I apologize in advance if I'm posting in the wrong area. I've posted here before when I was trying to start excersing, but the idea was short lived. I am 5'5 and weigh 168 lbs. I have never weighed this much. I have all the tools I need to lose weight, but fail every day. I have a membership to a gym that's 5 minutes away. I know enough about nutrition to help me balance a diet. Every day I stuff my face and come up with a hundred excuses as to why I eat so much and why I can't get to the gym. I've read that some with ADD can be impulsive eaters. Of course I've used that excuse also. I just don't know where to start. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and fail again.

I know how frustrating it can be to know how to lose weight, but fail to be able to follow through.

Before I was diagnosed with ADD, I would binge all day on carbs. I had encredibly strong and uncontrolable cravings for sweets and continued to gain weight although I ate a balanced diet otherwise and exercised regularly. I literally felt that my overeating was beyond my control. I felt like an addict.

I started taking Adderall XR which has curbed my appetite (I DO NOT recommend ever taking a stimulate medication just to lose weight!! That would be drug abuse. I am NOT advocating drug abuse!!) but mostly I find that I'm just not interested in sweets.

ADD is casued by a lack of dopamine in the frontal lobe. Eating carbs stimulates dopamine production, but only for a short time. As soon as the effects of the carbs wear off, your brain craves them again and again, leading to binge eating and food addiction.

If you're not taking a medication that controls your sugar cravings by regulating dopamine levels:
1. Try eating lots of protein and whole grains. Both are long term energy sources that keep you feeling full for longer and may help curb your cravings.
2. Never eat a carbohydrate alone...always eat protein with a carb.
3. You may be using food to self-medicate. Do other things that increase dopamine levels without food, like doing a set of jumping jacks when you feel like grabbing a donut.
4. Stop feeling like a failure. By overeating you are simply trying to regulate your dopamine levels through food. This is a completely natural behavior. If your body weight is affecting your health, the eating needs to be addressed, but feeling bad about yourself will only exasperate the problem. Find a good therapist to help.
5. Talk to your doctor about medications that treat ADD. They may help you be more able to enjoy a healthy balanced diet in appropriate amounts.

I hope that helps.
I know it's hard, but I find that everyday I feel more optimistic about the future. Proper treatment is key. I could have never done it alone.