Forgetting....food!?

[Ky4giraffe]

I was always one to get distracted and forget to eat but its to like point now where I dont eat for a day or I eat very little! I dont mean to I just dont think about it or when I do think about it I either tell myself I will go make food after I am done with whatever I am doing, and then 3 hours late I still have not eaten.
Or I will realize I should eat something so I make it, but then I forget about it.
When I talk about this some people say its because I am now on adderall xr 30mg. But it is not because of that! I always had this problem slightly in my life, but ever since the birth of my son (july 16 2010) it has gotten WAY out of hand. I started on adderall on september 17. I dont mean to, but its like my body never tells me Im hungry, or even thirsty!
I know this isnt normal and I want to know if any one knows of a way to fix this.
Also, it seems when I go to make food I can never find anything that seems good even when I just went to the grocery store. It is like food never looks good to me.
I have never had weight issues, yes, I dont think my tummy looks the best, but thats more of a need to work out but never do kind of thing.
Right now I am 4'11 and 98lbs. If anything I need to gain weight.

I sort of wonder if this is an ADD thing because one of the main reasons I forget to eat is because I get so distracted that I dont think of it.
Does this happen to anyone else?
Can anyone tell me whys they fixed this problem?
Or if you never had this problem do you have thought on what causes this and how to over come it?

[scars]

I've lost 20 lbs since I've been on Adderal 20mg x2. I just got the medication in July, but yeah. I have alarms in my phone that say EAT! and go off at certain times and then in 15 minute increments for an hour after that time. Why so many? Procrastination lol. Even then I'll skip a meal every once in a while. Even if you aren't hungry shove something down.

The only time I had this problem before getting diagnosed with adhd was when I was taking Hydro-Codine and other medication post-jaw surgery a couple years ago. I lost over 50 lbs because I was on it 24/7.

[Ky4giraffe]

Hmm thats a good idea, my mom keeps telling me to write a to do list with eating on it but Id still forget, of course I tend to forget the whole list.

Still seems very strange to me to have this problem before I was on any thing at all.

[Imnapl]

Forgetting to eat is mentioned in the literature about ADHD and it's just part of the poor executive function. Before my diagnosis, before my medication, I remember feeling light-headed while shopping with, my then, young, daughter who asked me what, if anything, I had eaten that day. And they say kids don't notice things.

Forgetting to eat, or not eating properly, is a subject that also comes up at Weight Watcher's meetings and is a common problem with busy mothers of young children.

[Ky4giraffe]

Hmm I am like that to I get really light headed and dizzy a lot and then thats where I realize I never ate!

I can see the mom thing to, I feel like I cant eat while my sons awake but lately he like just takes power naps (10 minutes?) and then hes wide awake again, I cant seem to get him to take just one long nap so I can at least eat!

[Imnapl]

My son was a terrible napper and my grandson seems to be following suit. On the other hand, I can't nap either unless I'm really sick.

I eat much better on work days because I have to pack a lunch and a snack and eat them at a scheduled time.

[Nifferka]

I never had an appetite until I was pregnant with my first. I was always a skinny stick, and I didn't diet or (unfortunately) exercise--I just forgot to eat. Before meds, during meds, and after meds, I just never had an appetite. I could snack, if something was particularly unhealthy and appealing, or if it was nibbly stuff and it was sitting right in front of me, but I'd never go looking for food. And I never felt hungry. I would feel lightheaded long before I felt hungry, and then I'd realize I hadn't eaten anything all day.

I'm not medicated, and I still don't have an appetite. I have a very well-developed sweet tooth, though.

Imnapl--where have you seen anything mentioned about forgetting to eat? I'd like to read that. The poor executive function thing makes sense. It doesn't help when you're responsible for feeding your family if you don't have hunger cues to remind you that other people will want to eat, though. Is ADD connected to not feeling hungry?

[Ky4giraffe]

I am the same way! The only time I really felt hungry was when I was pregnant. Id look for food only because I knew I should eat not that I felt hungry. Id eat whatever happened to be sitting by me Id sit and snack.
And also, I do have a huge sweet tooth!

[Imnapl]

Originally Posted by Nifferka

Imnapl--where have you seen anything mentioned about forgetting to eat? I'd like to read that. The poor executive function thing makes sense. It doesn't help when you're responsible for feeding your family if you don't have hunger cues to remind you that other people will want to eat, though. Is ADD connected to not feeling hungry?

I don't have time, at the moment, to check the books I own about ADHD, but something tells me you would definitely find eating and ADHD mentioned in the book You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy? by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo because they are women.

What I did have time to do was a quick Google using the search terms ADHD and not eating and the first hit was a pdf. "Addressing Disordered Eating Patterns in Women with ADHD" at chesapeakeadd.com. Sorry, the link goes directly to a downloadable pdf. and I didn't want to post that.

I quote:

"Identifying problems with meal planning. One of the initial requirements for correcting a disordered pattern of eating is to identify those situations, times of day, interpersonal pressures, and thought patterns that are associated with loss of control over food intake and poor meal planning. This is especially important because many people with ADHD seem to forget about eating when they are fully engaged in an activity. They tend to eat during lulls in the action, by

which time they may have gone many hours without adequate food intake (and are likely ravenous). This tendency is due to an under-awareness of hunger signals, and is a major problem when a person with ADHD is trying to gain control over their eating. By under-eating, hunger builds up over the day so that control over intake is overwhelmed by the urgent need to eat. Individuals with ADHD may need assistance in planning regular food breaks and learning to read internal signals regarding hunger and early satiety. Establishing appropriate portion size also appears to be more difficult when ADHD is present. Many clients find it useful to have visual cues to improve their judgment about appropriate portion size such as using smaller plates, or using their palm or fingers as measurement guides."

If something this relevant came up as my first hit, there must be lots more out there on the web. and in books, etc. This thread reminds me of a piano teacher my kids had who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. He was more hyperactive than most kids I've met. Sometimes we would see him in the evening and he would be faint with hunger because it was beyond him to be able to shop, prepare, and then schedule time to eat food. The sad part was, he loved to eat, he was passionate about food.

[wsmac]

I can go on through the day and not eat. I get reminded at work all the time to go to lunch and take my breaks... but I don't always eat at lunch either.

At home, there just isn't anything to eat most times. Oh, the occasional package of ramen. I don't remember to go shopping until my daughter comes to stay the weekend with me and even then... sometimes I forget until say, Saturday morning before she's awake and I realize I don't have anything for breakfast. I rush out to the store or wait until she's up and suggest we go out to eat.

At work, I eat too much when I'm just sitting around with nothing to do but computer/paper work... which I hate!
Working at a hospital, there seems to always be an almost endless supply of junk food at the various break rooms and nurse's stations.

One good thing about breaking up with my girlfriend three months ago... I lost my appetite totally. I lost 20-ish lbs. due to that and the excessive mountain biking I started doing.

[emma13]

i noticed this topic around 7 pm (my time) and i went to grab something. all i had before was pepsi,coffee and cigarettes...

[Imnapl]

I would also like to add that taking regular release medication does help somewhat with forcing me to schedule in nutrition breaks. Because I take medication on an empty stomach, I have to think about when I can eat around the timing of my medication doses. I also take supplements that should be taken with food and that forces me to plan meals too.

[wsmac]

Originally Posted by emma13

i noticed this topic around 7 pm (my time) and i went to grab something. all i had before was pepsi,coffee and cigarettes...

Those, in combination, should get you up to speed with grocery shopping, no?

Originally Posted by Imnapl

I would also like to add that taking regular release medication does help somewhat with forcing me to schedule in nutrition breaks. Because I take medication on an empty stomach, I have to think about when I can eat around the timing of my medication doses. I also take supplements that should be taken with food and that forces me to plan meals too.

Since I am not on meds, I can only rely on the times I want to drink coffee to remind me to eat.. I drink it black and strong and just don't like the idea of drinking coffee on an empty stomach.

[emma13]

Originally Posted by wsmac

Those, in combination, should get you up to speed with grocery shopping, no?

grocery? that thing for which u need to actually get out of the house? neah, i didn't take my Concerta today, so i should be grateful that i did at least the laundry. one whole day and i managed to wash like 3 loads of cloths and even put them to dry on the hanger. great achievement

but not to be off topic, i am lucky that at lunch break people check on the to make sure i reach the canteen. else i would skip it most of the times. Concerta makes me not feel hungry at all for some 10-11 hours while at work.

[Ky4giraffe]

Originally Posted by wsmac

At home, there just isn't anything to eat most times. Oh, the occasional package of ramen. I don't remember to go shopping until my daughter comes to stay the weekend with me and even then... sometimes I forget until say, Saturday morning before she's awake and I realize I don't have anything for breakfast. I rush out to the store or wait until she's up and suggest we go out to eat.

I know what you mean same at my house!





I was eating noodles today, but I ended up throwing half of it away, the sauce just made me wana throw up, ewwwie lol