Let’s get this out of the way: Yes, I titled this one “Time to sprint, Fatboy.”
Because that’s how I used to motivate myself. Loud. Public. Funny, but not really. I’d manufacture pressure, raise the stakes, light the fuse — and take off.
That approach powered big sprints: losing 100 pounds, writing a book in 36 hours, salvaging semesters in a weekend. I’ve always been able to dig deep… until I couldn’t. It was powering me ahead in this goal to lose 56 pounds by my 56th birthday, July 12, until I hit the wall.
This month, I finally recognized why.
It wasn’t just fatigue. It wasn’t just burnout. It was ADHD.
I wasn’t diagnosed until 52. Looking back, it explains why I’ve started and stopped this journey so many times. ADHD is more than distraction — it’s dysregulation. For some of us, it shows up in work. For others, it shows up in our bodies. For me, it was both.
The cycle no one sees
Here’s how it works for me. I’ll get laser-focused on something — a new goal, a new system, a new challenge — and for a while, it’s like a superpower. I’m locked in. All-in. Getting more done in a week than most people do in a month.
And then… it vanishes.
Not the goal. The interest.
The switch flips, and it’s gone. I lose the routines and the drive. I avoid it — then shame creeps in because I replace that energy with things that are not-so-good, such as stress eating and poor sleep.
So I start avoiding everything — the scale, the tracker, the gym, the mirror, the questions. Until something painful jolts me back into action. And the cycle starts again.
I’ve lived in this loop for 30 years. Fitness. Projects. Work. Without sustainable structure, the pattern wins.
A new way to train
This month, I got back on track physically. I resumed workouts, sauna, tracking and IV infusions.
But the bigger battle is inside my head.
My ADHD-specialized therapist, Dalila Bass, has helped me recognize the mental cost of sprinting through life. We’re using CBT to reframe goals — not as punishment, but as commitments I can build systems around. Instead of chasing the dopamine of short bursts and the adrenaline of big results, we’re chasing consistency.
One of the biggest shifts is in my self-talk. I’ve always had an internal coach yelling at me to grind harder and suffer more. It worked — until it broke me. Now, we’re replacing that voice with something more sustainable — a voice that pushes without destroying and grants grace.
The stats no one talks about
Studies have found that adults with ADHD are nearly twice as likely to be obese as those without it. We’re far more prone to binge eating, inconsistent routines and all-or-nothing spirals. Yet most aren’t diagnosed until their 40s or 50s. They assume they’re broken.
Or — and this was me — they mask, building intense routines that quietly drain energy. It works — until they crash.
Progress worth keeping
This month: show up anyway. Not chasing perfection — just a pattern I can sustain. I’m working to change patterns.
I’ve dropped 10 lbs. It’s real. I’m behind pace, but it’s still reachable if I stay consistent and manage the dialogue inside my head.
Dalila said: “It’s about building something that lasts.”
I didn’t choose ADHD — but I’m responsible for managing it. That’s the real transformation.
Join the Mission
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Next month: The Home Stretch
Catch up on the series: Watch Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3.
Follow along with Tim Stephens’ journey on Facebook, Instagram, and X for behind-the-scenes updates and milestones.
Earn the burn with a free workout at 56-for-56 sponsor HOTWORX Vestavia Hills.
Rejuvenate your body with 56-for-56 sponsor Prime IV Homewood.
