Note: This article provides general information about compulsive eating and ADHD. It is not meant to provide medical advice or make recommendations for any specific diets or medical treatment. Compulsive eating and other eating disorders can be health threatening, and should only be addressed by consulting a medical professional.
Overeating is a common problem we experience with our neurodiverse clients, as it is for much all of us. It can be difficult to manage cravings and make healthy choices, especially when dealing with other experiences that come along with neurodiversity, particularly ADHD.
But there are ways to combat overeating and make more mindful decisions about what you eat.
Here are some strategies that may be able to help.
What is Compulsive Eating?
Compulsive eating is an eating disorder that involves uncontrolled overeating or binge-eating, often to cope with negative emotions.
While it is not the same as having an individual meal that consists of too much food, compulsive eating involves regularly consuming far more calories than is necessary for an individual’s health. It can lead to weight gain and other serious health issues over time, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
Is Overeating Part of ADHD?
For people with ADHD, staying focused on when and how much to eat can be a challenge, and impulsive behavior often goes unchecked. The result can be too long stretches of time between meals that ends with cravings for a large amount of food.
A 2017 study in BMC Psychiatry suggests that those with eating disorders have a high prevalence of ADHD symptoms – particularly individuals engaging in binging and purging behaviors.
Further evidence came from a 2017 systematic review published in Clinical Psychology Review that found a correlation between disordered eating and ADHD.
The exact link between ADHD and overeating has been the subject of much debate among researchers. The complexity of the relationship is compounded by the fact that people with ADHD often have other psychiatric disorders that could possibly be influencing their eating habits.
However, recent research suggests that dopamine, a neurotransmitter known to play a role in the reward system of the brain, could also be at fault for this correlation. A 2020 study found that people with ADHD and obesity may tend to experience greater rewards from eating than those without such conditions, while a 2019 Brain Sciences review further confirmed this connection in adults.
This growing body of evidence provides a promising direction for further study into this complex relationship.
How Do I Stop Overeating With ADHD?
Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to combat overeating when living with ADHD.
Track What You Eat
One of the first steps to take when trying to stop overeating is to track what you eat. This means writing down every single thing that you eat throughout the day, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. Tracking your food intake helps you stay mindful of what and how much you’re eating, as well as gives you an idea of where to start when making changes.
Practice Portion Control So You Can Be Aware of What You Eat
Another strategy for stopping overeating is practicing portion control. This means taking only the recommended serving size for each food item or drink you consume.
Being aware of portion sizes helps ensure that you don’t overdo it on any particular item and keeps your calorie intake in check. It also forces you to stay mindful of what and how much you’re consuming so that you don’t get caught up in mindless eating habits.
Educate Yourself on Proper Nutrition
Eating right plays a major role in controlling your weight and avoiding overeating, which is why it’s important to educate yourself on proper nutrition when dealing with ADHD and overeating issues.
Learning about different types of healthy foods will help give you an understanding of which foods are good for your body and which ones should be avoided if possible.
Plus, educating yourself on proper nutrition will help ensure that whatever foods do make it into your diet are nutrient-rich items that will benefit your overall health instead of hindering it further due to unhealthy ingredients or processing methods used in their preparation.
Rather Than Focusing on Not Eating, Focus on What You Can Do
Rather than focusing solely on not eating certain foods or avoiding certain situations where temptation might arise (such as going out for dinner), focus instead on what activities or hobbies you enjoy doing that help distract from cravings and encourage healthier living habits instead of relying purely on willpower alone.
For example, if exercising is an activity that gets your heart rate up and makes time pass quickly while providing a sense of accomplishment afterward – then incorporate more exercise into your routine!
If reading books brings joy – then find ways to make more time for reading! Doing things like this will help break any negative associations associated with dieting. At the same time, it helps to keep cravings at bay due to the positive reinforcement gained from engaging in activities that bring happiness.
Use a Smaller Plate
One of the most effective ways to stop overeating with ADHD is by using smaller plates and bowls. When you eat from larger plates or bowls, you may feel the need to fill them up completely, which leads to overeating. By using smaller plates, you’ll be able to eat more appropriately-sized portions without overfilling your plate.
Make Shopping Lists
Making shopping lists before heading out to the grocery store can also help curb your tendency to overeat. When we shop without a list in hand, we tend to buy more food than we need which can lead us down the path of unhealthy eating habits.
By making lists of what foods and snacks you need beforehand, you can stay focused on buying only what’s necessary and avoid impulse purchases that could lead to binging later on.
For more meal planning tools, try our Real Life Executive Functioning Meal Plan – Designed to make meal planning easy, fun, and step-by-step with visuals, this free .pdf download also includes printable shopping lists you can customize to promote healthy eating habits.
Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry
It’s also important not to go food shopping when you’re hungry as this will only increase your chances of buying unhealthy foods that may cause cravings later on. Try planning ahead so that when it’s time for grocery shopping, you are not feeling hungry or deprived in any way.
This will help ensure that all food purchases are made carefully and thoughtfully instead of impulsively because of cravings or hunger pangs.
Know Your Trigger Foods
One of the first steps in reducing overeating is knowing which foods trigger your cravings and cause you to eat more than you should. Common trigger foods include sugary snacks, fried food, refined carbs, and processed foods. Pay attention to how you feel before and after eating these types of food—if they make you feel worse afterward, it’s best to avoid them altogether.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Lack of sleep has been linked to increased cravings for unhealthy foods, so getting enough rest is key for controlling your eating habits. Try setting a regular bedtime routine for yourself that includes winding down activities like reading or taking a warm shower before bedtime.
For more tips and strategies on getting a better night’s sleep try:
- The Neurodivergent’s Guide to Sleep
- The Nighttime Routine For Improved Sleep And Executive Functioning
- The link between ADHD and trouble sleeping
Avoid Boredom
Often, people find themselves reaching for food when they’re bored or feeling lonely—it’s important to recognize this behavior and find other ways to cope with feelings of boredom or loneliness. Try doing something creative like drawing or writing when these feelings come up instead of reaching for snacks.
Schedule When You Eat
Scheduling meals ahead of time can help keep your eating habits in check by preventing unnecessary snacking throughout the day. Try making a weekly meal plan so that you know exactly what you’re going to eat each day—this way, you can stick to healthy meals without having any surprises!
Eat Mindfully and Pay Attention to the Experience
Mindful eating is an important tool for those struggling with overeating. Pay attention to the experience of eating—things like how your body feels before and after a meal, how it feels as you’re chewing, how long it takes you to finish a meal.
These sensations will allow you to become more aware of what’s happening in your body as it relates to food. This awareness can help reduce cravings and increase satisfaction levels so that you don’t feel the need to overindulge.
Enlist the Help of a Friend
Having someone else help keep track of your eating habits can be beneficial in curbing overeating. If possible, find a friend or family member who can provide support and encourage healthier behaviors and decisions around food. They can also serve as an accountability partner and help remind you of your goals when it comes to eating habits.
Knowing that someone else is paying attention may also be enough motivation for some people to stay on track with their goals.
Be Kind to Yourself (this is a big one!)
It’s easy to beat yourself up when things don’t go according to plan, but this isn’t helpful in the long run—especially when trying to stop overeating. Instead, try being kinder when reflecting on setbacks or failures related to your eating habits; recognize them as learning experiences instead of failures, and move forward from them instead of dwelling on them negatively.
The more understanding and compassionate we are towards ourselves, the easier it becomes for us to make positive changes in our lives.
Exercise to Curb Your Appetite and Improve Your Health
Regular exercise is an important part of maintaining good physical and mental health. It can also help manage compulsive eating by curbing your appetite and providing an outlet for extra energy.
When you exercise regularly, your body releases endorphins that make you feel relaxed and happy. This feeling can help distract from cravings and reduce the urge to snack on unhealthy foods.
Plus, when you exercise regularly, your metabolism increases which helps burn off extra calories from compulsive eating.
Get Help From an Executive Function Skills Coach
If you find yourself having difficulty managing your compulsive eating habits, then an executive function skills coach may be able to help.
A coach will provide support and guidance on how to develop better self-regulation skills and increase mindfulness around food choices. They can also give advice on how best to structure meals throughout the day in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Working with a coach can provide accountability which can be a powerful motivator when it comes to making lasting changes in diet and exercise habits.
Final Thoughts
Compulsive eating can have serious consequences on physical health over time if left unchecked—especially if paired with another condition like ADHD, which can make it even harder for individuals affected by both conditions to regulate their behavior around food.
If you or someone you know suffers from both ADHD and compulsive eating habits, consider seeking help from a qualified healthcare professional so that you can get the support needed in order to manage your symptoms effectively and live a healthier life overall.
Further Reading
- Karen E. Seymour et al: Overlapping neurobehavioral circuits in ADHD, obesity, and binge eating: Evidence from Neuroimaging Research
- Nils Erik Svedlund et al: Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among adult eating disorder patients
- Panagiota Kaisari et al: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and disordered eating behavior: A systematic review and a framework for future research
- Karen A. Patte et al: A Behavioral Genetic Model of the Mechanisms Underlying the Link Between Obesity and Symptoms of ADHD
- Samuele Cortese: The Association between ADHD and Obesity: Intriguing, Progressively More Investigated, but Still Puzzling
- Rebekah Pierce: Emotional Regulation & ADHD: What You Need to Know
- Rebekah Pierce: 10 Ways to Use Video Modeling to Teach Healthy Eating
- Amy Sippl: Impulse Control: Long Term Strategies & Supports For Diverse Learners