My Secret to Losing Weight with ADHD

After years of yo-yo dieting, I finally decided to take control of my health journey. As a busy working mom who also has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) — a chronic neurobehavioral disorder that can make focus, organization, and productivity difficult — I knew that if I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle, I would need to really do extra work to stay motivated. If I was serious about losing weight with ADHD, I needed a strategy.

Is it hard for people with ADHD to lose weight?

There is a connection between ADHD and obesity, research shows. Experts haven’t settled on one cause; it may be tied to impulsive eating, a lack of physical activity among kids with ADHD that carries into adulthood, and difficulty recognizing hunger and satiety cues.

Another potential factor is a symptom of ADHD is poor executive functioning, the planning, organizational, and time management skills required to meal plan, shop for, and cook healthy meals. That was definitely part of my problem: With ADHD, it’s easy for me to get sidetracked and lose focus. 

When I began working out and trying to eat better, I researched and bookmarked meal after meal, recipe after recipe. I was so excited to try them all out, but when the time came to make ingredient lists, go grocery shopping, and make the meals, I soon became overwhelmed. I couldn’t wrap my head around all the different meals, nutrition goals, and calorie tracking. It all became too much — almost to the point of giving up. 

After a long day of work and being a mom, I just wanted something easy and nutritious to nourish myself.

I recognized that my mental health would play a huge part in my weight loss journey, and I knew I needed to make sure that I was meal planning for the week. But that meal planning had to be realistic, with foods that were quick, easy, and delicious. 

Related: I Lost 30 Pounds in 6 Months with This Realistic Strategy

How I finally did it

The key to finally losing weight and getting my eating where I wanted it was creating a routine around meals.

“Establishing daily schedules is incredibly important for ADHD. Many adults with this condition experience challenges with executive functioning, which is the ability to plan and complete tasks,” psychiatrist Dr. Olga Megwinoff writes in a blog post for Fifth Ave. Psychiatry. “An effective routine can decrease your ADHD symptoms while helping you reach your goals. Creating a plan can sharpen your focus, boost productivity, and improve your overall well-being.”

After much trial and error, and research, and six months of actually doing the work, I found seven recipes that I could turn to again and again. They keep me full, and they taste amazing — and sticking to them is what ultimately helped me lose 30 pounds in 6 months. 

Settling on these seven dishes — including buffalo chicken salad, high protein taco bowls, and chicken stuffed sweet potatoes — helped me focus on the switch from paying absolutely no attention to nutrition to being intentional with what I eat and how I move my body. 

Having some go-to meals also helped me to avoid burnout. At the beginning of my weight loss journey, I wanted to do all the things — try tons of new recipes and switch up my workouts every day. I was trying so many new foods and other things that I never felt like I was in a rhythm with my routine. Once I cut out the noise and focused on a few meals, the weight fell off. 

My mind was quiet, and I was feeling good.

The next step toward losing weight with ADHD

Once I had the meals down, the next step to help me stay on track was creating a schedule. Saturday was for grocery shopping. Sunday, I prepped my food for the week. Mondays were for English muffin pizzas. Tuesday was taco bowl night. I mapped everything out, and found that knowing what was coming, exactly what I was going to eat, and how many calories each meal contained set me up for success. 

Of course, there are moments when I get a bit bored with eating the same things over and over. But then I remind myself that what I’m eating is nourishing my body and will help in my continued weight loss journey, and it’s worth it.

Plus, I don’t have to break my brain trying to meal-plan a new set of foods every single week. 

I know my grocery list. I know my recipes by heart. I know exactly how much blue cheese to put in my salad, and all of that has made a world of difference for me, a neurodivergent mom committed to living a healthier lifestyle. 

Read next: The Best 7-Day Meal Plan for Weight Loss