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Weight gain in recovery

Old 11-30-2009, 05:36 AM
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Weight gain in recovery

How do people deal with this? I am not at all underweight, even while using but I am used to having like no appetite, now it's like I am terrified of gaining weight because I feel like I am eating so much and have no self control without something suppressing my appetite. It's stressing me out so much. That was one thing I liked about using the drugs I did was that I had no appetite, now I am not sure how to deal with my newly regained appetite.
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Old 11-30-2009, 05:59 AM
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eat healthy choices, exercise, and breath. You will need to learn to manage your bodies need for calories like "normal" people do now, and that is a very good thing. Are you seeing a therapist or working a program? Ultimately anything you obsess about could lead you back to your DoC, so finding a way to make peace with your thoughts is very important at this stage.
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Old 11-30-2009, 07:10 AM
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Yes, as Gypsy said, you will need to learn how to eat an amount of food that your body needs. If you are obsessing about eating, then you could be transferring the addiction, so try to get to the bottom of why you feel that way.

And, exercise in recovery is so very important, so maybe you can find something that you like to do such as yoga, swimming, or whatever makes you feel good.
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Old 11-30-2009, 09:08 AM
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Hi Rockets. Glad to see you are getting recovered. I remember exchanging some posts with you when you first came on board. Like you I used a lot of stimulants. They give you energy and you don''t eat as much.

I did worry about that, and still do a little. But now I am just like everyone else. I have to exercise and watch my diet a little more.

Just like normal people, I need to watch those carbs... sweets, starches... candy, most snack food, too much pasta and potatoes... I try to limit the carbs and of course, fats... the poster child of the enemy is french fries... fried carbs with extra grease and salt.

Protein tends to help satisfy the appetite... nuts are a good example, although higher in fat, they are high in protein and I tend to eat less snack food overall... Whole wheat bread instead of white... diet soda, well, preferably unsweetened seltzer, instead of sugared soda...

I ride bike and hike for exercise. Also I'll start skiing some this winter.

Think of all this new great stuff to learn when living chemical free.... it can be a great adventure. I just scratched the surface with the examples I gave.

Nice to see you here!

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Old 11-30-2009, 09:49 AM
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Don't even worry about it yet. As mentioned above work regular exercise into your weekly routine. You body will go through some major metabolic changes for the better. As regular users most of us have had our ability to efficiently absorbe nutrients from food compromised a certain extent. Throw in poor eating habits, too many bad calories from booz etc., and a sedentary lifestyle, and the whole mind body unit can get overwhelmed if you try to do too much too soon resulting in possible Slips/ relapse. Try changing one thing each week and integrating that into your MO and get support from others for the changes you are trying to make. To me a couple extra pounds is much
more attractive than yellow skin, an enlarged liver and distended stomach! Not to mention healthier for said individual. Best of luck! Keep us posted!
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Old 11-30-2009, 11:17 AM
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Thanks so much for your replies. I do feel a lot better after reading them. I have had issues when I was younger with disordered eating, and it still is in the back of my mind even now a lot of the times so I definitely think you are right about talking to somebody. I just don't want to gain weight or be overweight. I felt like I had so much control over my eating while on stimulants, I generally only ate to keep my body "healthy" and stomach not growling. Now I am actually craving food lol I'm not used to that... I feel like I could eat 100 donuts and that freaks me out. lol
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Old 11-30-2009, 11:32 AM
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NOOOOO Not Donughts!!! They are evil...

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Old 11-30-2009, 02:30 PM
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My weight went up right after I got sober and then about 6 months later equalized and then started to drop. I'm sure everyone is different, but it does take the body some time to re-adjust.
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Old 11-30-2009, 11:12 PM
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I worried a lot about gaining weight when I sobered up. My appetite did go up a lot, but being sober helped me make healthier food choices and be more active, so I ended up losing some weight. I still have a problem now where I feel like I should treat myself to whatever because I'm not drinking, but I guess everything takes time.
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Old 11-30-2009, 11:29 PM
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Rockets, you'll be ok. Worry about getting good and healthy first where your sobriety is concerned. I know MANY of us that have gained weight in the beginning and once we get stronger we are able to take on other goals such as getting rid of some extra weight, getting in shape, etc. It's one step at a time, baby steps. In the meantime just watch what you eat.

I went through the same thing. I didn't go completely nuts, but I really had to keep the focus on my sobriety. I have just finally lost the weight and started get exercise and it's been two years for me. I DID NOT rush myself. I knew in time I would get there.

Good luck and hang in there!!
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