> A lot of the behaviors this seems to force I don't understand - like railroading whether to skip breakfast or not. I am well aware that for kids with autism frequently there are feeding issues, but what's going on in the "simulation" is very not clear to me.

I lost interest after the breakfast question. For someone who’s physically fit (which this person likely is) skipping breakfast shouldn’t cause a noticeable drop in energy. If it does, then there may be more going on than just autism.

Everyone's different.

I lose energy if I do have breakfast. Which results in lack of focus. Therefore I often postpone my breakfast as long as I possibly can, otherwise, with a large probability, my work day is ruined before it even starts.

you also don't fall asleep at your desk as a response to a birthday party in the office early in the morning after a good nights' sleep, but if you play a one-sided game in this that's what happens.

it's not a reality simulator, incredibly few video games are.

the whole thing seems like a conflicted struggle between "I want to make a game" and "I need to get my points across", often to the detriment of the game-part.

It's an interesting concept though.

I don't even have an autism diagnosis, and I never skip breakfast because of the energy drop. I bike to work, run 5ks, and am not overweight, even by standardized BMI metrics.

I don't even have an autism diagnosis. It never occurred to me that something might be "going on". Breakfast imparts energy. To me, that has been a given.

You're unfairly extrapolating from your own experience here -- everyone's body has different chemistry.

I have to eat breakfast in the morning in order to feel energetic during the day. But specifically, I need a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast. Anything else makes me feel lethargic and tired.

Unless autism gives you an eating disorder, making it so you have absolutely no energy reserves cough cough

Being physically fit past your 30s is a series of building habits and making hard choices that obviously is a challenge of its own that many in sedentary jobs have skipped or fallen away from. OP may be fit, but yeah for average office worker (especially in locations that are car-bound on long commutes) I’d bet there is indeed more going on than just autism.

I'm a mid-packer in the triathlons I participate in, so pretty fit. I definitely notice the energy difference between having eaten breakfast or not, in the everyday (non-training) context. It's not a hunger thing (I'd miss breakfast most days if I didn't literally schedule it) and I can do my strength training and short intervals to the same performance fasted as fed. But I am aware of it.

If I don’t eat breakfast I feel afraid I will lose any gym gains and feel very weak. I don’t know anyone that hits the gym daily and skips breakfast.

i would interpret physical fitness as cardio exercise routine and depleted muscle glycogen stores: so breakfast is very welcome and without it is not possible to keep up exercise routine

It's complicated for me. Sometimes breakfast makes me notice my digestive system, which seems to make my ADHD-adjacent traits worse. I also get IBS... Which is different from the meds constipation. So eating is difficult. Because of IBS my bowels are also unpredictable, so dosing laxatives is hard. I don't know how many of these things are caused by meds.

Then there's the energy thing. I guess if I'm in ketosis it's fine, but after not eating for a whole day it's hard to sustain the next day, but eating isn't alway worth it.

The saddest part is that junk foot and Tesco meal deal is so is somehow easier to digest. So I often eat that.

I'm trying Kefir (even though I'm lactose intolerant, but I take lactase with it) for the 10 time probably. My GP recommended it. Alas, maybe it helps.

Soooo, tldr eating yes, I love it, but it can have consequences that completely tank my productivity. And each time I have to ponder this it feels like I've done a chore but without the reward feeling of completing a chore, even though I just say there in silence for 5-15 minutes

Idk if other people are in a similar boat

> For someone who’s physically fit (which this person likely is) skipping breakfast shouldn’t cause a noticeable drop in energy.

It definitely does.

You don't feel it immediately. Notice the bar doesn't reset the next day. You don't feel breakfast immediately but your workout later in the day and tomorrow will be affected by this.

Skipping breakfast absolutely causes a noticeable drop in energy for most people. Especially if you work an intellectually demanding job. That blood glucose is important.

Also of note given the OP’s subject, several studies show that people with significantly impactful Autism spectrum disorders have higher brain glucose consumption than the baseline.

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