Gaining

Is adderall making things difficult?

You need a *surplus* of the 2500 over your BMR to gain. That's where the 3k or more figure comes from. Figure out your BMR--chances are it has changed since the meds. It may also depend how long you've been on them.

So if your BMR is 2200 you'd need that plus the surplus to gain.

I've been on Adderall for about 10 weeks and it's affected my appetite but I don't think it's had any impact on my actual caloric needs yet. Though it's hard to tell since my appetite is different now. By itself I don't think it affects your macro requirements just makes you forget to actually eat (I use a macro tracker as well and honestly if I hadn't been using it before I started taking Adderall I'd likely have lost a LOT of weight).

My experience just with Adderall was that it actually boosted my appetite temporarily when I started, the first week or so. Not a lot. And I'm not a gainer so I still mostly stuck to my plan. It tapered and then around a month in I started experiencing the appetite loss but my diet is still just about the same and for my mental health I don't weigh myself but I still feel the same size. I go in in a few weeks for an exam so I'll find out then.

Keep in mind this is also affected not just by the meds but your specifics and any interactions with them as well, plus if you're on IR or XR and dosage etc.
1 year

Is adderall making things difficult?

Keep in mind:

1) diet tracker apps are designed to inspire you to consume *less* food. The "gain" they calculate is likely based on body building and lean mass

2) FF is only meant for entertainment.

3) macros are more important than calories.

4) try several different calculators and include macros too. Your body can only handle so much of specific nutrients a day or even per meal. The rest won't just "be extra" your body will try to get rid of it first. In the case of protein, you can never convince your body to retain it. There is a limit your body can handle each day and you'll pee out the rest.

Your body still requires nourishment to function. Can you gain with just a calorie surplus? Sure. But after you put on 20lbs you'll feel like crap and the moment you change your diet you'll lose some. Same with weight loss -- a calorie deficit is a deficit but whether you're trying to lose or gain your metabolism still needs certain things to function at all.

Check out different macro profiles for your goals, use different calculators, and adjust accordingly.
1 year