Huge increase in appetite?
 

Hey guys. I'm on day 13 right now and I cannot seem to shake this appetite. When I was drinking I would eat about 2000-2500 calories a day. Now I'm capable of eating twice that easily. The problem here is that I'm always hungry and that's kind of a bad thing when I'm trying to lose 10 lbs. any suggestions? Does the appetite kinda go back to normal or have I completely messed that up with my drinking?

Hi,

I had lost my appetite the last few months I was drinking and had lost about 10 pounds that I couldn't afford to lose. So, yeah, when I stopped drinking my appetite increased right away and I was thankful. I did start an exercise program at the same time and it really helped me to feel better.

Each time I've quit drinking my appetite has doubled like yours... the one time that it lasted about 2 months it -did- go down as time went by. Everyone is different though so who really can tell? I'm only 10 days in now and food is the last of my concerns especially in this early stage. You might not wanna eat 5 double whoppers a day though but if you can get those calories from healthier foods maybe that would be good?

Yes that happens, remember you were taking in all those empty calories with your drink of choice, and building up your beergut, now your body still wants those. Exercise, eat sensibly and it will calm down.
I also got a sweet tooth (which I dont have) and was thirsty at night (brain was thinking drink = calories)
It gets better, I am at week 7 now, and fine.
I have been doing more exercise to eat up the calories, and have been losing weight without trying

When I quit drinking I developed food cravings in a big way. I never was much into sweets or chocolate and now I am a regular user! Exercise does help with added weight gain as well as mental mindset. Give it a try.

I would gladly take a few extra pounds over drinking myself to death any day of the week.

I started off eating like crazy at the beginning as well. I've slowly incorporated exercise into my daily life and I try to eat the kind of foods that I can eat a lot of if I feel I need to. For me it was about quantity... It gave me something to do besides drink. I also have been more of a grazer since I quit drinking-- intentionally. I stopped the big meals and just kind of eat consistently throughout the day. I found out that being hungry was a HUGE trigger for me so I make sure I never really get to that starving point.

All depends on your level of activity, if you are a power lifter 2000-2500 calories would be perfectly accepable twice that you better be doing some serious working out. or you are probably going to gain weight. you can still eat a lot and keep the calorie count down you just have to eat right. But I am no nutritionist.

It is my problem also - I used to eat a lot both while drinking and now, sober. My doc suggested me to use natural appetite suppressants such as water and vegetables. Vegs will make your stomach full for prolonged time with very little calorie intake.

Just realized what I posted wasn't very informative or all that helpfull, my appetite increases as well but I am afairly light eater. I also drink a lot of water through the day and "graze" I guess one member called it as in eat a little now then a little in an hour. Another thing that I read helps chew your food way more than you think you need to this does two things aids digestion ensuring you are getting what you need out of that food and two the stomach dosen't feel full until after it is and you have generaly put more food into it than you needed but if you take longer to eat you get full with more food left on the plate. Other than that all i got is if you dont want to gain weight your will have to get moving if you already aren't, (I am no one to talk in this department) ;)

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I do currently run around a lot at work, hardly ever get a chance to sit. I usually go for an hour jog in the morning or after work and yes I do eat pretty healthy I hardly ever eat out and usually make chicken or fish and different types of veggies for dinner. But I can't seem to get rid of my growling stomach. For instance I had a vegetable and egg white ommelet for breakfast and I was hungry an hour later. It's ridiculous how much I could eat right now but I'm waiting til lunch to eat again.

That's okay, try to drink water in between. First 2 days will be hard, but hunger will subside, I promise.

OP, body is craving sugar and now that your not drinking alcohol it will try to get the sugar anyway it can. You will have to fight it and have the will power to get through it. It will go away in do time. Just try not to cave in too often. It's not good to change one addiction to an other.

Go to your library and checkout "Potatoes...not Prozac" explains the relationship between drinking and increased appetite.

cereal. I couldn't get enough cereal and milk. and ice cream, and all those meals that people bought for me from nice restaurants and my appetite was huge! I gained one size. My appetite normalized around 6 months in, haven't gained any more weight. I wasn't working, nor taking my walks, so my muscles atrophied a bit. Not worried about it. I've been eating less, less sugar cravings, and starting to lose some weight now. I preferred looking healthy to looking pathetic and drunk....

You'll be okay. Don't worry about weight, staying stopped is priority! Everything will normalize, in time!

My advice: Keep eating. Plenty of time to diet later. But in the early days, I found a full belly went a long way toward keeping me calm and content.

Congrats on 13 days!

better to put on wait than wake up with a hangover, this too shall pass my friend.

I can go to the all you can eat buffets again now and get my money's worth :), hadn't gone to any since before my dad died in 2005. My stomach had gotten use to the liquid diet for far to long and if I tried to eat more than one plate of food I'd get sick... I think I now have a healthy appetite even if I don't always eat healthy, just need to exercise more and work on my diet a little at a time.

My appetite is much better now. I have cravings for sweet things which I never had before (mmmm... chocci chip muffins). In one way, it is good as I was malnutritioned when I went into hospital (was on feeding tube for 3 weeks...yuk). I have been systematically stuffing my face for the last few months as I was looking skeletal! But now is the time to try and reign it in a bit because I am now up to an 'avarage weight' and will have to switch to healthier options. I seem to be putting the weight on in the wrong places though. When I had my ascitis, my belly button popped out like a pregnant person, Now, I can't find it! :glasses

my appetite got crazy too but calmed after the week mark or so, I drank loads and loads of water and it seemed to help

Seems like everyone is different. I started doing yoga everyday 30 days into sobriety and I've noticed a weird decrease in my appetite, no better stated: in my drive to eat.

I no longer mindlessly eat a cheese sandwich with ketchup...gross! Or chips because I walked through the kitchen.

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.