Physical Appearance Better Sober
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 18
Physical Appearance Better Sober
I first stumbled upon SR searching for this topic. I must be very vain, so these posts gave me encouragement. While looking for all the reasons to not drink over the holidays, this is one of my main motivations. After 16 days I notice:
- clear eyes that are white and don’t hurt when I rub the
- finger swelling is down, so my rings are loose
-more manageable hair
- waistband fits better and I dropped to my lowest weight in almost 2 years
- improved sleep is helping the dark circles and facial skin is less red
- teeth look whiter and feel cleaner
- face is less bloated
- I care more about my appearance so my overall look is more polished
Anyone with more time under their belt care to share their transformations?
- clear eyes that are white and don’t hurt when I rub the
- finger swelling is down, so my rings are loose
-more manageable hair
- waistband fits better and I dropped to my lowest weight in almost 2 years
- improved sleep is helping the dark circles and facial skin is less red
- teeth look whiter and feel cleaner
- face is less bloated
- I care more about my appearance so my overall look is more polished
Anyone with more time under their belt care to share their transformations?
Blue Belt
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Soberville, USA
Posts: 4,174
Mels,
I was looking forward to my hair thickening when I stopped being so anxious from not drinking.
Didn't happen.
I am probably twice as strong as when I was drinking. I work out all the time now. It is my new addiction.
So i look better. My pants fit better. I get stares now from ladies. My wife stares.
My confidence is way up. This is more attractive.
My skin is better too. My eyes are also bright white. My gums are nice and pink since I brush at least 2 times a day now. When I was a drunk, sometimes I'd pass out and not brush.
Mentally, I am growing now. I accept and embrace adversity better.
I am in the place nature and God intended for me. Drinking altered that.
I was raised to be a drunk. Thank God for SR.
I learned and grew out of drinking.
Thanks.
I was looking forward to my hair thickening when I stopped being so anxious from not drinking.
Didn't happen.
I am probably twice as strong as when I was drinking. I work out all the time now. It is my new addiction.
So i look better. My pants fit better. I get stares now from ladies. My wife stares.
My confidence is way up. This is more attractive.
My skin is better too. My eyes are also bright white. My gums are nice and pink since I brush at least 2 times a day now. When I was a drunk, sometimes I'd pass out and not brush.
Mentally, I am growing now. I accept and embrace adversity better.
I am in the place nature and God intended for me. Drinking altered that.
I was raised to be a drunk. Thank God for SR.
I learned and grew out of drinking.
Thanks.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 5,164
Originally Posted by Melsbells 
- clear eyes that are white and don’t hurt when I rub the
- finger swelling is down, so my rings are loose
-more manageable hair
- waistband fits better and I dropped to my lowest weight in almost 2 years
- improved sleep is helping the dark circles and facial skin is less red
- teeth look whiter and feel cleaner
- face is less bloated
- I care more about my appearance so my overall look is more polished
Anyone with more time under their belt care to share their transformations?
I used to wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat with my heart pounding. This was not like a reaction to a nightmare. I wasn't even scared, but I did wonder what was going on. I would lay there with my heart pounding just calmly thinking, "This can't be a good thing."
I haven't had that happen now in 23+ years of sobriety.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Right here, right now
Posts: 3,965
Hi Melsbells. Congrats on 16 days! I have 22 months sober. Ditto to everything you said. The biggest changes I noticed physically were the reduced bloating (both in my face and belly area), skin improvement (less redness, wrinkled appearance, under eye bags, and those tiny purple lines), better sleep quality.
After a year sober, I had lost 20 lbs with very little effort - mostly just not drinking but also changing to a ketogenic diet and more active lifestyle. I am at my ideal weight now (maybe a little under), have more muscle tone and can proudly wear a bikini
. The skin redness has completely gone away and I wear very little makeup now
More importantly for me are the emotional changes. Less anxiety, more self confident and so many other things.
Keep going. It gets better and better over time!
After a year sober, I had lost 20 lbs with very little effort - mostly just not drinking but also changing to a ketogenic diet and more active lifestyle. I am at my ideal weight now (maybe a little under), have more muscle tone and can proudly wear a bikini
. The skin redness has completely gone away and I wear very little makeup now More importantly for me are the emotional changes. Less anxiety, more self confident and so many other things.
Keep going. It gets better and better over time!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 154
Early into sobriety, I gain a little weight since I'm making up for cravings with food and not always the healthiest food.
But I've been good about eating healthier and am starting to lean up. Working out and doing yoga have been great for that as well.
And yes my skin looks much clearer, which is great.
But I've been good about eating healthier and am starting to lean up. Working out and doing yoga have been great for that as well.
And yes my skin looks much clearer, which is great.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 131
I lose weight when drinking due to absolutely no food intake. I have gained over 20 lbs in the last 6 months since quitting. Interspersed in both I work out to failure. I joined a Krav Maga class early on this time and did 4 classes in 2 weeks....all of the impact giving and receiving injured my left shoulder and simply putting on a jacket is painful now. Terribly frustrating. I despise being overweight, not for the vanity, but for the ease of motion.
No Dogma Please
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,562
Clear skin, better hair, and decreased bloating immediately. Better posture.
Got very motivated to work out and diet. Started gym and keto around 100 days sober and within 9 months had lost 50 pounds. Got rid of all of my fat clothes so there's no going back. Grew a beard and started dressing way better. Basically didn't pursue sex or relationships for years, I'm dating again and look good and getting a lot of attention and flirting, a surprising amount from guys in their 20s (I'm 57). People don't recognize me and say I look at least 15 years younger.
Got very motivated to work out and diet. Started gym and keto around 100 days sober and within 9 months had lost 50 pounds. Got rid of all of my fat clothes so there's no going back. Grew a beard and started dressing way better. Basically didn't pursue sex or relationships for years, I'm dating again and look good and getting a lot of attention and flirting, a surprising amount from guys in their 20s (I'm 57). People don't recognize me and say I look at least 15 years younger.
Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Where I’ve longed to be all my life…..here, now.
Posts: 7,335
A little of everything said here, especially Fearlessat50.
Initially gained a little, substituted some sugary snack for the alcohol sugars, now almost six months sober and looking much better.
My nails are stronger, were cracked and peeling before, couldn't grow beyond my fingertip or less, very painful. Less swollen face, less red face. Spider veins on nostrils permanent, lasering next year as a treat for sobriety.
Going to gym on regular basis (recovering from neck surgery, so within reason right now).
Never going back to poisoning my body with alcohol.
Initially gained a little, substituted some sugary snack for the alcohol sugars, now almost six months sober and looking much better.
My nails are stronger, were cracked and peeling before, couldn't grow beyond my fingertip or less, very painful. Less swollen face, less red face. Spider veins on nostrils permanent, lasering next year as a treat for sobriety.
Going to gym on regular basis (recovering from neck surgery, so within reason right now).
Never going back to poisoning my body with alcohol.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 2
Congratulations Mels! I am around the same amount of time sober as you, and I was also searching this thread for the same thing. What I notice most is my hair is thicker, and my face is significantly less bloated. Love it. Thanks for the post.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 524
I quit drinking in April 2018 and whilst I have had isolated slip ups a few times of drinking, it's only been a night here and there so it hasn't really affected my physical recovery.
I've lost about a stone and a half in weight in 6 months, my jeans are now falling down even with a belt, which are now too big.
Bloated face and belly has long gone, teeth are whiter, (I was a heavy red wine drinker).
I work out three times a week, am in the best shape of my adult life. I am 35.
The physical transformation has been quite remarkable, and I know there is still plenty of improvement to come as I embark on a muscle building diet, high protein and good carbs etc
I've lost about a stone and a half in weight in 6 months, my jeans are now falling down even with a belt, which are now too big.
Bloated face and belly has long gone, teeth are whiter, (I was a heavy red wine drinker).
I work out three times a week, am in the best shape of my adult life. I am 35.
The physical transformation has been quite remarkable, and I know there is still plenty of improvement to come as I embark on a muscle building diet, high protein and good carbs etc
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2,908
My quit date is 1/2/18. I was thinking just this morning about how it’s so true I have to want to be sober more than I want to drink. All of the things I’d heard from others about the outward, external manifestations really didn’t happen for me. Indeed I had this thought because I swear my hair is getting thinner not thicker! I guess I am saying all this just to put the thought out there that folks who don’t experience these results shouldn’t get discouraged. For me possibly the greatest gift of sobriety is that when I see a picture of myself I don’t feel a twinge of shame. Instead I feel a twinge of pride. So even though I look the same I don’t feel the same way about it.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: here, now.
Posts: 1,236
I kept going back after a little bit of sobriety, when my focus was the outside appearance. I would lose a small amount of weight, my eyes would be brighter, and my skin looking good, and I’d drink again.
Then, when I got sober the final time, I was more focused on who I am in the world as a drunk vs not drunk.... who as opposed to what.
Not that I’m some holier than thou person who doesn’t care about my outward appearance that much. I do. But it isn’t what kept me sober in the long run and if it was my primary motivation now, I would be drunk right now.
Because when I finally got sober, I lost the usual 10 or so pounds, got the usual brighter eyes, et al, and then it stalled out. Nothing noticeable. Which for us alcoholics is enough to drive us crazy. We want quick fixes and quick results. Instant gratification.
Over two plus years, I’ve dropped between 40-50 pounds and provably have 20 to go til I look slammin. I look good now, though. My hair is healthier, my skin is healthier, my nails are healthier. Alcohol really messed with my circadian rhythm which is often already exacerbated by my work schedule so I wasn’t sleeping much for years. When I did it wasn’t restful. That messed with my brain.
I’m getting better, slowly. I don’t ever want to go back to the way i felt or the way I was three years ago.
Or the way I looked.
But, we will all age. Our outer meat suits break down and there’s nothing we can ultimately do about it. What keeps me sober is focusing on the inside. Weird that I look better on the outside, when I threw in the towel on caring about that.
Then, when I got sober the final time, I was more focused on who I am in the world as a drunk vs not drunk.... who as opposed to what.
Not that I’m some holier than thou person who doesn’t care about my outward appearance that much. I do. But it isn’t what kept me sober in the long run and if it was my primary motivation now, I would be drunk right now.
Because when I finally got sober, I lost the usual 10 or so pounds, got the usual brighter eyes, et al, and then it stalled out. Nothing noticeable. Which for us alcoholics is enough to drive us crazy. We want quick fixes and quick results. Instant gratification.
Over two plus years, I’ve dropped between 40-50 pounds and provably have 20 to go til I look slammin. I look good now, though. My hair is healthier, my skin is healthier, my nails are healthier. Alcohol really messed with my circadian rhythm which is often already exacerbated by my work schedule so I wasn’t sleeping much for years. When I did it wasn’t restful. That messed with my brain.
I’m getting better, slowly. I don’t ever want to go back to the way i felt or the way I was three years ago.
Or the way I looked.
But, we will all age. Our outer meat suits break down and there’s nothing we can ultimately do about it. What keeps me sober is focusing on the inside. Weird that I look better on the outside, when I threw in the towel on caring about that.
Ocean Lover!
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: You know nothing Jon Snow - UK
Posts: 2,604
I am at 5.5 months and have noticed a big difference. I have lost 20lbs just from not drunk dialling the take always for bad food and eating more healthy and a bit of daily walking. The main thing I notice now when I look at old photos is the bloating has gone, I never realised at the time how bad it was. My nails have also grown, don’t break and I have stopped biting them too. My eyes are brighter and whiter and not glazed. My breath doesn’t smell, skin is not dry and patchy and less blotchy!
I think that bexxed has really hit on something though. Initially I was focused on the physical changes and improvements and enjoying not having a hangover etc. But at 5.5 months whilst those things are great and I am pretty chuffed with the pay off I am more nourished by the personal changes within. The calm, less depression and doom and gloom and all the positive things that come along with working on my inner self and changing the way I think. That is what has made the most difference to me so far xx
I think that bexxed has really hit on something though. Initially I was focused on the physical changes and improvements and enjoying not having a hangover etc. But at 5.5 months whilst those things are great and I am pretty chuffed with the pay off I am more nourished by the personal changes within. The calm, less depression and doom and gloom and all the positive things that come along with working on my inner self and changing the way I think. That is what has made the most difference to me so far xx
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 18
I’m going to reply here because I’ve spent the last seven months trying to moderate my drinking thinking it could happen-a week or two sober, sometimes even 30 days only to realize it slides into nightly drinking with glasses adding on and on until it’s set the rhythm of my day/week/life. I’m on day 7, and since I’ve always hoped for updates on threads like these, here is what I found:
-My sleep is kinda of rough, but I feel and look more refreshed anyhow.
-I lost two inches off my waist and about 3.5 pounds with diet and exercise (really helps fill the time). While probably mostly water weight, it’s motivating.
-My skin is soft and not dry or itchy.
-I’ve been better with self-care (pedicure, cleaning out closets, hot baths, etc.)
I also have a clean house and lots of energy, and best of all, my toddler seems in tune with what’s going on. He’s slept better than he has in ages and is all about cuddling. Likewise this week, my husband and I have renewed intimacy.
And, why do I still try to drink?
-My sleep is kinda of rough, but I feel and look more refreshed anyhow.
-I lost two inches off my waist and about 3.5 pounds with diet and exercise (really helps fill the time). While probably mostly water weight, it’s motivating.
-My skin is soft and not dry or itchy.
-I’ve been better with self-care (pedicure, cleaning out closets, hot baths, etc.)
I also have a clean house and lots of energy, and best of all, my toddler seems in tune with what’s going on. He’s slept better than he has in ages and is all about cuddling. Likewise this week, my husband and I have renewed intimacy.
And, why do I still try to drink?
Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: United States
Posts: 2,547
This is definitely one of my favorite parts of being sober (18 months or so). At the end of my drinking, I was a bloated mess with a red, puffy face, bloodshot eyes, super-dry skin, etc. When I stopped drinking initially, I told myself that I wouldn't focus on weight loss until I felt fairly secure in my sobriety, as it was definitely the most important thing and I have to be careful about feeling deprived. At around 6 months sober, I started walking and watching what I was eating, and lost over 40 pounds. I've regained about 10 because I've seriously slacked off, but I look SO MUCH better than when I was drinking. Some people don't even recognize me at first.
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