The battle of losing weight when you have ADHD. As if it wasn’t enough, those of us with ADHD of course get it ten times harder. Isn’t it always the case?
Diets never last longer than a few weeks. Even if they’re branded as a “lifestyle change” it doesn’t make any difference. Choosing what to eat, cooking and meal prep feel like an ordeal and it’s exhausting! And you find yourself spending SO much money on food. Most of which you don’t even eat because cooking feels like too much.
Exercise never lasts long, even if you do like it, you end up getting bored and just can’t seem to stick to anything. You know what you SHOULD be doing but you never seem to DO it for longer than a month.
It’s frustrating that something as seemingly simple as eating less and moving more seems so impossible!
After all the effort you have put in over the years it’s exhausting and depressing to see that you have put in so much and got nothing in return. Because even when you do lose those 7lbs…
You just pile it right back on.
Of course you are thinking of just giving up altogether and accepting the fact you’re overweight. Who wouldn’t!
The thing is…
These diets, lifestyle changes and meal plans (or diets in disguise!) are all designed for people who DO NOT have ADHD. They are not designed for us ADHD women at all. In fact, for us, they are guaranteed to make us not only fail but drive us round the bend at the same time!
And the truth is…
These plans don’t even work for non ADHD women. The majority of people who lose weight on a diet gain it back within a year! So if these diets aren’t even working for the people they are designed for then what chance do you stand?
Of course it’s not working!
So What the Heck Do You Do?
First of all, admitting defeat and accepting you are overweight is NOT the answer! It’s not your goal that’s the problem. The problem is the vehicle you are using to get there.
You are putting petrol in a diesel car & expecting it to run. That is the problem.
So, you need ADHD friendly ways to lose weight. You will only win this battle by working with your ADHD brain and not against it.
Here’s what you need….
Effective ADHD meal prep strategies
Meal prep, cooking & grocery shopping can feel exhausting for ADHDers. Which is why many people end up relying on un healthy choices like ready meals and takeout. Both of which contribute to your waistline. Cooking healthy food EVERY day, it can feel overwhelming.
Here’s the good news. There is a half way house between these two things.
Quick and easy recipes that take only 10 minutes, low effort meals and pre prepped veggies, salad kits and stir fry kits can all make eating healthy with ADHD easier. Which will mean losing weight and keeping it off long term.
By understanding which choices are healthier for you, focusing on simple recipes and meal combinations and learning to meal prep on the go & having a method to quickly access ingredient lists, then healthy eating becomes much easier & no longer overwhelming.
Understanding Emotional Eating & ADHD
By working on being aware of your mood when you crave certain foods, over eat or binge eat, you can start to understand your food triggers. By being aware of your ADHD food triggers, you can start to find healthier ways of giving yourself what you need, without overeating.
For example, I noticed I would be eating chocolate in the afternoons. Yet, when I started to be more aware I realised I wasn’t hungry. My medication was starting to wear off and my brain was actually craving stimulation. Now instead of eating chocolate, I drink sparkling water.
These seemingly small changes add up to big results.
Exercise
It’s likely you already know how beneficial exercise is for your body. But do you know how good exercise is for your mental health? Especially when you have ADHD.
Exercise alone can help manage ADHD symptoms in some cases (although do not attempt to come off ANY medication without speaking to your doctor) Exercise is the most helpful habit you can build to help with your ADHD symptoms.
Here is the problem…
You know you should exercise, but getting started and/or sticking with it is easier said than done. Often ADHDers find they get bored & lose motivation. That’s if they can even get started in the first place.
Truth is, ADHD brains require more stimulation. Just running on the treadmill, cycling or even squats & weights at the gym struggle to keep our minds engaged for long enough.
We not only have to challenge our bodies. We also have to challenge our brains.
Exercise that forces us to use our coordination and switch on during the workouts is shown to make us more engaged, less bored and therefore less likely to quit.
Exercise like dance, follow along dance cardio, The Tracy Anderson Method, yoga, pilates, trampoline dance workouts and martial arts all are better at stimulating our brains and stopping us getting bored.
Switching it up frequently also helps with workout boredom. As does body doubling up, attending classes, working out at home and accountability groups.
The importance of exercise cannot be overstated when it comes to ADHD.
The Truth…
If you really want to lose weight then you have to start working with your ADHD. By finding healthier ways to give it what it wants.
My Mind & Body Transformation Programme is a 90 day, 1:1, virtual, health coaching programme. Specifically designed to help you lose weight and keep it off the ADHD way.
We don’t do diets or fads. We do sustainable weight loss for the REAL world. By working with you for the full 90 days, it gets you over the quitting stage. Because you will start strong, you always do! But what I want to work with you on and what you need is the bit that comes after! That is the KEY to unlocking your success, which is why the 90 day programme is so effective.
I’m not just a certified health and life coach. I also have ADHD. I didn’t just learn this in a text book. I LIVED it.
So I get the exhaustion of working so damn hard every single day and getting nowhere. I get the frustration of spending so much money on programmes that give you so little in return. I have been in your shoes & I can help you get un stuck and stop feeling trapped.
To learn more about The Mind & Body Transformation Programme then book a complimentary, transformation discovery session with me, and lets see if this could work for you. The session is zero pressure & is a chance to get to know each other and help you put together an action plan to move you forward.
