Kiya

This is my first post here and i was wondering if anyone had diet suggestions that have helped them as they have quit drinking. I guess some background first would be in order. I'm 28 and have been drinking since I turned 21, I was legal and it just felt right from the first beer. From 22-24 i went through a phase where I was having a couple of beers in the morning, maybe 1 or 2 at lunch and then into Canadian club/tequila/beer in the evenings until bed between 11 or 12. Rinse and repeat the following day at 0630. Weekends were drinking starting at 7am until a nap midafternoon and then drinking until bed again.

When I met my wife I did adjust my drinking some. She will drink beer when we are out and during ball games but it's obvious to me it's just different for her. It's down to just beer for me and no hard liquor. During the week I'm not drinking before 5pm as soon as I walk in the door from work. Weekends I consider it a successful day to wait until 2-3pm to start drinking. A week night will consist of 6-10 beers and Fri/Sat/Sun in the 12-16 range probably. Regardless of the 'adjusted' volumes it's obvious to me that I have issues with alcohol and have for some time. Since I turned 21 my longest stretch without drinking is 4 nights 5 days the first time I decided I was done and stopping. Since then there have been lots of day 1's and day 2's with almost no day 3's.

I made day 3 this past Thursday before giving up yesterday evening to the headache/torso cramps/chest fluttering. By no means severe withdrawal symptoms but to me (I'm a wuss with pain) they were legit. Tomorrow morning will start my new day one with my wife on board. I have yet to actually ask her to help before today. I always took the view point it was my issue my problem she shouldn't be burdened with it also. As if even though I'm functional it didn't cause her any inconvenience before.

The real point of this entire post is I've been to the dr a couple months ago and he wasn't too concerned about withdrawal symptoms. Just said make sure and take a multivitamin and a B complex. But he didn't have a whole lot of insight on diet with the exception of you are cutting 1000 calories per day out of your diet. You will be hungry so eat. Worry about calorie consumption after you fix the alcohol issue.

What has helped other people diet wise? Am I better off with just a basic balanced diet? Or go heavier on protein to try and fill myself up and offset the carb deficit I can feel starting in the second day? I realize there is not much to help the first 4 days other than suck it up and do it. I'm looking for more beyond that first week when the yearning for calories sets in.

Dee74

I dunno about anyone else but I figured my body had been through enough...I also figured not drinking would be strenuous enough...so I kept it simple...

took a multivitamin, ate three squares a day...
developed a little sweet tooth but you could substitute fruit for that, if thats the kind of thing that worries you

apart from your diet, whats your recovery plan?

D

bigsombrero

Couldn't agree more on the fruit statement from Dee there. I had a real sweet tooth in the beginning, but then again I didn't care because cutting the booze was job #1. If you're a generally healthy eater who isn't naturally prone to being heavy, you should make it through and be better than ever. Cautious with those withdrawl symptoms though. Be careful and give yourself plenty of time to rest.

Nevertheless

I myself took a barrage of vitamins. I drank at least a 12 pack a day.
Quitting smoking,the addiction lightened up a lot by day 4. Quitting drinking was a whole different story. It will sneak up on you when you least expect it for a long long time.
Myself I often substituted pigging out,or chocolate cake for "celebration"
All books and institutions will say it is wrong. But for me,after eating half a chocolate cake. Beer or liquor just don't sound appealing. The hell of it is. I quit right at 4 years ago,but now I am addicted to chocolate. I belong to a gym and havn't gained weight to speak of. But I do still binge on chocolate. The good news is I don't do things I regret nor do I black out or forget things from it.
Quitting drinking was one of the hardest things I have ever done,but it was also one of the most worth while.
I hope you don't find it as hard to do as I did. But if you do,the important thing is to keep at it. And learn from mistakes.
I wish you the best...
Fred

noanxtime

I was eating horribly while drinking. I love to cook and eat which makes an odd combo. When I cooked, I drank and then was 'full' and had no appetite even though everyone else did.
While not heavy when drinking, I lost almost 15 pounds in about 3 weeks. I can only account for the decline in pure calories from box wine. Roughly 800-1000 a day. I am not working out, that's going to change - but eating way more than I was before. (I also had some eating anxiety that went away when I dropped the wine out of my diet).While not a big vitamin eater, I started taking a multi vitamin - children's chewables - not a pill swallower.
I would advise to eat what you are hungry for, even if it seems like junk at the time. Focus on your future without all that alcohol and maybe better food choices down the road when you are ready.

paul99

Removing alcohol from your daily diet is tough enough without putting extra demands on yourself to be eating in a rigorous manner. I was pretty much eating anything and everything when I got sober. Sweets were big, but that seems to be a normal thing. It was about a year later that I decided to tackle my eating habits. It's been about two months sugar free now.

I agree with what the others said - vitamins, lots of water, rest, fruit, regular meals. Focus on the drink issue now - worry about the love handles once you get on your feet, so to speak.