How I Built Habits That Helped Me Lose Weight (ADHD-Friendly!)
If I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t feel like I should be overweight. I work out pretty regularly, and I don’t eat that much—in fact, I often forget to eat. Yet, over the past few years, I’ve gained weight like crazy. So, I decided to incorporate habit stacking to help me lose weight in a way that works with my ADHD brain.
1. Using Instant Gratification to My Benefit
The need for an instant dopamine hit is so intense for people with ADHD. Many of us (myself included) get that hit through social media, often leading to an addiction. To combat this, I’ve created a rule: I can only scroll social media while on the treadmill.
This treadmill with a workstation https://amzn.to/3CRodVQ is perfect because I can prop my phone up on the stand and scroll away while walking. I also love that I can use it during Zoom calls and meetings, making movement a natural part of my day.
To make this even more effective, I use an app blocker that I can only remove once I’m on the treadmill. This setup helps me decrease social media usage and become more intentional with my screen time.
I also use my Samsung Galaxy Watch https://amzn.to/3CRodVQ to track my steps. If I’m being honest, the battery life isn’t great, but I love that little celebration it gives when I hit my step goal—it’s an instant dopamine boost that makes me feel accomplished. If you’re in the market for a smartwatch, I’d recommend checking out other models with longer battery life.
2. Planning Meals and Snacks
First of all, I love ChatGPT for meal planning. I can tell it:
- My calorie goals
- My protein targets
- That I want to focus on gut health
- That I’m ADHD and suck at cooking, so I need minimal prep
…and ChatGPT will generate a meal plan that fits my needs perfectly.
I’m also making meal prep part of my nightly routine. Since I’m trying to eliminate plastics (because of their link to cancer), I switched to these glass meal prep containers [https://amzn.to/3CRodVQ]. Having meals ready to go reduces decision fatigue and prevents me from reaching for unhealthy options.
3. Using External Accountability
I know the whole “grind in silence” mentality works for some, but not for me. I need external accountability, so I’ve started sharing my journey through this blog and on TikTok. I also talk to friends and family about my progress.
By putting my goals out there, I feel obligated to follow through—because now, people will ask me about it! This extra layer of accountability keeps me on track.
4. Reducing Decision Fatigue
Instead of wasting mental energy figuring out what to eat or what workout to do each day, I had ChatGPT create my entire plan (you can see it here:https://changeyourmindset.com/2025/02/15/asking-chatgbt-to-help-me-achieve-my-weight-loss-goals/). Now, all I have to do is follow it.
This eliminates the overwhelming “what should I do today?” question that often leads to decision paralysis and, ultimately, doing nothing.
5. Giving Myself a Free Day on Sundays
I attend GriefShare on Sundays, and they always have amazing snacks that I know I’ll want. Instead of battling with myself and feeling guilty, I’ve made Sundays my free day—a day where I allow myself to enjoy treats guilt-free.
This mindset shift helps in two ways:
- When I crave something during the week, I tell myself, I can have it on Sunday. This makes it easier to resist impulse eating.
- I once read that incorporating a higher-calorie day into a low-calorie diet can actually prevent your body from going into starvation mode and hitting a weight-loss plateau.
So, Sundays are my day to enjoy, reset, and give myself some flexibility.
Final Thoughts
Losing weight with ADHD isn’t about discipline—it’s about understanding how your brain works and creating habits that work with your need for instant gratification, novelty, and accountability. By implementing these small but impactful changes, I’m making weight loss easier, more sustainable, and even a little fun.
What ADHD-friendly weight loss habits have worked for you? Let me know in the comments! 😊