ADHD

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How do you handle overeating caused by boredom and innatentiveness? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 3 days ago by zzffyfajzkzhnsweqm@sh.itjust.works to c/adhd@lemmy.world

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I figured my overeating might be caused by my undiagnosed inattentive ADHD I have been suspecting to have it.

Like with other habits I try to make any plan or strategy falls apart in max few weeks. But I need a long term solution. However I have never thought about it as caused by ADHD. But When I think about it, I overeat only when I am bored.

During meals I eat normal portions. But when I am bored I will be eating small chunks of food every time I visit fridge. I do not stop that because of my inattentiveness I do not even know I ate a lot. While watching a movie I get bored - even if it is interesting and I am very invested in it. I get some snack and I will eat a whole bag not even knowing when that happened. This happens even if snack was some special offer that tasted bad.

Few examples I get bored and overeating:

watching a movie - somehow movie is not enough stimuli for me
after I eat my meal and I wait for others to finish (I eat exactly as twice as fast as my wife)
when I am visiting someone and there is a food in front of me (conversation somehow is also not enough stimuli)
random parts of the day - usually if I have to wait.

No standard recommender diet practices worked in the long run (portion control, mindful eating, intermittent fasting, healthy eating, building a healthy lifestyle/routine...) Especially those based on building routine failed the most.

Do you have similar issues? Do you have a strategy that works in the long run? Have you successfully substituted eating for other stimuli?

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[–] LavaPlanet@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago

Same. I have to put snack foods in a bowl, I can't eat them out of the bag or I'll eat them all.

I've noticed sometimes I run to snacks when I haven't actually drank anything all day.

I notice that if I eat a couple of pieces of fruit, I'm less likely to go overboard with other snacks, or even feel like snacking a lot. I have no idea what that's about. Do I then snack on fruit at least once a day? That sounds like the smart option, but no. I try. But I've also gotta be in the right mood for a food, and I get a bit sensory about fruit sometimes. It also has to be zero effort, sometimes I don't even have the energy to get into the fruit. Sometimes food has to be hand to mouth, no other effort or I won't eat, but I will walk to the fridge and open it a thousand times, hoping it's refreshed and stocked differently since last time. Which is more effort than just bloody cutting up or cooking the food! I think that's when I've left it too long to eat and gone into deficit of energy.

I started making a banana bread with blueberries on top and adding a couple of different fibre and protein powders. And then I cut it into little squares and I can eat it cold from the fridge or warm it up, it's zero effort all week, after making it.... Which I rarely do because effort.

I'll get there. Gotta keep plugging at it.