I have been working on my fitness journey for quite some time. From working out to now being a competitive athlete, I found what was constantly sabotaging my progress was my eating habits. I started therapy rather consistently over a year ago, and it wasn't until my therapist suggested that some of my former issues with Bulimia and current issues with BED may stem from having ADHD.

Essentially, my brain was using food as a way of satisfying its need for stimulation rather than for satiating my appetite. Did you know that girls with ADHD are six times more likely to have bulimia [cite]? To me, food wasn't fuel, but the flavor/texture/temperature of my eating was a mechanism to meet sensory needs. Figuring this out in therapy was a genuinely life-changing moment. I suffered for YEARS with self-esteem issues, feeling like it was my discipline that was the problem, that my impulsivity with food was a result of being too lazy/undedicated to meet my macros and calorie allotment. This led to a painful cycle of self-loathing that gave me little to no progress. Since starting ADHD medication earlier this year, I am down nearly 25 lbs. I eat 2100 calories a day, lift 5 days a week, and no longer deal with the constant feeling of being overwhelmed that I was before.

I am not saying that this is a magic bullet for everyone. Still, it is well-documented that Neurodivergent people have sensory experiences that are different from what is considered standard. I would recommend speaking to a mental health professional to everyone, but I wanted to share because of how much it has impacted my life.

For the first time, I can stop eating when I feel full, and when I eat, it leaves me feeling satiated, not guilty. I am happy to answer any questions about my experience, but I wanted to share if this might help someone else.