effortjoy

Of what month of recovery I was in and now a huge life stress is setting off cravings. Part of it is that I am exhausted and feeling a drop in self confidence. Part of it is just missing the instant relaxation- I'm over eight months sober and I don't want to drink again. I'm just shocked that after all this time the cravings can suddenly return.
I think this is further complicated by still feeling like I have a fat stomach from drinking even though I now weigh only a hundred pounds at 5"4; I don't know why I still feel fat

Dee74

Hi Effortjoy - sorry you're having a rough time.

I'm not one who got sober and then never craved again...for me it took well over a year.

I think it's how we respond to those cravings that's the measure of our recovery and you have over 8 months...that's great going in anyones book.

As for tummies - I'm definitely not an expert on losing one
I know they need some special exercise targeting sometimes.

If you suspect there's any medical reason behind it, obviously seeing your Dr would help...

otherwise do you belong to a gym? can you ask someone there for help?

D

effortjoy

Thanks Dee- I do belong to gym and I run miles every day; the trainer there doesn't see anything and my husband keeps telling me that I am anorexic which seems absurd to me; how can it be that no one else sees my stomach? Are they lying? Or am I replacing one addiction with another and bent on self destruction for some reason? I can't figure it out but I feel so heavy and I can't stand it when my husband nags me to eat; I feel like we are replaying the dynamic when he would pour my vodka bottles down the sink- but now he is just shoving food in my face

Dee74

I think cross addiction is always a risk - I know a lot of people do develop eating disorders after dealing with other addictions.

I dunno - I know nothing about EDs....but do you think it's likely that people are lying to you about your stomach tho?

or that's normal your husband has to nag you to eat?

maybe it's worth thinking about?
D

artsoul

I think as women, we always go straight to the flaws when we look in the mirror, even if they're tiny. It has a lot to do with our mood, too..... when I feel good about myself, the outside doesn't matter quite as much. '(This may be sexist, but I don't think men understand what we go through sometimes. They seem to be much better supporters of themselves. We need to work on it over and over again to keep our self-esteem up, I think.)

I'm sorry it's a struggle at the moment. I still get cravings after 2+ years sober, though not often. It's like a subconscious reaction - sometimes I can identify why I have them and sometimes I can't. When I do have negative feelings, I try to listen to what they're saying, if I have needs that aren't being met, or whatever. They do come and go, though, so I try to remember that, too! Hang in there......:ghug3

neferkamichael

Effortjoy, I'm over eight months sober and I don't want to drink again? You are FANTASTIC. Congratulations. I haven't had cravings lately, but if it can happen to you it can happen to me. This kind of thread helps me stay focused on my soberiety. Thanks

FreeFall

I think it's pretty normal to still get cravings but they seem to come less often than before. It sounds like you're a very healthy person with all the exercise so it's also normal to be very aware of your body. I do think it's very easy to go too far. I'm also 5'4" and when I was in college working out like a fiend people were telling me to stop when I hit 110. I still thought I was overweight, and looking back that was absurd. Every body is different, but I think we generally can trust what others see more than we see ourselves in a lot of cases.

Good luck in finding a balance and working on a healthy self image that doesn't involve over training and starvation. I have the opposite problem entirely-oy!

sugarbear1

What about taking measurements and photos and not looking at them for a few days. Meanwhile, search height and weight measurements for your age online and compare---in a few days, maybe when you aren't feeling so detached from yourself; wait until until you are feeling pretty good about something you've accomplished.

I know I haven't always seen me the way I am in reality. It takes time to get to a place where I can see the real me.....

With love & hugs,

Dee74

I should add a disclaimer - I'm a guy.
I have very little idea about female body image.

I didn't want you to think I was diagnosing you with anorexia or something

D