DONUT

i have lost 30 kg (~4 stone i think in imperial) since i stopped drinking- i didn't realise how much of my calorie intake was due to the drink until i stopped- the problem is i never really ate until after I was drunk - so nothing until after work -drink -etc then eating late- now the pattern is changed and i find i can only really cope with drinks and I don't seem to be able to eat proper food- several decades of an abyssmal pattern of drinking- eating has left we with a big eating problem.. As i mentioned in another post, abstinence has brought out massive anxiety, depression and other pysche issues etc and the weight issue may also be tied in with this but it makes sense that i was getting so many of my calories from the drink and now it's gone ... at present i am surviving on energy build up drinks because i am concerned re the weight loss ... I assume others have found similar problems - any tips (p.s. my GP has warned me that the liquid diet is okay for now but obviously getting onto a "normal" diet is really important long term)
thanks again
D

roseblossom

There was a time when I had to drink Ensure because the thought of chewing made me sick. Don't do energy drinks though because they are not nutritious and can give you a fast heartbeat etc. from all the caffeine. Talk to your doctor and good luck. P.S. if you get a craving for a certain food go for it. Treat yourself to whatever foods you like to get your appetite back going.

LDT

Hi Donut. I had a similar problem. At my worst I was only getting my calories from alcohol. I stopped eating, and even when I tried, I just couldn't force myself to consume "real" food. I lost too much weight ( I am tall and thin in my normal life, so weight loss was not desired). I am not giving any medical advice here.....just my experience. I remember calling my DH crying, saying I just couldn't eat. I did go to a doctor, who gave me medicine for nausea, and then I very gradually started to drink sips of protein drinks, then a little broth, then very soft scrambled eggs.....it was slow going at first, but I did eventually build back my appetite and gained some weight. Stay the course....you will regain your strength and appetite. Have patience with yourself. I wish you well.

Orbea

I put on 100 pounds from drinking and eating junk and not exercising. I started the anti inflammatory diet to help w the damage I've done. On the losing side now

dawnie24

Well done for losing 4stone hope that happens to me

LDT

Orbea, may I ask what your anti-inflammatory diet is? I will be starting one next week for arthritis issues.

dawnrunner

One way to approach this is to go back to foods you loved when you were growing up. Those can be "comfort foods" and are also likely to be highly digestible for your system.

Mac-n-cheese? Chicken noodle soup? Puddings? Grilled cheese sandwiches? Keep it simple and light, and feed your inner child.

You don't need to sit down and tuck into a huge plate of food either; small portions spread over the active hours of your day.

Good luck with this; nutrition is so essential to well-being.

Change4good

Energy drinks give me MASSIVE anxiety. Perhaps that might be contributing to some of the psych issues? I agree with someone else who suggested the anti-inflamatory diet.

Changing my diet changed my mood. Drastically, and for the better.

Best to you.

Orbea

It helps a whole bunch of issues, including arthritis. I bought the book by Jessica black. It goes into the theory behind it and lots of recipes and menu ideas.

I figure I did enough damage w drinking and gaining weight. I have a history of insulin resistance. When drinking my BP was high too. I just need to get healthy again

CactusJill

I lost weight too. I decided to quit drinking in October (the result was that I managed to cut way down but not stop entirely) but I lost 12 pounds almost immediately. I am not sure what that translates to in the British system. Since October I have lost 49 pounds though - not drinking definitely made it easier.

icafe

112 Days sober now. Yaay

I've lost 10 pounds on the scale, but I think I lost 15 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle. I was drinking about 40 beers per week and 4 bottles of wine. Doing the math, that's um... lets see... um.. WOW!

That's about 25000 calories per month!!! Eliminated from my diet!!

I developed a sweet tooth for chocolate in the process.

F355

I'm at 97 days and...remarkably...i weigh the same as i did when i quit! well, maybe a few pounds lighter, but basically the same. Which is REALLY unusual, because I have always lost weight when I've quit in the past...

cleareyes

I'm on Day 18 and have lost around 16 pounds. I ate AND drank my calories and was lazy so I put on quite a bit of weight. I am hoping to lose 20 more pounds.