How do ADHD and weight loss process look like?
I was diagnosed with ADHD in first grade and was medicated on and off throughout my childhood, but stopped around the age of 18.
My parents didn't know anything about ADHD, nor did they learn more as the years went by. Everything I know about ADHD was learned on my own over the last couple of years, which I guess is where the journey begins.
My partner was diagnosed with ADHD and started medication.
He couldn't stop raving about how great he felt, so I decided to go to the doctor and get a prescription to try.
One of the side effects is appetite suppression, but it’s not exactly how you might think.
For me, it’s not that I don’t get hungry.
It’s that I don’t feel hungry until I’m weak and shaky, haha.
In the past, I had tried intermittent fasting, and it did work, but every time I stopped, I gained all the weight back.
But with these new medications and their effects, I didn’t even have to think about it.
I lost the majority of my weight within a year, with minimal effort.
People kept asking if I was sick, but I was feeling better than ever before, haha.
What did you like the most from your weight loss journey?
In January 2024, we got a Peloton, and I think that’s where all the really challenging work began.
I had lost 80 lbs and was feeling amazing.
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I had already lost so much weight, and my goal was to reach the weight I was (150 lbs) when I met my husband in 2018.
I wasn’t really losing weight anymore because, when I did eat, it was greasy fast food.
But I was so close to being able to button those shorts, and I think that’s what made me decide to get a Peloton.
I took my first Peloton class on January 16th, I think, and I haven’t looked back. I know this sounds like a sponsored ad, but I swear to God!
It’s my favorite cult. It’s the only one anyone should be in. They completely shifted my perspective.
Don’t get me wrong, there are instructors I avoid, but the freedom they have to be themselves while filming a live class is amazing.
They are such genuine, warm, and motivating people, and they have literally healed me.
They emphasize the importance of recovery, mental health, and mobility, and I think that’s what has kept me going with my workouts each day.
They taught me to be kind to myself, that it’s okay not to want to work out, and that it’s okay to have a greasy burger if you want one.
They taught me to love my body, not for how it looks, but for what it allows me to do. I’m still working on getting a dump truck of an ass, though!
One of the most important things they taught me is that meditation is a PRACTICE. You have to practice it if you want to get good at it.
It’s like I’m working out with friends. Like, “Oh, I wonder what kind of goofy stuff Andy is going to say in my strength class today?”
They’ve built a VERY solid community and culture by engaging with and motivating members not only in class but also on Facebook and Instagram. We’ve all grown to know and cherish our favorites. I recommend checking them out!
Coming back to the story, it was incredibly validating to learn about ADHD and its “quirks.”
It’s also incredibly validating to hear others talk about their experience with ADHD and how distressing it can actually be.
It’s a funny disability—walking into rooms and forgetting why, blanking out mid-sentence, going off on tangents upon tangents.
It’s funny at times, but no one really talks about how distressing it can actually be.
The highs and lows of the weight loss journey are still very much present to this day.
What I’m most grateful for throughout this journey is that I’ve learned how beneficial exercise is for mental health.
