AliceTW

Hi folks,

I was talking to someone in PM and discussing weight gain and alcohol. I found it interesting once I mapped it out, so thought I would share it here as no doubt there are others following the same pattern, or who will find this interesting also.

I started drinking socially as an 18 year old, drinking regularly by the time I was 22, and drinking heavily by 24/25. The amount I drank increased to peak when I was 30. I noticed this was my weight gain:

20 - 56kgs (123lbs) BMI 18.4 - underweight
21 - 58kgs (127lbs) gain of 4lbs since 18. BMI 19.3 - normal
23 - 65kgs (143lbs) gain of 16lbs since 21, 20 all up. BMI 21.7 - normal
24 - 72kgs (158lbs) gain of 15 lbs since 23, 35 all up. BMI 24 - normal
26 - 82kgs (180lbs) gain of 22 lbs since 24, 57 all up. BMI 27.4 - overweight
30 - 103kgs (227lbs) gain of 47 since 26, 104 all up. BMI 34.5 - obese

So that's a gain of 104lbs in 10 years. In US clothes, that's going from a size 4 to a size 18. And almost half of that gain happened in the last 2-3 years. Crazy.

I'm 9 months sober now, and back to 83/84 kilos (somewhere near 186 I think?). I'm still going down on the scales steadily and slowly.

Doug39

I am 6 foot 2.

I was 190-200 lbs. when I was 21.

I started drinking heavy at age 25, and by age 30 I was up to about 260 lbs.

Over the last 20 years I have tried to diet several times; I have gotten as low as 227 lbs. and as high as 290 lbs. but usually always fell back into the 265-280 lbs. range.

Since I quit drinking 10 weeks ago I have lost about 15 lbs. but I eat too many sweets - I have to slow down. I plan to go on a diet and keep it off soon.

It really wasn't only the alcohol that made me gain weight, it's was poor eating decisions that I made when drunk and the F it all attitude, so I would over eat.

polaris

It varies greatly between great weight loss and great weight gain depending on the individuals (and many other factors surely)

Mirage74

When I really started drinking heavily (everyday) I was 26-27 and weighed about 225 (Im 6'4"). Im about 275 now, BMI over 30 (obese) but my weight has fluctuated over the past 12 years. That weight gain is attributable to aging, bad eating habits, lack of exercise, and drinking. But I'd say drinking is responsible for about 80% of the blame, b/c if I hadn't been drinking I would have eaten better and gotten more exercise. Since Ive sobered up a couple of weeks, suddenly I want to lose weight. But when I was drinking I didn't care. Drinking does that to you, it affects your mentality and motivation to be healthy

indakut

Congrats on the weight loss! It will continue to come off as you continue to abstain from drinking.
The empty calories from drinking left me at 197 lbs. Since I have been sober, I have lost close to 50 lbs. Love being sober

Pipping

I had a period of sobriety about 3 years ago for 6 months and lost 40 pounds. I didn't change my diet and exercise regime so it had to be the alcohol. Back to square one now but looking forward to losing the booze bloat, dry skin and puffy sausage like fingers. Not to mention the perma stained red wine lips and ruddy purple cheeks! Congrats on the weight loss, that's awesome!

anchorbird

OH YES, count me in! I started drinking heavily 2 years ago and have gained 40 lbs. This is one of my motivational factors in quitting!

Alex41

So true!! I was 145lbs this time last year Now 9mths sober I'm down to 121lbs and my BMI has gone from 24 to 20. Seems weight loss is an added bonus to sobriety. Not only do you feel great on the inside, you look great on the outside too!!

zjw

I was about 135-140lbs when i was 19 I was about 200 but lost weight through hard work and a lost appetite I just didnt eat much but I still drank on the weekends plenty etc.. fast forward 33 years old 275lbs drank like a fish day in and day out never felt like doing squat and had trouble getting up the stairs etc.. I quit drinking and dropped 15lbs or so right off the bat. I dunno how I didnt loose more after all i was drinking like 15000 20000 calories of beer a week i think it worked out too. but whatever the case was I didnt loose anymore then that.

Then i quit smoking fixed my diet now I float around 140-150lbs and I'm 5 foot 7.

I'm sure the beer played a big role in my weight but seriousling sitting around drunk and smoking cigarettes all the time doing nothing phsyical and not caring about what i ate ec.. really did a number on me. Glad i'm still alive! And getting healthier and healthier everyday. I'm in better shape now at 35 then I have been in my entire life.

Bird615

I was into eating healthy and exercising, got in decent shape, but had slacked off those things and put on about 10 pounds. Around the same time that I decided I wanted to do something about that little extra weight, I started drinking again.


No matter how much I worked out and ate carefully, my weight would maybe drop a pound or two, but then always go back up and it kept creeping up, to my supreme frustration. I refused to believe it was the alcohol, because if I accepted that, it'd mean that it would have to go if I wanted to reach my goal.

I stayed in denial about that (among other things) the entire 19 months I kept drinking. Now since I've stopped, the weight's gone up a bit more, probably because I'm indulging in ice cream more often and exercising less the past few weeks, but it's only been just over a month. I do hope with a bit more sober time, my body will heal and stabilize and the weight will start to head in the direction I'm hoping (provided I ease up on the ice cream!) I now have about 15-20 pounds to lose.

At least my blood pressure is back into the normal range, which is already good incentive for me to stay sober! That's one less health issue to worry about.

zjw

I once did a low carb diet while i was drinking I dropped 60lbs or so but I drank rum and diet soda for months. it was disgusting but i had to feed the beast. and it was low carb. ::facepalm::

whiskeyman

i lost alot as well, but be warned DO NOT pick up coffee as a substitute , it all went back on and more

pinkdog

Hi Alice, great job on sobriety and weightloss. You rock!

jennikate

I've had quite the opposite experience. I've been sober for 16+ months and I've gained about 30 lbs. When I drank, I mostly drank. Eating just got in the way.

stevie88

I'm the same as jennikate....Throughout my drinking career especially when it got to it's worst I would go days without eating...Until I quit I was around 50lbs underweight....Eating really did get in the way of slurping down my 20 plus pints of beer everyday......So far I have gained around 30 of them pounds back and I ain't stopped yet...I smash the gym 3 times a week and I'm eating on average around 4000 calories a day....I will turn into a mini man mountain lol......

Wastinglife

I went from 185 lbs (6'2") at the age of 26 to 260 by age 32. These were my peak years of drinking. Averaged 12 tall cans of beer every night or a litre of vodka. Right now I'm at 225.

I remember my gf at the time being suspicious of me cheating on her when I was really out drinking at a bar. I told her to take a look at me. I'm 60 lbs overweight, bloated, and broke. What girl in her right mind is gonna find me attractive? haha.

Dinger

I have put on a shed load, all the sugar in beer is so destroying!

TDInstall

Yep, as a teenager I was very slim. Got into high-end mountain biking around that time and stayed slim until I was about 23. Drinking a lot made me fill out but I was still young and very active, so I controlled it.

Went basically inactive around 27 until 31 and put on lots of weight. Quit the evil drink, got back into bikes and slimmed right down.

zjw

there seems to be 2 types of drinkers the ones that drink all there meals. and the ones that eat and drink. the ones that drink all there meals tend to be slim to begin with the ones that eat and drink are the ones that seem to plump up. Its probably not entirely the booze in terms of calories but also the absolute lethargic feeling after you've consumed booze top that with the hangover the next day who the heck wants to get active when there battling a killer hangover? its too much working against ya.

MrTumble

Totally agreed with zjw. Im in the later group, enjoy being active now im sober but just cannot do it when hungover.