this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2025
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ADHD

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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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Through the almighty power of amphetamines I no longer require quaint human things like food. Also does anyone know why I feel dizy and shakey?

Joking aside, before I was medicated the only things I found that worked to prevent snacking were strict keto or strict intermittent fasting. The keto worked much better but it's miserable and hard to keep up for the first few weeks before your body kicks into ketosis. Once I was in ketosis though it was a breeze.

Outside of those something that helped was just keeping healthy snacks around. I'd still snack all the time but I would just wind up eating a ton of of grapes or dried fruit instead of a whole bag of chips. I still have several bags of dried fruits in my cubbord and a bag in my van.