Losing weight with ADHD

[Adhdsucks]

Has anyone successfully managed this unmedicated?

I am gaining weight by the day almost and I know that binge eating is a symptom of ADHD but I am so fed up being bigger than I want to be. It’s ruining my whole life.

I tell myself constantly ‘as of tomorrow I am eating better’ and then it’s almost like I completely forget and am back on the crap food or I just don’t even care and do it anyway.

Not having anything unhealthy in the house isn’t really an option but I just don’t know how to do this!!!

Help please.

I can really relate to the struggle and have had disordered eating from around the age of 11. Every day was a new day to be a 'better person' with my eating habits.

I've only ever managed consistently lose weight healthily when exercising and working consistently towards fitness goal, i.e a 10k or similar.
Looking back now (with medicated hindsight) it's likely because I was getting a big dopamine hit from the exercise - I'd also naturally be less inclined to binge when exercising too, also probably because I was getting dopamine elsewhere.
I would often be eating the same net calories during the few periods i regularly exercised compared to when I didn't.

Is there anything you have enjoyed in the past, exercise or hobby related you can put in place regularly to up your dopamine levels? If ADHD medication isn't possible or something you're not interested in - have you looked natural supplements? Chromium and l-tyrosine are often mentioned online and easy to get hold of in Holland and Barrett etc.

I'm not recommending ADHD medication but it's given me a new perspective and acceptance that I feel is worth sharing. By increasing dopamine, I have zero desire for sugary and refined foods. It's more than just the medication side affect of reducing appetite, my brain literally doesn't want it at all. But what I do want is a substantial protein/carb/fat balanced meal in the morning and evening and no desire for anything else either instead or afterwards.

It's a world away from my mindless eating followed by post eating shame I've experienced for the last 20 years. I really can now see how the physical aspect was the bigger issue in fixing the problem, whereas I thought it must have been a deep seated emotional one before that I couldn't get to the bottom of.

You are not a terrible person for eating the 'bad' foods. The self-loathing of gaining weight and the negativity towards yourself is an awful, isolating and lonely place to be.
Do make sure you're getting some support and opportunities to offload these feelings.

My recommendation is to start with find foods to eat that you like which are low on calories and keep the house stocked with that. My current idea is to keep skinny soups in the fridge.

I've had most success (though I still have the odd blip) with a lower carb higher fat way of eating. Not keto (which is very restrictive and often has loads of sweeteners which only perpetuate a sweet tooth), and not "no" carb.

I eat unlimited green veg, salad veg, leafy veg, cheese, butter, very dark chocolate, red meat, fish, sea food, eggs, hard fats. I eat controlled amounts of root veg, seeds, nuts, pulses and very small quantities of home made organic brown bread.

I don't normally eat crisps, sweets, biscuits, most bread, potatoes, pasta or artificial sweeteners(but it's not a disaster if i do occasionally albeit I get horribly bloated).

Its not a diet as such, I don't count carbs, and I don't count calories, it's just how I eat.

It sounds difficult but once I'd got through the first week I discovered that I don't crave carbs or processed food and have far more control.

Tom Kerridge has a great book Dopamine Diet.

Marking place because I really need to do something for health reasons!