Weight stabilization

[Subtracterall]

If you gained weight when you quit Adderall, how long would you say it took for your weight to stabilize?  By stabilize I mean how long until you stopped gaining?  I’ve been off for about 14 months and I’ve gained 10 lbs.

I definitely eat more food now that I don’t have Adderall and I dont see that changing because I eat healthy, but worry that the gaining will never end.  I cannot go back to how I ate on Adderall because I was not eating enough food on Adderall.

also I feel embarrassed like people are thinking boy she really packed on the weight this year.  One of the reasons I got immediately hooked on Adderall was because I had an eating disorder and Adderall allowed me to obsess over other things besides food and stay skinny.  Anyway if you made it this far  thanks for listening.  feeling bummed a lot lately about my weight gain and worried it won’t stop. 

[SleepyStupid]

i'd actually consider 10 lbs in a year a fairly normal amount of weight gain (depending on your age and activity level i guess)- that being said, i totally relate to the embarassment. it's the kind of embarassment that makes me routinely avoid social encounters with people from the past who probably haven't seen me since my emaciated adderall days.

i think the post-adderal weight gain stage was fairly short but extreme for me. it's kind of obvious very early on that you're simply craving more food (especially carbs). i remember being insatiable. this also happened when i'd run out of my script early, so i'd binge eat whatever i wanted knowing that once i re-filled, i'd starve it all off in no time. so of course when you finally quit, there's no starve off period. also, you feel so lowsy early on, a proper diet is generally the least of your concerns. probably the less obvious mechanisms at work are hormonal changes, biochemistry, etc... it's probably impossible to tell how long that may take to "normalize", but it's possible that the changes in your metabolism might just be from getting older?

that being said, there are plenty of people here that are in better shape than ever after quitting, but sounds like it's mind over matter and hard work. if we have the willpower to quit adderall, then we surely have the willpower to lose a few pounds (:

[DopeyMean]

Hi Subtracterall, 

First off, Were you too skinny/underweight on Adderal?  Are you saying that if you stayed where you are now (+10) you would be happy/healthy at that weight?  Not sure how you define eating  healthy and their are many "nutritional philosophies" out there to choose from.  The best I can tell is that you should stay away from mainstream dietary advice if it is aligned with the American Food Pyramid, USDA, American Heart Association etc....  This often includes (not always)  your family doctor's recommendations as they relate to what constitutes eating healthy.   I remember reading an article about 8 years ago that explained when they dig up dead bodies for medical and or criminal forensics they were discovering that we as North Americans were not rotting nearly as quickly as we used to..... I  believe if we tried to eat like we did in1818 as opposed to how we generally eat in 2018 we would be much better off........ #gotshelflife

14 Months!  Way to go.....You have made it through the worst of the gauntlet.

PS: sorry for the nutrition rant, went back and read your post and realized you were not asking for dietary advice.  I was chewing nicotine gum and smoking cigs on Adderall (and they actually call it a smart drug), I quit nicotine soon after quitting addy and between both quickly put on an extra 25 LBS....... got back down to a healthy weight shortly after year 2.   

[EricP]

I haven’t made it as far as you yet still noticing negative changes... I notice my muscle tone has changed for the worse in these months since quitting. I was much more physically active on addy so was toned and muscular. I have not really gained much weight since quitting however the areas I appreciated a little bulk have shifted to the mid sections. 

I think my lack of drive to do anything more that “what’s necessary” has a lot to do with it. I plan to really commit to a workout routine shortly and we shall see how that goes! 

[hyper_critical]

Eric - have you gotten labs done at the Dr recently? Should check kidney function and hormones. Had much more serious version of what you’re describing. Reversible and not a yuge deal but worth having checked. 

[EricP]

1 hour ago, hyper_critical said:

Eric - have you gotten labs done at the Dr recently? Should check kidney function and hormones. Had much more serious version of what you’re describing. Reversible and not a yuge deal but worth having checked. 

I have had blood work done and basically everything is good except my Testerone is has been low out of 3 tests only one was barely within normal range. There is a direct relationship between dopamine and testosterone that I have read about... Now have been referred to another doc to evaluate if I should do hormone therapy or not. Plus some diet changes and exercise encouraged. What was your treatable diagnosis? 

[SeanW]

Considering getting my test checked. If given the option I'd prolly do hormone therapy. The reason I think mine is screwed up is because a few years back my dumb crazy ass took some stuff that was sold legally, nothing illegal but was pretty much a steroid because it eventually was taken off the market. I know from what I've read people on hrt have a huge mood boost and pretty much feel great all the time. Also from what I've read there's pretty much only positive effects even from long term use when used as prescribed. 

[EricP]

2 hours ago, SeanW said:

Considering getting my test checked. If given the option I'd prolly do hormone therapy. The reason I think mine is screwed up is because a few years back my dumb crazy ass took some stuff that was sold legally, nothing illegal but was pretty much a steroid because it eventually was taken off the market. I know from what I've read people on hrt have a huge mood boost and pretty much feel great all the time. Also from what I've read there's pretty much only positive effects even from long term use when used as prescribed. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if mine is affected by some of the same thing. I bought numerous legal “performance boosters” of many varieties back in the peak of my fitness days. I recall many being pulled later after FDA reviewed them. GHB was even popular for awhile even as it would knock you out however promote fat burning while you slept. Worst case of low T is all I have to worry about then I’ll do what I need to do. 

[Danquit]

I gained about 15 pounds in the first year of recovery from laying around not doing anything and eating out a lot with friends in the weekends because it helped with my depression. I knew it was happening but I was powerless to stop it. It wasn’t until half way through my second year when I made an effort to start exercising and eating less. I still enjoy good food and eating out which makes it harder to lose weight but I think at this point my weight is stable. I’m still about 10 pounds overweight but i am working on it in a healthy manner. So the first year weight gain is normal and it does stabilize so you won’t gain forever, but you will have to work hard to remove that extra weight. 

[quit-once]

I, too gained about 15 lbs. after kicking Adderall and cigs.  During year two of recovery, I started yoga practice and getting more exercise, and by year three, I was about five pounds less than when I quit.  Eventually, I started an in-home workout routine in addition to the yoga practice that got my muscles back in shape.   My body weight has stabilized around the weight I was when I quit - about five pounds less in the summer, five pounds more in the winter, but the distribution of body fat in relation to muscle is a lot healthier.  I also try like hell to restrict my carbs and especially the sugar intake.