How to Lose Weight and Exercise When You Have ADHD

Do you know what the most popular New Year’s Resolutions are?

Lose weight
Exercise more
Be a better person
Improve health

If you lose weight and exercise, then improving health practically takes care of itself! So today’s article is focusing on weight loss and exercise when you have ADHD.

(If you would like to be a better person, head here http://budurl.com/tqtb )

ADHDers do have some unique challenges regarding weight.

For example:

ADHDers gain weight more easily than someone without ADHD
It is harder for them to lose weight
Adults with ADHD are more likely to be overweight or obese than the rest of the population

ADHD affects the executive functioning of the brain. The executive function involves self-regulation, planning, organizing, prioritizing and awareness of the future. In relation to your eating habits, this affects what you eat, where you eat and how much you eat.

But don’t let that depress you. I know a lot of adults with ADHD who have successfully lost weight and maintained that weight loss.

Exercise not only helps the longevity of your body, but it helps reduce some of the negative effects of ADHD too. For example, exercise improves your attention, mental focus, memory, mental stamina, and allows you to expend pent up energy. Unfortunately, exercise is one of those activities that can get put off until your life is… more organized, less crazy or your version of that.

Here are some resources to help you with your New Year Goals:

ADHD and Weight

If you have tried to lose weight in the past and have been disappointed, don’t give up. In this article, I explain why losing weight is challenging when you have ADHD and what you can do about it. Also, there are 2 great comments from Untapped Brilliance readers, Val and Rick who share what they did to lose weight.

https://untappedbrilliance.com/adhd-and-weight

ADHD and Exercise

Dr. Hallowell says, “Exercise stimulates epinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, like meds. So exercising is like taking meds for ADHD in a holistic, natural way”.

That is a compelling reason to exercise, isn’t it

https://untappedbrilliance.com/exercise-and-adhd

Book Recommendations

Books are a great way to learn information that motivate you to continue you with your goals. If you don’t like to read, you can get the audio version.

Four Day Win: End Your Diet War and Achieve Thinner Peace by Martha Beck

Anything Martha Beck writes is gold. This book is filled with humour, brain study research and suggestions that work for the ADHDer. For example, Martha believes willpower is NOT an effective tool for weight-loss!
This book will change your life and your waistline.

Four Day Win.

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and The Brain

In this book, Dr. Ratey explores the fascinating connection between the mind and body and the importance of exercise on the mind.

If you need additional motivation to exercise, this is it!

Spark

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a powerful tool you can use to help your subconscious get in line with your conscious goals. This is the website I recommend to everyone.

https://untappedbrilliance.com/hypnosis

They have hypnosis for almost every problem you could think of.

Here are the links to weight loss

https://untappedbrilliance.com/hypnosisweightloss

and exercise

https://untappedbrilliance.com/hypnosisexercise

ADHD Diet

The best diet when you have ADHD is one that is:
– Gluten-free
– Sugar-free
– Full of vegetables

This is a great cookbook, full of easy and quick recipes to make.

Against All Grain

Meal Planning

One of the biggest problems ADHDers have when trying to eat healthy, is meal planning. Meal planning can be a logistical nightmare! This is because it involves all the things that can be difficult when you have ADHD; like making decisions, paying attention to details and forward planning.

In this short video, I share ways to take the pain out of meal planning. Also, there is a downloadable print out to help you.

https://untappedbrilliance.com/adhd-meal-plan

The New Year is a great time to make improvements to your life. However, New Year Resolutions don’t have a good success rate. Instead, turn your resolutions into goals. Goals are specific and measurable. Rather than say ‘exercise more’ what exercise will you do? How often? How long for?

Next, get your agenda out and schedule in the times now!

https://untappedbrilliance.com/adhd-goals-for-the-new-year

Good Luck!! What are your Goals for 2015?

*There maybe affiliate links in this blog post and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase as a result on clicking one of the links. However I never recommend anything that I haven’t personally used and don’t absolutely love. You won’t be charged any more by using one of these links*