Void

For those of you who have been sober for over 6 months, I'm interested to know whether your sobriety led you to lose weight or gain it.

Four years ago I weighed around 65kg. My drinking since then made my weight increase to 88kg.

I have calculated that I was drinking 1300 calories worth of alcohol a day. I'm now 2 weeks sober, but my weight has stayed exactly the same, and I'm confused.

Other than quitting alcohol, I have not changed my diet at all. I'm vegetarian (no meat or fish) and I eat lots of fruit and veg, brown bread and brown rice, and I tend to drink sparkling water or diet soft drinks. I find my lack of weight loss very surprising.

I'm a 30 year old male, in case that makes any difference...

Thanks all x

ScottFromWI

I lost weight after I quit, but it was several months before it started happening and staying off. 2 weeks is a great start, but it's going to take time for your body to adjust.

Soberwolf

I gained weight but I was really underweight to start off with

Staying sober it's balanced out

August252015

I am just shy of 6mos but the topic of the thread piqued my interest.

Like Soberwolf, I was underweight. My dr told me I needed to gain 12-15. I have probably gained 15-18 and more than I'd like is in my stomach. I am just slowly getting it all redistributed- it took me longer than I thought to start exercising (around 100 days I started a running program) and I now have a more active main job. My body has changed a lot- I imagine yours will too.

A big thing I had to do, once not drinking, is think about what to eat (not worrying as much about how much and my sweet tooth REALLY kicked in around 60 days) and how my body needed to retain the good stuff I was eating. It hadn't done that second part for a long time (and the first part was really iffy).

Give yourself time, and keep doing the right things in taking care of yourself physically- that is HUGE.

graciepearl

It took 3 months before I began to lose weight. Congrats on 2 weeks.

SnazzyDresser

I've lost a lot of weight since quitting, but my daily drinking calories were up around 3000. Void, it's only been 2 weeks for you, give it some time. I'm sure your weight will come down with time without those calories. It's like science or something!

great name btw

IronPhoenix

I am at 9 months now and have lost 21 lbs. Initially the weight loss was a result of not taking in as many calories. I then really committed to getting healthy and exercising and then really started to drop the weight.

2 weeks is great, but give your body a little time to re calibrate.

teatreeoil007

Some people actually GAIN weight when they quit drinking, partly because they started eating better again. [Some alcoholics are actually undernourished.] I don't know your are activity level. but it helps to be active and or increase your activity, no matter where you are at in life, whether sober or not. Get out there a do things you enjoy without alcohol.

For myself, the weight came off fairly soon. I attribute that to taking out all the calories I was taking in with alcohol. My appetite was sort of blah after first being sober, so that is also why I lost weight. I'm almost a year now, and more interested in cooking good healthy meals and enjoying food more and again AND being more active, whether it is working, playing or exercising.

Give it some time and keep going in the right direction sober. You can do it!

Anna

I needed to gain about 10 pounds I had lost and that came along nicely. I also started to become more active on a regular basis.

FarToGo

I'm a bit heavier, but still slim / ok build. I eat much better and more regularly and actually feel hunger rather than drunken binge or "opps better eat or the hangover will be worse".
I'm also a lot fitter these days and as you know muscle weighs a bit more.
As others have said, 2 weeks is pretty soon to judge. But great going, keep at it the rewards will come and keep coming.
xx

JD

I went from 220 lbs to 170 in 10.5 months. But I also kicked up the exercise quite a bit.

purplepeopleeat

I'm at 95 days and just now starting to lose some but I also have added exercise 4 days a week and eating a little better. I thought that I would drop weight fast when I got sober due to not taking in so many calories but I think our bodies r so damaged that it takes a while to get it back to working like it should

HopeandFaith1

I'm almost at 50 days. I lost about 8 pounds fast but have not lost any more yet. I'm still a little porker but thrilled to be not drinking.