blueyes618

Before I even start this thread let it be known that I have never been over-weight and always overly health conscious (even when I was consuming alcohol) I am petite with healthy curves and I used to go to the gym every day. Since my sobriety started in November I have gained around 15 lbs. I have been to the gym on and off, but not as consistent. I find myself more on the couch now overly indulging on sweets, and super fatty foods. Snacking more at work and buying food at the grocery store that I would never buy saying to myself "let's keep this for a rainy day". 2 packages of Oreos for a rainy day?? What makes it harder is that my boyfriend whom I live with is a big boy, and I mean that in a good way. He is 6'3 and built like a tank. He is in ridiculously good shape and can eat whenever or whatever he wants, and now I am thinking I can do the same. I don't know if this is normal since I have given up alcohol and now maybe replacing it with food? It's frustrating because not only am I fighting in this disease, but now I am miserable with my body and physical image. Has anyone else had this issue?

IOAA2

Hi.
For most people food will not lead to a miserable self loathing as will alcohol.

Many, including myself in the beginning needed sugar to replace what our body got used to from what the alcohol delivered.
The way you describe your lifestyle you should be OK at weight reduction after this time frame.

BE WELL

ArtFriend

I haven't gained since quitting alcohol (actually I have lost weight) but I did gain after I quit smoking years ago. i have heard that many people crave sweets after quitting alcohol to replace the sugar of alcohol. I think it will subside in time.

Thepatman

Eating more is common in early recovery. There are a billion healthy snacks choices that you can replace your unhealthy ones with. Nuts, fruits, humus with vegetables and hole grain crackers, Avocados.

And a bowl of no fat yogurt with 1-2 of your Oreos cookies won't kill you.

happyandfree

I've got the same problem. I'm fighting a sugar addiction now. The pat man is right about finding healthy snacks. In the beginning I didn't care cause the focus was on not drinking. Now I'm trying to get a grip on the food issue.

schnappi99

I've been trying to get off the oreos too, diet etc. Was really tough at first the gluten and refined sugar is addictive. Substituted oranges/apples which really helped.. still some sugar but lots better. My wife got a big sweet tooth when she quit drinking now I can't steal her chocolate.. grr but I am droppping some weight.. nice

Fluffer

I am always amazed at how some people (mostly women) stayed so thin while drinking so much and then gain weight when quitting. I am the opposite and drinking caused me to remain about 30 pounds over my ideal weight. That makes sense to me considering I could drink ten beers (1500 calories) in a sitting or several margaritas at over 500 calories each and then eat greasy fattening food as a result. I've lost 10 pounds in 2 months and I'm hoping to get back in the "zone" over the next few months. Cookies and most junk food are banned from my house, much to my kids' dismay.

livingnow

Most of what you are eating is to fill the hole alcohol has left. Its part of recovery.
Soon enough you will gather the strength to moderate your junk eating.

Soberwolf

When my appetite for food came bk i was told to try some choclate for cravings etc then i really started eating hearty meals i was underweight so i started to gain weight over the months

around month 8/9 i went on a diet started working out etc

i now eat a healthy balanced diet and im in good shape

matilda123

I haven't gained either, despite the sweets. But I noticed last night, as I was tipping back and drinking the dregs of my container of ice cream, that I felt kind of done. It is sort of like that feeling that you have sometimes on vacation or holidays when you've eat a lot of rich food over a period of time: you long to go home and have a salad!

I've been preparing a lot of green juices in the morning. They really help energize me and get more non-coffee liquid into my body. Highly recommend it. My current favorite is green apple, meyer lemon, celery, spinach and water. Another I've been enjoying is kale, a small handful of frozen strawberries, almond milk and a packet of Emergen-C (it is cold season here). Be mindful that too much fruit will make it too sugary, so try to stay primarily with the greens with a little fruit for sweetness.

matilda123

Forgot to add that you don't need a juicer: I just use my Vitamix.

bunnezjp

I gained weight, too once I Sobered. 20 pounds. Although I was very underweight, 117lbs at 5'10". I went to 138 but have dropped a bit to 135. I still look healthier minus a diet of alcohol. Everybody is different though, and my pallet for meat dried in Sobriety, too.

Bunnez

Niamh

I have had sweet craving. Now I am sick and nauseous a lot. I have been eating soups. For sweets, plain cereal with a sugar sprinkled on. It makes me feel full. I use skim milk. I agree blending up your own juice w greens is good. Bottled green juices have lot of sugar. Bought some chocolate granola bars. Sweet but one pkg is 90 calories. I put a calorie count app on my phone. I read the Flat Belly Diet book at library. It's basically eating 400 calorie meals 4 times a day. Trying to pay attention now because I thought I'd lose a lot of weight but didn't. Use online calculator to calc your estimated daily caloric intake to maintain weight, then to lose it. That will help you understand how much you should be eating. Do not become underfed.

zerothehero

It's common to crave sweets in early sobriety. Try fruit instead of junk.

PurpleKnight

My body was used to consuming thousands of calories a week in alcohol, take that away and my body still expected the same.

For me I ate a lot early on in Sobriety, but as time went on things adjusted, like everything the body needs to adjust, but it's gonna take time, many months in I then started to cut back on the eating, more exercise and my weight dropped a bit.

Hang in there!!

Hawks

Hi Blue eyes

The exact same thing happened to me and don't worry about it, it's very common.

Low energy is part of early recovery, opinions vary as to why that is, perpersonally it was best explained to me that alcohol acts as a stimulant on alcoholic folk and that made good sense to me because whenever I drank I got a rush of "Woohoo, let's get going, let's go to town"
It plugged me into life.

Without it, I crashed.

But the good news is it will pass.

I'm now 6 months sober and I bounce out of bed now and it's like I was as a teenager, before I got into the grip of alcoholism.

PurpleKnight

Seems to be a double thread!! . . . I replied on the other one!!

Dee74

I merged two identical threads.

D

GnikNus

I'm 2 months sober now, and like several others have mentioned, have gained a sweet tooth in the weeks following abstinence from alcohol. The way I look at it is this: it's better than drinking, as if it keeps me from drinking- bring in the candy.
I think it would be a problem of it continued months and years into sobriety, but at this point in the game- in all for using it in place of alcohol.

azza88

Yep sugar is common to crave to replace the alcohol i ate quiet well even as a drunk but binged on bad foods sometimes, exercised 5 times a week even while intoxicated just my nature, never the sit down and do nothing person, had to be outta the house, my job was concreting so they drink on the job most days. Australia is a strange country haha, most i gained was maybe a 4lbs while drinking, always been around 160lb mark in 4 years. end of the day alcohol is still bad for the insides, whether you look good on the out.