Want to lose weight but you just can’t seem to do the things you need to succeed?
It’s fun having ADHD (said no one ever!)
Having ADHD means we struggle with tasks like
- meal planning (too much organising and feels overwhelming)
- motivation to cook healthy meals every night
- sticking to an exercise routine consistently
- sugar cravings (thanks to lower serotonin levels)
But, research shows that behaviour change (also known as habit change) is far more effective than dieting for weight loss.
Fortunately, behaviour change is exactly what us ADHDers need to lose weight. Not diets or exercise programmes that require us to do all the things our ADHD makes so hard.
As a fellow ADHDer and Health & Weight Loss Coach for ADHD women I understand your struggles (I’ve had them too!) Today, I’m sharing with you my 5 tips on how to lose weight with ADHD so that you can shed the lbs without overwhelm.
And, stop getting frustrated because you’re following advice aimed at neuro-typical people.
It’s time to lose weight in a way that works for you.
Does having ADHD make it harder to lose weight?
Yes and no. The truth is, losing weight with ADHD is not physically any harder. The problem is our brains make it harder due to difficulties with executive functioning.
Here’s the bottom line, the mainstream advice is all geared towards neuro-typical people.
Struggling to plan healthy meals, being more likely to be a picky eater, and hyper-focus causes problems.
For example, you may miss hunger cues, crave sugar, rely on processed foods and takeouts, and struggle to stay consistent with exercise or over-exercise.
All of these things make the traditional ways of losing weight nearly impossible. It t is 100% possible to lose weight and transform your health even if you have ADHD.
But, it requires you to go about it differently.
How do you stick to weight loss when you have ADHD? My top 5 tips...
Tip 1: Reduce your sugar intake.
If you find yourself snacking on chocolate and biscuits during the afternoon, then switch to another snack you enjoy that’s lower in sugar.
For example:
- Chocolate to berries
- Chocolate cereals to Lizzie’s low sugar granola (with a sprinkle of chocolate chips)
- Cereal Bars to Mixed nuts with a few chocolate chips.
Now, this next part is important.
You must still choose a snack that you enjoy. If you hate berries, then it doesn’t matter how healthy they are. You will be back to that Cadbury’s bar in no time.
Why?
Because you are relying on willpower. To make this work you need to work with your brain and not against it.
Ask yourself this question. What snacks do I enjoy that aren’t high in sugar? What’s your favourite snacks? What’s something you have wanted to try but haven’t yet?
Get a piece of paper and pen out and get brainstorming.
And I’m not stopping there… Are sugar cravings sabotaging you?
Then, improving your overall diet, reducing stress, and eating high-quality protein will have a huge impact on sugar cravings and energy levels. (I share my 10 tips to cut back on sugar here)
Tip 2: Simple switches.
Listen up…
Have you ever found yourself starting a diet but find you have cravings and just want to enjoy yourself. So, you eat that slice of cake, have those crisps or buy that Galaxy bar on the meal deal at lunch?
But, you end up feeling guilty. You’ve “blown it” so you may as well eat what you want. Right?
Then you start all over again.
If this is familiar (and it likely is) then you have fallen into the diet trap. Don’t worry, I’m yet to meet a woman who hasn’t!
Us ADHDers are prone to all or nothing thinking. Meaning we are even more likely to fall into this cycle of doom.
So what’s the solution?
Making small & simple switches. Instead of jumping in at the deep end.
Small adjustments to your meals is far easier, requires very little will power (if any) and it’s more effective than dieting.
For example…
- White rice to Wholegrain/ brown rice or cauliflower rice.
- Chips to Sweet Potato Fries (you can buy shop bought or even better slice up a sweet potato and use the air fryer for crispiness)
- White pasta to wholegrain pasta or edamame pasta (yes that’s a thing!)
- Cereal to Lizzie’s Low Sugar Granola
These seemingly small differences add up to big results.
Try keeping a food diary or journal. NOT to beat yourself up over. But so you can visually see what you’re eating over the week.
Then, take a look and see what tweaks you could make.
Need more ideas for healthy swaps? Check out my blog post on “15 Easy Swaps for a Healthier Breakfast”
Tip 3: Balance your lunch & dinner.
I had a client who lost weight over Christmas from using this alone. It’s that effective!
Portion your plate so it’s 1/2 veggies, 1/4 protein, and 1/4 complex carbs (such as sweet potato)
Focus on changing one meal at a time. Get comfortable with those changes first. Then you can move onto another main meal.
For those of us with ADHD, cooking, meal planning & grocery shopping can feel overwhelming. It’s easy to fall back onto takeaways & unhealthy convenience foods. That’s why I created 10 FREE Quick & Easy Recipes for ADHD Women Who Want to Lose Weight. These recipes are straightforward, quick and simple to remove overwhelm. You can access your copy below.
Tip 4: Re-evaluate your breakfast
Instead of your bowl of cereal or toast then opt for a more balanced breakfast.
But here me out…
This doesn’t mean having to whip up egg whites and spinach first thing in the morning. Nobody got time for that!
Instead, look for easy breakfast ideas. Like your cereal in the morning? No need to give it up, just switch to a low sugar brand such as Lizzie’s low sugar granola or shredded wheat.
Want to improve breakfast even more? Add some plain Greek yogurt and fruit such as berries. (plain yogurt because the flavoured ones are packed with sugar and artificial sweeteners!) Try brands such as Yeo Valley. If you find berries too sweet, you can choose any kind of fruit and eat it separately. Doesn’t have to be mixed in.
Struggling to eat food in the morning? No problem. Try having a simple meal replacement shake. And you can add in a handful of frozen berries with unsweetened almond milk for extra nutrition.
Tip 5: Look at what you are drinking.
The liquids we drink can make a huge impact on our waistlines and our overall well-being.
Take a look at the drinks you have during the day. For ADHD women there can be a reliance on tea, coffee, energy drinks, and fizzy soda for energy and stimulation.
But what exactly does this mean?
Unfortunately, all of these types of drinks send us off on a blood sugar roller coaster. Unstable blood sugar is bad enough for neuro-typical women. But, for us ADHDers it has even more of an impact.
Not only do we end up storing all the unused glucose as fat, increased cravings for sugar (making us eat even more!) and the energy slumps. On top of that, low blood sugar makes our ADHD symptoms even worse! And can make us shaky, struggling to focus and cloudy thinking. As if you don’t have to battle enough of that already!
All of this leads to a vicious cycle of craving more sugar and caffeine. Making it harder and harder to escape.
So, what are you drinking throughout the day?
Start taking note.
If you find you are drinking soda or fruit juice you can make a switch to flavoured water (with no added sugar) or sparkling water if you like the fizz in soda.
For coffee and tea drinkers, you can make the switch to decaf. Or, cut down to 1-2 cups a day if you drink a lot.
Does replacing it all in one go feel too overwhelming? Then start by replacing one beverage a day and continue slowly.
Bonus Tip: Exercise.
Did you know that exercise alone has a limited impact on weight loss? (If at all!)But, it is proven to be effective to maintain weight loss. Not to mention the host of other health benefits. Both physical and mental.
Exercise has the added bonus of being the no.1 best thing you can do to help your ADHD symptoms. For some people, finding the motivation to exercise can be a struggle.
Are you finding the motivation to workout a struggle? You’re not alone.
As an online weight loss coach for ADHD women, I see this come up regularly. It’s certainly not unique to us, but we certainly struggle with it more and need different ways of dealing with it.
Let’s face it, when it comes to ADHDers, writing it down in our diary just isn’t going to cut it! (if only it was that easy!)
Here’s the big secret…
You need to engage your brain as well as your body!
First thing to do is start looking at ways of movement you enjoy (I wrote about this in 12 Exciting Ways to Get fit Without the Gym)
Our ADHD brains are prone to boredom, so if it’s boring and repetitive then we will quit and we will quit fast!
Personally, spinning is hell for me and I will quit not because I’m finding it physically hard but because I am bored out of my mind! Seriously, 5 minutes in and I have already started thinking of 100 other things I could be doing instead!
Look for workouts that mean your brain has to get involved as well as your body. Some great options are the Tracy Anderson Method.
Parts of her advice I suggest you take with a pinch of salt. And for goodness sake ignore the diet plans because it’s a one way street to an eating disorder. However, the workouts themselves are excellent for ADHDers.
The more complex (ok, downright weird) workout moves and the no talking, just loud music approach, has always worked far better for me than anything else.
Having done all of her workouts, I’d recommend starting with her mat workout, perfect design series, and metamorphosis program over the online studio. By progressing through the different levels you make it a mental challenge. Not to mention a physical one!
In similar fashion, dancing is another excellent way to engage your brain. If you don’t feel confident to attend a dance class, then there are great options online.
Another way is to set yourself a challenge that excites you. Training for a marathon, half marathon, 10k, or 5k. For example, one of my clients struggled with workout motivation until we started linking her workouts to her challenge to run a 10k.
Overall, you are looking to engage your brain as well as your body.
“How to lose weight with ADHD?” is a complex question.
The truth is, losing weight with ADHD can be harder due to difficulties with executive functioning.
But, it is 100% possible to lose weight and transform your health even if you have ADHD.
For long-term success, it’s crucial you have the right strategies, support, and accountability in place.
Sadly, losing weight is not the one-size-fits-all approach that most weight loss programs take. Your plan must be geared to your ADHD brain and take into all aspects of your life, health, and wellness for you to see lasting change.
Working with a health coach means you can save time and money by having your own customised plan, personalised strategies, accountability, and the support system you need. So that you can not only lose weight with ADHD, but easily keep it off too.
To see if Health Coaching is a fit for you & to get your questions answered then book in for a FREE chat.
