expensive ingredients (tortellini is a fave, but it's $2.50 for one serving, so we usually only buy it for me). Does anyone else have this issue? Am I being a normal Autistic person? Or am I simply being picky? I want to eat healthier, but it's so hard when even WATER hurts me (I have to add lime juice to the water, and that's hard to find one that actually tastes GOOD).

[RenouncedTroglodyte]

Like you, I eat junk, but when I was 18, I did something that is so unhealthy, yet it made me lose 36 kg, which is a simple organization of meal times and decreased amount of junk food, and a lot of jogging, mostly a Flash kind of jogging, and done outdoors. I remember eating one meal a day, and I, like an addict, couldn't stand the need to put anything in me, but I somehow kept going, tolerating all the painful and unbearable headaches. After six months of taking it easy, and by that I mean waiting with no rush, I succeeded.

I don't consider myself picky. I just like having that meal rather than that other one. And when it comes to food, I hate trying new meals, so I stick with what I like. You have at least an excuse to do so, I don't.

I'm addicted to junk food and Coca-Cola. I have tried stopping it and I keep failing. I wish so badly to lose weight, but I don't know what to do.

There is something very weird with my body. When I was a young boy I never ate and I never slept. If my parents didn't force me, I wouldn't have done either. At about the age of 7 they had to force feed me basically. I wasn't actually particularly anorexic or anything, I was kinda thin but not far under normal. After forcing me to eat meals and "not waste food", I started gaining weight. I ate chocolate and things too. At the age of 8 or 9, I was fat.

The problem was that I would never adapt socially enough in order to play sports or something, as it requires a team concept. It was almost as though there was a unseen force who knew this and programmed my body to not consume a lot of food. I do believe in God, and I think He does things sometimes that we don't understand. I think the adults got scared with me because I wasn't being normal, and now I sit with this weight problem because it caused a love of eating with me, especially junk food. I wish I could go back and change that. This being fat has ruined my life. No-one respects me and everyone thinks I'm a joke.