Originally Posted by
MelindaFlowers 
When I was drinking 12 drinks a night, every night, I gained 50 lbs in two years.
When people saw pictures of me before I started drinking, it was always the same response: Who is that?! they couldn't even recognize me. Perhaps it was the red face and puffy eyes?
When I became completely sober I lost 40 lbs without even trying.
That's encouraging, because I feel like I've replaced every drink with candy, lol! I know what you mean about becoming a puffy, red-faced mess. One of my (many) small wake-up calls was when I attended a conference and saw someone who definitely knows me...he hadn't seen me in a while, and did the not-so-subtle eye flick down to the name tag because he literally didn't recognize what I had become.
I think I read somewhere that stomach bloating continues through early recovery (I'm only on day 44), which I hope is true. I still look like I'm in my second trimester of a non-existent pregnancy!