flujays

I'm interested to know if anyone has any experience with this. I've developed a beer gut almost. Although wine was my booze of choice it don't think it really matters what type of alcohol you consume to excess they all have the same result... the dreaded beer belly. I am otherwise quite slender, slim legs, decent arms etc. I'm carrying allthe weight around my middle, which I know is the worst place to store it. I'm wondering if the years of binge drinking have damaged my liver so I'm storing fat around my middle. Can anyone tell me how long it took for them to start noticing the gut going away? I feel like I look about 6 months pregnant. I'm a woman so I'm living in constant fear that someone will comment about me being pregnant, which I am not.

duane1

Maybe women can answer you a little better, but I lost 20 lbs in 6 months. Do you exercise at all? That would certainly help. Even if it only involved walking.

flujays

yes, doing gentle exercise. About 45mins walk 4 days a week. Diet is in the crapper though, I'm replacing booze with food which I think is ok for now but will have to change also.

Taking5

I actually gained weight when I stopped because I started eating healthy. I had to start working out as well.

duane1

Can you work a way to get fruit and vegetables into your diet? I eat a big fruit and vegetable shake every other day. I can literally feel the energy I get from it. Just be careful. The fiber will kill you in the beginning if you overdo it. Google healthy smoothie recipes. They are absolutely delicious. Also, Building muscle will help burn the fat even when you are resting. Sometimes classes like kettlebells, zumba or water aerobics are offered in community centers pretty inexpensively. You will also more than likely meet other people trying to work on their health. Being around other people that work out makes it so much easier to stick with a program.

whatsgoingon

I have lost 2 stone since I stopped drinking last September. Its not all down to the drink though. Since giving up drinking my whole lifestyle has changed and I now go to the gym in my lunch hour and I'm a little more careful of what I eat.

My weight dropped from 14 stone to 12 stone and my bodyfat from 25% to 17%. My physique has improved but my belly could still be a bit better. It all takes time and I guess we have to be patient. I am doing weights at the moment to build a little muscle as I have been told that the more muscle you have the more fat you burn!

Good luck

avocado

You're not going to lose any weight by simply walking for 45 minutes 4 days a week while increasing the calories you get from food. You need to reduce calories and/or increase exercise. Simply walking isn't really going to cut it.

trachemys

Yep, get moving. ALL movement is exercise. As long as you aren't sitting.

Fandy

How long have you been not drinking? it may take a couple of months to see a bloat reduction.

it depends on your age too as menopause and peri-menopause can make a mess of your waistline just from hormone levels.

try to improve one meal at a time, substitute fruit and oatmeal for cream cheese and bagels....and you can do a lot of easy toning exercises right in the kitchen..I angle out from the counter and do a 1/2 push-up (kind of like a baby plank pose)..do plie squats for your buttisimo and thighs...buy a pair of light dumbells, use them to punch the air while keeping your core engaged too. the walking is good for both your mind and your blood pressure, try a bit of it uphill. i do stretching at night to help me relax.

ReadyAtLast

I'm the same. My stomach only reduced when I cut out sugar and started exercise.since eating chocs over Easter I'm bloated again. I replaced sugar,choc,sweets,ice cream etc with greek yoghurt,nuts and fruit. It's 80% what you eat. It could be an intolerance, Ialso take probiotics which help

goodgirl82

I feel you on the belly. I am also slender, so the extra weight around my middle seems exaggerated. Once I stopped drinking I started eating excessively to replace my nightly bottle of wine and/or whiskey. I also took up eating sweets, something I never did before, to replace the sugar my body was craving. I am coming up on 21 days sober and am simultaneously feeling healthier and fatter than ever which is very confusing.

To counter the problem I'm running at least 5 days a week and trying to keep busy with house projects to get my mind off of food (and booze). Good luck, you'll figure out your eating/exercise routine. What is important now is that you aren't drinking! The rest will take care of itself.

Nonsensical

My beer belly went away the day after I stopped drinking.

Now I'm just fat.

D'Oh!

janiebluebird

Get your blood sugar under control - mixed cinnamon in with an organic yogurt in the mornings, it will regulate your blood sugar throughout the day AND you'll be replenishing probiotics. Stay away from sugar (candy, cake, ice cream, etc) and simple carbs as much as possible (bread, crackers, grains) as they will spike your blood sugar and cause weight gain in the mid-section. Make as much of your diet fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. For a snack, go for frozen yogurt and pile on blueberries, strawberries, and healthy stuff. Try not to drink your calories, stick to water and I personally drink my coffee black.

As for exercise, walking is fine because its something you're likely to stick to. Maybe change it up with a bike ride twice a week and light weights.

And no eating at night time!! Big one!

sugarbear1

sit ups, lots more exercise and a much better diet.

how long did it take for you to create that belly?

Stay stopped!!

hypochondriac

Whatever you do just don't replace the beer belly with a chocolate belly... It's easy done x

ReadyAtLast

very true

Medion

*breaths out* Ok...can't fake it for more than 2 minutes...also have a beer belly...

But...I've cut as much sugar from my diet as possible...not all sugar because of course we get that from fruit etc...and even that 'fat free' weight watchers yogurt I had earlier appeared to have a truck load...but no candy or fizzy drinks etc...and in 5 days I'm quite sure my extra tum is smaller...I guess the huge missing doses of beer calories is also helping...

bigsombrero

I had a gut too, I'm normally a slender guy so it looked like a fanny pack. I'm almost 9 months sober. It took me a few months to kick my sweet tooth too, but once that slowed down the pounds started melting away. I went from 190s to the 170s and my gut is much improved. I don't exercise except I live in a city where I don't have a car, so I have to walk a lot which probably helps. Other than that just eating healthy and stopping booze has done the trick.

daisy1

I have had to eat what I want since giving up drinking because otherwise I craved alcohol too much. I don't weigh myself, but my gut and muffin top have halved in approx. 2-3 weeks, and my face is much slimmer.
I do exercise about twice a week (proper sweaty exercise) and my job as a nurse keeps me moving. So I think you can and should eat what you like if it means nodrinking, just burn it off with proper painful, sweaty, red-faced exercise :-)