Lucy18121981

Hi everyone, I have now been sober for 19 days.
I'm doing ok, just about to go into my third weekend,
even went tothe pub for a couple of hours with my
fiancé last Saturday and stuck to diet coke. The
problem is I CAN'T STOP EATING! Been having mad
cravings and eating loads, especially at the weekend,
when I would normally be on the vodka, now it's chocolate,
crisps, cake, anything! I have always had an addictive
personality and have had problems with food and weight in
the past, help!

oinobares

Go easy on yourself Lucy, take one thing at a time! 19 days is awesome!

Think about how many alcohol calories your body has grown accustomed to getting, and which it is now missing. I was eating everything in sight after the initial 3-4 days of zero appetite. After a couple of weeks that ravenous feeling went away and I settled into a healthy eating pattern. Almost 5 months sober now and I've lost about 30 pounds (and not exercising especially hard either). I'm pretty certain that is alcohol weight. Embrace the hearty appetite as your body recovers.

Great job on 19 days and stay strong!

Thepatman

Nothing wrong with extra food if it helps keep you on track.

I'm the same! If you are able to stop drinking, food will be easy as 1-2-3 if necessary to control it, but not now, enjoy!

artsoul

I went through the same thing after I got sober - I just felt hungry all the time. I think it's pretty common and I didn't worry too much about it because at least I wasn't drinking. After about a month, my appetite settled down and returned to normal (although I still have a sweet tooth, something I didn't have while drinking).

Maybe give it some time and just focus on staying sober for now? You can always address it a little further down the road if it doesn't change. I actually ended up losing weight after a couple months sober....

noquickfix41

I am loving me some neopolitan ice cream..

escapist

I am eating all the time too. I'm not worried. I have done this before. The last time i would wake up hungry. Eat a big breakfast. Snacked all day. I spent about 6 months eating a lb. of peanut M&Ms a day. Here is the strange thing, I lost 40 lbs.

Ragamuffin

I was the same way!!! I ate a whole like bucket of pasta salad on my first week of sobriety. It was awesome. I hadn't enjoyed food while I was drinking, it was just something I had to do. Now I cook and experiment. It's wonderful and I've lost 30 lbs so far crazy how many empty calories are in beer and liquor. Now just thinking about that makes me SICK. lol

Congrats on 19 days!!!!

MIRecovery

Alchohol has a ton of sugar in it. I think it is very normal to have sugar cravings. I have been told to have hard candy around in early sobriety so you can get your sugar fix

Fernaceman

I am not craving sugar but I am eating loads of definite junk food. I figure my body needs it as usually I would not eat very much from bein hungover or having massive stimulants in my system.

DoubleBarrel

Do they have Ben and Jerrys over there? Cause if they don't, consider yourself lucky.

nonblondechef

My sugar craving finally settled down at about 7 months. I ate really, really poorly during my drinking career. I've gained about 10 pounds since I gave up my "liquid" diet but I will take some meat on my bones (I prefer to call it meat, anyway as opposed to being just sick and malnourished. Time for this chef to go fry chicken for dinner

PippoRossi

Lucy ~

Congrats on 19 days. That's great!!!

I am 66 days sober and my experience has been a little bit different. I have always been a healthy eater, but when my drinking problem came to a head a couple of years ago I began to crave junk food ALL THE TIME! I would drink heavily in the evening, nibble on a healthy breakfast at home the next morning, come into work and hit up the onsite cafeteria and indulge big time in breakfast burritos, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, bacon, etc., etc. Then lunchtime would hit and I would ignore the food I brought from home and hit up the cafeteria, again, choosing a very unhealthy lunch. Dinner at home would be a healthy one, but my appetite was for junk food so I usually wouldn't eat very much. Then I'd repeat that cycle each and every day, which became very expensive.

Now that I'm sober, I crave healthy food all the time (steamed veggies, anyone?!?). I am simply amazed at how quickly the junk food cravings disappeared after I quit drinking. That being said, I do love a cold Coca-Cola with a fresh lemon slice.

Sadly, I haven't lost any weight. I have never had a weight problem (good genes) but drinking helped me pack on about 10 extra pounds over the years and my body is maintaining at this weight. I really just need to tone up and start working out. Baby steps.

sobertime1

i can soooo relate me too its driving me crazy im told it will pass lets hope!!

MythOfSisyphus

I'm facing the same thing. Being a drunk helped me pack on a few extra pounds. I'm working out now and eating healthier, but part of me is giving myself permission to eat some junk food in exchange for not drinking. In the long run I have to develop a stricter diet of whole foods but in the short term if it helps keep me sane and sober, it's worth losing the gut a bit more slowly.

I'm trying not to fight a war on two fronts! ;-)

sweepee

oh, how i understand having an addictive personality :/

quitforme79

I was the same way...a little before a month I stopped craving sweets and carbs. Hang in there and let yourself eat for now

Dan Dare

I'm glad I found this thread. Going on 29 days boozeless and I usually have a few brownies with milk every night. I rarely ever ate anything like that before.
My appetite has definitely increased. But it's more eating because I am really hungry as opposed to when it was eating to sop up the alcohol in my system...
I am trying to be aware of the things I eat, and not go for too much junk.