Overeating with ADHD: How I Took Back Control of My Health

ADHD doesn’t just show up at work or in relationships. It’s in the kitchen. It’s in the pantry late at night. It’s in the way you can demolish a bag of chips without noticing until your fingers hit the bottom.

If you’ve lived with ADHD, you know food isn’t just fuel—it’s stimulation, comfort, distraction, and sometimes punishment. For me, overeating has been one of my hardest lifelong battles. My weight has gone up and down like a yo-yo, and every time I thought I had it under control, ADHD impulsivity or stress would creep back in.

But here’s the breakthrough: learning to get intentional about food changed everything. I’m not perfect (nobody is), but a few key shifts—like stopping myself from eating after 8pm and cutting my alcohol consumption by 90%—transformed my body, energy, and focus.

This journal is for anyone with ADHD who feels stuck in the cycle of overeating. Let’s unpack why it happens, what helped me break the cycle, and how you can create your own rhythm that finally sticks.

Why ADHD and Overeating Go Hand-in-Hand

ADHD brains are wired differently, and that wiring makes eating challenges more common:

1. Impulsivity.
   Food decisions happen in seconds. ADHD brains chase dopamine, and quick hits of sugar, fat, and salt give that reward.

2. Emotional regulation.
   When you’re stressed, bored, or overstimulated, food becomes the fastest way to calm down—except it often leads to guilt afterward.

3. Time blindness.
   You may skip meals because you’re hyperfocused, then binge later because you’re starving. Or you don’t realize it’s midnight and you’re still snacking.

4. Sensitivity to stimulation.
   Food is sensory—textures, flavors, smells. ADHD brains are often more sensitive to sensory input, which can make certain foods irresistible.

Put simply: it’s not that people with ADHD “lack willpower.” It’s that the wiring of the brain makes food harder to regulate. But just like emotional regulation can be learned, so can eating regulation.

My Story: From Fluctuating Weight to Finding Rhythm

I’ve had long stretches where my weight fluctuated 20, even 30 pounds. When I was stressed, I ate more. When I was bored, I snacked. When I was socializing, I drank.

The worst pattern? Late-night eating. Something about 9:30pm made my brain demand one more bowl of cereal or one more plate of leftovers. And once I started, it was nearly impossible to stop.

Here’s what shifted the game for me:

• Rule #1: No eating after 8pm.
  Setting this boundary stopped my worst binges. It’s not about restriction—it’s about removing the decision fatigue at night. After 8pm, the kitchen is closed.

• Rule #2: Cut booze by 90%.
  Alcohol lowered my defenses and made overeating so much easier. Cutting back not only helped my body, but my mornings are clearer, my workouts stronger, and my mood more stable.

Those two shifts alone stabilized my weight more than any “diet” I had tried before.

ADHD-Friendly Ways to Get Intentional with Food

Here’s what I’ve learned—and what works for a lot of ADHD adults when it comes to food and overeating.

1. Create bright-line rules

ADHD thrives on clarity, not vague guidelines. For me, “No food after 8pm” was black-and-white. Not “try to eat less late at night”—that leaves wiggle room. Make your rules simple and hard to negotiate with yourself.

Examples:

• No soda in the house.

• Only eat at the table, never the couch.

• Always prep lunch right after breakfast.

2. Use pre-commitments

Your impulsive brain can’t argue with a decision already made. Meal prep, portion snacks in advance, or even set delivery for healthy groceries. Pre-commitments prevent “heat of the moment” overeating.

3. Replace dopamine, don’t remove it

If food is your dopamine source, cutting it without replacement will backfire. Add other dopamine hits: exercise, music, cold showers, games, or even ADHD apps like Bonding Health’s Qiks for emotional resets.

4. Identify trigger times

For me, nights were the danger zone. For others, it might be afternoons or social events. Track when you tend to overeat. Awareness helps you prepare strategies for those windows.

5. Prioritize protein and fiber

ADHD brains often crave carbs for quick energy. But stabilizing blood sugar with protein and fiber keeps cravings in check. A high-protein breakfast is a game-changer.

6. Reduce decision fatigue

ADHD brains burn out on constant small choices. Build routines: same breakfast every day, pre-selected lunches. Fewer choices = less impulsivity.

7. Set up your environment to win

Don’t fight willpower—remove temptation. Keep snacks out of sight, or simply don’t buy them. Keep fruit or healthy proteins visible and ready.

8. Redefine “failure”

With ADHD, one slip often spirals: “I broke my rule, so the day’s ruined.” Instead, treat it as data. If you binged at 10pm, ask: What was I feeling? What can I try differently next time?

How Cutting Alcohol Changed Everything

It’s impossible to overstate how much cutting alcohol back by 90% helped me. Here’s why:

• Calories saved. Fewer empty calories added up quickly.

• Less lowered inhibition. Drinking less meant I wasn’t grabbing fast food or overeating after nights out.

• Better sleep. Alcohol disrupted my sleep, which made cravings worse the next day.

• Improved workouts. My runs and lifts got sharper, giving me momentum to stay consistent.

For ADHD brains, alcohol can feel like a temporary relief but often makes regulation worse. By removing it, I gave myself back control.

Turning Struggle into Strength

ADHD means food may always feel a little harder. But it also gives you strengths: creativity, resilience, intensity. You can turn those traits into tools:

• Use creativity to design meals that are exciting and colorful.

• Use intensity to hyperfocus on new healthy routines.

• Use resilience to bounce back quickly when you slip.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress—and setting yourself up for consistency over time.

FAQs About ADHD & Overeating

• Why do I binge eat at night with ADHD?

  Impulsivity is higher when you’re tired, and time-blindness makes you forget how much you’ve eaten. Setting a hard cutoff (like “no food after 8pm”) helps break the cycle.

• Do ADHD meds fix overeating?

  For some, stimulants reduce impulsivity and appetite. For others, they may cause rebound hunger when the meds wear off. Tools and boundaries are still needed.

• How do I handle social events without overeating?

  Eat protein before, drink water throughout, and decide in advance how much you’ll allow yourself. Pre-commitments reduce impulsive decisions.

• How do I stop emotional eating when I’m stressed?

  Replace food with a quick regulation tool—deep breathing, cold splash of water, a 2-min Bonding Health Qik. Create a “pause” before reaching for food.

Final Thoughts

Overeating with ADHD isn’t about weakness—it’s about wiring. Once you understand that, you stop beating yourself up and start building systems that support you.

For me, two simple shifts—no food after 8pm and cutting alcohol by 90%—created space for balance, health, and confidence. I still struggle, but I don’t spiral like I used to.

If you’re reading this and battling the same cycle, remember: small, clear boundaries can change your life. ADHD brains don’t need more shame—they need systems, support, and compassion.

✅ If you want help building ADHD-friendly systems for food, health, and focus, PKJ Coaching’s dopamine reset protocol is designed for exactly that. Learn more and start today at pkjcoach.com.