Losing weight and ADD
 

Anyone here dealing with ADD and trying to lose weight?

I am not on medication, I chose not to, but I have quite a severe ADD
It interacts with many things in my life, especially anything that demands willpower, structure and effort.

I don't really know how to deal with this anymore... I keep on having these good thoughts of losing weight, but I can never reach any goals, my brain is playing tricks on me.

:?: :dizzy:

I'm dealing with adult ADD, but it's not really severe. I really have a tough time focusing on tasks at hand, and the idea of regular exercise, even though I enjoy it now, is something with which I struggle. I have issues with losing weight when I'm successful at losing for periods of time. The anxiety ramps up over that a lot!

I have read that exercise is a really good way to gain focus for those with ADD. My older son also has it, and I have no problem telling him what to do. We try to work together at it. Sometimes it works.

I don't like obsessing over the food/nutrition, although I've done so in the past. So I made the choice to eliminate everything I seem to stumble over from my life so that the food choices I make are all good. I still overeat, although not nearly as bad as I used to. I changed what I could change, things that would support my health goals even though I'm very impulsive in my choices. Sometimes, my choice to exercise is an impulsive choice as well.

LADIES ~ as a social/community support worker, I worked with many people (young persons & adults too) who had varying degrees of ADD (my DH has this too), and we found that using schedules, calendars, and journaling helped them immensely -- it actually brought order to their lives so that they could function and achieve much more.

We found that putting a large calendar on the wall and marking each thing they wanted to do was the most helpful tool of all. We put down everything from brushing their teeth to appointments and even marking mealtimes, chores, plus recreational & social activities ... well everything really ...

Heck, I now find this helpful for my DH and I as we get older as our short-term memory isn't as good as it used to be; and my DH really needs this as he has a severe memory problem (always has). You could mark down what you plan to eat and regular small amounts of exercise like going for a 10 minute walk each morning; and then strike things off as you do them (my DH really loves to do that each day).

Hope this idea helps you a bit ... Rosebud:hug:

You're not alone, I suffer from ADD as well however I've found that Rosebud is quite right, having checklists and tracking everything helps A LOT.
Personally I use Google Desktop, in their sidebar they have an application where you can write down "To Do" lists and since I spend a fair amount of time at the computer it's quite easy to check what I need to do. Besides this I also track my food intake closely to make sure I keep an eye on my calories. I know it takes time an effort but in the end it's worth every second I spend because I'm getting exactly the results I want. ;)

I've been able to use my ADD to my advantage to some extent - when I go to the gym I never make myself stay on the same machine once I'm bored (which is about 5 min. in) I end up moving around a lot more and stay at it longer because there are so many things to try. Once I've done one for a few minutes I just move on to the next one until I've done them all - satisfies my need to be flighty and work out at the same time.

Thank you everyone for your answers! I'm not alone :carrot:

I found that using an agenda helps me a lot, but I need to find a new and bigger one that zips, where I can put papers I need to keep with me.

I need to get my life in order, it's a big mess right now :dizzy:

Gah! I have ADD, and I have to take adderall to concentrate at school. It's not like it makes me gain weight, but it takes my hunger away and from what I've heard, can really screw up my metabolism or something?

I go to this weight loss clinic for teens my age and the counselors there are pressuring me about this issue and honestly its not like I'm trying to starve myself... i just don't feel hungry. I honestly don't know what to do.

Do you eat 3 meals a day?
Do you personnaly think you are eating right?

Well maybe this counselor isnt well informed about Aderall?

I wouldnt be surprised since they (Dr's) make mistakes often...

I posted a similar thread in the general discussion. Glad to find it here!

My struggle is getting bored and losing interest (or plain forgetting!) what diet I am trying to stick to.

Also I can't keep concentration for too long at all exercising and am antsy to change before any effort has been made.

I think I can add a list to my notebook/journal (I have made a notebook for lists and extra limb since I found out I have ADD...such a big help). If I have a list reminding me of safe foods and a place to write down what I've eaten for the day.