Losing Weight with ADHD

This week is a super short episode as I am recovering from pneumonia! Back to my usual shenanigans next week :)I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Is weight loss impacted by other life challenges such as finances and clutter/organization? Are there connections and similarities between these 3 things? This is what we are talking about this week! We covered:Correlations between financial hardship and weightHow environment affects weight and the connection there (as discussed in episode 18)What are the similarities between all 3 of these?The CALM Method as it relates to finances and clutter (it's not just for weight!)As I mentioned, I really want to keep this discussion going, so please reach out to me if this resonates with you or if you have any thoughts about it. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week we are discussing how important it is to acknowledge how far you have come and the growth that you have experienced. It's so easy to think about how far we have to go, or to simply focus on the change that is yet to happen or where we want to get to. But it's really necessary to look back and see how far we have actually come - this helps to keep the change happening!We talk all about the importance of looking back and recognizing that change, especially if it's below the surface and not as easy to see. In the episode, I mentioned my upcoming 4-week group program that will be in its first round - click here to get on the list and be the first to know when you can sign up!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

In this episode, we talk about the process of developing a short-term strategy that helps you work towards your goals - and I used my own end-of-the-year strategy as an example! I know I love a good story or example, so I hope that listening to what I plan to do to lose weight in the rest of 2024 will help you to think of your own strategies you could implement. We discuss:How to create a plan for yourself that you can trust and stick toTips for avoiding information overload and focusing on small, practical stepsWhy listening to your own body leads to better, more sustainable resultsStrategies for managing daily routines and expectations, especially with ADHDWhy it's so important to create a plan/strategy that is based around YOU and your life - not a plan that someone else hands you (don't tell me what to do!!!)If you’re looking for ways to build confidence, trust your own decisions, and create a plan that truly works for you, this episode is for you.I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

You are allowed to want to lose weight. You aren't a bad person or a victim of diet culture if you truly in your heart desire weight loss. It's up to you whether it's right for you. I feel very strongly about this and it's why I recorded this episode! Just remember that you are the one who knows your true intentions, and no one else gets to dictate that for you. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This episode is partly a bit of an update on my own "reset" I have been taking, as well as some insights from that and reflection on the importance of self-discovery. I talked about:The need for personal resets to make sure what you are doing aligns with your authentic selfHow sometimes our habits may actually be forms of restriction rather than genuine change if we aren't taking time to pause and assessWhy rest is a really productive part of growth and changeThe importance of self-discovery in building long-term habits and avoiding burnoutRemember - your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you will have in your life! We can't ignore ourselves and not tend to our own needs if we ever want to feel fulfilled. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

 In this episode, we dive into the concept of feeling at home in your body, which of course can mean different things to different people! Some things covered include:the idea of recognizing your body as part of yourself rather than feeling disconnectedsome of my personal challenges with this disconnectionneutrality and self-compassion as part of working on negative self-talk and body image issuessome unique ways neurodivergent people may experience this discomfortways of developing self-awareness I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

In this episode, we dive deep into the concept of sensory overload—how it affects those of us with ADHD and its significant impact on our daily lives, particularly in the context of weight loss. We cover:What is sensory overload?How sensory overload affects people with ADHDThe connection between sensory overload and weight lossSymptoms of sensory overload to watch out forPractical strategies for managing sensory overloadI hope this resonates with you, and that you can begin to be kinder to yourself when you are dealing with sensory overload. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

In this episode, we discuss the connection between sleep, ADHD, and weight loss. We cover:The link between ADHD and sleep issuesSleep and weight connectionSpecific sleep struggles that ADHDers might faceTips for improving sleepI also covered a couple of specific items that were requested to discuss in this episode about sleep. I hope this was helpful!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

In this episode we cover the topic of being yourself, which also really includes the ideas of self-trust, masking, and conforming. We discuss:Why it's crucial to be able to be yourself in the process (and really in life overall)How conforming and masking can impact usHow this will affect goals such as weight lossWhat are some ways to help to foster more of a sense of selfAs I mentioned in the episode, I would love to hear of ways that you have seen this impact you in your life and weight loss journey. Please feel free to DM me on Instagram or send me an email. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Setbacks are a inevitably going to be part of the process, so let's talk about how to handle it. In this episode, I covered:Why do setbacks happen (we all deal with them!)How they might be different for an ADHDerWhat tends to set off the set back for you?How to move through set backsHow to move forward and move onI hope this helps to normalize the phase of being in a setback for you!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Have you heard of the "messy middle"? We are talking about what that is, and what it means when it comes to your weight loss journey. I know that the middle of the road seems like a foreign place for us with ADHD sometimes - many of us are used to more rigid, black and white thinking! In this episode, we talk about what it might mean to be in the messy middle with weight loss, why we often go for the extremes instead but how they might not actually serve us. I hope you enjoy!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Sometimes as an ADHDer, the idea of "keep it simple" is not actually so simple! Today we are discussing this concept, and if/how we can make it work for us in weight loss. We cover:Is simplicity achievable for us?Why our brains might not naturally think in simple termsWhy it might actually be overwhelming (at first)  to try to keep things basicWhat are some steps to take if you want to simplify the weight loss process for yourselfAll the reasons why you are not a broken person if you can't just keep it simple!I hope you relate to this idea, and that it brings you some clarity and comfort in the process. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today I am discussing why finding your best way to become regulated more often is crucial to your weight loss journey, especially as someone with ADHD. I discussed:What impact does your emotional state have on weight lossWhy this might be a big factor for you as someone with ADHDWhy working towards more regulation than dysregulation could really positively impact youAs always, let me know if this resonates!!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

In this episode I am really diving in to my own relationship with alcohol, and how it has evolved over the years. Keep in mind that this is purely my own experience, I can really only speak for myself! I discussed:How alcohol affected my life at various stagesWays that I can see the impact being different as someone with ADHDWhy I feel like it was a big part of my life at timesTwo different big shifts I madeSome ideas on how to approach examining your own relationship with alcohol (hint: approach it with NO SHAME!)I really hope that this resonates with some of you, and that it helps you to feel ok about getting curious about how it impacts your life. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today is a short and sweet episode - I am talking about trusting your own gut feelings when it comes to working towards your goals. I covered:This podcast episode that inspired the topic for todayWhat does your intuition mean when it comes to your weight lossAn example of trusting your gut vs. following what your are toldHow I have noticed myself listening to my own instincts on my weight loss journeyAs always, please reach out if you have any thoughts about this episode, or any ideas you would like to share. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

I'm covering the idea of whether "eat what you want" is helpful or a hindrance when you are pursuing weight loss as someone with ADHD. This all came about from a comment I saw someone make about this! I covered:How the idea of "eat what you want" might make some people feel or approach weight lossThe messy middle between rigid structure and total freedomIs it helpful to just be told what to do?What are some guidelines that I have found really helpfulWhat concepts I have seen lead to success for othersI hope this episode is really helpful and that it gives you some ideas in creating your own structure!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This episode covers the topic of burnout, and how it can be different as someone with ADHD. We discuss:What is burnout?What are some of the main symptomsMy current experience as I am dealing with burnoutHow it impacts your weight loss journey6 things you can do to help move through burnoutI know this is something that many of us have experienced, and I hope that you feel less alone in it after listening.I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

I am so honoured to have had the opportunity to interview Megs Crawford of Organizing an ADHD Brain! Megs has an amazing story that you won't want to miss, and is just overall a wonderful person.  We talked about:Who is Megs?Her ADHD journeyHer history with weight and disordered eatingWhat went into true, sustainable weight loss for MegsBariatric surgeryLosing 120lbs!The impact of yoga on her lifeThought work in weight lossThe shifts in self perception, and learning to talk to yourself in new waysAll about the work Megs does with organizingYou are going to want to follow Megs and listen to her podcast, Organizing an ADHD Brain. You can find her on:TikTokInstagram YouTubemindfulmegs.comI'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This is a brief episode covering why it's important and relevant to visualize your future self as part of your weight loss journey as someone with ADHD. We discuss:Why your future self is importantHow it helps when it comes to weight loss"Intention deficit disorder" and what that has to do with it allI hope you enjoy this quick episode!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week we are talking about something that I am sure is soooo familiar to you if you have tried to work towards weight loss, and that's actually sticking to it! With ADHD it is easy to trail off and maybe not stay the course, even though you start off with a bang. In this episode we covered:4 of the main reasons I see that people veer off their plans and don't seem to follow throughSome different ways of looking at it (a change of perspective can be helpful!)9 different tips and tricks to help you keep going on your path towards weight lossI hope you enjoy this episode, and find some encouragement and self-compassion in these ideas. As always please reach out to me if you have any thoughts or comments. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today we're talking about four stages of getting to place where you can make real, lasting change in your life as someone with ADHD. These are the four that I have honed in on in my own life and experience, and recognize that they are what make the difference when I want to make change for real. The 4 A's are:AwarenessAcceptanceAutonomyAction planI hope you enjoy this episode!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Just a quick update to let you know that the name of the podcast is changing! It will now be called "Balanced Living with ADHD". Same content, same topics - just a bit more all-encompassing of a name. You'll see the change on this week's full episode, coming on Thursday. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

We are covering self-efficacy today, which is basically your belief in your ability to do something. We covered:What does good self-efficacy look like (and not-so-good self-efficacy)The ADHD connectionThe weight loss connectionSpecific ways your self-efficacy might affect weight loss as someone with ADHDHow to develop self-efficacyIt might not be something that you have considered before, but it has a really deep impact on your life! As always let me know what you think and how it might be affecting you in your journey. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today I discussed the idea of aiming for 100% when it comes to our goals. Is that perfectionist thinking that could set us up for failure? Or is it actually an opportunity to give ourselves a break from all of the decision making? I also talked about what that means if you are aiming for 100% and you hit the inevitable roadblocks - how we handle the bumps in the road can really be the key to our success in reaching our goals.I hope this resonates with you or at the very least, gives you something to think about! I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today we are discussing how ADHD paralysis may be coming in to play. We cover:1. What exactly is ADHD paralysis? How does it show up and affect us?2. What it has to do with your weight loss journey3. Some ways to help lessen it or move through itI'd love to hear if this resonates with you! And don't forget that The Anchor, my brand new membership, is now open! It is a great opportunity to get in and be a founding member - it is really reasonably priced and you can really have input and contribute as we build this from the ground up! Find out more here. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week I am talking about finding your freedom in your weight loss. Sometimes finding freedom to do things in our own unique way can be the key to success!We discuss:What does that even mean to have freedom in weight loss?How can you find it as someone with ADHD?Don't I have to follow a program or plan that already exists?I also talked about my new membership program, The Anchor! It is now open and we are ready and waiting for you to join us! Find more info hereI'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today's episode is for anyone who has experienced emotional dysregulation (which is pretty much all of us!). We are going to cover:1. What is emotional regulation and dysregulation, especially as it relates to ADHD?2. What does this have to do with weight loss? (Believe me, it is STRONGLY connected!)3. What are some of the things we can do to help develop regulation?I also discussed at the end the new group program/membership that is going to be starting soon!! I am so excited about this - go ahead and get on the waitlist here so you get all the details as soon as they are available (it will be really soon)!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today we are discussing interoceptive awareness and how it might affect your weight loss and life in general with ADHD. I cover the ways it might show up for you, as well as 7 different tips on how to work on developing your body awareness. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Is losing weight and dieting the key to having a happier life? To feeling better? Is dieting the answer? In today's episode, I talk about dieting and ADHD. Here are some key points that I discuss: Feeling like you want to be done with something, especially losing the weight, is a totally normal way to feel and when you have ADHD, it can be really easy to fixate on losing the weight. When trying to follow a plan, like a weight loss plan, it can be overwhelming and can lead to burn out so much that you just stop following the plan. See: The What the Hell Effect. Dieting can become a part of your identity and sometimes when you get there, to the goal weight, you think you'll be happy. But what happens when you're not happy?It's very important to find out your why when it comes to weight loss. We have to choose which discomfort we're willing to be in because there is discomfort in looking inside yourself and there's discomfort in staying the same. Take a few minutes to think back to a time in your life when you felt pretty good. What was going on in your life? What things were you doing? What was different than it is now? Imagining your future self can be super helpful as well and how you want yourself to be in the future can be motivating. We have to approach dieting (and many other things) in a different manner, but it is doable and looking inward is totally worth it. You've totally got this! I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

In today's episode, I talk about something that I know you probably will understand, self-compassion. Sometimes things feel hard and you might not be very kind to yourself. I needed this reminder for myself, and I'm sharing it with you. I discuss what self-compassion means, what it is not, and why it matters in weight loss: Stephen Hickman defines compassion as "the awareness of suffering coupled with a desire to relive that suffering."Self-compassion is the act of noticing when you're struggling, recognizing that's actually part of being human, and then being kind to yourself rather than beating yourself up. Kristin Neff says that there are three elements that have to be present for self-compassion: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.Self-compassion is NOT complacency or not showing yourself tough love, being overly permissive, self-pity and feeling sorry for yourself, or selfish and looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. Why it matters with weight loss: Practicing self-compassion increases your mindfulness, so you're more aware of your actions, feelings, and thoughts. Mindfulness leads to change! This also leads to changing your perception of yourself (your mind, your body, your whole self) and this can lead to you wanting to care for yourself more. A study showed that having self-compassion can help engage in healthier weight loss behavior by helping them become less demoralized by setbacks. From Shahroo Izadi's book, she says "it is those who struggle to be kind to themselves who have the hardest time when they try to make lasting, meaningful changes to their eating habits." Find a way to be more self-compassionate that works for you. If it feels weird to you, try something a bit different! You've got this! Kristin Neff's book: Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself Shahroo Izadi's book: The Last Diet: Discover the Secret to Losing Weight - for GoodI'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today I talk about your environment and how it can affect your ADHD. How are your surroundings impacting you? Is that affecting your weight loss? Find out in today's episode! Some things I discuss are: If you are a person who is naturally more attuned to your environment, it can be exhausting, and it can impact your mood.More clutter can impact your mood and take up your mental energy, which can lead to overwhelm and being stressed out, which can lead to relief, perhaps with food. It's a chain reaction. A study by the Royal Australian College of General Practicioners found that people with extremely cluttered homes are 77% more likely to be overweight and that tidy homes have been found to be a predictor of physical health. When we have ADHD,  we are often blind to how clutter gets started. Clutter consciousness is a thing! What to do about the clutter: Start small! Picture your future self living the way you would love to live, what does that look like in terms of your environment? Work backwards in small steps to get there! Functionality - what does functionality look like for you in your environment? Developing your awareness around what makes you feel good and being aware of what's happening around you can lead to you making little changes here and there that lead you to your goals. There's a total connection between your environment, ADHD, and your weight loss goals! I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week I talk about autonomy and ADHD. I don't have a list for you this week, but here are some of the items I discuss:Autonomy is the experience of acting from choice rather than feeling pressured to act.  I kind of think of it as having input, having a say. It's not just you reacting and following a set of rules or something. It's you having a choice or a say in whatever you're doing. As people with ADHD, we know that we don't like being told what to do and it can feel super restrictive.We need to be able to make our own choices in ways that make sense to us and our lives. There are three needs that need to be met for people with ADHD: autonomy, relatedness, and competence.Even though autonomy is super important, we still need guidance and structure around meeting goals (think about using the bumpers when bowling).A cookie-cutter approach to things like weight loss, will likely be difficult for you because it limits your autonomy to make decisions and figure out what works for you. I'm developing a group program for people with ADHD who are pursuing weight loss! We're going to work on this together to help you develop ways for you to reach your goals. And we'll have connectedness through the community aspect. Make sure to sign up to be on the waitlist so you get more details about it! I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week I'm so excited to share this interview I did with Karrie Lemansky. Karrie is a self-described neurospicy friend and Chief Weirdo of Karrie Out Loud! She has always lived with ADHD (but was misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression until age 49). She helps out-of-the-box thinkers and ADHD women build better businesses so they can have better lives because of it and to be able to use their outside-of-the-box brains. She's also a life coach! We talk about so much in this episode, and it's all so good! Here are a few things we talk about:What it's like to work with a coach who has ADHDMisdiagnosis of ADHD in womenSelf-judgement and wondering what's wrong with meBeing in the moment Intuition and ADHDConnection and finding your people Connect with Karrie: On her website: https://www.karrieoutloud.com/Listen to The ADHD Entrepreneu(Her) podcastFollow Karrie on IG @karrieoutloudFollow the Neurospicy Collective on IG @theneurospicycollectiveHow Karrie can help youExample cube timerI'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

I think we all know that walking is good for you, but this week, I talk about walking in the context of weight loss and how weight loss,  ADHD, and the interconnection between all of them.This week, I talk about 11 ways that walking can be beneficial for you: Increases your energyStress reductionAmazing for your overall healthBetter sleep Lower your blood sugarImproves your moodBurns caloriesBeneficial for your nervous systemBetter brain functionHelps with digestionA good way to set and meet your goals for yourself I recognize that walking is not for everyone due disabilities, chronic pain, or mental health attributes. I acknowledge that walking is not necessarily for everybody and that there are other things you can do that would give you benefits like walking that might be more accessible to you. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today's episode is all about motivation and how it affects us people with ADHD and how it ties into when you have a weight loss goal. You might know the feeling of wanting to get started on something, but you just aren't able to get going or get any kind of forward progress. Today I talk about six ways that motivation may or may not show up for you and the kind of struggles that you might have with ADHD and nine things you can do to help it. Six ways that motivation may show up for you: Overwhelm - becoming overwhelmed with information and being in state of paralysis to get startedBoredom - finding it hard to pay attention to or become interested in any task because you are reactive to boredom Anxiety - being unable to concentrate on anything or start anything because of anxiety Shame and Discomfort - feeling these feelings deeply and being triggered by unhelpful comments and/or ideas about how you should be able to lose weightTask Urgency Reliance - relying on a sense of urgency or a deadline because our brains want novelty and excitement. With urgency it's easier to do things, but without the sense of urgency it can be difficult and unhealthy to become motivatedEnergy drain - monotony of daily tasks can seem draining and exhausting, making it hard to be motivatedNine things to help with motivation: Break things into smaller tasksRecognize and celebrate completing those smaller tasksAssign a small amount of time to work on the tasks (like doing a five-minute fitness video you find on YouTube) Change things up and keep it interestingRedefine the reason you want to do something in the first place Tap into your strengths and your likes Ask for help (or accountability) Find ways to make it fun! Have a plan or to-do listThe key is to remember what works for you and play to your own strengths. What resonated with you on this episode? I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week I talk about impulsivity and how it relates to losing weight with ADHD. I've touched on this briefly in other episodes, but this episode is all about impulsivity specifically. In this episode, I discuss the six ways that impulsivity might show up for you and six ways that you can combat impulsivity. Six ways that impulsivity might show up for you: Disrupted eating patterns- waiting too long to eat and then being super ravenous Disordered eating- binge eating Boredom or procrastination or overwhelm - are you looking for food out of boredom, for example? Seeing food and wanting it because it's available - see it and eat it Thinking about food - and then wanting food just because you're thinking about it Emotional dysregulation- does your emotional state contribute to your eating? Six ways to combat impulsivity: Find a way to become aware of what you do and when you do it (notice patterns). Dont expect that impulsivity will just go awayFind other things to do that stimulate your brain Portion out your foodPlan out what and when to eatExercise I had several people reach out to me about this topic. If there's something you'd like for me to talk more about, please reach out to let me know! I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week's episode is a little bit different than I expected. I had a tough family situation come up and I wanted to talk about when things get hard. This is the time when you really get a good view of where you stand with your emotions, with your drive, with your habits, all of that kind of stuff. When things have happened that kind of throw you off course or become challenging it's so easy to just throw away anything that you've been focused on or working towards.I share some thoughts about how in this situation,  I wasn't expecting perfection from myself. I wasn't expecting myself to just stick with these arbitrary rules, arbitrary rules and ways of being that are just like super regimented around food. Awareness and understanding yourself, how you handle things and what works for you can make such a big difference in being able to weather the storm or whatever difficult circumstances come your way. Being compassionate and not expecting perfection are so important. You can still work towards your goals. You've got this!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week I talk about meal planning for weight loss with ADHD. You know how I love a list, so here are three different lists to help you: Five reasons why meal planning might be harder for us:Executive functioning can affect our ability to think ahead, make a list, prepping foodTime management and time perception might be incorrect or can be a struggleOverwhelm with food choices can lead to decision paralysisImpulsivity or novelty-seeking might make sticking to a plan seem boring and too structuredCompletion of the plan doesn't get done or we forget parts of it which leads to frustrationFive reasons why meal planning matters when it comes to weight loss:You want to make sure to cover your bases when it comes to nutrients and balanced mealsHaving a strategy means you'll be less likely to choose things on the fly which will derail your goalsHaving a plan allows you to add in ways to treat yourself at a specific timeLess decision-making means you'll be less mentally exhausted and less likely to do emotionally driven eatingSave time and money, and prevent food wasteFive things you can do to make meal planning easier:Start small! Don't overdo it with how much you decide to take on.Make the process enjoyable.Don't follow a prescriptive method. It has to work for you and your lifestyle and your preferences. Keep it simple! Add reminders and visual cues to your life around meal planning so you're reminded about your plan. I can't wait for you to listen to this episode. Please remember that ADHD can make things more of a challenge, but it's never a personality flaw! Don't forget to check out my Mastering Meal Planning with ADHD course and the CALM Method for Weight Loss with ADHD. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week I am so excited to share this conversation that I had with Dr. Patty Shutt, founder of Scared Treehouse, a meditation and education center in Boca Raton Florida. We talk about mindfulness in general, as a branch of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy mixed with Eastern practices like Buddhism. Dr. Patty shares her own story of ADHD and how she has surrounded herself with her own tribe of people who understand and support her in her daily life.Dr. Patty shares what tacos and taco nights have to do with mindfulness through her own story. She shares how she helps clients to practice mindfulness and also be compassionate with themselves on their journies. Dr. Patty has over 20 years of experience working with individuals and groups to improve mental and emotional functioning. She's deeply compassionate. She's genuine. She's an active therapist who helps individuals with a range of difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma-related difficulties, stress management, and lifespan adjustment issues. She works in collaboration with her clients to create desired changes and reach important goals for lifelong mental wellness, and she believes everyone should live a life filled with love, health, peace, and personal fulfillment. The best part about her bio is that at the end it says that she lives to end suffering. Learn more about the work that Dr. Patty does and how she can help you at the Sacred Treehouse and Therapeutic Oasis. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week we are talking about whether sugar impacts ADHD (or vice versa), whether you could be "addicted", and what to do if you have the thought that you "should" be reducing sugar if you are working towards weight loss. We discuss 6 ways to approach this:Identify the reason WHY you want to reduce the amount of sugar you're consumingIdentify the reasons why you're eating more than you would like to in the first place.Don't just try to force yourself to cut it out.Plan ahead for the things that you really want.Make sure that you have desirable foods on hand that are better suited to your goals.Don't keep things in the house that you're more likely to go crazy eating. You have complete autonomy over your journey, what you want to do with your body, and how you want to approach weight loss. You've got this! I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today I talk about the last component of the CALM method, movement and mindfulness!Movement is so important for us and for good reason; it helps us to build and maintain muscle mass as we age. More muscle = more burning energyThere are so many benefits to incorporating movement into our lives: better sleep, better stress management, balanced cortisol levels! Movement also increases the production of dopamine and norepinephrine which makes us feel good and also helps us transition smoothly from one activity to another. Having exercise snacks sprinkled throughout the day adds up and counts towards getting movement into your day. Mindfulness is paying attention to your thoughts, feelings and your bodily sensations. It's kind of like awareness that we talked about in Episode 6, but it's developing a greater awareness about what's going on in your body. Mindfulness helps us develop our inner skills so you can figure out how to observe yourself and train your attention. Don't forget to check out my new website! jenniferwattscoaching.com!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Today I talk about the 3rd part of the CALM method: Lifestyle. There are so many components that go into this, but wanted to focus on stress, sleep, water, and environment. Stress - are you stressed and your body needs energy from the form of foods like sweet, fatty, or salty foods? Sleep - sleeping less can affect your hunger levels which could lead to eating more than you normally wouldWater - drinking enough water lessens the crazy spikes in hunger hormones and it also helps with digestionEnvironment - getting outside in nature can increase your ability to pay attention while also lowering your levels of stress and anxiety.  Also, I talk about the effects of a cluttered environment that include household clutter, digital clutter, and mental clutter. I also talk about cortisol and how it affects us in almost all of these components! My new coaching program, Focus and Flourish, is a 12-week one-on-one coaching program that is launching in January! I'll be taking on new clients. We'll do weekly coaching calls and we're going to work together to get you moving towards your goals. Check out more information about Focus and Flourish and sign up for a freebie. I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

I am so excited to share this week's episode with you. I had a conversation with Jennifer Dent Brown. This is somebody that I have admired greatly for a while. She is a certified health and life coach and she has her Stop Dieting Forever program and podcast as well. And she helps women learn to stop dieting and start living.She has also been in our shoes, too! She has struggled with keeping weight off and she also has ADHD. I reached out to her on my own because I love listening to her podcast and really felt like I resonated with a lot of what she had to say, which you'll hear in this conversation. Find Jennifer online at jenniferdent.com where you can sign up for her newsletter and listen to her podcast, Stop Dieting Forever; on Instagram @jenniferdentbrown; on Facebook - Jennifer Dent BrownI'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week I talk about the second component of the CALM method: AwarenessThere are four main components that are important to develop awareness when it comes to weight loss: Body awareness (or interoception) -  just stopping to notice what's happening in your bodyExisting patterns - what things are driving your behaviors? Your thoughts -  these are important because we might not notice the internal cue for feelings Recognizing your own strengths, likes and dislikes - this is important so that you can see what you're good at and can incorporate it into your lifestyleI give more examples and details in the episode today about awareness. Build your awareness and individualize your plan so that it works specifically for you! I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Creative planning! A few episodes ago (in Episode 3), I talked about the four components of my CALM method for weight loss with ADHD. Today I talk about the C; Creative planning. We are naturally pretty creative people and it's so important that your plan is individualized and adapted to you. This is not your cookie cutter protocol of planning! What we're really talking about here is what you can do to set yourself up to be able to make progress towards your weight loss goals with success. The main takeaway is simplify, simplify, simplify your plan! You can do this! I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week I want to talk with you about Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD). RSD is extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by the perception that a person has been rejected or criticized by important people in their life. It may also be triggered by a sense of falling short, failing to meet your own high standards or others' expectations.Nearly 100 percent of people with ADHD have RSD or experience RSD!It's a neurological condition, and it does not mean there's something wrong with you. It's genetic! In this episode, I share a list of six ways that this might show up for you in your weight loss experience, your health, any of those types of things where you're trying to make changes for the better.I also share six ways that you can help the RSD that you might experience, especially in relation to your goals when it comes to your health or your wellness or weight loss.I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Stay CALM everybody! This week I am sharing my method for weight loss with ADHD; I call it the CALM method. This is the way that I work with people and what I suggest that they focus on. I give an overview of each of the four main components and ways that you can implement them. I'll dive deeper into each component in the future, but I'm excited to share an overview of this method with you today! I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

This week I wanted to share my story, just a little bit of history of how I ended up here and why I'm even doing this in the first place. I have struggled with my weight since probably my early teens and although I had ADHD at the time, I didn't know it. I grew up in a time when South Beach, Body for Life, and Atkins diets were all the rage! I share more about how other's comments about my body affected me and how it sent me on a roller coaster with my weight. As an adult, owning a business and having children brought about other challenges with ADHD and my weight. Listen in to hear it all!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.

Welcome to the podcast! In this episode, I really wanted to share about the connection between ADHD and your weight. I was diagnosed with ADHD within the last year, and I have been doing a lot of research about the connection between ADHD and weight loss. There's actually a lot of research on this topic, but there's not a lot of information on why this connection exists. But today, I share my five main reasons why there is a connection between ADHD and weight management. Can't wait for you to listen in!I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me in the following ways: Instagram: @thejennwatts Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue to create content that supports you on your journey.I'd love to know if there's something you want to hear more about or if you want to let me know about your own experiences with ADHD and weight loss.