vinyl

Day 15. Still can't get myself to eat breakfast, despite knowing the benefits. What's the deal with this? I know a lot of alcoholics deal with this so I assume I'm not alone. What did you do to get your body (and brain) adjusted to eating breakfast? I just can't eat until at least 11 or 12pm. But I really want to get into healthy eating in the AM.

I'd also like to know why this happens with alcoholics in the first place. Thoughts and suggestions welcome.

Stay strong!

savexourxship

I think this probably happens with most alcoholics because we tend to design an eating routine that doesn't interfere with our drinking. Like me, I would only eat when I was so drunk, that I knew I would fall asleep and not have to worry about drinking and withdrawal. The 3am eating binge would be my only sustenance. The only thing I really realized was that I couldn't just get sober, I had to change my whole routine. Now instead of rolling out of bed at 11am I get up at 7am. Eat a light breakfast and go for a walk, just trying to stay active really helped my eating patterns fall back into place. It did take me a good 7 or 8 days before I finally came back to 3 square meals a day, but I feel a hell of a lot better than eating once every few days.

As much as your mind wants to feel normal again, your body takes a bit longer, but it will catch up, I think you will fall into a healthy routine soon! And truth is, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, revs up your metabolism and keeps you going. I've lost a ton of weight just by eating proper, including a healthy breakfast, great benefit!

InsertNameHere

I was the opposite while drinking I never ate breakfast just coffee and water. After quiting I am hungry as heck in the mornings especially the first few days I was ravenaous practaly stuffing myself. But I have been eating a lot more than normal latley and am watching my weight just to be sure I don't start gaining any.

Mark75

If it is carbohydrate and in my kitchen in the morning, it is bound to be eaten before my eyes are all the way open and coffee nuke'd. LOL

I'm not sure it means anything about alcoholics, just different people and their metabolism.

vinyl

All the books I've read mention the connection between alcoholics and not eating breakfast, so it's not just coincidence.

Thanks for the help guys, I'm working on it.

DaveO

I have never eaten breakfast, unless I had to.

Some family and friends are the same way, and they don't even drink

From as a child to now breakfast does not interest me, but I will eat it for dinner.
I have never been hungry in the morning so I think saying it has to do with alcoholics is a little out there.

vinyl

I'm just telling you what I've read and heard from other alcoholics. The connection is there. I'm not saying ALL alcoholics have problems with breakfast, just saying the books I've read mention the connection and those I know who struggle have the same problem.

thoughts

I can't really get myself to eat break either, only coffee. I have been forcing down a whey protein "shake" with some Benifiber in it along with a vitamin. I don't even like doing this, but I do in an attempt to be healthy. My days of throwing back shots have actually come in handy with this, because the protein is nothing short of nasty, so I have to just throw it back.

Ironically, since I stopped drinking 11 days ago, I've had this insatiable craving for breakfast cereal. I'm on box 9 of Cinnamon Toast Crunch! It been years since I had even thought of cereal!

vinyl

SO weird! That's the only thing I've eaten for breakfast too, boxed sweet cereal, which I've never eaten before these last 15 days of sobriety. But, only a couple times.

It's been all coffee. No breakfast.

stairs

I'm the same way. Sometimes I'll eat a banana around 11 a.m. before I go out, but I am not hungry when I get up, which has been around 6 for the last few weeks. I have coffee and water.
I didn't know it was common among alcoholics. I'm on day 21, close to where you are. I do tend to snack at night, maybe that's why? Do you snack at night?

vinyl

Are you kidding? I eat like a PIG at night! Stuff my face right up until bedtime.

Yeah, my eating habits in general are a mess since going dry. Pretty sure my body is just trying to figure out what to do without alcohol, so I'm substituting with carbs at night for comfort. Still no idea whats up with breakfast, but I hear it often with folks like us.

Sapling

That's all I have....Hey.....I used to just have a beer. That's some improvement.

Lenina

Vinyl,

When I was just starting out in recovery, my sponsor recommended having a more organized life. Sitting down to have a bit to eat and reading my morning meditation helped me get my day started. She thought toast with honey was a good idea. Not too heavy, a good way to get the blood sugar up. It sure beat my usual leap out of bed, run around like a mad woman getting ready for work and sprinting out the door! having a routine for me was sort of civilizing. It set a more calm tone.

also, making the bed. I've heard alcoholics never make the bed. LOL

Love,

Lenina

vinyl

I'm going to try toast and honey tomorrow, just for you.

Making a bed? What's that?

Vanilla28

Maybe thats why you arent hungry in the morning? because you ate so much at bedtime lol

about the not eating breakfast thing though, im the same way, i usually dont eat until around 1pm. i want to do the whole healthy start the day thing that everyone says you are supposed to do, but i just cant! lol

Ghostly

There is really a lot of evidence that there really aren't all these health benefits to eating breakfast. That people that eat breakfast do not have less fat. Really. Through out human life, we really didn't eat breakfast until relatively recently. We went out and got the food for the day in the morning. To make it worse, we turned breakfast into a sugar fest...which clearly is not healthy.

This really isn't a big deal. Eat when your hungry. Worry about what you're eating rather than when your eating it. I'm not saying it's not healthy to eat breakfast, rather it's not unhealthy to skip it.

Either way, I think Vanilla solved the mystery with his post above. You probably aren't hungry in the morning because you are eating so much at night.

vinyl

Really? Please point me to this evidence. No offense but I have a good friend who is a nutritionist that would call this statement absurd, and my doctors (I had cancer, and beat it) were both incredibly adamant about eating a nutritious breakfast and used to give me a hard time about it. Both are very well known and respected doctors.

Interesting. Please share some links. Gosh, it sure would be nice to have one less thing to worry about if you're right.

smacked

Whenever I know I should eat, but don't want to.. I mix up a protein shake, or one of those Carnation Instant Breakfast or Special K drinks. They're yummy and full of vitamins and protein.

Lenina

There sure are some different opinions about eating. One of my doctors told me to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a peasant! Amother told me eating five to six small meals a day was best. A nosh here, a nosh there.

One of my old roommates who was into nutrition had a whole food combining thing. Something about eating carbs in the morning for a slow burn all day. Not eating fruit on top of starches. I never understood it but she was toned, fit and healthy!

My favorite doctor, the one I trust the most, told me the single most important thing to health was maintaining a regular routine for sleeping and eating. Eat at the same times and going to bed and get up at the same times. And make your bed. LOL

Love,

lenina

cfm

Vinyl:
Answer this question:
What does eating B'fast or not eating B'fast have to do with my decision to stay sober today???
....................................NOTHING!!!.... .................................................
I didn't eat B'fast when I was drinking and I don't eat B'fast now 6 years later.
Forget about. Just don't drink today.............Just today