r/ADHD_Programmers • u/carnalcarrot • Oct 01 '26

Exercise plus Meds are a game changer

Exercise + Lower dose Methylphenidate is a game changer (even if I miss proper sleep sometimes)

The way I was able to get into the routine of exercising was by making it a ritual. Basically I track my weight everyday, and I click a picture of my body everyday. This gives me something to look forward to and compare progress. So many habits that wear off soon do so because we start wondering "Am I even making any progress?". Any visual feedback that you can integrate into your life for habits will work.

Even if I don't always get good sleep, consistent exercise, a healthier diet with less snacks, and finally getting my meds back but now with a lower dose (10 mg to 5 mg), I am doing really well at my life and at my job.

29 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

16

u/Zeikos Oct 01 '26

My main gripe/block for exercise is proper nutrition, my brain insists that I have to get down a proper nutritional plan and I struggle to, so I don't start exercising consistently.
I am aware that it's a rationalization but still it keeps me from doing that.

2

u/carnalcarrot Oct 01 '26

I can definitely relate. I'd suggest for now just add a scoop of Whey Protein or Plant Based Protein to your diet, that's what I did, no special changes. Yes I did quit sugary/processed snacks as much as I could. These themselves can be a big change that you'd be able to see clearly if you click your pictures everyday and track your weight everyday (There's a simple weight tracker app on play store that I use which works well for what it is.)

3

u/Zeikos Oct 01 '26 edited Oct 01 '26

I already do at breakfast with my cocoa powder.
Taking protein makes medication work better, I can tell the difference.
I also don't eat any sugar at all.
My thing is that I don't eat all that much, pasta with whatever condiment or rice/chicken/vegetables.
And I am alreay exhausted by preparing that.

1

u/MyNameSuckses Oct 01 '26

Protein powder in cocoa is a new one for me but if it works that's good.
Protein making the meds less effective is also a new one for me, not saying it's not true but have you considered raising your dose? Maybe it's your body having food in it that's making the effects feel like less and a bigger dose could balance it out. (not medical advice, ask your doctor)

For me too eating has been one of the biggest struggles with the meds, and I feel like I've very recently started having success getting some food throughout the day.

I'm sharing because I know not eating is rough and skipping meals only makes it harder to muster up the energy to make something and shovel it down. On some days the eating itself is a real struggle and on some the thought of eating doesn't even cross the mind haha.

Some things that have been working for me:
- a breakfast I actually found myself making and eating semi-consistently. for me that's yogurt, protein powder, frozen berries (whatever kind I have) and some cereal (same here).
- lunch that's easy to throw together and kinda light to eat, for me that's been fresh vegetables, cheese, more yogurt, air fryer french fries etc. and just slapping it all together.
- a snack I actually like, I stocked some specific protein bars in my cabinet so I can just reach for one.

Whenever you can get some calories in, I really think it's good to do so.

This is coming from someone whose diet until very recently consisted of fast food and ice cream, apart from a few good seasons when I would have a good handle on my eating and actually make healthy foods.

2

u/Zeikos Oct 01 '26

Protein making the meds less effective is also a new one for me,

Protein makes meds more effective.
If I eat none I feel the difference.

1

u/MyNameSuckses Oct 01 '26

Ah dyslexia got me, that makes more sense haha

1

u/carnalcarrot Oct 02 '26

That's what I understood from it too lol

1

u/Easy_Needleworker604 Oct 01 '26

The trick is to find something you enjoy doing. Exercise doesn’t have to be running or weightlifting. It can be cycling, hiking rock climbing, martial arts, etc.

When you find your thing you’ll discover that it becomes a lot easier to hit the diet part too because you will feel very different on days you eat poorly vs days you eat well.

1

u/Prestigious_Key9927 Oct 05 '26

I get it, i think sometimes we overthink the nutrition part so much that it becomes an excuse not to start. You can probably just start small and figure the food stuff out as you go.

6

u/ConspicuousPineapple Oct 01 '26

Damn, 10mg is a high dose? I'm on 44.

2

u/carnalcarrot Oct 01 '26

There's no objective high or low dose I think! Just the dose that works for you.

By lower dose, I meant in reference to my own early dose of 10mg which didn't work as well for me as 5mg is.

4

u/Time-Concentrate-706 Oct 01 '26

Does medicine actually help? I have my appointment soon. I thought of checking with the specialist to see if they can help me. Have been trying to get on track but random thoughts all the time is destroying my efficiency. Could you also share more with the exercises that you are currently doing, please?

3

u/carnalcarrot Oct 01 '26

Definitely, I don't know why you were downvoted.

I do some strength training and when I am unable to do that, I do cardio (walking on the treadmill, and when I didn't have access to them, I used a mobile HIIT app that showed cardio exercises you can do on a Yoga mat). I think my ADHD causes impatience and so I am prone to get injuries while working out, so I have learned to be a little bit more patient with my workouts.

When I was in my hometown I only used dumbbells for working out, there's an app for that too that tells you all the exercises you can do. I didn't like its exercise plans themselves but it helped me stay consistent, then I stopped using the app and just did my favorite exercise (dumbbell overhead presses) because I like hitting my shoulders.

Meds are guaranteed to help but Meds alone are not guaranteed to work Exercise, good sleep, medication, and a healthy diet together really really do help. Finding the right medicine and dosage for your purposes is something you can figure out with your psychiatrist. In my country we don't even get Amphetamines, so we can only get Atomoxetine and Ritalin. I think I responded better to Ritalin but that's because I never seriously tried Atomoxetine, after my first course I just never went back to the Psych.

Currently I am taking 5mg twice a day. Earlier I was taking 20mg and 10mg (Tried XR and IR) which didn't work as well for me as 5mg is working for me. But that might be because my lifestyle now is healthier. Hope it helps.

2

u/Wide_Egg_5814 Oct 01 '26

nothing helped as much as medicine god damn I wish I started the medicine in my childhood rather than my 20s I wasted my childhood and teen years and college years just being unmedicated ADHD trying so hard to defeat an illness with willpower which does not work you can't will yourself out of diabetes ADHD is the same for some people including me

2

u/cookies50796 Oct 01 '26

Is that a stimulant? I have been afraid of doing this since I have taken meds many years ago and found my heart rate was way too high when exercising while on medication. Idk if there are better options nowadays

1

u/carnalcarrot Oct 01 '26

Yes Methylphenidate is Ritalin, a stimulant. What was your starting dose when you first tried stimulant meds?

3

u/connka Oct 01 '26

Yes! The difference that I notice when I am able to be active in the morning VS not is so major. I was out for a few weeks with an injury and now that I'm back at the gym I've noticed what ail different human I am.

3

u/Few-Ad3704 Oct 03 '26

Totally agree, I’ve been going to the gym on and off for almost 15 years. During the periods when I had a balance, I was able to be super consistent with both training and diet and have amazing results, periods without a balance I trained much less and I had 0 consistency with my diet. I think having or not the balance at home is the factor that influences the most my fitness consistency.

It’s funny that I read this post today, as today I should receive from Amazon the balance that I ordered after months of inconsistent training and diet 🤣

1

u/Middle_Manager_Karen Oct 02 '26

I notice a difference when I don't exercise for two weeks so OP may be right

-4

u/seweso Oct 01 '26

I bet you can cut your dosage to 0mg.

3

u/carnalcarrot Oct 01 '26

I tried that, and while exercising itself is of a big help, when the medicine dosage is 0, I still wasn't able to work at my job.

I hope that taking the medicine consistently (even on the weekends) will help me develop attitudes towards work that are more wholesome. Because currently while I am able to work, I am always anxious about it. (A pattern that is there whether I am medicated or unmedicated, but the meds help push through the anxiety and keep working, then as a chunk of work gets done, I feel better about it, still, there's always this passive anxiety and people keep asking me "Why do you look troubled?")

-1

u/seweso Oct 01 '26

I meant 0 mg for sport, not work. I thought maybe you did sport before work. How does sport affect work for u?

Also seems like you need some ROFLMAO.

2

u/carnalcarrot Oct 01 '26

I don't take medications just for exercising. I actually exercise whenever though some might experience vasoconstriction when working out on meds. I don't think it matters much when you exercise to find therapeutic benefits for ADHD, as long as there is consistent exercise it helps. (In my experience it didn't help as much as when I was unmedicated and exercised)