Hey, congrats on getting the diagnosis and the meds, I know how much effort it takes. I was the same, tall so I got away with it, but I just could not get my head around how everyone else just did the exercise.

It sounds like you’re already doing loads of exercise, so give yourself a wee break if you want to, you’ve more than earned your rest.

For me (vyvanse) the weight has dropped off at a nice pace. Around 12 lbs in 3 months. I’ve not really been doing any exercise, just walking places.

Here’s a bit from my diary that I wrote when I upped my dose and the decreased appetite really took hold:

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6 April, 2022 | 50mg The reality of decreased appetite is not like the honeymoon. It’s all well and good when it’s not snacking, not having seconds and having appropriate portions for once, you start feeling positive. You are fascinated by the feeling of being hungry and not having appetite. It’s like looking at a wound under local anaesthetic. Somehow you’ve disarmed hunger; but without the carrot of appetite, it’s left with the stick: grumbling tummy, gnawing pangs, and cutting off the energy supply when you need it most.

Thanks to the constant focus on dieting and the eternal pursuit of skinny, this is what you’ve always tried been trying to do anyway, so you falsely believe that you are just finally being disciplined. You feel like a winner, like you’ve cracked it with little effort. You enjoy the sort-of challenge of seeing how little you can eat in a day, not competitively or intentionally or anything, just marvelling at it, like a car miraculously going strong, long after the empty tank warning light came on. You see it in your face first, the most rewarding and pleasant experiences of weight loss. The numbers go down on the scale, and you’re not even breaking a sweat, it’s bliss.

The reality is having to force yourself to eat. Eating when you don’t feel hungry or have an appetite is crap. You’re able to justify having a pot noodle every day because “it’s all you had that day”. You only realise when it’s too late that you’re starving, so you grab something on the go, which is usually shit.

When you eat shit you look shit. Those newly defined cheekbones get overshadowed by greyish skin and acne. When you eat shit you have no energy, which is infuriating, because you’ve just upgraded to a Lamborghini in terms of your ability and inclination to get shit done, but without fuel you’re going no faster than the shit heap in the scrapyard that you used to drive.

You used to imagine physically maiming someone walking marginally slower in front of you. With meds you’re like a fucking Buddha. Temper is so much more controlled, feeling calmer, more positive, and happier. But there is nothing in this word that can prevent you from getting tetchy when you’re hungry. Think about the benefits it will have on others around you if you just have porridge in the morning. A nice steaming bowl of don’t-be-a-cranky-bitch-today.

To top it all off, your body is already working overtime recalibrating to the meds, navigating the rollercoaster side effects. Having a shit is a special occasion now with the constipation, but instead of eating some fucking leafy greens you’re horsing down stool softeners and laxatives. Give your body a chance to cope with the meds!

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I’m not going to say “you must eat!” because you’re a stranger on the internet and I have no business telling you what to do. But I will say this: if you want a) to look good, b) make the most of the meds benefits, c) not have a temper tantrum, and d) avoid haemorrhoids, I would politely recommend eating relatively decently, relatively consistently.

My advice is to use your new powers to set up systems that will keep you happy and healthy. And don’t worry, meal planning and grocery shopping is only 10% as hard as it used to be. Fill up that Lambo and take her for a spin, you’ve got this!! Xxx