Intermittent Fasting + ADHD

Weight loss can be difficult with ADHD for a variety of reasons.

Impulsivity. You prefer a quick, immediate result over one that requires long-term thinking and foresight. This makes the bowl of ice cream more attractive than responsible diet choices.

Poor memory. You simply forget you are tracking calories.

Challenge-oriented. When you accidentally break the rules of a diet, the challenge is gone. That challenge was a dopamine source. So now you seek new dopamine in the form of delicious snacks.

Too many details. You get overwhelmed with all the rules: forget some of them, aren’t clear on others. Eventually, you abandon the plan.

Boredom. Nothing is worse than boredom to the ADHD brain. Snacks provide entertainment, giving your brain some stimulation.

No diet plan is perfect, but intermittent fasting has a lot of benefits that work well with the ADHD brain.

Simple rules. There’s only one rule, “only eat during the designated window of time”. That’s it.

Low mental burden. Because of the simple rules, there’s nothing to track or write down. You simply follow the timer schedule.

Delay, not restrict. Most diet plans tell you what you can’t do. But with fasting, you can change the language to “you can eat that, if you wait just a bit longer,” reframing your mindset.

I recommend using an app to remind you of your fasting window.

Most will track your progress and streaks automatically, which add a bit of gamification. I use the app Zero.

As a bonus, fasting helps you remember to drink water which is a great way to curb hunger during your fasting window.

I am not a medical professional and this should not be considered medical advice.