ADHD and weight loss
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ProwdCatLady99
Posts: 5 Member
Ok so a little about me first I am a 35yr old with ADHD and non medicated because my insurance wont cover it and I can't afford it so my life is a big ball of unorganized chaos lol! I have two children ( also both ADHD borderline autistic aka more chaos), a husband who I love and surprisingly hasn't gone insane yet living in our chaos, and I started my weight loss journey because I reached 280lbs and my family has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure and I don't want them.
I wanted to start this board because as with everything else I do my ADHD demands that I do things differently from the norm and I am sure there are others out there like me and I was curious what differences you have noticed and what you do about them. For example I have to weigh myself everyday because then I can see the ups and downs that my body goes through and the patterns that happen so I know what to expect. If I weighed once a week and just happened to land on a day that I went up a couple of lbs my mind would convince me to give up but If I can look back over the days and be like " Oh I was sick so I went up a couple of lbs but then it came off again." or " Oh I gain a couple of lbs before I loose." then I am less likely to quit because I can see that my hard work IS paying off. I have a lot of people try to "help" by giving me tips nothing against them but my mind works different than theirs and I know from experience that I can't do it their way it doesn't work.
For the first time thanks to myfitness pal I feel like I can finish what I start and I have the confidence to keep going and not give up. Best of all I am actually enjoying the journey which is the biggest surprise of all for me! I guess this works because at least I have one area of my life that is organized because they make it so easy.
I want to hear from you out there. What do you do thats different!
I wanted to start this board because as with everything else I do my ADHD demands that I do things differently from the norm and I am sure there are others out there like me and I was curious what differences you have noticed and what you do about them. For example I have to weigh myself everyday because then I can see the ups and downs that my body goes through and the patterns that happen so I know what to expect. If I weighed once a week and just happened to land on a day that I went up a couple of lbs my mind would convince me to give up but If I can look back over the days and be like " Oh I was sick so I went up a couple of lbs but then it came off again." or " Oh I gain a couple of lbs before I loose." then I am less likely to quit because I can see that my hard work IS paying off. I have a lot of people try to "help" by giving me tips nothing against them but my mind works different than theirs and I know from experience that I can't do it their way it doesn't work.
For the first time thanks to myfitness pal I feel like I can finish what I start and I have the confidence to keep going and not give up. Best of all I am actually enjoying the journey which is the biggest surprise of all for me! I guess this works because at least I have one area of my life that is organized because they make it so easy.
I want to hear from you out there. What do you do thats different!
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Replies
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I had a co-worker years ago who had ADHD. He would chew on coffee beans constantly. I would ask him why and he said the insurance wouldn't cover his ADHD drugs so he kept level headed on a constant supply of caffeine during the day. He'd sometimes buy chocolate covered coffee beans (I forget the company that made them but he ordered them online). Anyway he said it wasn't perfect but it helped. I still use caffeine as a pre-workout (coffee) and allow myself to have it up until lunch time. After that I refuse to consume it or I won't sleep because I have insomnia issues anyway.0
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I was diagnosed with ADHD in college in addition to anxiety and depression I've struggled with for a long time and I have been off those meds for about two years, but I never found any medications that worked, except adderall but I had some anxiety issues on it. Caffeine helps me stay productive, but I have cut it from my diet because I have insomnia issues that get exacerbated by caffeine. I am using an "alternative" treatment that helps a lot though.
It definitely is true that we are just wired differently. I can't think of any dieting-related examples of the top of my head, but I can't do some of the things other people do in the same manner they can and once I realized that it became easier to live my life. Now if only other people would realize that.4 -
I think forming a routine is key. One where the norm is easy healthy eating. One where you can deviate a little if you wanted and experiment with fancier healthy receipes but you can always fall back on the easy ready to go ones when you need to. One where it's actually more work to cheat than just have your simple healthy meal. One that becomes second nature and you don't have to think too much about it. One that makes your life easier and less complicated.3
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I think forming a routine is key. One where the norm is easy healthy eating. One where you can deviate a little if you wanted and experiment with fancier healthy receipes but you can always fall back on the easy ready to go ones when you need to. One where it's actually more work to cheat than just have your simple healthy meal. One that becomes second nature and you don't have to think too much about it. One that makes your life easier and less complicated.
I totally agree with this. I don't have ADHD, but my son does, and I do share a lot of the tendencies with him. Just not at the same intensity. Getting good routines going has saved the sanity of our entire family. Not just for losing weight, but for keeping track of things, or getting chores done, and making sure everyone gets to where they need to be when they need to be there with the stuff they need to have! Just start small and build onto what works. I now have long morning & evening routines that seem complicated if I put them down on paper, but they are so ingrained I can get a ton of stuff done without even thinking about it.
One thing that works well for us is taking big projects (like weight loss, or even just organizing a room) and breaking them down into smaller tasks. It's so easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged. For instance, when it comes to your weight loss, pick one thing to work on at a time. I started with logging my food and getting a handle on my calorie intake. I didn't worry too much about hitting a certain target right away. I just wanted to create the habit and get an awareness of the calories in my food. Then I looked over my logs and could get an idea of which calorie bombs I reduce or eliminate, and even which things I could eat more of (mushrooms YES!).
Then when I was ready to add in exercise, I decided to make that a habit too. I had one requirement, it had to be something I would be willing to do every day or I would talk myself out of it. I made it a goal to walk on my treadmill for a minimum of 20 minutes every day. I did it the same time every day and I even set it up in front a the basement TV so i could watch my favorite shows. That 20 minutes easily turned into 30, 40, even 60 if it was a good enough show! I even started running eventually, and I couldn't even run a mile in school!
Hang in there, and don't beat yourself up if things don't go perfectly. It doesn't mean you've screwed up, you just found something that doesn't work. Good luck!4 -
Sometimes healthcare providers will work with you to find medications that are covered, or they might have coupons or know about some resources. But yeah I hear you, my preferred medication, Vyvanse, is only covered by a handful of insurers because there is no generic option. That also means pretty steep copays even with the coupon my provider gave me. I use an FSA to cover it so at least it's pre-tax. For me it's not an option to be off my meds, I was diagnosed late in life (late 30's) after seeking treatment for issues that had been plaguing me my entire life and were starting to get worse. Basically I get very fatigued and lethargic, emotionally erratic, and am prone to anxiety attacks. I've also struggled with binging and food fixation, although not anything super extreme. The Vyvanse has been particularly effective at curbing that tendency.
My advice would be:
1) seek out CBT. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is about reprogramming your brain. So even if you can't take meds to manage your brain chemistry you can at least work towards self-awareness of when you might be engaging in dopamine seeking behaviors.
2) Exercise daily. Don't kill yourself but do 20-30 minutes of low impact cardio to get your heart rate up and your dopamine levels up. Even now that I'm medicated, I find the medication lasts longer and is more effective especially through the afternoon and during hormonal fluctations when I'm exercising regularly. On meds I can get away with every other day or every 2 days. Not on meds, you need to do it every day, no exceptions. You need those brain chemicals.
3) Use a low does of pseudoephedrine and caffeine on occasion when you find yourself really struggling. Before I was diagnosed, I was self-medicating with this combination to get through meetings and harder tasks at work. Using pseudoephedrine over a long period isn't really the best thing for you, so use it sparingly. Certain nasal spray decongestants are also stimulants and can be used to improve norepinephrine uptake. Again, don't go crazy here.
4) If you are prone to binging (like me), and you are not medicating, you cannot have certain foods in your house or else it needs to be locked up or in some way that you absolutely cannot get to it. Your brain needs dopamine and if you aren't producing enough, you are setting yourself up for failure by keeping stuff around that's gonna give your brain the dopamine it needs. Even now that I'm medicated I'm prone to binging before my period when my meds are less effective. My solution is to keep carrots and celery in supply at all times. No it's not as tasty as other things but the sensation of crunching and chewing seems to help whatever is triggering the need to binge. Carrots in particular are slightly sweet so that helps. Figure out what works for you.
Good luck and I hope you are able to eventually get treatment again.
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So much yes here.
I'm diagnosed ADHD.
Was using adderall but switched to ephedrine/Caffeine/creatine.
N=1 but I've found that if I'm fasted from the time I wake up till about 1-2pm, I get *kitten* done!
100% laser focused.
Between 1-4 I'm less focused so less important tasks.
After 4pm I'm done. Brain shuts down and I'm lucky if I can read 1 sentence.
As for weight loss, I have to fight to maintain my current weight due to a high NEAT and the ECC stack.
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Sometimes healthcare providers will work with you to find medications that are covered, or they might have coupons or know about some resources. But yeah I hear you, my preferred medication, Vyvanse, is only covered by a handful of insurers because there is no generic option. That also means pretty steep copays even with the coupon my provider gave me. I use an FSA to cover it so at least it's pre-tax. For me it's not an option to be off my meds, I was diagnosed late in life (late 30's) after seeking treatment for issues that had been plaguing me my entire life and were starting to get worse. Basically I get very fatigued and lethargic, emotionally erratic, and am prone to anxiety attacks. I've also struggled with binging and food fixation, although not anything super extreme. The Vyvanse has been particularly effective at curbing that tendency.
My advice would be:
1) seek out CBT. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is about reprogramming your brain. So even if you can't take meds to manage your brain chemistry you can at least work towards self-awareness of when you might be engaging in dopamine seeking behaviors.
2) Exercise daily. Don't kill yourself but do 20-30 minutes of low impact cardio to get your heart rate up and your dopamine levels up. Even now that I'm medicated, I find the medication lasts longer and is more effective especially through the afternoon and during hormonal fluctations when I'm exercising regularly. On meds I can get away with every other day or every 2 days. Not on meds, you need to do it every day, no exceptions. You need those brain chemicals.
3) Use a low does of pseudoephedrine and caffeine on occasion when you find yourself really struggling. Before I was diagnosed, I was self-medicating with this combination to get through meetings and harder tasks at work. Using pseudoephedrine over a long period isn't really the best thing for you, so use it sparingly. Certain nasal spray decongestants are also stimulants and can be used to improve norepinephrine uptake. Again, don't go crazy here.
4) If you are prone to binging (like me), and you are not medicating, you cannot have certain foods in your house or else it needs to be locked up or in some way that you absolutely cannot get to it. Your brain needs dopamine and if you aren't producing enough, you are setting yourself up for failure by keeping stuff around that's gonna give your brain the dopamine it needs. Even now that I'm medicated I'm prone to binging before my period when my meds are less effective. My solution is to keep carrots and celery in supply at all times. No it's not as tasty as other things but the sensation of crunching and chewing seems to help whatever is triggering the need to binge. Carrots in particular are slightly sweet so that helps. Figure out what works for you.
Good luck and I hope you are able to eventually get treatment again.
I'm in the process of getting my daughters on vyvanse for free through the shires cares program. I want to get it for myself but I have to find a doctor that I can go to ( HMO) to prescribe it to me.1 -
Spliner1969 wrote: »I had a co-worker years ago who had ADHD. He would chew on coffee beans constantly. I would ask him why and he said the insurance wouldn't cover his ADHD drugs so he kept level headed on a constant supply of caffeine during the day. He'd sometimes buy chocolate covered coffee beans (I forget the company that made them but he ordered them online). Anyway he said it wasn't perfect but it helped. I still use caffeine as a pre-workout (coffee) and allow myself to have it up until lunch time. After that I refuse to consume it or I won't sleep because I have insomnia issues anyway.
Pretty ingenious method for him to come up with having no insurance coverage on the drugs needed! It's quite unfortunate his insurance company didn't cover his meds.
I jumped in on this thread reading only a couple other posts. My apologies if more was added on this particular post that I missed. Looking forward to having a bit more time to catch up on the full thread just a bit later. Looks to be an interesting one.0 -
Curious if any of you that are unable to get insurance to pay for your ADD/ADHD medication perhaps also are dealing with a binge eating disorder?
Again, my apologies on having not had time to fully read all the posts before jumping in. Gotta run but will be back after a bit to partake in the entire convo.
Have a lovely Day all! 0 -
I eat less when on stimulants.0
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I have adult A.D.D and was prescribed Adderall XR but stopped because it gave me even more anxiety. I sometimes use herbal refreshments help with focus, hehe and I just mix things up.
This just means I weigh myself randomly, i never eat at the same time, etc. The only issue i had was forcing myself to do things i hated like sticking to a schedule and the sheer force it takes to get through a workout. I just put my own spin on it. I might not workout at the same time daily, but I do make sure it happens at least 5x a week.
I just decided to mix up my cardio doing 15 min HITT on the treadmill, then walking for 20 on the track, then the elliptical for 15 min and weights after that has helped me lose but keep my sanity. My foods aren't boring, but I still make sure they're organic and or healthy and I drink water I can enjoy.
I also stay mainly organized by using lots of sticky notes, planners, and daily alarm/reminders. My home is huge so I try to keep space uncluttered. Sometimes this is a 2x a week clean up job but at least I know when friends come over or I need to find something, it's neat and orderly.
Yeah, if I sit/work in an area long enough it looks like a tornado hit it but I make sure to clean up after myself. Less clutter outside, less in.
It can be really hard to focus but even those of us with ADD/ADHD can unlearn bad habits and focus/create new ones. It's really just about self-discipline which can be mastered with a mindset change.
You can do it! Never allow ADD/ADHD to become your excuse at failing anything. It takes more focus but it can be done. I haven't finished my journey, but I've been able to keep off 30+lbs these past 2 going on 3 yrs and plan on shedding a lot more. Our brains are wired differently but even habits can work on ADD/ADHD individuals just fine.3 -
ADHD here; diagnosed in high school. I used to be on meds but I hated them; they made me feel less creative. I completely second the weighing every day as I need that in order to stay focused. Data, all kinds of data, really helps me as I can see patterns and feel like I am making progress in one area even if I am not in another area. I was starting to slack off in January and adding regular exercise really helped me stay on track as it gave me something else to work for each day; a new goal to achieve (today I can try to run for twenty four minutes instead of twenty one! . . . And tomorrow I can try to run for twenty four minutes without feeling like I am dying!).
The other super big thing for me is patterns. I have to have routines, ruts, that I stick to with an almighty passion. I get up at six every morning to go running--if I get up at a later time it is too easy to skip it and relax instead. I eat the same things for breakfast every morning; I try to eat the same things for lunch and my PM snack; and with dinner I stay within a couple regularly rotated meals. Routines make me feel happy, safe, and like I have through-lines in my personal swirl of chaos.
The most difficult thing lately has been having a friend move in with me: she has different routines, which is cool, but my routines have been all off-kilter, which makes it more difficult to focus on my goals. That's where checking all the different markers for success come in: I keep striving for a new goal, even if some of the others aren't going so hot. Once things return to normal then I can reassemble the pieces as needed.
All to say:
1. I have multiple goals at any one point in time so I don't lose focus/interest and quit.
2. Routines are critical in order to keep the system going.2 -
Hearts_2015 wrote: »Pretty ingenious method for him to come up with having no insurance coverage on the drugs needed! It's quite unfortunate his insurance company didn't cover his meds.
I jumped in on this thread reading only a couple other posts. My apologies if more was added on this particular post that I missed. Looking forward to having a bit more time to catch up on the full thread just a bit later. Looks to be an interesting one.
I tried the chocolate covered coffe beans, they were addictive lol. Not sure they'd be useful on a diet though.1 -
Yay i feel at home now. Lol i have undiagnosed ADHD along with some other things. I know this is an old thread but its still somewhat relevant so im reopening it.0
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Never diagnosed, but probably something like ADHD/ASD. Caffeine smooths me out enough to be able to simulate normalcy most of the time.1
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I have ADHD and high functioning autism (Asperger’s). I have trouble accomplishing things that I’m not obsessively interested in. Weight loss goes just fine until I lose interest and obsess about something else.
With that being said, losing weight in spurts has really worked for me. I’m down over 60 pounds with 30-40 to go.3 -
I have diagnosed ADHD, and I can't sit still... so that helps weight loss quite a bit0
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I’m wondering if a lot of us with ADHD tend to make impulsive choices around food. Being hyper can help a person’s NEAT but poor impulse control around food could counteract that.1
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I'm more of an ADhD than ADHD LOL - I fidget like crazy, but I can sit in the same chair without running around. Too much.
I'm finding meal prep to be a key factor that I have historically been missing (at least since gaining the weight to begin with). Otherwise, I just won't take the time to do things right because I'm in a hurry/bored/tired/distracted....you name it. Too much work to sit and enter my calories at every.single.meal. I can keep that up for a couple few weeks, then fall off that wagon again. Prepping meals that are all in a certain calorie range, and I can grab which ever one sounds appealing at that meal? Perfect for me! All I have to do is focus for a few hours once a week or so to do the prep, then after that, no more thinking/measuring/sweating it involved.
Some of that is probably just my crazy life, too, but my crazy life is probably a reflection of my ADD. This has become a priority of mine though, so I leapt at the chance of a promotion in my "real" job which allows me to quit my part time weekend gig and free up that time for meal prep (actually one of the big reasons for wanting to quit that gig). I still do freelance stuff on the side, but that's super flexible.0 -
ADHD and have substance abuse issues, so I am on strattera instead of stimulants. Bucking the trend here, but I felt it was irrelevant to weight loss.0
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