Replacing alcohol with food....
 

So I had my last drink on July 2nd and haven't had anything since then yay me!

However... I'm noticing that I am substituting my usual drink with food. I was hoping to lose weight and instead I've gained! (granted there are some hormonal things going on, plus a trip that changed my eating habits a bit).

Anyone have this happen to them? Maybe it's just me wanting to reward myself, not sure.

Advice?
Thanks!

I think in the short run, food is the lesser of two evils. And it's good to reward yourself. Perhap mixing in some activity, like walking, will help you burn those extra calories. Once you get some sober time under your belt, you will be less apt to try to use food as a replacement for alcohol.

Hi mamas, I am sober 22 days today. I am eating a lot more than I used to. The first week I put a couple of pound on, I went on the scales yesterday and have lost 4 lbs. You will eventually lose weight. Much better to have a few pounds to lose rather than be a slave to alcohol. Your body is probably craving nutrients. We'll done you to get this far.

Hi mamaj

I think it's something we all go through after giving up the booze... the drink had a lot of sugar & calories in it & once we stop we find ourselves not getting the same amount so what do we do?? We get very hungry & eat!!! That's why we sometimes confuse cravings with hunger.. I know I'm scoffing all the time at the moment, I'm on 2 weeks & well, it's not a bad thing.prefer food to booze..

I'd agree with Carl - in the short term I ate enough chocolate and candy to keep Willy Wonka in business for quite some time. And it was completely unexpected as I never had a sweet tooth at all while I was drinking.

Long term obviously you have to eat a balanced diet, and do see your doctor if you start gaining too much weight too fast - but my guess is you are just making up for the lack of carbs/sugars you were getting in your drinks. Exercise never hurts either, even if it's just taking a walk around the block.

I didn't eat much when I drank, so I started to eat more just from eating properly and not skipping meals!! :)

My experience as well........always replaced food with alcohol. At least now I am getting some proper nutrition!

First things first, Mama! You are doing great with the drink....the food will sort itself out eventually. The important thing is to be kind to yourself, eat a well-balanced diet, and light exercise if you can manage it. Don't throw too much at yourself too soon.

Keep it up, you can do it!

I'm always up for some sweets. I never snacked at night before I quit drinking. Last night I ate a whole watermelon. Not cool. Been up all night going to the bathroom. But I feel great today.

Congrats on 12 days sober!! I think what the others have posted is spot on, the time I've spent sober I do eat more and sometimes feel guilty about it. But right now being sober is what really counts. You have time to figure out eating healthy and loosing weight later. ;)

Yes, I definitely pacified myself with food - especially sweets early on. I was expecting to lose lots of weight. :( Must be the ice cream - it's got to go.

Congrats on your 12th day of sobriety mamaj!

I've eaten a lot more since I became sober, generally when I have cravings for drink/drugs. I'd rather eat then fall off the wagon, once the cravings subside a little then I'll have more of a balanced diet I reckon.

I've lost 10 pounds. I eat about the same, but cut out the 700-1000 calories of booze per day.

I wouldn't worry about it. When i got sober, i ate everything, especially junk and sweets, and got fat all over my stomach fast.
I gradually lost interrest in food, now at over 3 months, i eat normal, maybe too little for my objective to gain muscle mass.
Anyway, maybe at 1 month i looked a bit worse than when i was drinking, but now i can say that i look better than ever.

Just don't let those small things to interfere with your sobriety! Good luck!

Never knew I had a sweet tooth until I quit drinking. Was real big on low carb. Not any more! Trying to increase my exercise regime to compensate as I am not ready to give up my after dinner dessert.

Even if no weight is lost, we all look and feel much better without the bloat

Someone once told me, when you are new to not drinking, whatever you have to do to keep from drinking or do while not drinking, just say to yourself, "At least I didn't drink today!"

Now if you are six months sober and still using that excuse, maybe take another look at the need to continue to use it to excuse the behavior. Right now though - do what you need to do to stay sober.

I found that sugar was almost as addictive as alcohol. If I had that first taste of chocolate, etc. all bets were off and I would continue consuming sugary crap all day. I would also have insomnia and somewhat of a sugar hangover the next day. It helped me to keep busy. Also, try replacing sweets with exercise. Hope this helps.

Our eating behaviors are extremely subjective, and do not easily respond to change. Someone else's "miracle diet" rarely works for many others; nor is anyone else's workout regimen the right way for anyone else. This, in part, explains the clinical reality that, historically, 90% of people who lose weight based on dietary restrictions tend to gain it back relatively quickly, often putting on more weight than they carried before dieting. (I haven't checked recent research in this area, so my figures may be a bit off, though probably not by much.)

The theory is to at first recognize that either your eating habits and/or your weight are causing distress or ill health, such as fatigue or exhaustion. We can't think or plan or way to weight loss, any more than we can achieve sobriety by using such intellectual tools. We need to take action, often small changes at first, particularly in early sobriety.

Most of us tend to turn the corner when we no longer feel deprived by what we no longer eat (or which we only eat on special occasions), just as when we no longer feel deprived from not drinking (which we should not ever do on special occasions if we wish to remain sober). Exercise is such an important part of weight management, as well as overall health and well-being. Even taking a brisk walk each day can be beneficial. But no one ever lost weight, got sober, or improved their health by sitting on the couch and watching TV or by sitting in front of a computer all day, no matter what those junk emails we all get promise.

I've gained about 5 pounds.
When cravings hit I eat and they go away. Food is also more enjoyable sober... I'll worry about the weight when i feel more confident in my sobriety. I am eating healthy, nutritious food but I suppose I could cut back on the ice cream and frozen yogurt. Raider, I loved your watermelon comment. I too have eaten large quantities of watermelon. There is nothing wrong with that! . I need to get one.

Guard your sobriety first. Worry about weight later. With time it will balance out. Congrats on twelve days sober. :)