People confusing my exercise OCD for an eating disorder

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So my entire life, I guess you can say one of my special interests has been health and fitness. I remember playing with my fathers dumbbells when I was about 5 or 6 and when I was 13 it progressed into what a shrink would call "exercise bulimia".
I'm 25 and I can't imagine a life without exercise, without counting every calorie and nutrient that goes into my body. (Not to mention most people with Aspergers have strange eating rituals and limited diets to begin with, this usually has no direct correlation with what most people would call an "eating disorder".) I have tried to be "normal", but it does not work. My brain will not allow it. I've been on this earth a quarter of a century. My brain will just not allow for me to not have these health and fitness related rituals without me going absolutely insane. It's like Sheldon and his spot on the couch, to everyone else he is nuts and can't relax, to him, it's the focal point of his world and if anyone messes with it his brain explodes into chaos.
I was forced to go to an eating disorder therapist when I was 16, and it didn't help me. My fixation on this transcends that of the typical "anorexic" or "exercise bulimic"-low self image, wanting to be perfect, etc. My "reasons" don't really have anything to do with any of those things. It's just something I HAVE to do. I believe it's tied to my AS and OCD and my need for ritual. And I am perfectly content with these rituals and the physical results they bring me. (Now if people would just LEAVE ME ALONE DAMMIT!)

Now the problem, of course, is other people misconstruing these behaviors as;
1) "Oh, an eating disorder!" (No, no, it's really, REALLY not).
2)"Aren't you too old for that?" (Besides the point that I don't have an eating disorder, statistics show more and more people in their late 20's and early 30's and beyond are affected with eating disorders. Your logic is invalid.)
3) "Oh, but you're perfect just the way you are!" (I REALLY don't need or want your validation.)

Etc. Etc.

I'm perfectly aware that on the surface this sounds like a textbook eating disorder, but I have no desire to look like a bag of bones, nor do I validate my self worth on the number on the scale, nor do I cry or berate myself if my weight happens to fluctuate, which it will, because s**t happens.
They're just rituals, they're MY rituals, about MY body, and maybe it's more of a control issue but when people try to sink me down to their level it makes me want to strangle them.


Does anyone else have this issue? Even if it's with another special interest/ritual? How do you deal?
Stories to share? Things to add?

Edit: Sheldon reference from Big Bang Theory I was referring to (for those of you who are unfamiliar)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKoBiZanl38[/youtube]

If you are not physically unhealthy or making yourself throw up as part of your mania, then there really is no serious problem with this. Yes, you do seem obsessed and controlling about this, and into the rituals you have set up about it, but as long as it isn't actually hurting you then there is no real issue.

There is a really old comedian, I think he might still be alive. His name is Sidney Caeser (not sure of last name spelling). He went through the first half of his life getting addicted to one thing after another, and would get off of one addiction, only to get addicted to another thing. Booze, drugs, over eating, and I think even gambling for a while. After going through all the usual addictions, he finally went on a health kick addiction. That got him into good health, and he really liked how he felt that way, so he decided not to get cured of that addiction. That's why he has lived so long, and why I think he may still be alive. His wife had to put up with a lot while he worked his way through the bad addictions, but she was relieved and happy with the health addiction.

So don't worry about being addicted to healthy stuff, as long as you are not harming yourself in the process, and as long as it doesn't seriously affect your ability to function. There are worse things to be addicted to.

As questor says, if it isn't adversely affecting your health and you are content with your rituals then there is no problem. Unfortunately not everyone can see that and some will insist on trying to change you. The only defense I have found is to develop a thick skin. Let them have their say then carry on as normal. If they get really pushy, tell them that you are happy as you are and you have no intention to change.