my weight

[Krislove26]

Can someone please help.. I have been an adderall user forever.. prescribed it. I had to cut cold turkey due to health insurance reasons. It has been about 3 months and I have gained an easy 40lbs!!

I am really considering buying a months worth tomorrow from someone I know.. to just ween myself off eventually.. I was at a healthy weight before. I am 5'4 and was 130..since being off adderall I have gained almost 40lbs .. I am freaking out.

I have no motivation, I am almost lethargic without it. I dont even want to go outside or leave the house.

This is so horrible I don't want to depend on this drug.. But I am not happy, I am over weight now.. and very upset.

[tinybuddha]

I am sorry I know how stressful and depressing it feels to go through something like this. I am still struggling with completely quitting adderall. When I first started using it seriously I lost so much weight so quickly. At first it was great but then I started to get sick looking. I am also petite 5'2 and people don't understand how much weight up or down shows on a small frame. After using for a few years I would not feel like eating all day but would take an ambien to go to sleep and binge on food and then gained quickly. It really messes with your metabolism. Normally I should be about 120lbs during my time on adderall I have been as low as 89lbs and as high as 136lbs. Not to be too personal but I know part of not being able to drop the post adderall weight is for many people not being able to go to the bathroom with out a stimulant. Something to consider about adderall and weight. I have found that using L-Tyrosine when trying to quit really helpful. With the weight and also cravings and reducing some of the depression/lethargy . I have tried and researched numerous vitamins and supplements that are supposed to be helpful when quitting. I have it narrowed to a few that I feel really help. If you want any info on that just ask. There is a supplement post on the forum that I found very helpful. It took a bit of figuring out what my body needed to start losing the weight from quitting suddenly. I am not rail thin like at the peak of addy use but did lose the weight I gained after quitting and that helps how you feel vastly. I think your body is still readjusting and when it does it will much easier to get back to where you want to be. I must say I am impressed that after years of using and now going cold turkey that your able to handle it as well as you are. Just wanted to show you some support.

[Krislove26]

I am sorry I know how stressful and depressing it feels to go through something like this. I am still struggling with completely quitting adderall. When I first started using it seriously I lost so much weight so quickly. At first it was great but then I started to get sick looking. I am also petite 5'2 and people don't understand how much weight up or down shows on a small frame. After using for a few years I would not feel like eating all day but would take an ambien to go to sleep and binge on food and then gained quickly. It really messes with your metabolism. Normally I should be about 120lbs during my time on adderall I have been as low as 89lbs and as high as 136lbs. Not to be too personal but I know part of not being able to drop the post adderall weight is for many people not being able to go to the bathroom with out a stimulant. Something to consider about adderall and weight. I have found that using L-Tyrosine when trying to quit really helpful. With the weight and also cravings and reducing some of the depression/lethargy . I have tried and researched numerous vitamins and supplements that are supposed to be helpful when quitting. I have it narrowed to a few that I feel really help. If you want any info on that just ask. There is a supplement post on the forum that I found very helpful. It took a bit of figuring out what my body needed to start losing the weight from quitting suddenly. I am not rail thin like at the peak of addy use but did lose the weight I gained after quitting and that helps how you feel vastly. I think your body is still readjusting and when it does it will much easier to get back to where you want to be. I must say I am impressed that after years of using and now going cold turkey that your able to handle it as well as you are. Just wanted to show you some support.

Thank you. Yes this has been difficult.. I am 26 years old and have been on it since the age of 15 with a break once or twice, but when right back on. I went through extremely bad withdrawals a month ago.. cried, freaked out, confused, extremely tired. Now I just want my body back. I am learning to train my brain to focus and not depend on it which is hard.. But yes, the bathroom part you mentioned is very true.. I also feel adderall caused me tension and IBS. So being that I dont have it now, my metabolism slowed down a lot. I used to wake up take it.. go to the bathroom within a half hour.. start my day. And did this as a routine for years. When I started in in highschool I was stayed at 118lbs for a while then as I got older and adjusted to the adderall my wieight would NOT BUDGE from 135ish.. now that ive stopped.. I cant believe how easy 40 pounds packed on.. I am going to get the vitamin you suggested today as well as some others. Maybe this will also give me motivation to go to the gym again. I used to be a fitness freak in the gym 6 days a week for years.. I think being on adderall for so long I just lost interest.. I am an attractive girl and I dont mean to sound vain but I take a lot of pride in how I look. And this is making me EXTREMELY depressed. Thank you for your support.. I hope these vitamins work and I can feel good again!!

[jmac]

Just a couple words, because I hate to hear that you are getting distressed over weight gain now that you've quit.

40 lbs in 3 months is no joke, and putting weight on that fast is definitely something you should nip in the bud. As far as bathroom routines, I don't know anything about that so I'll leave that discussion to better informed people.

I know a good amount of diet/weight info since I used to work out quite regularly and monitor my nutrition back before the addies. I'm sorry if this comes out harsh or insensitive, but I'll run through the details like I do to people that ask me how to turn their weight around. I completely understand the lack of energy, drive, motivation, that comes with quitting. It really really sucks to truly feel like you don't want to do anything. So until you get back on two feet, or even one, get exercise off your mind for the time being, and focus on diet.

Weight gain/loss is calories in vs calories out. Eat more than you burn throughout the course of a day = you're gonna get fat. I promise. Not too difficult to manipulate when you have a normal metabolism. But since we've treated ourselves to the addy diet, we have likely developed unhealthy diet habits, like eating poorly, very infrequently, or not at all. Reminds me of college when people would eat less than 1000 calories a day and work out a ton to lose the freshman weight. What happened? Body goes into starve mode, metabolism drops, they lose weight, and sooner rather than later, gain it all back. Our metabolisms are similar to that scenario in that we need to get our metabolism back into high gear. That will require regular healthy eating, moderate exercise as we get back into shape, and most importantly, time.

So now as our bodies slowly rebound and get back to normal, we are hit with appetities like never before. I feel the need to snack constantly. I'll find that I don't even want to eat, but I just feel like... snacking all the time. Having done this dance a couple times though, I know that even with exercise, right now snacking would = crazy weight gain. You can avoid this gain too by really watching your eating. Sure it might stress you a bit not to be able to dive into food for escape/release/fun whatever, but believe me the stress that comes from feeling fat in the end is far more destructive and inhibits progress whether in regards to your recovery, or general personal development.

Vitamins, supplements, etc are good and use them to maintain a healthy immune system. Don't use them as a fix for poor discipline though. Just believe me you want to get your diet fixed first! Trying to do diet/supplements/exercise all at once would be too much for me, and I know I'd probably crash and just start eating #4's at Taco Bell. Even if you had a good workout routine, you wouldn't be able to outrun a bad diet. But you can do it! And it's easier than you think.

Get the supplements for your well being. Start being conscious of what you eat. When you eat, and how much you eat. Once you get that aspect under some control, you'll be ready for any kind of shape you want to be in! You won't feel a prisoner to the whims of your body's weight fluctuations, because you're going to be in control of it. Feel free to start working out when you finally get that old energy and drive to be in shape again. Your body is going to be in the best possible position to respond positively. I just ran for the first time in ages today, and while it was pretty pathetic, I feel pretty good! I know as long as I keep on, and don't even think about seeing results, that even my silly ass will just keep feeling and looking better.

Hang in there.

[quit-once]

Since quitting addies and ciggies, I have become a chunky chubby rolly-polley Fatbastard...with a spare tire. I am about 15 lbs fatter than when I quit last spring and about 30 lbs fatter than when addies worked their best for me. I look in the mirror and think "what a fat bastard you've become" but in photos my body lines are still mostly vertical. My fitness goals last spring were to quit addies and ciggies, get more excercise, eat better, and loose weight. I knew that last one wasn't realistic at the time but I had to try. Best I could do was to keep the weight gain minimal, I guess.

Weight gain is a natural part of the quitting and recovery process. Looking back on the addiction, it was when the addies quit helping me stay trim and fit-looking (without any extra effort) that signaled the end of the honeymoon phase. I believe that being able achieve to maintain a body weight somewhat less than when I quit addies/ciggies will signal the end of my recovery phase of this horrible addiction. It'll probbably be sometime next summer.

One more thought, Krislove, is that if you have quit taking adderall for insurance (money)reasons rather than for your your own future, health and well-being, you really aren't done taking this drug yet for very the last time.

[Greg]

Krislov, I gained thirty pounds after I quit adderall. I agree with you when you say that you think our metabolism slows down when we get off adderall. The weight gain was so fast for me, a couple pounds a day! It seemed abnormal and it just spiraled out of control. The only way I could justify it was a slowed down metabolism. In hindsight, I also think it was that without a appetite suppresant, my hunger came back in full force, and in the immediate aftermath of quitting I was scarfing down everything in sight. (I remember eating lots of chocolate chip cookies, and a lot of apple pies in the aftermath, and I'm not talking individual slices of pie, but entire pies!)

I managed to lose the thirty pounds after I quit through a strict 1500 - 1700 calorie a day regime. I didn't do any exercise either. It took three months in which I lost about 8-10 lbs a month or 2-3 lbs a week. During that time, my appetite came back to normal and I think my metabolism readjusted.

I really would consider getting on a 1500 calorie a day diet. Even though counting calories is a pain in the neck, it definitely works. 1500 calories is the least amount of calories you can consume without putting your body into an unhealthy starvation mode.

I think a large part of the post adderall weight gain is due to the fact that we become so used to adderall suppressing our appetite, that when we are no longer taking adderall, we overeat. When I got off adderall, my portion sizes were way out of control. On adderall, I was so used to eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and not having to deal with weight gain. Off adderall, I had to relearn how to control my portions sizes and cut back on calories without that pill.

I might consider joining Weight Watchers online and using their point system. I also mentioned this in another post, but Nutrisystem really worked for me. It provides breakfast/lunch/dinner for you in calorie portioned sizes. It also provides a food journal every month to keep track of what you eat, and also counseling support which I used a lot. Okay...now I'm sounding like a commercial for Nutrisystem, so i'll stop. But I definitely, definitely suggest tracking calories as a sure-fire way to get back to your old weight. You can definitely do it!

[Krislove26]

Just a couple words, because I hate to hear that you are getting distressed over weight gain now that you've quit.

40 lbs in 3 months is no joke, and putting weight on that fast is definitely something you should nip in the bud. As far as bathroom routines, I don't know anything about that so I'll leave that discussion to better informed people.

I know a good amount of diet/weight info since I used to work out quite regularly and monitor my nutrition back before the addies. I'm sorry if this comes out harsh or insensitive, but I'll run through the details like I do to people that ask me how to turn their weight around. I completely understand the lack of energy, drive, motivation, that comes with quitting. It really really sucks to truly feel like you don't want to do anything. So until you get back on two feet, or even one, get exercise off your mind for the time being, and focus on diet.

Weight gain/loss is calories in vs calories out. Eat more than you burn throughout the course of a day = you're gonna get fat. I promise. Not too difficult to manipulate when you have a normal metabolism. But since we've treated ourselves to the addy diet, we have likely developed unhealthy diet habits, like eating poorly, very infrequently, or not at all. Reminds me of college when people would eat less than 1000 calories a day and work out a ton to lose the freshman weight. What happened? Body goes into starve mode, metabolism drops, they lose weight, and sooner rather than later, gain it all back. Our metabolisms are similar to that scenario in that we need to get our metabolism back into high gear. That will require regular healthy eating, moderate exercise as we get back into shape, and most importantly, time.

So now as our bodies slowly rebound and get back to normal, we are hit with appetities like never before. I feel the need to snack constantly. I'll find that I don't even want to eat, but I just feel like... snacking all the time. Having done this dance a couple times though, I know that even with exercise, right now snacking would = crazy weight gain. You can avoid this gain too by really watching your eating. Sure it might stress you a bit not to be able to dive into food for escape/release/fun whatever, but believe me the stress that comes from feeling fat in the end is far more destructive and inhibits progress whether in regards to your recovery, or general personal development.

Vitamins, supplements, etc are good and use them to maintain a healthy immune system. Don't use them as a fix for poor discipline though. Just believe me you want to get your diet fixed first! Trying to do diet/supplements/exercise all at once would be too much for me, and I know I'd probably crash and just start eating #4's at Taco Bell. Even if you had a good workout routine, you wouldn't be able to outrun a bad diet. But you can do it! And it's easier than you think.

Get the supplements for your well being. Start being conscious of what you eat. When you eat, and how much you eat. Once you get that aspect under some control, you'll be ready for any kind of shape you want to be in! You won't feel a prisoner to the whims of your body's weight fluctuations, because you're going to be in control of it. Feel free to start working out when you finally get that old energy and drive to be in shape again. Your body is going to be in the best possible position to respond positively. I just ran for the first time in ages today, and while it was pretty pathetic, I feel pretty good! I know as long as I keep on, and don't even think about seeing results, that even my silly ass will just keep feeling and looking better.

Hang in there.

Thank you so much for responding.. I have always been a health freak actually.. I always have had a very clean diet.. I still do. On addy I defiantly didnt eat as much, and of course I was always speedy which is why I am sure I kept that weight off. I still do it clean.. and actually eating more smaller meals a day. Healthy ones. I am very cautious of nutrition and I never really eat junk food. You would think by the way I eat I would be a twig. I dont bing, I dont eat fatty. I dont even eat meat. I have a very clean diet. Protein, veggies and fruit. I think my body just went into some sort of shock getting off the adderall. and especially because I didnt ween off. So I think what my problem really is at this point, is lack of exercise. I also just moved from NY or Florida. and I am going through that change as well. I dont know many people, I feel a little isolated.. just have no motivation to go to the gym and burn this off. If you were to look at me.. you wouldnt say I looked fat. But I take a lot of pride in how I look and although I may carry 40 pounds well.. I dont like how I feel.. I have more time than ever now at this point in my life to make the gym a second home. And i just dont go.. I dont even want to interact with people.. I dont sit around an eat all day.. but I am not burning what I do eat. And im used to relying on the stupid adderall! I just feel all depressed and unmotivated and NOT LIKE MYSELF.. I still crave it.. and want it .. just to feel like that superwoman again. This is so hard.. I really appreciate your support!

[RScapricorn6]

Can someone please help.. I have been an adderall user forever.. prescribed it. I had to cut cold turkey due to health insurance reasons. It has been about 3 months and I have gained an easy 40lbs!!

I am really considering buying a months worth tomorrow from someone I know.. to just ween myself off eventually.. I was at a healthy weight before. I am 5'4 and was 130..since being off adderall I have gained almost 40lbs .. I am freaking out.

I have no motivation, I am almost lethargic without it. I dont even want to go outside or leave the house.

This is so horrible I don't want to depend on this drug.. But I am not happy, I am over weight now.. and very upset.

Hey there. I was on adderall for 23 years. When I got off of it I gained alot of weight as well. Its got great appetite suppressing qualities and boosts the metabolism. I suggest not getting back on it, but rather adopting an exercise program before you put on any more weight. Also I went to the doctor and got on phentermine which suppresses my appetite like adderall did.