For 24-year-old fitness and nutrition coach Emma Hooker, losing weight was never just about transforming her body—it was about rebuilding her relationship with herself. While battling attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and an eating disorder, Emma managed to shed an impressive 72 kilograms (around 160 pounds). Her story stands out not only for the physical transformation but also for how she managed her mental health struggles during the process.
ADHD and Disordered Eating
Emma shared through her Instagram posts that her ADHD deeply impacted her eating habits and made her weight loss journey more challenging. “I used to think I just had no willpower, that I was lazy or simply didn’t want it badly enough. But ADHD made things harder in ways I didn’t even realise for a long time,” she wrote.
Her relationship with food was often inconsistent. She described becoming fixated on a single meal or snack for weeks until she could no longer stand it. This pattern would lead to skipping meals or eating random foods that offered little nutrition or satisfaction. To overcome this, Emma started planning two to three rotating meal options, a strategy that helped her maintain variety without overwhelming her mind.
Listening to Her Body
Emma admitted she would often go hours without eating and then end up overeating. “I’d go hours without realising I hadn’t eaten and then suddenly I’d be starving and end up overeating,” she shared. To manage this, she began setting reminders to eat at regular intervals and learned to tune into her hunger cues before reaching a point of exhaustion or bingeing.
Another major hurdle was emotional eating. “I’d snack constantly when I was bored, not hungry. It wasn’t about food. I just needed stimulation,” she wrote. To address this, Emma began asking herself what she truly needed at that moment—sometimes it was a walk, music, or rest, not food.
The Shift That Changed Everything
The most transformative change in Emma’s journey came when she stopped labelling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. This mindset shift helped her break free from guilt-driven eating cycles. “I stopped labeling food as good or bad. I eat balanced meals with things I enjoy so I never feel deprived,” she shared.Emma also learned to plan ahead to avoid stress and impulsive choices. Checking restaurant menus beforehand and keeping go-to meals ready became part of her daily routine, reducing the anxiety and indecision that once led to overeating.
Building Sustainable Habits
Emma emphasizes that long-term results came not from extreme diets or all-or-nothing mindsets, but from consistency and balance. Her focus shifted toward sustainable changes—drinking enough water, enjoying workouts she actually liked, and celebrating wins that had nothing to do with the scale.
She advises others to start small: “One two-hour gym session isn’t going to fix anything, but showing up for 10 minutes four times a week will change your life.”
Even after losing over 70 kilograms, Emma admits that managing ADHD and disordered eating remains a continuous process. “Even now, after losing 160 pounds, I still struggle with a lot of this. The difference is that I’ve learned how to manage it. I’ve learned to pause, show myself compassion, and stop expecting perfection,” she wrote.
Her story, as shared across her Instagram posts, highlights that the most powerful transformation comes not just from losing weight but from regaining control, awareness, and self-compassion.
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