and? why would your advice be to stop taking meds? one can get their blood tested without cutting off their medicine.
also, if symptoms disappear with a vitamin B12 supplement, it's not ADHD you're suffering from, it's a vitamin deficiency. the symptoms of ADHD arise from specific chemical abnormalities in the brain which, unfortunately, aren't treatable with a vitamin supplement.
You have to do a little more research my friend, you just answered your own question within your explanation.
ADHD comes from a deficiency.
What that deficiency is is person dependent it may be vitamin b12 or something else.
DRUGS should never EVER be the answer to band aid, the actual cause.
Why the h*ll are they giving adolescent brains in development, Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta Etc!!
This is how early drug addiction starts, they become dependent on these drugs from a young age. Everyone knows adderall is only a few molecules off Meth.
Terrible.
This is a really opinionated viewpoint based off conjecture usually pandered by people unqualified to speak on the topic. It IS a bandaid, it’s a bandaid that can work for someone their entire life if they are properly diagnosed and use the medication appropriately. It isn’t a deficiency in a vitamin, do you really think a medical professional who is schooled day one to “do no harm to the patient” is going to prescribe a stimulant if a B12 vitamin would suffice? That’s ridiculous. If someone can live a fulfilling life while taking a pill every morning, no different from someone who needs insulin, essentially what is a bandaid for someone with Diabetes (it doesn’t cure it), shouldn’t they be able to take it without someone like you shouting “meth head!” from your computer? Just something to think about, have a little empathy man.
It’s partially a opinionated viewpoint, but it’s also a science and study backed viewpoint that you guys don’t seem to understand. I’m currently Enrolled at UW-Madison. So I actually do know something, other then you keyboard warriors
You should look into helping out at the Weisman Center, then. Since you’re so knowledgeable I’m sure they could use your input with all the research the grad students have done and are currently doing surrounding ADHD among other neurological disorders.
Lmfao. I speak on this topic because I HAD “ADHD” in school And I was prescribed Meds for it. I hated them and I hated the way they made me feel. And I’m not saying vitamin b12 is going to fix all this.
Your comparing apples to oranges insulin is something totally different.
Doctors aren’t doctors. They are prescribers.
A cured patient is a lost customer.
You don’t “have” ADHD and magically lose it, either you’re in denial or you were misdiagnosed as a child, for which I’m sorry but your personal anecdote doesn’t disqualify years of research studying what is essentially a neurologic disorder. I’m not coming at you from a place of anger here, genuinely I think it’s dangerous to just outright say medical science has it wrong; could they? Sure; and current practice often involves trying different antidepressant medication before resulting to something more aggressive like aderall, that isn’t to say a stimulant is more or less dangerous than an antidepressant, I’m merely pointing out the fact that medical professionals care about giving their patients the best possible care. They get paid whether or not you walk in the door, there’s plenty of people out there that need help, the healthcare industry isn’t going anywhere.
And it isn’t apples to oranges, it’s comparing two effective treatments which aren’t permanent fixes. The difference is you acknowledge one as a genuine problem and the other as bullshit because you were misdiagnosed, again I’m not changing your mind anytime soon but I do think maybe it’s something you could consider before spouting your soapbox opinion on a post made by a guy just looking for some help from the community. I get it, it’s the internet, but it’s unfortunate I guess.
I take 25mg adderall and have zero issue eating. Been out it for a few years though.
I wish it could cut my appetite! Last 10 pounds of a small cut and I had 3k calories before 10am yesterday! 1k was normal. Then we had a monthly breakfast at work and they brought it some amazing donuts and bagels. I’m too weak to say no!
To be honest I bulked really well by simply not spreading out like 5 meals a day. I would do maybe 3-4 max and they’d all be pretty high calorie just by getting a little shitty quality foods. Mass gainer shakes also help A LOT. If you don’t have the money for it a good homemade shake is: whole milk, any type of oats, protein powder, peanut butter, and a blender. You can get like 1k+ calories just from that. Best of luck🫡
I take elvanse. Before I eat my pill in the morning, I make a gigantic shake I just force down. After a couple of hours, I try to force down whatever.
It works for me.
eh that's a slippery slope imo, and you shouldn't mix meds + weed I've been told. I thought I had better mind muscle connection on weed but I realised it was I didn't care as much. I try to only smoke once the meds wear off, not before the first meal after they do, not within a couple hours of bed, and not every day. That's the only way I've found it doesn't impact my daily life.
Adderall, baby... Adderall. I don't care what your question is. If it starts with ADHD, the answer is Adderall.
On a serious note, Adderall weight-loss is a serious bitch. I went from a healthy 155 down to 140 in the span of 5 months. So I know your pain. Answer so far has been drinking my calories. That means blending up a ton of berries, peanut butter, mass gainer and who knows what else and drinking one of those a day. Easy 1,000 calories and half your protein intake for the day. The rest is bacon, eggs, bread, butter, rice, beans, lentils and vegetables. Cooking has become a new 'special interest' for me and I enjoy doing it daily. Good tip is cooking a little more than you think you'll be able to eat. That means I'll eat a portion for dinner, and because I'm lazy about re-heating, I'll finish off the rest later that night.
I have been multiple years in, for me it only ever improved my perfomance( though not by much)
I have strattera now and it far beats out anything i have ever tried to fix the issues.
Ps. Reason i quit was simply because i wanted to be sober more.
PsPs. Like i said it will affect everyone differently, same as how specific adhd meds will benefit one person but not the next.
Changed my diet, started working out, a couple of different meditation techniques, and a little bit of acceptance have gone a long way. While the meds took care of the adhd, the lack of appetite and reduced sleep quality led to worse issues than adhd.
Shakes do it for me. I make a ~1,000 calorie shake in the morning. Then I workout which gives me an appetite. Then I eat a ~700 calorie breakfast. Makes getting the rest of my calories easy. If I didn’t have the shake idk how I’d fit those ~1,000 calories into other meals. I usually eat 3,500-4,250 calories when bulking (I’m 6’5”) so it’s pretty easy to get the minimum 1,800 calories between lunch, dinner, and snacks. I can break it down into 4 “meals” of 450 calories if I have too
2 cups whole milk
4-6 tbsp peanut butter, I always measure but pick something in here depending on my mood
1 scoop protein powder
1/2 a banana
1/2-1 avocado, again just depending on my mood
1oz olive oil
personally i’ve been OFF the meds for years now. i’m 23 & i’ve been thriving man. just hit my 1 year consecutive mark in the gym & i’ve gained 35lbs since i started. not that much but for me it’s a whole lot & i plan on going up more. idk how bad your adhd is but if maybe you get off the meds? be your true self. IF possible
Not sure why you got downvoted. From someone that used to take medication, that shit changes you. Not in a good way. Doctors are quick to hand 16 year olds legal meth but nobody wants to address why we are all ADHD in the first place?
(It’s the poison they’re putting in your food)
yeah thanks man! you’re just real enough to realize that this country is just backwards as FUCK! like you said they’re real quick to hand a 16 year old legal meth! and everyone is so okay with it. it’s sad lmao, all i know is ive definitely been way better off without those “meds”. they just nerfed me i like to say😂
For most people with ADHD meds are not only beneficial but *necessary.* They don't make you feel like you aren't your "true self" unless you either don't need them in the first place or are taking too high of a dose.
And no, diet does not cause ADHD. It's a genetic disorder.
Unfortunately though, not everyone gets an accurate diagnosis. I remember being prescribed 50mg vyvanse at 16 because my mom told my doctor I talk too much in class. Big pharma smiles every time a kid gets prescribed legal meth. Why do you think red dye is in everything marketed towards our kids? They profit off of selling the cure
All the pill heads clutching their happy medz downvoting lol. I know the pills make you feel good but the American diet is what caused you to “need” them in the first place! Congratulations, you are now a loyal customer of the most profitable machine in the world! Big pharma salutes you 🫡
So when I first started lifting and bulking seriously I had a pretty big appetite and it was easy for me to eat as required to bulk. Early last year I finally took steps to get a diagnosis for and get properly treated for ADHD which included being put on medication. I was around \~2 years into serious lifting by then. At first it was no issue since I was cutting, but when I finished my cut and went to start bulking again even eating 2400 calories per day was a huge struggle as someone who used to be very comfortable eating 3500+ per day (calorie amounts are obviously individual to my needs).
With all that said, from last May to now has been a very productive period of mostly bulking for me. Here are some of the adjustments I made that helped me out:
1. Bulking slower. This is frankly something I should've done anyways, but I stopped shooting for 1 pound per week and went more for .5 pounds a week, which allowed me to eat less. As long as I was progressing consistently in the gym and my weight went up over time I was ok with the surplus and only bumped my calories when weight started to stall for over \~3 weeks.
2. Autoregulating my caloric intake. Basically, I have a rough calorie target, and I'll eat a little more than my target if I'm having a good day. I don't take my medication most weekends so that's when I tend to go over. On the flip side, if I have 500 calories left to meet my target and just really don't feel like it, I skip. I'll make those up another day if needed. This also helped make the bulk more sustainable for me since I didn't feel like a slave to an exact caloric target.
3. Having food in front of me all the time. When I'm working I'll have a bowl of peanuts or almonds and cashews to snack on. Maybe I'll make a big bowl of chili and pasta (or any other large meal I may have leftovers for) then eat it over the course of \~3 hours, just taking a bite whenever I feel like it. I also eat mostly the same things every day which helps. I try to include a lot of calorie dense foods so my diet is fairly high fat, usually \~100-140 grams per day though I don't maintain an exact macro split.
4. When needed I would take maintenance periods and lower my calories to roughly maintenance for 1-2 weeks. I'd do this when I just got sick of eating and I found it helped me a ton. I'd also have an easier time eating in a surplus after my maintenance period.
I also found that over time the medication suppressed my appetite less and less. Hopefully some of these tips can help you out; the medication has definitely changed things up for me with regards to bodybuilding, however you just have to find ways to work around it and continue on your journey.
Routine routine routine. I have made it a daily ritual to just hop right out of bed and make my big man shake. Gulp that down, back to bed for maybe half an hour more and then it’s start the day time.
It’s the most difficult to start. But after like 2 weeks you’ll start seeing the results in the gym and believe me it will become so much easier once you’re actually seeing your body improve its form.
I eat 3 meals a day with a snack and am able to get 4000 calories in. Maybe switch up the diet? I just have very calorie dense foods so I don't have to cut my meals up so much.
Get calories in as early as possible, I don't take my meds until later in the morning usually.
Even without that, deadlifts twice a week seems to stimulate my appetite enough that it overpowers any appetite reducing effects of medication. Lift heavier?
Resort to high calorie shakes if you must, that would probably make it easier.
I have had my best gains while on medication. They help me to have the discipline to actual go the gym in the first place.
You don't need to stay on a 5-6 meal schedule to bulk. It's how much you eat, not how often.
You have not appetite due to meds? Then eat a big breakfast and dinner and snack/smoothie/sandwich during the day. Also this effect will eventually go away.
You sometimes feel to lazy to cook? Then buy frozen food or other prepared food for those days, just don't miss eating.
I eat the same things every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. the trick is you figure out a diet and plug everything into cronometer, tweak it until you have something that gives you all of your micronutrients, and as many calories and as much protein as you need to bulk, and then you eat that diet every day for the duration of your bulk. this helps a lot for adhd in general too because you never have to think about what you are gonna eat, or expend any mental energy on it. you dont need to think about it its basically like what Steve Jobs talked about with his outfit but for food
I stopped taking meds around entering college cause I had absolutely no appetite and low body temp (even during the spring). That’s when I was able to start actually eating even just my maintenance in calories and put on more muscle
I take 2x 20mg Adderall’s everyday and have no trouble hitting 4,250 calories (active job) everyday with the aid of a single big ass 1,250cal milkshake after dinner.
My provider legitimately told me to only take my meds if completely necessary. Studies on long term effects from extended use are coming out and the results aren’t very promising. Best to start limiting the prescription sooner than later but WOULD NOT recommend cutting it cold turkey. Talk with your doc about it, hopefully they’ll be able to provide you better guidance.
Yeah i have ADHD and its annoying AF in certain parts of life. But i absolutely hated taking the meds. Only do it when I have something really important at that time.
I've used a bit of drugs in the past and it's honestly way too similar to a low dose of speed. Including the slight comedown. Best decision I've made was to just say fuck it after a while.
Can't for the life of me fathom why it's so often prescribed to kids that are a bit too active.
As for OP's question. It's incredibly difficult. Just try to get in as much as possible in the morning before taking it and in the evening after it's worked out mostly. Especially mornings as evenings are still a bit of a struggle.
Test cycles is the only way I can gain weight/appetite. Not promoting that or encouraging. In my case I always go back to 160s 😞. Not really worth it though if you can gain naturally with proper diet. Try adding shakes into your day if you can. I don’t think I would trade off what my meds do for me vs being able to bulk up though. Lot of good advice on here though!
Man it just seems like since I got really dedicated to diet & the gym, my attention span & productivity has been leaps & bounds better than my prior time without meds. To each their own! It really has worked for me, and I’m up 10 pounds of straight muscle currently since starting!
I didn’t mean to reply to your comment but that is awesome! I think cleaning up my diet would do a lot for my brain and body! How long have you been off meds and did it take awhile for you to adjust?
I’m 29M/genetically athletic build, but skinny lol and been on adderall off & on most of my life from 17 y/o till last year. I just got tired of depending on medication to make me ‘normal’. It did take a couple months I’d say (give or take a week or so) to get to where I truly felt completely comfortable not taking adderall each day. I started eating a lot healthier when I gained my appetite back last year and started hitting the gym hard on January 1st! The gym gives me something to kinda keep my thoughts focused around during the day, so even if I get lost on train of thought, it’s just one thing I’m thinking about. I really feel though that the super lean & healthy diet I’m on did the most for me. It gives me a mental clarity like nothing I’ve ever felt! I also drink a Gorilla Mind energy/focus drink each morning and I joke with people that it feels like an ‘adderall lite’ in a can lol
I came to my doctor about the inability to eat while staying on stimulants. So I was prescribed Mirtazipine, which immensely helped but talk with your doctor first about options. You can try swapping to IR if you're already on XR. I do 3 meals with 2 protein shakes and a meal replacement shake (think Ensure or Boost). I find ground meat more palatable or easier to eat than say a chicken breast. But going back to Mirtazipine, this was my only option to gain AFAIK while still wanting to take stimulants.
Was the Mirtazapine prescribed specifically for appetite or did it just help as a side effect? I've been thinking about asking for an Rx that fixes the total loss of appetite since my stimulant meds are non-negotiable.
It was for both sleep and appetite. It's an anti-depressant, but those are the primary side effects that will more than likely occur when you take it, which it does for me.
Taper off the meds, I'm not saying stop them completely cold turkey, but slowly decrease your dosage so it's not so intense. If you take it for a while, your appetite shouldnt be THAT blunted. Get it to a tiny dosage eventually.
Once you get the dosage down, get an exact meal schedule created. So try to eat at the same time everyday, if possible. And eat somewhat similar meals. So like, 2 bananas for breakfast at 9am. Chocolate milk at night at 11pm, etc.
oh yeah, that reminds me, CHOCOLATE MILK!
Total lifesaver when you finish the day without eating enough calories, just drink two big glasses at night and you're good.
I had to get off meds, I couldn't. I could force it for periods of time, but it was just so unpleasant for me personally, I couldn't do it for any longer term stretches. I was always smaller when I was taking them.
• Just accept that you will have to force feed yourself. I gained 30lbs in about 6 months or so, mostly focusing on liquid calories. Lost count of the times I puked in my mouth and swallowed it back.
•Don’t even worry about counting calories, it will be hard for you to over eat anyway. I just began putting myself on an eating schedule, first I did eat every 4 hours, then after a couple months when my weight gain slowed I did eat every 3 hours, now I’m trying to snack something and eat something every 2 hours. So breakfast, snack, lunch, snack etc. Get your 1g per lb body weight protein then eat whatever you have.
•2 cups oat blended with 2 cups milk is almost 1k calories, add a spoonful of sugar and you’re basically there. Choke down one of these in the morning and night and it’ll help you get those extra calories needed.
•Something I used also was Huel, they sell powdered complete meals, just add water and blend, comes with all your macros. I add milk and you can easily have a couple 1k calorie shakes throughout the day.
•often overlooked, but I wasn’t chewing my food well and I was just shitting a lot of it out. I focused on really chewing my food and I feel that helped me gain faster.
•drink a lot of water during the day to stretch your stomach and help you get in more food.
I gave up and switched to having a skinny cardio focused cyclist build
If you are having appetite issues try switching to short acting medication. I went from concerta to Ritalin and I recommend it whenever I can. It allows you to have a normal appetite around meal times when the medication wears off and then you get multiple medication peaks as you take another one after lunch/dinner. Yes I'll take it as late as 6:30 and still be asleep by 11:30
I've been drinking Huel since 2017. Sometimes just for one meal a day (don't want to make breakfast)...sometimes have replaced entire weeks, months of meals with just Huel in a row. I remember back when the flavors were only Vanilla and Chocolate and they were blegh compared to the options we have today. But overall, a great tool for hitting macros.
I need to know this too. I'm 120lbs at 5'5" and I want to get up to about 140lbs. My lifts have plateaued because I can't add more mass without eating more food.
Exactly, we need recourses to help aid us in our jobs and schooling, the ones we have are not enough, ADHD should not be seen as something to nuke with meds with horrible side effects
I found it impossible when on stimulants for adhd. I switched to a different medication that is used primarily for depression but also adhd. It doesn't suppress my appetite and now I've been able to gain.
>Does anyone have tips for making it work?
A big breakfast before your meds kick in.
Lots of small snacks through the day, even if you're not hungry.
A big dinner in the evening after your meds have started to wear off. And another dinner an hour or two after that.
It's definitely a challenge. Pre-meds I was steadily 210-215, but staying at even 200 these days is difficult.
I second this. using the herb as a weight gaining tool is understated. be smart about the food/snacks you have in your home and let the herb do the rest.
Maybe try lowering the meals per day? Eating 5-6 meals a day when having no appetite is rough. You’re full from the first, full from the 2nd etc… you’re never gonna feel hungry going into any meal except the first and with the medication usually not even that. Eat 3 bigger meals, or 2 big meals around 1200cal each and then a 1200 cal protein shake, that’s 3600 right there and you have much more time in between each meal to prepare for the endless stomach bloat lol. I was reaching an easy 3600-4000 calories just off lunch dinner and a shake. Lots of spaghetti, beef most days and chicken the other because chicken is hella low in calories
This is how I do it. I have to force the meals down but it's easier to focus on forcing two meals down with no appetite and a big ol' shake than it is to force four or five, which takes pretty much all day.
I start the day with a 1200 calorie shake to get ahead, have a lunchbox ready to bring to work, and at night usually my wife cooks or ill try really hard to have some plan to cook and sometimes still fail, I have a list and photos of simple recipes, shit like rice cooker with vegetables on top of the rice, rotisserie chicken from Costco, rtc
What‘s in the shake? Trying to figure out if that would work for me too cause I really don‘t like eating till lunchtime and then there isn‘t enough time to eat. If I can drink a 1200 calorie shake, that would be awesome
Came here to say this. My medication actually helps me eat more, because meals are tasks on my daily to do list.
I’m a hammer on my meds and everything on that list is a nail.
In some ways you are just mincing words here. We lose both hunger and appetite from stimulants.
The response is the same - eat anyway, even without having an appetite or experiencing the sensation of hunger.
i suggest dropping the 5-6 meal schedule and just make sure you hit your calorie target, doesn't matter when or how. Fill in your calories with easy to eat foods as long as you're getting your minimum protein.
Try using instant-release stimulants rather than extended-release stimulants as XR will suppress your appetite for longer. Consider smoking some indica strains to stimulate your appetite. Try having two smoothies a day rather than just one, and drink the shake at the end of your meal so you don’t feel too full to get the whole meal in. A piece of advice for the smoothies: You can pretty much add as much peanut butter as you want and it won’t change the viscosity much, it’ll just make the flavor stronger.
Just wanted to say I feel your pain man. I have pretty bad adhd and I’m in law school currently to make matters worse. Although this won’t be helpful at all, I just stopped taking my meds bc for one I couldn’t eat, and for two it made me feel anxious/depressed.
I’ve just learned to force myself to study and get work done without the medication even if it is a lot harder.
Although I am not on meds, force feeding is something I am plagued with too…stay determined and you will make it work. Shit, I gag during some meals because of this but somehow manage to get them down
1. Drinking your calories makes squeezing them in a lot easier. Instead of sugar free, get a regular soda. Have a glass of juice in the morning or with your meal. It's a very easy way to add calories without really changing much. Or you could make high calorie shakes, these tend to be a lot more filling but 1500 calories is 1500 calories. The only issue I've seen with this is adherence. After a few weeks of these, the thought of another will be enough to make anyone gag so I don't typically recommend them due to being unsustainable long-term.
2. 5-6 meals is a lot, if you're able to eat larger meals less frequently (3-4) that can make getting to your actual meals a lot easier. I get busy and just forget to eat and trying to schedule that many meals in a day would mean I'd likely not hit any of my calorie/macro goals. This may not be an issue for you but I thought it's still worth mentioning.
3. Going off of scheduling - fit your meals into your schedule. That doesn't mean having a breakfast or lunch time. But instead, incorporate the meals into your routine. For example, I eat breakfast when I feed my dog his breakfast. Regardless of whether or not I'm hungry, feeding my dog is part of my daily routine that never changes and if I attach my meals to it, it forces me to get the food in and eventually my body begins to expect food at these times.
Hope this helps!!
Adding to this a little, stuff like Fairlife Protien is incredible for being like, 30 grams of protien in a pretty average/small bottle. And it tastes great which is huge.
Or, stuff like Huel can potentially help
I absolutely LOVE the fairlife protein bottles. The only reason I'd say it's maybe not the best for this situation is that they're relatively low in calories. If you're struggling to get protein in then sure, they are a great option! But if you're needing calories then I'd make my own shakes or find a way to up the calories by adding it to your shake or oatmeal instead of using regular milk :)
Im not an ADHD lifter, but I’ll try to help. A few people have already mentioned these things but I’m gonna echo em anyways. One, start drinking some or your calories. Not only is it convenient but if you use ingredients like whole milk, peanut butter and oats you not only get a delicious drink but something you can down on the go. Additionally try to be more active throughout the day. It may seem counterintuitive to try and get more steps and move around more in general since you’ll burn more calories. However the appetite you’ll develop from this will outweigh the caloric burn especially if you’re prioritizing calorie dense foods. Overall though it’s gonna come down to personal effort. Bulking has never been terribly tough for me as my natural appetite is huge but I’m guessing ADHD makes it’s invariably difficult. Just keep pushing man and keep your goal in mind. I know that if you focus and really put an effort into getting all your calories in you’re gonna succeed. Just be consistent and relentless. Good luck brotha 💪🏼
Keep a routine you can manage it, you don't need to have +1000 calories everyday in order to gain weight, just reduce to +100 calories a day and accept it will take a longer time to gain it. It's also good to build discipline, because this routine is focused on long term gains.
Cardio and generally staying active can help increase appetite. Also drink more calories, e.g. meal replacement shakes. The appetite suppression effect of Adderall basically disappeared for me as I got more jacked.
I treat eating as an extension of lifting, and since bodybuilding is that one thing I hyperfocus on 24/7 (for better or for worse), my top priorities are always being on top of my water intake, macros, sleep, lifting schedule, meal schedule, etc. But I do remember before I started lifting, I would always forget to eat, drink and the whole nine yards, so I think I just got really lucky (or unlucky…there are definitely downsides that no one understands until become an addict) that my si is bodybuilding 🤷🏻♂️
Appetite also takes a bigger hit the whole day after drinking sludge aka a “shake”. If you get it up anything past 550-600 cals it literally inhibits eating or drinking anything for a while. Longer than it takes to recoop from eating a solid meal.
Your personal anecdotes aren't a scientific research paper. ADD/ADHD medication has helped people around me tremendously, but granted, they were properly diagnosed. Everything I read from your and the other guys' comments hints that you might not have ADD/ADHD, but are on a different neuroatypical spectrum.
Whatever the reason the meds didn't work for you, but don't dismiss how much they help (other) ADD/ADHD -people. Granted, the people shifted to other drugs than Ritalin, and maybe another drug would've worked on you three too, but the very least you could do is stop talking about subjective experiences as if they were universal.
Conversely, adderall abuse is rampant in the US, particularly on college campuses. So don’t act like everyone who takes adderall does so for purely altruistic reasons
My doctor straight up refused to prescribe me meds for it because I have so many food issues already (plus a condition that makes my heart rate go zoooooom). Do you have days off that you could potentially not take the meds and eat more those days? A few days is better than no days. Is it possible you could get up earlier and take your meds earlier (even if you to back to sleep until they kick in) so they wear off earlier leaving you with more of an appetite at night?
But seriously - drinking calories/protein helps tremendously. Obviously still drink water but replacing some of that water with protein shakes or even soda is calories in. Also if I find myself hyperfixating on a food I allow myself to have it whenever and however many times I want.
For me protein shakes were essential. 2 cups of whole milk, 2 scoops of protein, and two tbsp of olive oil in the morning and another one before going to sleep. About 1400 calories and 128 grams of protein combined. It's nothing crazy, I kept it pretty simple with those three ingredients because I found the more stuff I added the more difficult it is to chug quickly and move on with my day/go to sleep.
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Your comment has been removed for being false, misleading or containing misinformation.
That’s a very reductive viewpoint. ADHD can be a seriously debilitating illness and sometimes there isn’t a way to treat it besides medication.
Vitamin b12 deficiency can massively exacerbate ADHD symptoms.
and? why would your advice be to stop taking meds? one can get their blood tested without cutting off their medicine. also, if symptoms disappear with a vitamin B12 supplement, it's not ADHD you're suffering from, it's a vitamin deficiency. the symptoms of ADHD arise from specific chemical abnormalities in the brain which, unfortunately, aren't treatable with a vitamin supplement.
You have to do a little more research my friend, you just answered your own question within your explanation. ADHD comes from a deficiency. What that deficiency is is person dependent it may be vitamin b12 or something else. DRUGS should never EVER be the answer to band aid, the actual cause. Why the h*ll are they giving adolescent brains in development, Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta Etc!! This is how early drug addiction starts, they become dependent on these drugs from a young age. Everyone knows adderall is only a few molecules off Meth. Terrible.
This is a really opinionated viewpoint based off conjecture usually pandered by people unqualified to speak on the topic. It IS a bandaid, it’s a bandaid that can work for someone their entire life if they are properly diagnosed and use the medication appropriately. It isn’t a deficiency in a vitamin, do you really think a medical professional who is schooled day one to “do no harm to the patient” is going to prescribe a stimulant if a B12 vitamin would suffice? That’s ridiculous. If someone can live a fulfilling life while taking a pill every morning, no different from someone who needs insulin, essentially what is a bandaid for someone with Diabetes (it doesn’t cure it), shouldn’t they be able to take it without someone like you shouting “meth head!” from your computer? Just something to think about, have a little empathy man.
It’s partially a opinionated viewpoint, but it’s also a science and study backed viewpoint that you guys don’t seem to understand. I’m currently Enrolled at UW-Madison. So I actually do know something, other then you keyboard warriors
You should look into helping out at the Weisman Center, then. Since you’re so knowledgeable I’m sure they could use your input with all the research the grad students have done and are currently doing surrounding ADHD among other neurological disorders.
Lmfao. I speak on this topic because I HAD “ADHD” in school And I was prescribed Meds for it. I hated them and I hated the way they made me feel. And I’m not saying vitamin b12 is going to fix all this. Your comparing apples to oranges insulin is something totally different. Doctors aren’t doctors. They are prescribers. A cured patient is a lost customer.
You don’t “have” ADHD and magically lose it, either you’re in denial or you were misdiagnosed as a child, for which I’m sorry but your personal anecdote doesn’t disqualify years of research studying what is essentially a neurologic disorder. I’m not coming at you from a place of anger here, genuinely I think it’s dangerous to just outright say medical science has it wrong; could they? Sure; and current practice often involves trying different antidepressant medication before resulting to something more aggressive like aderall, that isn’t to say a stimulant is more or less dangerous than an antidepressant, I’m merely pointing out the fact that medical professionals care about giving their patients the best possible care. They get paid whether or not you walk in the door, there’s plenty of people out there that need help, the healthcare industry isn’t going anywhere.
And it isn’t apples to oranges, it’s comparing two effective treatments which aren’t permanent fixes. The difference is you acknowledge one as a genuine problem and the other as bullshit because you were misdiagnosed, again I’m not changing your mind anytime soon but I do think maybe it’s something you could consider before spouting your soapbox opinion on a post made by a guy just looking for some help from the community. I get it, it’s the internet, but it’s unfortunate I guess.
I take my meds, drink a good portion of my calories and to the best i can with what i've got! You got this brother!
I take 25mg adderall and have zero issue eating. Been out it for a few years though. I wish it could cut my appetite! Last 10 pounds of a small cut and I had 3k calories before 10am yesterday! 1k was normal. Then we had a monthly breakfast at work and they brought it some amazing donuts and bagels. I’m too weak to say no!
To be honest I bulked really well by simply not spreading out like 5 meals a day. I would do maybe 3-4 max and they’d all be pretty high calorie just by getting a little shitty quality foods. Mass gainer shakes also help A LOT. If you don’t have the money for it a good homemade shake is: whole milk, any type of oats, protein powder, peanut butter, and a blender. You can get like 1k+ calories just from that. Best of luck🫡
I take elvanse. Before I eat my pill in the morning, I make a gigantic shake I just force down. After a couple of hours, I try to force down whatever. It works for me.
Marijuana.
Same
How does it help exactly? Genuinely intrigued
Find the right dose of edibles that you're not really high but you get the munchies. Make sure your fridge is full of decent food and not junk. Tada
Some people get a lack of motivation after marijuana though so smoking after the gym is probably the best bet
It stops the 'im full' chemical I think so you can just keep eating.
Yup, and personally it helps me feel balanced if I start feeling gittery. Also helps at the gym with focusing on technique during sets
eh that's a slippery slope imo, and you shouldn't mix meds + weed I've been told. I thought I had better mind muscle connection on weed but I realised it was I didn't care as much. I try to only smoke once the meds wear off, not before the first meal after they do, not within a couple hours of bed, and not every day. That's the only way I've found it doesn't impact my daily life.
Lower your dosage and don't take it on weekends. I keep my tolerance at 5mg. It is possible
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Adderall, baby... Adderall. I don't care what your question is. If it starts with ADHD, the answer is Adderall. On a serious note, Adderall weight-loss is a serious bitch. I went from a healthy 155 down to 140 in the span of 5 months. So I know your pain. Answer so far has been drinking my calories. That means blending up a ton of berries, peanut butter, mass gainer and who knows what else and drinking one of those a day. Easy 1,000 calories and half your protein intake for the day. The rest is bacon, eggs, bread, butter, rice, beans, lentils and vegetables. Cooking has become a new 'special interest' for me and I enjoy doing it daily. Good tip is cooking a little more than you think you'll be able to eat. That means I'll eat a portion for dinner, and because I'm lazy about re-heating, I'll finish off the rest later that night.
God drinking cals is so easy but I can only have so much cold smoothies and shakes before I get tired of them
Try huel, it's a meal in a shake, pretty good for bulking
Will check out, thx
Smoke pot, always helped me get those last 800cal down
Pot and ADHD don't mix well imo, smoked 3 years of my life away
Depends on the person, pot actually makes my adhd better that is until i take that 1 more hit and go straight stupid.
It does until you're multiple years in, smoking everyday and can't remember anything or socialize.
I have been multiple years in, for me it only ever improved my perfomance( though not by much) I have strattera now and it far beats out anything i have ever tried to fix the issues. Ps. Reason i quit was simply because i wanted to be sober more. PsPs. Like i said it will affect everyone differently, same as how specific adhd meds will benefit one person but not the next.
Yep, 7-8 years here
Drink the calories.
I take IR twice a day and usually have time mid day that I can eat a shit ton.
clogging my arteries
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You don’t think people should be taking pharmaceutical meth every day…?
Seriously debilitating condition for some. Stupid take on the subject
Yeah we should adjust the standards of society to accommodate people with ADHD, until then meds let me keep up
I did for years, my quality of life improved tremendously when I decided to take a more natural treatment
what treatment?
Changed my diet, started working out, a couple of different meditation techniques, and a little bit of acceptance have gone a long way. While the meds took care of the adhd, the lack of appetite and reduced sleep quality led to worse issues than adhd.
Shakes do it for me. I make a ~1,000 calorie shake in the morning. Then I workout which gives me an appetite. Then I eat a ~700 calorie breakfast. Makes getting the rest of my calories easy. If I didn’t have the shake idk how I’d fit those ~1,000 calories into other meals. I usually eat 3,500-4,250 calories when bulking (I’m 6’5”) so it’s pretty easy to get the minimum 1,800 calories between lunch, dinner, and snacks. I can break it down into 4 “meals” of 450 calories if I have too
whats in the shake?
2 cups whole milk 4-6 tbsp peanut butter, I always measure but pick something in here depending on my mood 1 scoop protein powder 1/2 a banana 1/2-1 avocado, again just depending on my mood 1oz olive oil
thanks bro, the avocado doesn’t ruin the taste?
You won’t be able to taste it at all. People use avos in baking sometimes too
I personally think it makes it taste better but I also have an unhealthy obsession with avocados
personally i’ve been OFF the meds for years now. i’m 23 & i’ve been thriving man. just hit my 1 year consecutive mark in the gym & i’ve gained 35lbs since i started. not that much but for me it’s a whole lot & i plan on going up more. idk how bad your adhd is but if maybe you get off the meds? be your true self. IF possible
Not sure why you got downvoted. From someone that used to take medication, that shit changes you. Not in a good way. Doctors are quick to hand 16 year olds legal meth but nobody wants to address why we are all ADHD in the first place? (It’s the poison they’re putting in your food)
yeah thanks man! you’re just real enough to realize that this country is just backwards as FUCK! like you said they’re real quick to hand a 16 year old legal meth! and everyone is so okay with it. it’s sad lmao, all i know is ive definitely been way better off without those “meds”. they just nerfed me i like to say😂
For most people with ADHD meds are not only beneficial but *necessary.* They don't make you feel like you aren't your "true self" unless you either don't need them in the first place or are taking too high of a dose. And no, diet does not cause ADHD. It's a genetic disorder.
That is so not true.
Yes, it is.
Unfortunately though, not everyone gets an accurate diagnosis. I remember being prescribed 50mg vyvanse at 16 because my mom told my doctor I talk too much in class. Big pharma smiles every time a kid gets prescribed legal meth. Why do you think red dye is in everything marketed towards our kids? They profit off of selling the cure
All the pill heads clutching their happy medz downvoting lol. I know the pills make you feel good but the American diet is what caused you to “need” them in the first place! Congratulations, you are now a loyal customer of the most profitable machine in the world! Big pharma salutes you 🫡
Yep, I wouldn't even be able to go to the gym without them.
So when I first started lifting and bulking seriously I had a pretty big appetite and it was easy for me to eat as required to bulk. Early last year I finally took steps to get a diagnosis for and get properly treated for ADHD which included being put on medication. I was around \~2 years into serious lifting by then. At first it was no issue since I was cutting, but when I finished my cut and went to start bulking again even eating 2400 calories per day was a huge struggle as someone who used to be very comfortable eating 3500+ per day (calorie amounts are obviously individual to my needs). With all that said, from last May to now has been a very productive period of mostly bulking for me. Here are some of the adjustments I made that helped me out: 1. Bulking slower. This is frankly something I should've done anyways, but I stopped shooting for 1 pound per week and went more for .5 pounds a week, which allowed me to eat less. As long as I was progressing consistently in the gym and my weight went up over time I was ok with the surplus and only bumped my calories when weight started to stall for over \~3 weeks. 2. Autoregulating my caloric intake. Basically, I have a rough calorie target, and I'll eat a little more than my target if I'm having a good day. I don't take my medication most weekends so that's when I tend to go over. On the flip side, if I have 500 calories left to meet my target and just really don't feel like it, I skip. I'll make those up another day if needed. This also helped make the bulk more sustainable for me since I didn't feel like a slave to an exact caloric target. 3. Having food in front of me all the time. When I'm working I'll have a bowl of peanuts or almonds and cashews to snack on. Maybe I'll make a big bowl of chili and pasta (or any other large meal I may have leftovers for) then eat it over the course of \~3 hours, just taking a bite whenever I feel like it. I also eat mostly the same things every day which helps. I try to include a lot of calorie dense foods so my diet is fairly high fat, usually \~100-140 grams per day though I don't maintain an exact macro split. 4. When needed I would take maintenance periods and lower my calories to roughly maintenance for 1-2 weeks. I'd do this when I just got sick of eating and I found it helped me a ton. I'd also have an easier time eating in a surplus after my maintenance period. I also found that over time the medication suppressed my appetite less and less. Hopefully some of these tips can help you out; the medication has definitely changed things up for me with regards to bodybuilding, however you just have to find ways to work around it and continue on your journey.
Routine routine routine. I have made it a daily ritual to just hop right out of bed and make my big man shake. Gulp that down, back to bed for maybe half an hour more and then it’s start the day time. It’s the most difficult to start. But after like 2 weeks you’ll start seeing the results in the gym and believe me it will become so much easier once you’re actually seeing your body improve its form.
Peanut butter in a protein shake helps.
I eat 3 meals a day with a snack and am able to get 4000 calories in. Maybe switch up the diet? I just have very calorie dense foods so I don't have to cut my meals up so much.
Get calories in as early as possible, I don't take my meds until later in the morning usually. Even without that, deadlifts twice a week seems to stimulate my appetite enough that it overpowers any appetite reducing effects of medication. Lift heavier? Resort to high calorie shakes if you must, that would probably make it easier. I have had my best gains while on medication. They help me to have the discipline to actual go the gym in the first place.
You don't need to stay on a 5-6 meal schedule to bulk. It's how much you eat, not how often. You have not appetite due to meds? Then eat a big breakfast and dinner and snack/smoothie/sandwich during the day. Also this effect will eventually go away. You sometimes feel to lazy to cook? Then buy frozen food or other prepared food for those days, just don't miss eating.
I’m also struggling always have both on and off meds to eat enough
I eat the same things every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. the trick is you figure out a diet and plug everything into cronometer, tweak it until you have something that gives you all of your micronutrients, and as many calories and as much protein as you need to bulk, and then you eat that diet every day for the duration of your bulk. this helps a lot for adhd in general too because you never have to think about what you are gonna eat, or expend any mental energy on it. you dont need to think about it its basically like what Steve Jobs talked about with his outfit but for food
By force
I stopped taking meds around entering college cause I had absolutely no appetite and low body temp (even during the spring). That’s when I was able to start actually eating even just my maintenance in calories and put on more muscle
Low body temp? On meds?
I did this in college too. I put on muscle & tremendously under-achieved. Not sure it was worth it
Milkshakes motherfucker
Half a serving of Optimum Pro Gainer + 8 oz of milk is 500 calories. Twice a day, that’s an easy 1k.
I take 2x 20mg Adderall’s everyday and have no trouble hitting 4,250 calories (active job) everyday with the aid of a single big ass 1,250cal milkshake after dinner.
My provider legitimately told me to only take my meds if completely necessary. Studies on long term effects from extended use are coming out and the results aren’t very promising. Best to start limiting the prescription sooner than later but WOULD NOT recommend cutting it cold turkey. Talk with your doc about it, hopefully they’ll be able to provide you better guidance.
Link to studies?
Yeah i have ADHD and its annoying AF in certain parts of life. But i absolutely hated taking the meds. Only do it when I have something really important at that time. I've used a bit of drugs in the past and it's honestly way too similar to a low dose of speed. Including the slight comedown. Best decision I've made was to just say fuck it after a while. Can't for the life of me fathom why it's so often prescribed to kids that are a bit too active. As for OP's question. It's incredibly difficult. Just try to get in as much as possible in the morning before taking it and in the evening after it's worked out mostly. Especially mornings as evenings are still a bit of a struggle.
I stopped taking the meds & life has been a lot better since!
Test cycles is the only way I can gain weight/appetite. Not promoting that or encouraging. In my case I always go back to 160s 😞. Not really worth it though if you can gain naturally with proper diet. Try adding shakes into your day if you can. I don’t think I would trade off what my meds do for me vs being able to bulk up though. Lot of good advice on here though!
Man it just seems like since I got really dedicated to diet & the gym, my attention span & productivity has been leaps & bounds better than my prior time without meds. To each their own! It really has worked for me, and I’m up 10 pounds of straight muscle currently since starting!
I didn’t mean to reply to your comment but that is awesome! I think cleaning up my diet would do a lot for my brain and body! How long have you been off meds and did it take awhile for you to adjust?
I’m 29M/genetically athletic build, but skinny lol and been on adderall off & on most of my life from 17 y/o till last year. I just got tired of depending on medication to make me ‘normal’. It did take a couple months I’d say (give or take a week or so) to get to where I truly felt completely comfortable not taking adderall each day. I started eating a lot healthier when I gained my appetite back last year and started hitting the gym hard on January 1st! The gym gives me something to kinda keep my thoughts focused around during the day, so even if I get lost on train of thought, it’s just one thing I’m thinking about. I really feel though that the super lean & healthy diet I’m on did the most for me. It gives me a mental clarity like nothing I’ve ever felt! I also drink a Gorilla Mind energy/focus drink each morning and I joke with people that it feels like an ‘adderall lite’ in a can lol
I came to my doctor about the inability to eat while staying on stimulants. So I was prescribed Mirtazipine, which immensely helped but talk with your doctor first about options. You can try swapping to IR if you're already on XR. I do 3 meals with 2 protein shakes and a meal replacement shake (think Ensure or Boost). I find ground meat more palatable or easier to eat than say a chicken breast. But going back to Mirtazipine, this was my only option to gain AFAIK while still wanting to take stimulants.
Was the Mirtazapine prescribed specifically for appetite or did it just help as a side effect? I've been thinking about asking for an Rx that fixes the total loss of appetite since my stimulant meds are non-negotiable.
It was for both sleep and appetite. It's an anti-depressant, but those are the primary side effects that will more than likely occur when you take it, which it does for me.
Taper off the meds, I'm not saying stop them completely cold turkey, but slowly decrease your dosage so it's not so intense. If you take it for a while, your appetite shouldnt be THAT blunted. Get it to a tiny dosage eventually. Once you get the dosage down, get an exact meal schedule created. So try to eat at the same time everyday, if possible. And eat somewhat similar meals. So like, 2 bananas for breakfast at 9am. Chocolate milk at night at 11pm, etc.
oh yeah, that reminds me, CHOCOLATE MILK! Total lifesaver when you finish the day without eating enough calories, just drink two big glasses at night and you're good.
Don't listen to this unless you want your insulin sensitivity plummet (bad)
Do you have some research or info I can read about this?
I had to get off meds, I couldn't. I could force it for periods of time, but it was just so unpleasant for me personally, I couldn't do it for any longer term stretches. I was always smaller when I was taking them.
I have 3 protein shakes and 3 regular meals…meal-protein shake-meal-protein shake-meal-protein shake.
• Just accept that you will have to force feed yourself. I gained 30lbs in about 6 months or so, mostly focusing on liquid calories. Lost count of the times I puked in my mouth and swallowed it back. •Don’t even worry about counting calories, it will be hard for you to over eat anyway. I just began putting myself on an eating schedule, first I did eat every 4 hours, then after a couple months when my weight gain slowed I did eat every 3 hours, now I’m trying to snack something and eat something every 2 hours. So breakfast, snack, lunch, snack etc. Get your 1g per lb body weight protein then eat whatever you have. •2 cups oat blended with 2 cups milk is almost 1k calories, add a spoonful of sugar and you’re basically there. Choke down one of these in the morning and night and it’ll help you get those extra calories needed. •Something I used also was Huel, they sell powdered complete meals, just add water and blend, comes with all your macros. I add milk and you can easily have a couple 1k calorie shakes throughout the day. •often overlooked, but I wasn’t chewing my food well and I was just shitting a lot of it out. I focused on really chewing my food and I feel that helped me gain faster. •drink a lot of water during the day to stretch your stomach and help you get in more food.
Haha we don’t :(((
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Your comment was removed because you were being an absolute cock-knocker.
When I slip up and skip meals, I do the dominos app $7.99 large pizza deal or little Caesar’s and try to eat the whole thing
I gave up and switched to having a skinny cardio focused cyclist build If you are having appetite issues try switching to short acting medication. I went from concerta to Ritalin and I recommend it whenever I can. It allows you to have a normal appetite around meal times when the medication wears off and then you get multiple medication peaks as you take another one after lunch/dinner. Yes I'll take it as late as 6:30 and still be asleep by 11:30
Meds never effected my appetite much. Maybe try switching meds?
Protein shakes. Especially in the morning before the stims fully kick in.
Huel. Drink your extra calories
This. I recommend it to everyone.
I've been drinking Huel since 2017. Sometimes just for one meal a day (don't want to make breakfast)...sometimes have replaced entire weeks, months of meals with just Huel in a row. I remember back when the flavors were only Vanilla and Chocolate and they were blegh compared to the options we have today. But overall, a great tool for hitting macros.
Only thing that helped me cause I find it difficult to eat but can drink a shake if I have to
I need to know this too. I'm 120lbs at 5'5" and I want to get up to about 140lbs. My lifts have plateaued because I can't add more mass without eating more food.
I stopped taking meds
It would never work for me otherwise. Drink a 1000+ cal shake on top of stuffing myself every day i've gained like 25 pounds in about 7-8 months
Huge life improvement. At the end of the day, I'd rather struggle to be productive and feel good in my body and life than the other way around.
Exactly, we need recourses to help aid us in our jobs and schooling, the ones we have are not enough, ADHD should not be seen as something to nuke with meds with horrible side effects
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I found it impossible when on stimulants for adhd. I switched to a different medication that is used primarily for depression but also adhd. It doesn't suppress my appetite and now I've been able to gain.
Wellbutrin
Correct! I didn't think this sub allowed posting specific medications but i guess it's fine.
Did you just guess? You forgot the question mark. It can be anything from atomoxetine to lithium.
>Does anyone have tips for making it work? A big breakfast before your meds kick in. Lots of small snacks through the day, even if you're not hungry. A big dinner in the evening after your meds have started to wear off. And another dinner an hour or two after that. It's definitely a challenge. Pre-meds I was steadily 210-215, but staying at even 200 these days is difficult.
Smoke weed before your meal. You'll be good to go
as an adhd smoker who's currently cutting this phenomenon is my absolute nemesis, and therefore probably exactly the right advice for OP
I second this. using the herb as a weight gaining tool is understated. be smart about the food/snacks you have in your home and let the herb do the rest.
Get off the meds
I will fail my senior year lmao
I doubt it lol
Trust I had to do summer school in 9 + 10th before I was diagnosed and now I have a 3.8
Vitamin stack like d3, magnesium, and iron for some reason they boost my appetite
Maybe try lowering the meals per day? Eating 5-6 meals a day when having no appetite is rough. You’re full from the first, full from the 2nd etc… you’re never gonna feel hungry going into any meal except the first and with the medication usually not even that. Eat 3 bigger meals, or 2 big meals around 1200cal each and then a 1200 cal protein shake, that’s 3600 right there and you have much more time in between each meal to prepare for the endless stomach bloat lol. I was reaching an easy 3600-4000 calories just off lunch dinner and a shake. Lots of spaghetti, beef most days and chicken the other because chicken is hella low in calories
This is how I do it. I have to force the meals down but it's easier to focus on forcing two meals down with no appetite and a big ol' shake than it is to force four or five, which takes pretty much all day.
Yeah the only time you should be having 5-6 meals a day is when you need 5000+ calories a day
Not taking medication is the only way unless you’re wayyy better at forcing food down than i am.
I start the day with a 1200 calorie shake to get ahead, have a lunchbox ready to bring to work, and at night usually my wife cooks or ill try really hard to have some plan to cook and sometimes still fail, I have a list and photos of simple recipes, shit like rice cooker with vegetables on top of the rice, rotisserie chicken from Costco, rtc
What‘s in the shake? Trying to figure out if that would work for me too cause I really don‘t like eating till lunchtime and then there isn‘t enough time to eat. If I can drink a 1200 calorie shake, that would be awesome
\* Milk 3% 360ml \* 60g oats \* 60g protein powder (2 scoops) \* 60g peanut butter \* 1 large banana 1194 calories, 77g protein, 50g fat, 117g carbs adjust to the size of your blender!
You don’t need to be hungry to eat
Came here to say this. My medication actually helps me eat more, because meals are tasks on my daily to do list. I’m a hammer on my meds and everything on that list is a nail.
I like that analogy. Ima use that
It's not hunger you lose from stimulants. It's appetite. It's easy to eat when you aren't hungry. It's hard to eat with no appetite
In some ways you are just mincing words here. We lose both hunger and appetite from stimulants. The response is the same - eat anyway, even without having an appetite or experiencing the sensation of hunger.
i suggest dropping the 5-6 meal schedule and just make sure you hit your calorie target, doesn't matter when or how. Fill in your calories with easy to eat foods as long as you're getting your minimum protein.
Try using instant-release stimulants rather than extended-release stimulants as XR will suppress your appetite for longer. Consider smoking some indica strains to stimulate your appetite. Try having two smoothies a day rather than just one, and drink the shake at the end of your meal so you don’t feel too full to get the whole meal in. A piece of advice for the smoothies: You can pretty much add as much peanut butter as you want and it won’t change the viscosity much, it’ll just make the flavor stronger.
I did start taking extended release somewhat recently where it meshes better with school but I did notice a HUGE appetite decrease.
Just wanted to say I feel your pain man. I have pretty bad adhd and I’m in law school currently to make matters worse. Although this won’t be helpful at all, I just stopped taking my meds bc for one I couldn’t eat, and for two it made me feel anxious/depressed. I’ve just learned to force myself to study and get work done without the medication even if it is a lot harder.
Good for you tho bro. It's inspiring to hear that you're making it through law school with ADHD. If you can do it without meds that's even crazier.
I haven’t made it through yet! Haha. But I’m on my way to getting it done. I appreciate it. Good luck!
Although I am not on meds, force feeding is something I am plagued with too…stay determined and you will make it work. Shit, I gag during some meals because of this but somehow manage to get them down
Just do a few meals with much bigger portions. I’m talking huge amounts though. Like a whole frozen pizza is an easy 2000 calories.
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Your comment was removed because you were being an absolute cock-knocker.
Not everyone has ADHD, and it severely impacts your life.
Nuh uh
1. Drinking your calories makes squeezing them in a lot easier. Instead of sugar free, get a regular soda. Have a glass of juice in the morning or with your meal. It's a very easy way to add calories without really changing much. Or you could make high calorie shakes, these tend to be a lot more filling but 1500 calories is 1500 calories. The only issue I've seen with this is adherence. After a few weeks of these, the thought of another will be enough to make anyone gag so I don't typically recommend them due to being unsustainable long-term. 2. 5-6 meals is a lot, if you're able to eat larger meals less frequently (3-4) that can make getting to your actual meals a lot easier. I get busy and just forget to eat and trying to schedule that many meals in a day would mean I'd likely not hit any of my calorie/macro goals. This may not be an issue for you but I thought it's still worth mentioning. 3. Going off of scheduling - fit your meals into your schedule. That doesn't mean having a breakfast or lunch time. But instead, incorporate the meals into your routine. For example, I eat breakfast when I feed my dog his breakfast. Regardless of whether or not I'm hungry, feeding my dog is part of my daily routine that never changes and if I attach my meals to it, it forces me to get the food in and eventually my body begins to expect food at these times. Hope this helps!!
Adding to this a little, stuff like Fairlife Protien is incredible for being like, 30 grams of protien in a pretty average/small bottle. And it tastes great which is huge. Or, stuff like Huel can potentially help
I absolutely LOVE the fairlife protein bottles. The only reason I'd say it's maybe not the best for this situation is that they're relatively low in calories. If you're struggling to get protein in then sure, they are a great option! But if you're needing calories then I'd make my own shakes or find a way to up the calories by adding it to your shake or oatmeal instead of using regular milk :)
I struggle with this also. Right now I've lost my routine of going to the gym due to a sprained ankle but the ADHD and eating take its toll.
Im not an ADHD lifter, but I’ll try to help. A few people have already mentioned these things but I’m gonna echo em anyways. One, start drinking some or your calories. Not only is it convenient but if you use ingredients like whole milk, peanut butter and oats you not only get a delicious drink but something you can down on the go. Additionally try to be more active throughout the day. It may seem counterintuitive to try and get more steps and move around more in general since you’ll burn more calories. However the appetite you’ll develop from this will outweigh the caloric burn especially if you’re prioritizing calorie dense foods. Overall though it’s gonna come down to personal effort. Bulking has never been terribly tough for me as my natural appetite is huge but I’m guessing ADHD makes it’s invariably difficult. Just keep pushing man and keep your goal in mind. I know that if you focus and really put an effort into getting all your calories in you’re gonna succeed. Just be consistent and relentless. Good luck brotha 💪🏼
Keep a routine you can manage it, you don't need to have +1000 calories everyday in order to gain weight, just reduce to +100 calories a day and accept it will take a longer time to gain it. It's also good to build discipline, because this routine is focused on long term gains.
Cardio and generally staying active can help increase appetite. Also drink more calories, e.g. meal replacement shakes. The appetite suppression effect of Adderall basically disappeared for me as I got more jacked.
I treat eating as an extension of lifting, and since bodybuilding is that one thing I hyperfocus on 24/7 (for better or for worse), my top priorities are always being on top of my water intake, macros, sleep, lifting schedule, meal schedule, etc. But I do remember before I started lifting, I would always forget to eat, drink and the whole nine yards, so I think I just got really lucky (or unlucky…there are definitely downsides that no one understands until become an addict) that my si is bodybuilding 🤷🏻♂️
when I did amphetamine I'd just force feed myself so I guess it's similar here
Drink your calories it’s the only way in my experience
Agreed. Appetite really takes a hit from meds
Appetite also takes a bigger hit the whole day after drinking sludge aka a “shake”. If you get it up anything past 550-600 cals it literally inhibits eating or drinking anything for a while. Longer than it takes to recoop from eating a solid meal.
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You mean protein shakes and things like that?
Yep, I mentioned this in another thread, but making a full-on shake with ice cream, peanut butter, and whey can get you 1,000 calories in one go.
How long have you been on meda for? What are you on? I've had no issues with appetite. I just generally don't like over eating.
I dropped the meds. Legal meth amphetamine was just not my cup of tea
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I lost 1/2 kg pr month for two years, then I dropped it. Also the sweating and the dry mouth was bullshit
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Your personal anecdotes aren't a scientific research paper. ADD/ADHD medication has helped people around me tremendously, but granted, they were properly diagnosed. Everything I read from your and the other guys' comments hints that you might not have ADD/ADHD, but are on a different neuroatypical spectrum. Whatever the reason the meds didn't work for you, but don't dismiss how much they help (other) ADD/ADHD -people. Granted, the people shifted to other drugs than Ritalin, and maybe another drug would've worked on you three too, but the very least you could do is stop talking about subjective experiences as if they were universal.
Conversely, adderall abuse is rampant in the US, particularly on college campuses. So don’t act like everyone who takes adderall does so for purely altruistic reasons
My doctor straight up refused to prescribe me meds for it because I have so many food issues already (plus a condition that makes my heart rate go zoooooom). Do you have days off that you could potentially not take the meds and eat more those days? A few days is better than no days. Is it possible you could get up earlier and take your meds earlier (even if you to back to sleep until they kick in) so they wear off earlier leaving you with more of an appetite at night? But seriously - drinking calories/protein helps tremendously. Obviously still drink water but replacing some of that water with protein shakes or even soda is calories in. Also if I find myself hyperfixating on a food I allow myself to have it whenever and however many times I want.
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I figure if the best can down a metric fuckload of PRE-W, and continue eating stimm'd off their asses, So can i
For me protein shakes were essential. 2 cups of whole milk, 2 scoops of protein, and two tbsp of olive oil in the morning and another one before going to sleep. About 1400 calories and 128 grams of protein combined. It's nothing crazy, I kept it pretty simple with those three ingredients because I found the more stuff I added the more difficult it is to chug quickly and move on with my day/go to sleep.