Huge increase in appetite?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: LA, California
Posts: 372
I've been drinking about a gallon and a half of water a day, it seems like no amount of water can fill me up enough to not be hungry lol. I just had dinner and I'm still hungry, I'd venture to say I could eat an entire large pizza right now and still have room for dessert. Mind you I'm only 175 pounds, this appetite is insane.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Portland
Posts: 1,631
I've had appetite problems too. I am trying to be a little reasonable while not denying myself too much. I have started taking grapes to work so I have something decent to snack on.
I hope some of you are right that this will level off. I cannot gain more weight.
I hope some of you are right that this will level off. I cannot gain more weight.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 694
It took a year but I have lost 15 pounds, no diet, not even trying, I eat lots more than when I drank, I weigh less.
Most of us suffered from mal-nutrition when we quit drinking, so Becarule with diets, theres good eating plans in the back of the book 'under the influence'.
Most of us suffered from mal-nutrition when we quit drinking, so Becarule with diets, theres good eating plans in the back of the book 'under the influence'.
So it goes
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 1,620
Originally Posted by unentschieden 
However, for the first several weeks I had an unslakeable thirst. I drank many ounces of water and still felt thirsty. I consumed several cups of tea and still wanted more. I still have this thirst, but it's not as urgent as it was early on.
SoberOutlook
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,089
Thanks for this thread, eh. Glad others have experienced a similar thing. I started this journey about a year ago, and then fell off for a few months, and have now been sober the last seven months. Starting last March, I put on 20 lbs, and have kept it on. I was not underweight. I'm 6 ft, and went from 215 to 235. And, man, did I pick up the sweets when I stopped drinking. While drinking, I never had a sweet tooth for anything without alcohol in it. And my appetite still reigns insatiable. But I have plateaued.
The thing is, now 7 months sober, I can start to work on that with strength and resolve that won't be taken from my sobriety strength and resolve. I bought my son P90X and have dabbled a little with it, but am attempting to have some regular activity at least 30 min. 4 times a week, and have cleaned up my diet. It helps that wife went on weight watchers.
I should also add that I've made the following changes in the last 7 months as well:
I quit smoking, as of 1/1/12; I have gone off my ADD med, Ritalin; I stopped my blood pressure meds, as it has returned to normal, and I actually take no more supplements. I've also stopped coffee, in favor of green tea.
So....I'll take the 20 lbs, given that I am that much healthier, but the long term goal is to get back to a healthy 200 - 210, with proper diet and exercise.
Good luck! And don't despair the changes; they are all good!
The thing is, now 7 months sober, I can start to work on that with strength and resolve that won't be taken from my sobriety strength and resolve. I bought my son P90X and have dabbled a little with it, but am attempting to have some regular activity at least 30 min. 4 times a week, and have cleaned up my diet. It helps that wife went on weight watchers.
I should also add that I've made the following changes in the last 7 months as well:
I quit smoking, as of 1/1/12; I have gone off my ADD med, Ritalin; I stopped my blood pressure meds, as it has returned to normal, and I actually take no more supplements. I've also stopped coffee, in favor of green tea.
So....I'll take the 20 lbs, given that I am that much healthier, but the long term goal is to get back to a healthy 200 - 210, with proper diet and exercise.
Good luck! And don't despair the changes; they are all good!
12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
Originally Posted by eh1988
Hey guys. I'm on day 13 right now and I cannot seem to shake this appetite.
Does the appetite kinda go back to normal or have I completely messed that up with my drinking?
Does the appetite kinda go back to normal or have I completely messed that up with my drinking?
As for sugar.....that too varies. I know many recovered alkies who still battle it and they've got decades of sobriety. For others, it passes. There's really no right or wrong.....only what's true for you.
Alcoholism is a mental deal.....a problem that centers in the mind but outwardly manifests in drinking (for those of us in AA it's a spiritual deal too but I'll leave that part alone for now). Take the drink away and you've still got the alcoholism to deal with. For me, one of the ways it pops up has been in an "in the background" humm for comfort. When I was drinking, I found that comfort in booze. Early in sobriety, I sought it out in tobacco (I used to dip Kodiak and my "habit" went through the ROOF when I stopped drinking), in sugar (ice cream was my master! lol), in sex, masturbation, drinking Monster drinks, posting on internet message-boards, watching TV............pretty-much anything. I'd seek out aaaaanything to get my mind out of the here and now.....and even better if that "thing" (like sugar) also made me feel good at the time.
I'd suggest not ignoring it and just hoping it'll pass......as it may require some attention on your part. On the other hand though, first things first. Combating alcoholism as it relates to drinking needs to be priority #1 because without that one, the others are drops in the bucket.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,308
When I got sober I really craved sugar, I remember over Summer having 3 mango slushies at a time, stuff like that.
I didn't worry about what I ate early in sobriety as staying sober was number one priority.
Nine months on enough is enough, I was eating sweets, baked goods chocolate and ice cream like I would use alcohol. If I had an uncomfortable feeling I would feed it sugar.
I am 9 days into a raw food diet. What one poster said about the vegetables is so true, I make this huge bowl of salad which takes me about an hour to munch through and I feel really full, the high fibre has my digestive tract working wonderfully.
I also gave up coffee although I only had one huge pint cup in the morning. I have to have it with sugar and lots of milk.
Although this may seem extreme to some I can not moderate, even in eating. To stay on track I listen to raw food gurus to change my thought patters about food much the way I listen to AA speakers talk about drinking.
I have had more physical withdrawals than from alcohol, headaches tiredness mild depression. But I am feeling really good, the biggest change is I am a lot more calmer than before and don,t get angry so easily, I have certainly lost weight but my focus is more on getting healthy and stop stuffing down my emotions with food.
The sugar thing was like one desert was too many and a 100 not enough, you can never really satisfy that craving.
I really hate being addicted to stuff, I feel so much more in control.
Try the huge bowl of salad and lots of water as one poster suggested it really works.
CaiHong
I didn't worry about what I ate early in sobriety as staying sober was number one priority.
Nine months on enough is enough, I was eating sweets, baked goods chocolate and ice cream like I would use alcohol. If I had an uncomfortable feeling I would feed it sugar.
I am 9 days into a raw food diet. What one poster said about the vegetables is so true, I make this huge bowl of salad which takes me about an hour to munch through and I feel really full, the high fibre has my digestive tract working wonderfully.
I also gave up coffee although I only had one huge pint cup in the morning. I have to have it with sugar and lots of milk.
Although this may seem extreme to some I can not moderate, even in eating. To stay on track I listen to raw food gurus to change my thought patters about food much the way I listen to AA speakers talk about drinking.
I have had more physical withdrawals than from alcohol, headaches tiredness mild depression. But I am feeling really good, the biggest change is I am a lot more calmer than before and don,t get angry so easily, I have certainly lost weight but my focus is more on getting healthy and stop stuffing down my emotions with food.
The sugar thing was like one desert was too many and a 100 not enough, you can never really satisfy that craving.
I really hate being addicted to stuff, I feel so much more in control.
Try the huge bowl of salad and lots of water as one poster suggested it really works.
CaiHong
Choosing Life
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Montana
Posts: 1,435
I ate a lot more when I was drinking, for some reason. When I quit, my appetite did too. I snack here and there throughout the day but rarely eat a full meal. I do have cravings for sugar (which I satisfy with fruit and Twizzlers 
). Lately I've had the weirdest craving for peanut butter. Can't get enough of it, especially with bananas. I guess I could want worse things, but one can't survive on peanut butter and bananas alone, can they? 
I'm sure your appetite will normalize at some point. Eat when you're hungry, just make good, healthy choices and try to get a little exercise too. And lots of water!
). Lately I've had the weirdest craving for peanut butter. Can't get enough of it, especially with bananas. I guess I could want worse things, but one can't survive on peanut butter and bananas alone, can they? I'm sure your appetite will normalize at some point. Eat when you're hungry, just make good, healthy choices and try to get a little exercise too. And lots of water!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 83
I have experienced an increased appetite as well and still have lost 15 lbs since October just from not binge drinking anymore. I have not been exercising all that much and basically eat when I feel like eating. I also have had cravings for peanut butter and ice cold milk, weird huh? But yes obviously our bodies are trying to compensate for something. When I was actively drinking I never had a sweet tooth, but I would cook a three course meal in middle of the night while drunk. Now I have a bit of a sweet tooth and I give into it occassionally, sort of as a reward, a cupcake never made me crash my car into a pole! Unless I was trying to eat it and drive at the same time, which I would never do 
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: LA, California
Posts: 372
lol @ the 3 course meal while drunk in the middle of the night. Sounds exactly like me when I was drinking. As far as Sobriety being the first priority, I understand that completely, I wouldn't be dieting if I didn't think I could handle it. To be 100% honest I don't even remember the last time I wanted a drink, I haven't gotten those cravings, I really think my mind and my body are completely done with it. Thank God! So now I'm trying to focus on this dieting, I actually think I can sort of make this a hobby
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