How I lost my mind, and 36 pounds.

I remember what it felt like, going into my first doctor’s appointment in about two years this past February. I needed a checkup, I needed a further evaluation of my medication but I remember feeling mostly okay about it. I knew I was overweight but the extent didn’t really feel relevant at the time.

I stepped on the scale at the office, the reading read my weight: 253 lbs. I had spent my childhood and most of my adult life on the slender side of things, so this was a bit surprising. Then again, was it? I snacked every second of every day, ate large portions of meals often with seconds or thirds, ate fast food as often as I could get it usually ordering the largest meal available, and rarely exercised. My metabolism was able to deal with the burden when I was younger but now, it seemed to be giving out.

I aided the slowing of my metabolism by increasing my caloric intake over the years, too. I control what goes into my body and it is something ultimately my fault. What made it difficult to realize I was well and truly getting fat was that your body slowly adjusts over the years. My clothes slowly got tighter, my pant size “only” went up one, my body didn’t feel or look all that different from before (outside of being a bit more jiggly).

Still, I went to the doctor’s office that day not to be told I was obese (though I was), I went to get clarification on my medication for ADHD. I’ve likely had it since childhood but it’s difficult to self-diagnose except for a feeling of the inability to focus. I left the doctor’s office with a prescription, and began taking the medication the next day. I ate breakfast and took it with that. I barely ate the rest of the day. My dinner was likely the smallest I had eaten in at least ten years. The medication helped my focus too, making it easier to take the day on like I’d never been able to before.

A month into this regimen, I went back to the doctor for a follow-up. I lost 20 pounds. In just one month, that would be cause for concern but looking back it was easy to tell why. I no longer snacked, and my meals were now quite small in comparison to how they used to be. All because I felt more focused on the tasks on hand not on distractions or what I used to call boredom. I ate breakfast, a lunch, a dinner, and maybe a light midnight snack. You’d be surprised how much that matters, but it does.

Just this past week, I went back for another follow-up appointment. Over the five months since I began my daily regimen, I’ve lost a total of 36 pounds. I know many people tell you that you feel a sudden burst of energy after doing so, but I think that’s where the negative side effects of doing so come in. Ever since I’ve been on the medication, I’ve felt more antisocial than ever. I think I have this desire to do things, and now view a lot of things I used to enjoy as distractions. I’ve slowly worked internally to overcome this issue with moderate success, and I do feel like I have more energy overall even if it’s difficult to process outwardly.

Obviously, I don’t endorse getting on ADHD medication unless you need it. That’s irresponsible and abusive to your own body, and you may experience extreme negative effects. I’ve had friends ask me how I lost weight or if I can offer any advice. The best thing I can suggest is to get your mind in order first. My mind used food as a distraction, and not as a necessity. I know it sounds much simpler than it is but ultimately, you and your mind decide what goes in your mouth so it is the root of the problem. It’s the same core reason fad diets, fad exercises, and other lose weight quick schemes almost always fail you eventually. That’s why I think I had to lose my mind to lose the weight I have and will continue to.