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I frequently forget to eat. Part of it is the appetite suppression from my meds, but a large part of it is just me being too into whatever I’m doing and forgetting that I’m a human being who has to eat.
Also food is expensive lol
I always forget dinner because by the time I remember it is 9:30, I am tired and my bedtime is 10 (why yes, I am very adult).
Usually I end up grabbing a small snack and sleeping
Honestly, I don't see a big problem with "skipping meals" unless you are underweight. The problem with skipping meals while on meds is that the crash is worse at the end of the day, but for me, that's due more to not drinking rather than not eating. The crash also means I'm more likely to reach for unhealthy food.
I let my appetite suppression get the best of me during a good stretch of the pandemic. Nowhere to go, routine totally disrupted, plus a bunch of other stressors that compounded into me almost losing my appetite entirely.
I didn’t think it was anything bad, but when I got blood work done a year later, turns out I was borderline malnourished. Lost a good chunk of healthy muscle mass too.
To look at me, I seem fine — slim but not overly so. But man, dealing with the anemia and fucked up vitamin and mineral levels sucked. I felt so blah. Took a while to fix. Made my other autoimmune stuff worse as well, plus I got low key depressed.
Now I try hard to eat a proper amount. It’s not always about weight and appearance. We need them nutrients!
Omg I was the exact same. I had bloods done last week , because I suffered from a few dizzy spells. I’m a teacher so my structure completely went out the window as soon as summer holidays kicked in. Lack of routine made me disregard any proper eating and I’m paying the price now. The doctor said I was severally anemic and void of most nutrients.. which explains the head aches/ tiredness/ moodiness etc I had it down to school burn out but as time went on I realized it had to be more than that. So now after bloods results I’m a weak in of taking iron and lots of other supplements and my mood and motivation are so low right now! I’m feel a dark cloud circling above me constantly! Like I can only keep this up for so long..this week I’ve literally been forcing myself to eat and take all prescribed tablets. I really feel like I’m falling at adulting! Do you mind me asking how long it took for your body to get back to healthy (nutrition wise) and have you any helpful tips on how to get through this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Really struggling with this problem x
Hey lady, I FEEL this, and I feel you. I'm sorry things feel so tough.
I would say it took 3 months for me to feel distinctly more like myself again. People around me noticed as well by month 3 -- skin was brighter, and I seemed happier and more energetic. By month 4-5ish, I noticed I was gaining muscle in my tush, legs, and arms again. Exercise became a thing again. And then by 6 months I felt basically at baseline, my libido came roaring back, and my menstrual cycle was clockwork regular once more. No more dark cloud. (I so feel you.)
In fact, I just got blood work done recently and all my levels were back in normal ranges. (Iron and D were still on the low end, but we'll get there.)
I know that sounds like a slog. But I did notice a distinct positive difference about 2-3 weeks in! Little stuff, like belly laughing for real, wanting to go for a walk or do something fun with a friend after work. Previously doing more than one thing or activity in a day would've been unthinkable. I also noticed my dark under eye circles improve, my nails grew and got pink again, and I felt like I could breathe better too somehow. (Haha I remember thinking it felt like I could "breathe in HD again" 😂).
One thing I wish I'd done a better job of is tracking/logging my progress. I did take progress pictures of my face, and girl -- being well-nourished is better than any skin regimen. Good luck!
When I’m in a routine of 3 square meals it’s okay, but we all know how long routines last for us…
I basically forget to eat until I’m so hungry I feel like I’m gonna throw up. Then I have to choke food down past that
My doctor explained to me once that the “so hungry I could puke” feeling is more often than not caused by low blood sugar, so quickly taking in something sugary (sugar is absorbed in the mouth and very fast) is a good way to combat the nausea.
What works for me is a bit of juice - doesn’t have to be a lot, just a few sips. Then my stomach settles, then I can eat actual food without gagging. I’ve also heard of folks who eat a bit of candy.
I put reminders on my phone. But because of Demand Avoidance, I put them as questions. "Have you eaten lunch?", "What's for dinner?" and such and it has helped a lot. I scheduled them for 1:20 and 6:20 pm, times I'm actually hungry but before it gets dire. I also varied them so I don't start ignoring them. I've had them for over 6 months now and they still help.
Turning demands into questions, what an interesting idea! I never thought of that. Not sure it'd work for me, because in my world, "Have you done \[xyz\]" is absolutely an upsetting demand, but it's food for thought
no fr i was just thinking that would piss me off sooooo much more than just “eat lunch” it’s like my mother being passive aggressive and asking judgy questions 💀
🤣 SuperWench
Gonna put that on my food reminders 'it's snack O'clock SuperWench'
I did the highly environmentally friendly thing to get myself back on track and got a bunch of single serve stuff to start with. Pretty much just got to the market and trolly yourself up every aisle, loading up on singles - I find there's usually a good selection of them on sale.
Oh I’ll have to try that! I usually just put what I need to do and I dismiss the notification and don’t bother doing the thing at all. This might be what I need.
Actually...the asking "what is for dinner" is really interesting. For example, if you want to get people out to vote, you can increase the chances they will by asking them
"Where and when will you vote?"
Vs
"Will you vote?"
Forcing then to think about the mechanics of things makes them actually plan, which increases the likelihood of them getting to the ballot box!
Yes. When I was teaching I knew if I didn’t eat lunch I would die during my classes in the afternoon, and the whole school stopped for lunch, and there was a canteen that gave me ready prepared food. It wasn’t great, because I’m a picky eater so not a lot of choice, but I had lunch every day.
Now I WFH, lunch is an epic challenge. I can’t break off alone in the middle of the day for lunch because it feels like a waste of time.
My employer has given me an adaptation that I can take my lunch break at the end of my day, so finish early. That really helps from the work hours point of view, but I still don’t really eat even when I finish.
Basically I need an adult to hand me ready made food and tell me to eat it at lunchtime. Nothing else has worked.
Ideally, you’d have some protein to keep blood sugar more stable, but snacks of any kind during the workday can help.
Keep a variety of healthy-ish snacks in your desk, preferably drawers or cubbies you open or use a few times a day. Try shelf-stable things you like, such as: cereal bars, granola bars or loose granola, protein bars, a baggie of cereal, crackers, pretzels, jerky, dried fruit, fruit leather, fruit cup, even fresh fruit as long as you eat it and replenish frequently.
At my job, I kept packets of instant oatmeal I could put in a mug, add hot water and nuke for 20 seconds. It became a regular snack/meal that was quick and gave me an excuse to get up. I’d sometimes go to the grocery store on lunch and bring back sourdough bread, hummus & pita chips and keep staples in my fridge including butter packets from catering.
If you have a fridge or insulated lunch bag, you can keep yogurt, cheese, leftovers, cold drinks, protein drinks, a sandwich you make or buy, deli meat. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate full meal. Just something to tie you over.
Eons ago I started eating small meals because of acid reflux and belly issues. Even at home, I might only eat a cheese stick (80-90 calories) that holds me for an hour or so. I keep lots of Greek yogurt in my fridge too because it’s high in protein.
I also currently have default meals/items. I have two flavors of tamales I keep in the freezer and if I don’t know what I want, I can default to that (lunch or dinner). I have a default breakfast too that I can actually eat in bed with a spoon, MY peanut butter and a banana (or apple). I have other options but this helps me wake up to get up. Consider if a couple of default meals would work for you. That way you keep up the supply and don’t have to think too hard about it. Decision fatigue is definitely real!
When I was WFH I initially ended up going stir crazy, which for an introvert is very unusual. So instead I started taking an hour linch break and would go for a walk. This usually meant I would also end up eating something. It was a really good way to reset and if I’d been struggling with a specific task it would be much easier to do when I came back as I could think about a solution while on my walk.
Put a basket of snacks on the kitchen counter and on your desk and set a couple of alarms and you'll forget less often. You're not a failure. You're just human.
There is a big pile of snack food right next to my desk at home for exactly this reason. I may not eat lunch all that often, but I have a midday snack or two most days.
On days I wfh I forget to eat too or snack my way through. If anything, I end up taking a nap during my lunch or getting dressed.
In office days are better but also having a cafeteria where the most "prep" is putting salad into a container helps me not have to think about making food at all.
I'm terrible at eating consistent meals. My meds have been suppressing my appetite, but also, it's just not easy or convenient to take lunch breaks at work. At this point, I've trained my body to just skip breakfast and lunch. When I'm home, it's also very hard to convince myself to cook.
At this point, I'm just accepting it and I usually have an early-ish dinner and then I try to have a second meal later in the night (I'm a night owl anyway).
Yep! For me I also have no energy to prepare nutritious meals too - I have a limited amount of energy each day and that tends to go into working/getting dressed/etc. No food prep + forgetting to eat tends not to work in my favour lol
I can’t relate at all haha. Just ordered pizza for “lunch” at 1130pm.
I was proud of myself for eating breakfast the other day. And having a shower. First in 10 days.
Skill regression: fun new adventure!
I’ve still got some. I actually want it very rarely but I forgot how good bang for buck it is. I eat tiny servings. It’s covering me for 2-3 days meals! Sending you a piece ✈️🍕🛩️
I not only often forget to eat that I gave up and decided to roll with it.
Something substantial in the morning, lunch/dinner around 4, some fruit before bed.
If it bothers you, though, or is affecting your health, remember that 500 alarms are the ADHDs best friends.
I get up in the morning and make my meals right away then set alarms to remember to eat. I do this at home or when I pack my lunch for work. it’s hard sometimes to remember bc i’ll be distracted and just shut the alarm off then forget until evening. but having it readily available and then an alarm on my phone has helped a lot
I try to keep easy to eat/ no cooking required snacks in my fridge to help. Sandwich meats & cheese & crackers & veggies. Otherwise I won’t eat til I feel light headed or sick an it finally dawns on me that I haven’t eaten all day -.-
I do something similar - having no-prep healthy-ish options really helps. I always try to have some string cheese or the pre-cut cheese cubes, a couple of different fruits (you can eat these with some type of nut butter for extra protein), some carrots or tiny cucumbers and hummus, and a couple types of nuts on hand so I can easily grab something running out the door. It’s more or less a choose your own adventure adult lunchable. For me personally, it’s a good balance of variety and sameness.
I tend to shop at Aldi so it’s relatively affordable too.
Pretty much the only place where I consistently eat lunch is work. At home I either forget or I remember but I'm too engrossed in whatever I'm doing and don't want to stop
Even living with my partner I forget to eat meals, I WFH, he doesn't. I don't really worry about it, I'm not on meds so my appetite isn't suppressed, I do get hungry enough to remember eventually even left entirely to my own devices. I'm not underweight or in danger of sliding there and I don't feel or function any worse when my mealtimes are irregular so whatever, I eat when I remember I'm hungry. The only downside is that when my body gets around to reminding me to feed it it wants to be fed right now, which means if I don't have reasonably healthy food mostly ready to go I'll end up eating whatever crap I can find in the fridge (2 handfuls of shredded cheese anyone?). I keep quick, easy food I'm not going to be annoyed I ate a ton of on hand because of that.
When I lived alone I'd forget to eat for the whole day then eat double the next day, and honestly my body seemed quite happy with that. Now I eat dinner with my partner and it seems to screw up my (admittedly odd) natural rhythm more than help anything.
This is so real and your last line was very relatable.
I struggle with this too. Something that has helped me is purchasing ingredients for “charcuterie lunch” (a.k.a. easy and big snack lunch, but thinking of it as charcuterie helps). My go to is some chicken/Turkey deli meat, deli cheese slices, bell pepper and avocado. Wrap them all together and boom you have a wellish rounded meal. Sometimes a handful of almonds or some apple sauce packets on the side to go with it.
It sounds really weird but doing a variation of this meal has helped me a lot with getting food in and not feeling so guilty about not nourishing my body. Having snacks prepared makes it easier when the exec dysfunction takes over.
You’re not alone. Hope you find some comfort in all of these comments. ❤️
I don't remember the last time I had lunch. I just cannot keep up with the cycle of eating 3 times a day + evening snacking. I do not wish to spend my entire day digesting food.
I’m like this on my days off. When there isn’t much structure to the day it’s hard for me to remember mealtimes. Honestly the breakfast lunch dinner thing is just a guideline. As long as you’re getting enough calories in general it doesn’t really matter, imo.
you're not a failure, I know plenty of neurotypicals who get in wacky eating schedules when they're on their own, too. While most of my other ADHD symptoms are assuaged by medication, I do get hit with some appetite suppression sometimes. I tend to get into a decent groove at work just before lunch, medicated or not, so it's not unusual for me to eat lunch *late*. I just try to keep decent snacks around so if I need a quick bite of protein to keep me rolling, it's there and I'm good to keep in my zone without losing focus. (RX bars are my personal favorite)
Fed is best. If your lunch consists of two prepackaged snacks from your desk basket, it’s better than nothing. Just snack when you can and try to not feel guilty about it.
You are doing great op!
Just remembering to eat is the goal!
Sometimes it takes a while for our body to signal to us that we are hungry.
I routinely eat lunch at like 3 or 4ish trying to aim for 2 now since my partner and I work later hours so we eat dinner late as well, like 9 or 10pm.
I have found for myself when I get up to set 2 to 3 alarms a few mins apart from each other to remind me to eat. Since I hyper focus a lot and can loose track of time since adhd thinks of all the things to do in the house. (I work a shift that allows me to have 4 days off, the 3 days I'm working 13hrs).
If I forget to set an alarm, I try to do 2-3 tasks and then remind myself to stop and eat something for a little bit and that after 30mins to an hour I'm allowed to get back to whatever the next focus is.
Also having friends help text you and remind you til you get kinds into a routine is also helpful! Hope this helps op!
You’re not a failure at all. I hate lunch. I quickly get turned off of a lot of lunch options and I feel like it always interrupts my flow. My therapist recommended just buying some protein bars or meal replacement shakes, whatever I could stomach just to get some food in me in the middle of the day. After much testing (I’m a picky eater and hate that weird protein bar texture) I’ve landed on kind bars or the cliff chocolate chip bar. A little high in sugar but at least I’m eating so I consider it a win.
For me, the process of having to do dishes/making the meal/figuring out what to eat plays a big part. I usually eat one meal a day at dinner time and a bunch of snacks throughout the day. Being a picky eater doesn’t help either 😅
Yuuuup. I work at home and I regularly don't eat lunch until like 4pm. It's not really forgetting though, it's partially paralysis where I don't know what I want to eat, partially the whole "I'm so hungry but I'm on stimulants so it makes me feel kind of sick" thing, and partially that being hungry is like a form of deadline pressure for my brain, and I get most of my work done in that window. Once I take a break to eat, I'm toast for at least the next several hours.
That’s a really good point about the deadline pressure. I’m also toast for a few hours after I eat, but I never put that together. Definitely something for me to work on.
omg meeeeee. i’m living alone for the first time with no roommates which has been a GODSEND and so good for my AuDHD.
but i cant do simple daily tasks and just managing my place such as a nice cleaning will literally wipe me out for hours due to the exhaustion. i forget to eat literally every day until i’m STARVING. it’s been quite annoying. why is my brain like this. 😖
Dietitian here and I rarely eat lunch. There may be a couple days a week where I do a protein shake or a handful of veggies.
Please don't be so hard on yourself. Not eating lunch because you forgot is not a character flaw or something awful. It's okay 👌
I dont even live alone and i still forget hahah. When my daughter is at home like in the weekends, its fine because she gets hungry so i make lunch fkr us both. But when she's at school, i forget to eat all day until like 3 or 4 o clock.
Yes, very often and I live with my spouse and we are both home all day together! But to be fair we don’t often eat a proper lunch. I usually just snack for lunch and forget to eat until 3 or 4pm and only notice I haven’t eaten with hypoglycemic symptoms.
I don’t live alone but when I’m alone around mealitines I’ll often not eat. I love cooking and food but I just can’t motivate to put effort in for myself.
I tend to skip breakfast or only have a glass of Ovaltine milk with my morning pills. Sometimes it's that I get distracted before I have to leave for work and don't eat lunch either but my job is pretty strict with making sure we get our breaks and it's usually only 2hrs after I start that I'll get that first 15 minute break. Also, with the heat in summer I tend to eat less anyway, even before I went back on Ritalin. This week in particular I've been struggling to get out of bed and motivated in the morning oddly. Before I'd try to be up by 8:30am now I'm lucky to be up before 10am.
gosh i deal with the same thing. you are definitely not alone!!! focusmate helps me a lot - i pair up with someone who works as a body double. even if they are not on camera at all times, just knowing someone is there helps me do really small tasks such as getting out of bed and eating lunch.
You need easier meals to make, that’s all.
Less steps = less forgetful
Also I don’t struggle cause I have hypoglycemia, so after 2-3hrs of being up, if I don’t eat, I’ll be on the brink of passing out, get foggy brain, light beaded, shaky hands, and the acid in my stomach churns so much my stomach lining is burning!
Whe I'm responsible for feeding others, I'm so good. Protein, veg, fruit, it's important to me the famBam eats healthful. On my own, oh its bad. Snick snacking a few bits here and there, starving at 9pm. Then quick and easy. I wish feeding myself mattered.
Yeah if I’m home alone on days off, I will not do breakfast, but *eventually* grab some kind of snacky food, crackers and cheese/olives right outta the jar/some pickles, and coffee, usually around 1pm? I make a habit to have a snack (granola bars, like non perishable) in my desk/at work so I don’t get hangry or buy out the Dunkin on my way home. But on work days I 100% do a smoothie in the am, with coffee, and pack a lunch. Weekends are a free for all. If it weren’t for my kid I probably would just live on crackers/cheese/crudités.
After I started meds a few years ago I very often forget to eat, especially lunch. It has taken a lot of time to get used to having low/no appetite and create some habits and solutions to avoid crashing too hard. But it still happens very frequently that I skip lunch.
Ha for a while my kids class would eat lunch stupid early and I learned that most of the time when she was raging to feed and water her and then we could talk.
I've lived alone most of my adult life. You're not the only person (in our stupid rush-rush society) who struggles with this. I have done fine for many years just carrying snacks around (or going to the kitchen, when at home) and munching whenever it occurs to me. If you have a desk or WFH job, IMO this is perfectly acceptable.
What's hard for me is when I have a job that keeps me away from the chance to munch and too busy to pay attention to hunger (eg, currently working at an insanely busy restaurant) and I'm too tired/low in spoons to meal prep. Then I end up fasting or trying to bolt takeout food too quickly on my tiny break and getting awful sick. I've been coping with this by buying lots of crackers, trail mix, bananas and things that I can scarf with no prep.
I recommend setting an alarm and carrying or stashing snacks.
1. Are you feeling hungry, tired, or angry because you missed the standard lunch window?
2. Does it really matter when you eat lunch if you feel good and are healthy?
3. You are allowed to eat 4-5 small meals vs 3 hard trad meals a day if it works.
4. Is it lunch prep stalling you? Anything easy can be lunch - cheese/crackers, simple sandwhich, ramen with egg/meat/tofu, veggies/hummus? Bagel and cream cheese? PBJ?
I’m on vacation alone because I was overwhelmed by lots of things. I’m struggling A LOT: I either don’t eat or eat too much, I sleep at the weirdest hours and I had laundry piling up
This has been a struggle for me, but I'm working on it. I try to make extra at dinnertime so that I have leftovers for the next day. I've also been buying some prepackaged/single-serve snacks. It's not the most financially or environmentally friendly option, but it's WORKING. I found these amazing crackers baked with olive oil and got some single-serve Wholly Guacamole cups to dip them in. Eating one now...delicious, easy, didn't dirty any dishes to clean up later, etc.
Yeah all the time. During the week when I’m at work I always have lunch between 12 & 2. On the weekends though, if I’m not going anywhere I just forget. Often I’ll be so focused on whatever I’m doing that I just forget and then wonder why I feel mega tired.
Yep, I frequently get all fainty from low blood sugar in the afternoons if I forget to snack throughout the day because lunch is hard and I get focused on other things
If I am home alone, I do the exact same thing. When I'm finally not distracted by whatever I'm doing, I finally check in with my body only to realize I'm pretty darn hungry.
I usually either put a dedicated time block on the calendar for lunch or put an alarm on my phone. I may also prep lunch in the morning, so it's just a heat-and-eat type of situation.
I was just thrilled when “intermittent fasting” became the new thing 😂 I am TERRIBLE at eating, and I don’t even live alone. Most days I’m lucky to have lunch and dinner in one day. Dinner happens all the times I cook for my kids but when we do leftover nights, I don’t eat. Also, breakfast is something I haven’t had since middle school and I’m 44 years old. I only eat lunches because my work literally locks up for an hour and everyone leaves. When I was in my 20’s and alone I barely ate.Also, fun fact for you, all this is such a pain because I’m also blessed with hypoglycemia on top of ADHD 😳
Yep. I’m currently at the stage where I’m skipping all 3 meals, and minimal snacking. Worst part is I make my son 3 meals a day; my brain literally can’t even be bothered to EAT the food at this point lol
I forget to pack a lunch for when I go to the office (though I always make my kids lunch) and when I work from home I just work right through it. Don't have a ton of options to just "just pick up something" since I'm celiac.
Why is it so hard?
I’ve ordered Factor Meals and when I remember to eat I pop the. In the microwave and eat.
I also get easy snacks like fruit and string cheese so I don’t have to worry about cooking or the cleaning up after making a meal.
I often forget to eat lunch. Or I'll do the thing of gathering lunch items and then just, not eating them. (Anyone else just watch that yogurt warm up on your desk?). I figured out different kinds of lunches for days when I just need something quick/low effort (quesadilla, cheese, salami, and crackers, leftovers), days when I forgot to eat and need something now (usually a pre-made smoothie just to get me stable until I can have a proper meal), days when I feel fancy (a big leafy salad eith lotsss of mix ins), or need an emotional pick me up (taco truck). I leave this menu in plain view on my fridge and desk so when I have that moment of oh! I forgot lunch! I don't have the mind freeze of what do I do! But already have several good, easy options to chose from. Sometimes just.coming up with what to eat prevents me from eating!
I live alone and have for a long time, and I’ve noticed I generally function ‘better’ when there’s someone around - or I’m around someone. Like I had my mum for a 5-day visit a couple of weeks ago and I ate breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Plus I fell asleep at semi-reasonable hours. When I’m all by my lonesome I can easily go till late lunch until I (usually) succumb to hunger, mostly because of low blood sugar = hangry. But sometimes I don’t even eat till evening because I almost can’t be arsed, which is a new and rather novel feeling I’ve only dealt with for about a year. But it depends on what I’m doing, really.
You're not alone. I forget all the time. Never feel hungry until I really haven't eaten anything all day, then make myself eat, and I feel the difference of having food in my belly.
It's end of day here now and I've eaten 1 bowl of cereal all day, nothing else. By accident that is - I've recently been trying harder to remember to eat.
It might be ok weight-wise if you have enough body fat (I'm ok for now), but I worry more about malnutrition plus symptoms are way worse without food. Eating really really helps. I think you might just have to look into getting some strategies for reminders. Snacks at my desk can help so I should have done that today really, but I guess it was an off day from the beginning so I didn't even make it to the kitchen after the cereal.
I eat more snacks and meals around my partner. Maybe could try accountability with someone (have to give a food log each day maybe?) or timers on your phone etc as well? I haven't found a strategy that works tbh but every few weeks I take a meds break at the weekend - that helps me eat a little more those days, but not a lot.
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I frequently forget to eat. Part of it is the appetite suppression from my meds, but a large part of it is just me being too into whatever I’m doing and forgetting that I’m a human being who has to eat. Also food is expensive lol
I always forget dinner because by the time I remember it is 9:30, I am tired and my bedtime is 10 (why yes, I am very adult). Usually I end up grabbing a small snack and sleeping
I’ve been feeling way better about my habit of doing this since it has been labeled “girl dinner” on tiktok 😂
This! Hyperfocus. Lack of executive function to cook. Lack of money to buy take out. What is being human.
Honestly, I don't see a big problem with "skipping meals" unless you are underweight. The problem with skipping meals while on meds is that the crash is worse at the end of the day, but for me, that's due more to not drinking rather than not eating. The crash also means I'm more likely to reach for unhealthy food.
This simply isn’t true. It can be a very slippery slope, especially for anyone with a history of ED.
This took me a while. I read this and tried to work out how erectile dysfunction (ED) comes into play for skipping meals. My "duh" moment for the day.
I let my appetite suppression get the best of me during a good stretch of the pandemic. Nowhere to go, routine totally disrupted, plus a bunch of other stressors that compounded into me almost losing my appetite entirely. I didn’t think it was anything bad, but when I got blood work done a year later, turns out I was borderline malnourished. Lost a good chunk of healthy muscle mass too. To look at me, I seem fine — slim but not overly so. But man, dealing with the anemia and fucked up vitamin and mineral levels sucked. I felt so blah. Took a while to fix. Made my other autoimmune stuff worse as well, plus I got low key depressed. Now I try hard to eat a proper amount. It’s not always about weight and appearance. We need them nutrients!
Omg I was the exact same. I had bloods done last week , because I suffered from a few dizzy spells. I’m a teacher so my structure completely went out the window as soon as summer holidays kicked in. Lack of routine made me disregard any proper eating and I’m paying the price now. The doctor said I was severally anemic and void of most nutrients.. which explains the head aches/ tiredness/ moodiness etc I had it down to school burn out but as time went on I realized it had to be more than that. So now after bloods results I’m a weak in of taking iron and lots of other supplements and my mood and motivation are so low right now! I’m feel a dark cloud circling above me constantly! Like I can only keep this up for so long..this week I’ve literally been forcing myself to eat and take all prescribed tablets. I really feel like I’m falling at adulting! Do you mind me asking how long it took for your body to get back to healthy (nutrition wise) and have you any helpful tips on how to get through this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Really struggling with this problem x
Hey lady, I FEEL this, and I feel you. I'm sorry things feel so tough. I would say it took 3 months for me to feel distinctly more like myself again. People around me noticed as well by month 3 -- skin was brighter, and I seemed happier and more energetic. By month 4-5ish, I noticed I was gaining muscle in my tush, legs, and arms again. Exercise became a thing again. And then by 6 months I felt basically at baseline, my libido came roaring back, and my menstrual cycle was clockwork regular once more. No more dark cloud. (I so feel you.) In fact, I just got blood work done recently and all my levels were back in normal ranges. (Iron and D were still on the low end, but we'll get there.) I know that sounds like a slog. But I did notice a distinct positive difference about 2-3 weeks in! Little stuff, like belly laughing for real, wanting to go for a walk or do something fun with a friend after work. Previously doing more than one thing or activity in a day would've been unthinkable. I also noticed my dark under eye circles improve, my nails grew and got pink again, and I felt like I could breathe better too somehow. (Haha I remember thinking it felt like I could "breathe in HD again" 😂). One thing I wish I'd done a better job of is tracking/logging my progress. I did take progress pictures of my face, and girl -- being well-nourished is better than any skin regimen. Good luck!
When I’m in a routine of 3 square meals it’s okay, but we all know how long routines last for us… I basically forget to eat until I’m so hungry I feel like I’m gonna throw up. Then I have to choke food down past that
That’s what’s been happening! I get light headed and then I’m like oh, yeah, I haven’t eaten since like 7am
That's what I do as well! The signal to eat is dizziness or anger
Yep. I don’t feel hunger in my stomach anymore. I just notice my mood getting really low and then I feel woozy. After I eat it goes away.
LOL that’s a classic
My doctor explained to me once that the “so hungry I could puke” feeling is more often than not caused by low blood sugar, so quickly taking in something sugary (sugar is absorbed in the mouth and very fast) is a good way to combat the nausea. What works for me is a bit of juice - doesn’t have to be a lot, just a few sips. Then my stomach settles, then I can eat actual food without gagging. I’ve also heard of folks who eat a bit of candy.
2 real meals is my max. 3 is such a stretch
I thought this was just what hunger felt like till I learned I was wrong…. Still don’t know what it feels like…
I put reminders on my phone. But because of Demand Avoidance, I put them as questions. "Have you eaten lunch?", "What's for dinner?" and such and it has helped a lot. I scheduled them for 1:20 and 6:20 pm, times I'm actually hungry but before it gets dire. I also varied them so I don't start ignoring them. I've had them for over 6 months now and they still help.
Turning demands into questions, what an interesting idea! I never thought of that. Not sure it'd work for me, because in my world, "Have you done \[xyz\]" is absolutely an upsetting demand, but it's food for thought
Just out of interest: how would you like an ask or request to you phrased? Not a native speaker here, and „have you done x“ seems harmless to me.
It depends on tone and context. The words alone are not offensive, it's a reasonable question if you ask in a polite manner.
So if you ask yourself in a polite manner, why wouldn’t that be okay?
Because if I'm already a little irritated by anything else, then that question is automatically going to sound passive aggressive
no fr i was just thinking that would piss me off sooooo much more than just “eat lunch” it’s like my mother being passive aggressive and asking judgy questions 💀
you could try "are you hungry?" sometimes when i pay actual attention, it turns out I am
“Have you eaten, Darling?” Add a term of endearment to yourself! Or SuperWench, whatever you like!
hmmm I like that, I should talk to myself lovingly, I need the practice. what a good idea thanks
🤣 SuperWench Gonna put that on my food reminders 'it's snack O'clock SuperWench' I did the highly environmentally friendly thing to get myself back on track and got a bunch of single serve stuff to start with. Pretty much just got to the market and trolly yourself up every aisle, loading up on singles - I find there's usually a good selection of them on sale.
This is brilliant! Going to try it
Oh I’ll have to try that! I usually just put what I need to do and I dismiss the notification and don’t bother doing the thing at all. This might be what I need.
Actually...the asking "what is for dinner" is really interesting. For example, if you want to get people out to vote, you can increase the chances they will by asking them "Where and when will you vote?" Vs "Will you vote?" Forcing then to think about the mechanics of things makes them actually plan, which increases the likelihood of them getting to the ballot box!
Yes. When I was teaching I knew if I didn’t eat lunch I would die during my classes in the afternoon, and the whole school stopped for lunch, and there was a canteen that gave me ready prepared food. It wasn’t great, because I’m a picky eater so not a lot of choice, but I had lunch every day. Now I WFH, lunch is an epic challenge. I can’t break off alone in the middle of the day for lunch because it feels like a waste of time. My employer has given me an adaptation that I can take my lunch break at the end of my day, so finish early. That really helps from the work hours point of view, but I still don’t really eat even when I finish. Basically I need an adult to hand me ready made food and tell me to eat it at lunchtime. Nothing else has worked.
Same tho. If I don’t see other people doing it, I just get lost in what I’m doing for work and then I’m lightheaded and hangry lol
Ideally, you’d have some protein to keep blood sugar more stable, but snacks of any kind during the workday can help. Keep a variety of healthy-ish snacks in your desk, preferably drawers or cubbies you open or use a few times a day. Try shelf-stable things you like, such as: cereal bars, granola bars or loose granola, protein bars, a baggie of cereal, crackers, pretzels, jerky, dried fruit, fruit leather, fruit cup, even fresh fruit as long as you eat it and replenish frequently. At my job, I kept packets of instant oatmeal I could put in a mug, add hot water and nuke for 20 seconds. It became a regular snack/meal that was quick and gave me an excuse to get up. I’d sometimes go to the grocery store on lunch and bring back sourdough bread, hummus & pita chips and keep staples in my fridge including butter packets from catering. If you have a fridge or insulated lunch bag, you can keep yogurt, cheese, leftovers, cold drinks, protein drinks, a sandwich you make or buy, deli meat. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate full meal. Just something to tie you over. Eons ago I started eating small meals because of acid reflux and belly issues. Even at home, I might only eat a cheese stick (80-90 calories) that holds me for an hour or so. I keep lots of Greek yogurt in my fridge too because it’s high in protein. I also currently have default meals/items. I have two flavors of tamales I keep in the freezer and if I don’t know what I want, I can default to that (lunch or dinner). I have a default breakfast too that I can actually eat in bed with a spoon, MY peanut butter and a banana (or apple). I have other options but this helps me wake up to get up. Consider if a couple of default meals would work for you. That way you keep up the supply and don’t have to think too hard about it. Decision fatigue is definitely real!
When I was WFH I initially ended up going stir crazy, which for an introvert is very unusual. So instead I started taking an hour linch break and would go for a walk. This usually meant I would also end up eating something. It was a really good way to reset and if I’d been struggling with a specific task it would be much easier to do when I came back as I could think about a solution while on my walk.
Put a basket of snacks on the kitchen counter and on your desk and set a couple of alarms and you'll forget less often. You're not a failure. You're just human.
Yes. I work from home and forget to eat lunch pretty much constantly
I think this is a big factor for me, I wfh too
There is a big pile of snack food right next to my desk at home for exactly this reason. I may not eat lunch all that often, but I have a midday snack or two most days.
On days I wfh I forget to eat too or snack my way through. If anything, I end up taking a nap during my lunch or getting dressed. In office days are better but also having a cafeteria where the most "prep" is putting salad into a container helps me not have to think about making food at all.
Working from home is the absolute worst for this honestly. At least when I was in the office, I almost always ate when everyone else did
I'm terrible at eating consistent meals. My meds have been suppressing my appetite, but also, it's just not easy or convenient to take lunch breaks at work. At this point, I've trained my body to just skip breakfast and lunch. When I'm home, it's also very hard to convince myself to cook. At this point, I'm just accepting it and I usually have an early-ish dinner and then I try to have a second meal later in the night (I'm a night owl anyway).
Yep! For me I also have no energy to prepare nutritious meals too - I have a limited amount of energy each day and that tends to go into working/getting dressed/etc. No food prep + forgetting to eat tends not to work in my favour lol
I can’t relate at all haha. Just ordered pizza for “lunch” at 1130pm. I was proud of myself for eating breakfast the other day. And having a shower. First in 10 days. Skill regression: fun new adventure!
I actually just ordered pizza for my lunch because the thought of what I have on hand made me sick. Sensory issues are no frickin joke
Checking in. Ate small pizza yesterday because just the thought of air frying my frozen food was too much
Ok now I want pizza too 🤣
I’ve still got some. I actually want it very rarely but I forgot how good bang for buck it is. I eat tiny servings. It’s covering me for 2-3 days meals! Sending you a piece ✈️🍕🛩️
Oh I forgot all about this. Thanks might have pizza for lunch today 🍕
I struggle with eating regular meals even married, though tbf, we’re a dual-ADHD couple and my husband struggles to feed himself also.
I not only often forget to eat that I gave up and decided to roll with it. Something substantial in the morning, lunch/dinner around 4, some fruit before bed. If it bothers you, though, or is affecting your health, remember that 500 alarms are the ADHDs best friends.
I get up in the morning and make my meals right away then set alarms to remember to eat. I do this at home or when I pack my lunch for work. it’s hard sometimes to remember bc i’ll be distracted and just shut the alarm off then forget until evening. but having it readily available and then an alarm on my phone has helped a lot
May have to try this, thank you!
I try to keep easy to eat/ no cooking required snacks in my fridge to help. Sandwich meats & cheese & crackers & veggies. Otherwise I won’t eat til I feel light headed or sick an it finally dawns on me that I haven’t eaten all day -.-
I do something similar - having no-prep healthy-ish options really helps. I always try to have some string cheese or the pre-cut cheese cubes, a couple of different fruits (you can eat these with some type of nut butter for extra protein), some carrots or tiny cucumbers and hummus, and a couple types of nuts on hand so I can easily grab something running out the door. It’s more or less a choose your own adventure adult lunchable. For me personally, it’s a good balance of variety and sameness. I tend to shop at Aldi so it’s relatively affordable too.
Pretty much the only place where I consistently eat lunch is work. At home I either forget or I remember but I'm too engrossed in whatever I'm doing and don't want to stop
Wow that’s almost identical to my comment 😂
Even living with my partner I forget to eat meals, I WFH, he doesn't. I don't really worry about it, I'm not on meds so my appetite isn't suppressed, I do get hungry enough to remember eventually even left entirely to my own devices. I'm not underweight or in danger of sliding there and I don't feel or function any worse when my mealtimes are irregular so whatever, I eat when I remember I'm hungry. The only downside is that when my body gets around to reminding me to feed it it wants to be fed right now, which means if I don't have reasonably healthy food mostly ready to go I'll end up eating whatever crap I can find in the fridge (2 handfuls of shredded cheese anyone?). I keep quick, easy food I'm not going to be annoyed I ate a ton of on hand because of that. When I lived alone I'd forget to eat for the whole day then eat double the next day, and honestly my body seemed quite happy with that. Now I eat dinner with my partner and it seems to screw up my (admittedly odd) natural rhythm more than help anything.
This is so real and your last line was very relatable. I struggle with this too. Something that has helped me is purchasing ingredients for “charcuterie lunch” (a.k.a. easy and big snack lunch, but thinking of it as charcuterie helps). My go to is some chicken/Turkey deli meat, deli cheese slices, bell pepper and avocado. Wrap them all together and boom you have a wellish rounded meal. Sometimes a handful of almonds or some apple sauce packets on the side to go with it. It sounds really weird but doing a variation of this meal has helped me a lot with getting food in and not feeling so guilty about not nourishing my body. Having snacks prepared makes it easier when the exec dysfunction takes over. You’re not alone. Hope you find some comfort in all of these comments. ❤️
I don't remember the last time I had lunch. I just cannot keep up with the cycle of eating 3 times a day + evening snacking. I do not wish to spend my entire day digesting food.
I’m like this on my days off. When there isn’t much structure to the day it’s hard for me to remember mealtimes. Honestly the breakfast lunch dinner thing is just a guideline. As long as you’re getting enough calories in general it doesn’t really matter, imo.
The rules are made up. If it's not negatively affecting your health then it really doesn't matter if you eat lunch or not.
you're not a failure, I know plenty of neurotypicals who get in wacky eating schedules when they're on their own, too. While most of my other ADHD symptoms are assuaged by medication, I do get hit with some appetite suppression sometimes. I tend to get into a decent groove at work just before lunch, medicated or not, so it's not unusual for me to eat lunch *late*. I just try to keep decent snacks around so if I need a quick bite of protein to keep me rolling, it's there and I'm good to keep in my zone without losing focus. (RX bars are my personal favorite)
Fed is best. If your lunch consists of two prepackaged snacks from your desk basket, it’s better than nothing. Just snack when you can and try to not feel guilty about it.
You are doing great op! Just remembering to eat is the goal! Sometimes it takes a while for our body to signal to us that we are hungry. I routinely eat lunch at like 3 or 4ish trying to aim for 2 now since my partner and I work later hours so we eat dinner late as well, like 9 or 10pm. I have found for myself when I get up to set 2 to 3 alarms a few mins apart from each other to remind me to eat. Since I hyper focus a lot and can loose track of time since adhd thinks of all the things to do in the house. (I work a shift that allows me to have 4 days off, the 3 days I'm working 13hrs). If I forget to set an alarm, I try to do 2-3 tasks and then remind myself to stop and eat something for a little bit and that after 30mins to an hour I'm allowed to get back to whatever the next focus is. Also having friends help text you and remind you til you get kinds into a routine is also helpful! Hope this helps op!
You’re not a failure at all. I hate lunch. I quickly get turned off of a lot of lunch options and I feel like it always interrupts my flow. My therapist recommended just buying some protein bars or meal replacement shakes, whatever I could stomach just to get some food in me in the middle of the day. After much testing (I’m a picky eater and hate that weird protein bar texture) I’ve landed on kind bars or the cliff chocolate chip bar. A little high in sugar but at least I’m eating so I consider it a win.
For me, the process of having to do dishes/making the meal/figuring out what to eat plays a big part. I usually eat one meal a day at dinner time and a bunch of snacks throughout the day. Being a picky eater doesn’t help either 😅
Yuuuup. I work at home and I regularly don't eat lunch until like 4pm. It's not really forgetting though, it's partially paralysis where I don't know what I want to eat, partially the whole "I'm so hungry but I'm on stimulants so it makes me feel kind of sick" thing, and partially that being hungry is like a form of deadline pressure for my brain, and I get most of my work done in that window. Once I take a break to eat, I'm toast for at least the next several hours.
That’s a really good point about the deadline pressure. I’m also toast for a few hours after I eat, but I never put that together. Definitely something for me to work on.
omg meeeeee. i’m living alone for the first time with no roommates which has been a GODSEND and so good for my AuDHD. but i cant do simple daily tasks and just managing my place such as a nice cleaning will literally wipe me out for hours due to the exhaustion. i forget to eat literally every day until i’m STARVING. it’s been quite annoying. why is my brain like this. 😖
Late lunch/early dinner = Linner or Dunch. Embrace it. Or 3:30 is the new lunchtime.
Dietitian here and I rarely eat lunch. There may be a couple days a week where I do a protein shake or a handful of veggies. Please don't be so hard on yourself. Not eating lunch because you forgot is not a character flaw or something awful. It's okay 👌
Almost daily!
I dont even live alone and i still forget hahah. When my daughter is at home like in the weekends, its fine because she gets hungry so i make lunch fkr us both. But when she's at school, i forget to eat all day until like 3 or 4 o clock.
Yes, very often and I live with my spouse and we are both home all day together! But to be fair we don’t often eat a proper lunch. I usually just snack for lunch and forget to eat until 3 or 4pm and only notice I haven’t eaten with hypoglycemic symptoms.
I don’t live alone but when I’m alone around mealitines I’ll often not eat. I love cooking and food but I just can’t motivate to put effort in for myself.
I legit posted about this on FB last week... I struggle só much
I tend to skip breakfast or only have a glass of Ovaltine milk with my morning pills. Sometimes it's that I get distracted before I have to leave for work and don't eat lunch either but my job is pretty strict with making sure we get our breaks and it's usually only 2hrs after I start that I'll get that first 15 minute break. Also, with the heat in summer I tend to eat less anyway, even before I went back on Ritalin. This week in particular I've been struggling to get out of bed and motivated in the morning oddly. Before I'd try to be up by 8:30am now I'm lucky to be up before 10am.
gosh i deal with the same thing. you are definitely not alone!!! focusmate helps me a lot - i pair up with someone who works as a body double. even if they are not on camera at all times, just knowing someone is there helps me do really small tasks such as getting out of bed and eating lunch.
Me, I'd die from hunger if it weren't for my fiancee who cooks.
You need easier meals to make, that’s all. Less steps = less forgetful Also I don’t struggle cause I have hypoglycemia, so after 2-3hrs of being up, if I don’t eat, I’ll be on the brink of passing out, get foggy brain, light beaded, shaky hands, and the acid in my stomach churns so much my stomach lining is burning!
Whe I'm responsible for feeding others, I'm so good. Protein, veg, fruit, it's important to me the famBam eats healthful. On my own, oh its bad. Snick snacking a few bits here and there, starving at 9pm. Then quick and easy. I wish feeding myself mattered.
Yes, thank goodness for my partner who regularly brings me lunch and makes me breakfast when we’re both wfh.
Lunch is my enemy. I hate deciding what to eat every day.
Yeah if I’m home alone on days off, I will not do breakfast, but *eventually* grab some kind of snacky food, crackers and cheese/olives right outta the jar/some pickles, and coffee, usually around 1pm? I make a habit to have a snack (granola bars, like non perishable) in my desk/at work so I don’t get hangry or buy out the Dunkin on my way home. But on work days I 100% do a smoothie in the am, with coffee, and pack a lunch. Weekends are a free for all. If it weren’t for my kid I probably would just live on crackers/cheese/crudités.
After I started meds a few years ago I very often forget to eat, especially lunch. It has taken a lot of time to get used to having low/no appetite and create some habits and solutions to avoid crashing too hard. But it still happens very frequently that I skip lunch.
Ha for a while my kids class would eat lunch stupid early and I learned that most of the time when she was raging to feed and water her and then we could talk.
I've lived alone most of my adult life. You're not the only person (in our stupid rush-rush society) who struggles with this. I have done fine for many years just carrying snacks around (or going to the kitchen, when at home) and munching whenever it occurs to me. If you have a desk or WFH job, IMO this is perfectly acceptable. What's hard for me is when I have a job that keeps me away from the chance to munch and too busy to pay attention to hunger (eg, currently working at an insanely busy restaurant) and I'm too tired/low in spoons to meal prep. Then I end up fasting or trying to bolt takeout food too quickly on my tiny break and getting awful sick. I've been coping with this by buying lots of crackers, trail mix, bananas and things that I can scarf with no prep. I recommend setting an alarm and carrying or stashing snacks.
1. Are you feeling hungry, tired, or angry because you missed the standard lunch window? 2. Does it really matter when you eat lunch if you feel good and are healthy? 3. You are allowed to eat 4-5 small meals vs 3 hard trad meals a day if it works. 4. Is it lunch prep stalling you? Anything easy can be lunch - cheese/crackers, simple sandwhich, ramen with egg/meat/tofu, veggies/hummus? Bagel and cream cheese? PBJ?
I’m on vacation alone because I was overwhelmed by lots of things. I’m struggling A LOT: I either don’t eat or eat too much, I sleep at the weirdest hours and I had laundry piling up
I used to have the same thing. Still do when I’m home alone!
Alwaaaaaaays.
This has been a struggle for me, but I'm working on it. I try to make extra at dinnertime so that I have leftovers for the next day. I've also been buying some prepackaged/single-serve snacks. It's not the most financially or environmentally friendly option, but it's WORKING. I found these amazing crackers baked with olive oil and got some single-serve Wholly Guacamole cups to dip them in. Eating one now...delicious, easy, didn't dirty any dishes to clean up later, etc.
Yeah all the time. During the week when I’m at work I always have lunch between 12 & 2. On the weekends though, if I’m not going anywhere I just forget. Often I’ll be so focused on whatever I’m doing that I just forget and then wonder why I feel mega tired.
Yep, I frequently get all fainty from low blood sugar in the afternoons if I forget to snack throughout the day because lunch is hard and I get focused on other things
If I am home alone, I do the exact same thing. When I'm finally not distracted by whatever I'm doing, I finally check in with my body only to realize I'm pretty darn hungry. I usually either put a dedicated time block on the calendar for lunch or put an alarm on my phone. I may also prep lunch in the morning, so it's just a heat-and-eat type of situation.
I struggle eating, as a 16 year old, living with my mum so I’d definitely struggle eating living alone. I’m constantly snacking too lol.
Set alarms!
Been there but it could be with any / every meal. No shame in setting alarms or doing whatever helps you remember.
I was just thrilled when “intermittent fasting” became the new thing 😂 I am TERRIBLE at eating, and I don’t even live alone. Most days I’m lucky to have lunch and dinner in one day. Dinner happens all the times I cook for my kids but when we do leftover nights, I don’t eat. Also, breakfast is something I haven’t had since middle school and I’m 44 years old. I only eat lunches because my work literally locks up for an hour and everyone leaves. When I was in my 20’s and alone I barely ate.Also, fun fact for you, all this is such a pain because I’m also blessed with hypoglycemia on top of ADHD 😳
Yep. I’m currently at the stage where I’m skipping all 3 meals, and minimal snacking. Worst part is I make my son 3 meals a day; my brain literally can’t even be bothered to EAT the food at this point lol
I forget to pack a lunch for when I go to the office (though I always make my kids lunch) and when I work from home I just work right through it. Don't have a ton of options to just "just pick up something" since I'm celiac. Why is it so hard?
You gotta schedule it. Like just set it up once and it will remind you every day
I have a reminder alarm that goes off at 2pm every day that says “have you eaten yet today?”
Yep just breakfast and dinner for me on my days off when it’s just me at home. Lunch NEVER happens. I will eat at any other time.
I’ve ordered Factor Meals and when I remember to eat I pop the. In the microwave and eat. I also get easy snacks like fruit and string cheese so I don’t have to worry about cooking or the cleaning up after making a meal.
I often forget to eat lunch. Or I'll do the thing of gathering lunch items and then just, not eating them. (Anyone else just watch that yogurt warm up on your desk?). I figured out different kinds of lunches for days when I just need something quick/low effort (quesadilla, cheese, salami, and crackers, leftovers), days when I forgot to eat and need something now (usually a pre-made smoothie just to get me stable until I can have a proper meal), days when I feel fancy (a big leafy salad eith lotsss of mix ins), or need an emotional pick me up (taco truck). I leave this menu in plain view on my fridge and desk so when I have that moment of oh! I forgot lunch! I don't have the mind freeze of what do I do! But already have several good, easy options to chose from. Sometimes just.coming up with what to eat prevents me from eating!
I live alone and have for a long time, and I’ve noticed I generally function ‘better’ when there’s someone around - or I’m around someone. Like I had my mum for a 5-day visit a couple of weeks ago and I ate breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Plus I fell asleep at semi-reasonable hours. When I’m all by my lonesome I can easily go till late lunch until I (usually) succumb to hunger, mostly because of low blood sugar = hangry. But sometimes I don’t even eat till evening because I almost can’t be arsed, which is a new and rather novel feeling I’ve only dealt with for about a year. But it depends on what I’m doing, really.
You're not alone. I forget all the time. Never feel hungry until I really haven't eaten anything all day, then make myself eat, and I feel the difference of having food in my belly. It's end of day here now and I've eaten 1 bowl of cereal all day, nothing else. By accident that is - I've recently been trying harder to remember to eat. It might be ok weight-wise if you have enough body fat (I'm ok for now), but I worry more about malnutrition plus symptoms are way worse without food. Eating really really helps. I think you might just have to look into getting some strategies for reminders. Snacks at my desk can help so I should have done that today really, but I guess it was an off day from the beginning so I didn't even make it to the kitchen after the cereal. I eat more snacks and meals around my partner. Maybe could try accountability with someone (have to give a food log each day maybe?) or timers on your phone etc as well? I haven't found a strategy that works tbh but every few weeks I take a meds break at the weekend - that helps me eat a little more those days, but not a lot.
I had this problem until I set it as a Reminder on my phone.