Wakeuphappy

I've been sober now for 14 days, before that I was drinking a bottle and a half of wine.
I'm hoping to lose a stone, as I'm overweight, I look awful :-(
Sobriety feels good, I've been sleeping better, and feeling a lot more clear headed.
I've also been exercising at the gym (have been for a while but didn't lose weight due to my alcohol consumption)
Since quitting wine, I haven't lost a single pound, and I'm extremely disheartened, wine has ruined my appearance and I feel crap about myself, I'd have thought by now I'd have lost something. But no :-(
I eat healthily. So why the hell am I not losing weight???? Did anyone else take a while to drop the pounds?

Dee74

Hi wakeuphappy - welcome

Here's how a Dr explained it to me...

when you look at it 2 weeks is not that much time, especially if your body has been in crisis mode from years of drinking etc.

Our bodies will learn to store fat if it thinks it's under siege.

I learned that eating three steady meals a day of moderate portions (and more raw and unprocessed stuff and proteins over the processed carbohydrates) you will lose weight eventually, especially with a steady programme of exercise.. I recently lost 10 kgs in just over a month.

It will happen - don't get discouraged.

D

HTown

It is too soon for you to see progress. Like Dee I ate more protein and less carbs. I lost 35 pounds over 6 months. very steady and healthy.

Wakeuphappy

Thank you for your replies, it helps to hear that, I guess it's just hard as giving up the wine has been a huge step in my life, I gave up for a variety of reasons, weight loss being one, it's just hard because I look in the mirror and hate what I see :-(

CaptainHaddock

I am about 6 weeks sober. Besides for anything else I quit because I was not happy with my weight. After 2 weeks and not losing much weight I also got impatient, but after that it started and continued steadily. By now I lost about 10 pounds. This was without any specific exercise program. Still need to lose about 20 and I will be in the ideal weight range for my build and height.

I guess everyone is different and gender may even play a role, but I am sure most people will lose some weight over time without all those calories (and perhaps overeating at the same time, if you are like me). I think also better quality of sleep once we quit contributes to weight loss.

Wholesome

It took awhile for the pounds to start dropping of me and it was frustrating for sure! I had to do more than just not drink, even though I thought that aught to be enough considering how much beer I was drinking. I have a consistent exercise routine and I watch what I eat. I've even gone vegetarian, more for ethical reasons than calorie counting though. Give it time. I think once the liver starts to heal that helps with the weight loss. When the liver is damaged and fatty it's very hard to loss weight. Just another reason to not drink. Show your liver some love!

cusper

I actually gained weight the first month! I read a lot on quitting drinking and it takes some time for your liver to work properly as well especially if you were a heavy drinker. You will lose weight if your when your liver heals. It took me about 3 months to see any difference at all. However after 3 months the weight was falling off. By 6 months I was thin again. Although I do believe your diet plays a huge part as well although I am sure you know that! Give it time. Congrats on 2 weeks!!!

CreativeThinker

Like you Wakeuphappy, I was shocked when I didn't start dropping weight quickly after I stopped drinking. The first few weeks of sobriety I pretty much ate as much sweets as I needed (I never used to be a big sweets person), just to get through the day without drinking. I still worked out regularly and tried to eat healthy, but I needed my sugar fix in the beginning.

I slowly began replacing the sweets with healthier snacks; fruits, protein bars, nuts... while I continued working out 5-6 days per week (min 45 min per workout) and eating high protein, low carb healthy meals. Eventually the weight began to slowly come off...but it didn't come off like it used to. Instead of dropping 1.5-2 lbs every week, I would go a few weeks without losing any weight, then get on the scales and see a huge drop! It took some time to get to the point that I was losing weight...but I eventually began to lose.

I've been in recovery for 6 months and while my weight hasn't come off as quickly as it used to, I'm ok with having lost 19lbs so far. As long as the scales are moving in the right direction, I'm sober and I feel and look great, I'm happy with that.

Be patient, keep working out and eating the right things. You will lose weight, it just may not come off the way it used to.

rascalwhiteoak

It definitely took more than two weeks for the weight loss to start for me. I attributed it to a couple factors -- I was eating way more sugar in sobriety; also, my muscles had atrophied a bit in my later drinking days.

So, give it time! I'm finding the further along I get, the farther I can run, the more I can lift, and it's easier to eat healthy, too.

choicesgifts

I know that you are frustrated because you are not losing weight. It's really annoying anyone and the same thing happens with me. Weight loss is a long time process and you should focus on your diet. When you will make a diet plan and follow it, you will get results.

aasharon90

Like others shared, it takes time. Time
for everything including learning and
applying healthier ways to eat in order
to look and feel better.

Right now, I'm looking how to sweeten
my coffee naturally without all those
processed ideas they have lurking in
the stores.

I don't like just plain black coffee. YUK...!!!

And I like my coffee sweet. But many things
I buy when I read the labels have stuff in them
that is slowing down my weight loss process.

I mean everything we enjoy has so chemicals
in them that are soooo harmful to us and we
are not even aware of them.

To be successful in weight loss id need
to learn or be taught what is good to eat
or drink or put in my body. What foods
are not processed or have harmful chemicals
in them.

Anyway....keep learning new healthy ways
to remain sober and foods to eat the achieve
better results to live happier down the road.

ReadyAtLast

I can relate. Like others, I have upped my protein and reduced my processed carbs and high sugar. I try and eat salad and veg more too. It's difficult early on with sugar cravings in my case though trying not to be too hard on myself or too disheartened as it's still healthier not drinking and weight loss will follow as we get healthier.

tealily

Hi Wakeuphappy,

I understand your impatience! But it will happen. Think of how much healthier overall you are from subtracting this dangerous chemical from your system.

I lost a lot of bloat almost right away, and a few pounds, but the pounds have crept up a bit recently. Bloat is still much better though.

Even so, I feel so much better, and I know more weight will drop.

I substituted a diet including a daily bottle of wine and junk food for a healthier diet, more water, less junk food, regular meals, occasional chocolate. Maybe right now the calorie number is similar, but the QUALITY is hugely better.

I look younger, feel better. I went to the doctor yesterday and they remarked on how when I was there the last time, my blood pressure was way up in a dangerous zone. Yesterday it was 120/66. I know it's just from eliminating alcohol.

Hang in there! You are doing great, and it'll get better.


It'll come!

Wakeuphappy

Thank you so much for your replies, it's helping a lot and keeping me on the right path, Lord knows it's hard enough doing this alone

2muchpain

Like Dee was saying; the body fights hard to hold on to the weight. I read somewhere where the body goes into survival mode. That's why short-term dieting doesn't work well. I've gone through what your going through so I understand your frustration. I actually gained a little even with exercising, not drinking and watching what I ate. I think that's why some people go to a gym for several weeks and quit. They don't see immediate results. But I stuck with it and all of a sudden, the pounds started dropping off. Gotta be persistent and consistent. Good luck. John

Delizadee

This needs to change.
You've just made a massive readjustment in your life. Give yourself a pat on the back and a pause for a breath to just BE OK. And instead of looking at the mirror and hating what you see, look at the mirror and tell yourself "I love you".
Tell yourself that every day. Multiple times a day. Say it even if it feels dumb, even if you don't believe. Point out all the things on the outside and work your way in that you love about yourself.

All the weightloss in the world does not a happy sober person make. A well-rounded life plan/recovery plan/sobriety program includes a huge dose of self-acceptance, self-love, and self-care.
It's good to make goals and take note of progress. Don't beat yourself up, though, especially in early days.

IWalkTheLine

If the only difference is you've stopped drinking wine it will take a while, you've got to think you didn't put that weight on in two weeks so you won't lose it in two, but you will lose it. There's so many other benefits from not drinking so don't get too hung up on this one thing. Good luck, and we'll done for getting this far.

Wakeuphappy

Thank you for your kind words, I need them.
I don't know how to love myself, although I'm getting there slowly. I've had some terrible relationships with men, which is part of the reason why I don't like myself, they've made me feel unlovable and stupid.

I have to sort my life out though, i have four kids who depend and rely on me, and I'm 35, so too grown for this crap 😔