ADHD or Binge Eating? An Intuitive Eating Approach
You walk in from work and the stress of the day starts to relax as you open the pantry door. You notice that you are nearly through a bag of chips. Nearly through, may as well polish it off. You don’t register fullness, you don’t register anything. You are on autopilot as you grab for the next snack and at one point think you should probably make dinner. The guilt of snacking creeps in. Is this a binge eating disorder? Has your ADHD contributed to arriving home in a primal hunger state that set the table for bingeing? Is this ‘C’ all of the above; ADHD and binge eating? Let’s explore!
2.5%-10.5% of American Adults live with ADHD.
Every person experiences ADHD differently but often there is an increase in impulsivity, some inattentiveness, and periods of hyper focus. When we plug into a neuro typical work day these traits can set an ADHD person up to miss meals from distraction, forget to pack meals, become too hyperfocused to eat or not notice hunger. The addition of medication used in the treatment of ADHD, unfortunately, worsenes appetite cues.
The end of the work day hits and we are left physically HUNGRY!
Whether it is a diagnosed binge eating disorder or a pattern of unmet hunger, it is a very common for clients visiting me to struggle with ADHD and binge eating. Let’s dive into the why and some strategies to address the hunger aspect.
Binge Eating Diagnosis
Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances.
A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating).
There are also frequency of events, emotions around events and other actions that are considered in a binge eating diagnosis.
Side Note: When a client is screened for a diagnosed eating disorder, a team approach is the most effective treatment. If you or someone you know needs help please reach out to a crisis line or your PCP to assess what team can best support you. National Eating Disorder Association has additional information that may also be helpful.
Eating Challenges with ADHD
Forgetting to Eat
During times of stress, it is not uncommon for people to fall off of their pattern of eating. People with ADHD may fall off their pattern of eating, forget to plan for meals, become sidetracked when they do notice hunger or become hyper focused on a project and not notice hunger on a more consistent basis. This can be further complicated with medication that inhibits appetite.
Emotion Regulation
Movies highlight ice cream eating after a bad breakup for a reason. Food can be a great comfort. Many people turn to food as a coping mechanism for emotions such as stress, boredom, loneliness, or sadness. Identifying these triggers is the first step toward changing the pattern. Instead of turning to food, brainstorm other coping mechanisms that may work for you.
Impulsivity
Impulsive eating often occurs when you're not fully aware of your body's hunger and fullness cues. It might be triggered by external cues like the sight or smell of food, or internal cues like stress or fatigue. If someone with ADHD tends to be more impulsive, creating a pause to reflect can be a good first step. ‘Am I hungry?’ ‘How does this food serve me?’
Sensory Issues and Food Preferences
Did you know that one of the ADHD superpowers is sensory? Many people with ADHD have heightened sensory sensitivities, which means they may be more sensitive to certain textures, tastes, smells, or appearances of food. These Spidey Senses can also lead to strong preferences or aversions that affect their eating patterns. Trying foods while you are in a calm state is a great first step to including more food variety. Try to vary the texture of foods and see if you like food in different forms. Remember, food exposure is a marathon and not a sprint. Work with a trained dietitian for a strategy that you are comfortable exploring.
No Cook Snack Recipe Pack
Being prepared with a snack is a form of self care.
Snacks are one of the first things I add in with my clients. Grab this free guide and add snacks into your meal schedule.
Benefits of Intuitive Eating with ADHD
Intuitive eating is a more holistic approach to nutrition therapy that takes into account our hunger and our fullness. We start to notice how we feel after we eat more nutrient dense foods as opposed to quick energy foods. For example, practice tuning in to your energy level after an afternoon snack of an apple and nut butter vs. a quick bag of chips. The motivation for change is how you feel when your body is fueled vs someone telling you that’s the right food to eat.
Sounds like an ideal way of eating! It can, however, be tricky to dive into if you don’t hear (or trust) your hunger or fullness cues. We have the option to take the pieces of intuitive eating that work the best for you and take these in bite sized steps, especially if you have ADHD and tend to binge or reach a point of primal hunger.
Let’s start here!
Notice your Hunger
Do you notice hunger with small rumblings in your stomach?
Are you aware of hunger once your head hurts and you are feeling dizzy?
Has the term Hangry ever been used in your presence?
Getting on a schedule of eating and thinking about where you feel hunger may be the first step you need to notice your hunger. This foundation builds some real trust in noticing what your body needs and fueling yourself to avoid Hanger and avoiding a physical need to binge. Once we have some foundation to noticing hunger we can build on this with some more tools.
Notice your Fullness
It can take some practice to notice your fullness, particularly when you come to a meal overly hungry. In nutrition therapy, we use lots of different strategies to work on finding our fullness without getting to that point of discomfort.
Eating in a more mindful way is a great starting point.
When I discuss mindful eating with clients, my expectation is not for them to be in a yoga pose, savoring every morsel of food. Start by checking in with what you are eating. How does the food tastes? Do you have some descriptions for the food? If you reflect on the food midway through would the next few bites fuel you until the next meal or snack? You may be still watching TV or finishing up work on the computer but add in some quick food reflections.
Cope with your Emotions with Kindness
We are often much more critical of ourselves. Our patterns of eating carry so much emotion and are often used to help with emotion. Consider yourself as an investigator as opposed to the judge and jury to your patterns of eating. We are going to investigate how these patterns of eating benefit you and when emotions run high we sit with those and give ourselves some grace.
Practical Tips
Create structure and routine in eating. [If you are a Trader Joe’s shopper try my free E Book for ideas. They offer lots of quick meal shortcuts.]
Set up some mindful eating habits at meals or through the day.
Work on sensory sensitivities and challenging to expand options for more safe foods.
There are many positive aspects in the way that ADHD impacts how we approach food. They may come to the table curious about diverse foods, have a love for creative cooking and high energy and enthusiasm for foods and meals. There may also be a tendency to skip meals, not prepare for eating, develop aversions to food textures and hit the end of the day with primal hunger.
Noticing some of the patterns of your own eating in a non judgemental way and adding in some of these tips should help to keep your body fueled through the day.
If you are ready for more strategies reach out for a free discovery call today. Book a Free Call.