Zube

Day 11 sober. Waking up several times a night with an insatiable appetite, and find myself raiding the fridge. It feels like I have the munchies, but I havn't been high in years!!

Is this common?
Does it last long?
Any advice?

Thanks!!!
Zube

profwebs

I'been sober for MOST of the last 2 weeks, had 1 slip day. But I have been drinking a ton of milk and eating everything.... like theres a craving, but I don't know what it is and it is never satisfied.. seems to be getting better tho.

I'm sure this is "normal" and I'm not worried about it.:

Dime

When I got sober I ate like a horse. Looking back at my later drinking days I almost ate no food at all. My body was screaming for nutrition. After a while things balanced out and my appetite returned to normal. I wouldn't worry about it too much in early sobriety.

BullDog777

+1.... i was the same way. when i first got sober, i ate like horse and it was nothing for me to consume 5000+ calories in a day. I'm 6'5 and pretty athletic so i'm not sure how much that had to do with it, but it did even out after about 6 months. now, i eat about 2700 calories a day. for my height and weight, that's pretty healthy.

DayTrader

Drinking (alcoholically) reinforces (or creates, maybe) an "oral fixation." We're get into the habit of bringing booze up to our mouth and swallowing to get pleasure and/or relief. It follows that we want to continue this action after we stop drinking booze..... so we replace it with other habits (addictions): food, smoking, drinking Coke or some other beverage, etc.

It slows down..... don't sweat it.

'Round here, it seems like everyone gets a huuuuge sugar addiction around a year to a year and a half sober. .....someone's gotta keep the ice cream shops in business!

Toronto68

It happened to me too. It's like your body wants real energy and not to have to surrogate energy anymore. (Sorry to sound so technical about it, ha ha.)

The interest in sweets returned too.

All the preaching about exercise and eating a variety of good things is all true, as far as I am concerned. I don't do it religiously, but I have made some progress when I look back.

johndelko408

I find that it depends. When I quit smoking pot, I was having trouble eating and sleeping. I was so used to having the munchies that that's how I grew an appetite. I couldn't sleep cause I was so use to being burned out at the end of the day that I would pass out not fall to sleep.

When I quit boozing I was able to eat so much more. My drink was mostly beer and I'd consume so much that I'd always be full, hence no room for food. I also had trouble sleeping which is very normal in early sobriety. Your body and mind is going through drastic changes. I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night hungry and being a "fridge raider". I'm not sure what that really is but I think its our own way of satisfying the cravings.

Some say that you start to gain weight during recovery because you start eating again. It was quite contrary for me. I began losing weight. I lost about 30lbs. Like I said I drank mostly beer, a lot of beer. I retained a lot of water weight from it. I've always had a fast working metabolism so I can eat whatever i want and not gain weight.

profwebs

Whats weird about this for me is that I ALWAYS have to have something to drink next to me. Usually its soda and I was drinking alot of it(almost OCD like). Since sobering up this time, I really cut down on soda(not a concious choice) It seems like I'm not quite as needy of having something to drink next to me. Still smoking tho....

DayTrader

I STILL do that....and I've got 3 and a half years - lol

I recommend the 7-eleven "refill mug." 52oz. and it's a $1.25 to refill.

Zube

I still drink compulsively also... 12 to 15 beers a day changed to 12 to 15 gatorades a day, not to mention a river of coffee.

rws177

I think that eating a lot in early sobriety is not a bad thing at all. Your body is needing the nutrition badly. If your still eating like that in a few months than that can be a problem of course.

Food to me is now a great pleasure. Most days I have to eat healthy to stay in the correct weight class for when I fight but on the weekends I love eating pizza and pretty much anything I want!

profwebs

I'm the opposite... never gained much weight so as far as I'm concerned these "cravings" can continue.... hope i don't regret these words later... lol

TwoJacks

I became addicted to ice cream when I got sober. All that sugar...........(replacing all that sugar)

jamdls

I craved chocolate when I quit drinking and became addicted particularly to M&Ms. I was very skinny when I drank as I rarely ate so when I quit drinking I ate anything and everything that I wanted, ultimately I gained 25 pounds which was about 15 pounds too many so I gave up the chocolate and joined a gym, lost all the weight and I'm able to moderate my chocolate intake...too bad I couldn't do that with wine.

Fandy

i used to buy these biscuit cookies with 1/2 inch of dark chocolate on them and eat maybe 7-8 every night with my tea.....i traded them for fresh fruit and healthier options..i initially dropped about 12-13 lbs, from stopping the wine consumption, but it creeps back easily if i don't watch what i eat.

i drink herbal tea from noon on now that the weather is cold, in the summer it was water or seltzer with a splash of juice.

i think i was very dehydrated all the time while drinking.