How long sober before you lost weight?
 

Did anyone lose a lot of water weight and bloat the first few weeks making their clothes fit differently? Did the rest of the weight go away quickly or does it take the metabolism time to reset?

You'll lose weight when you are taking in less calories than you are using over an extended period of time.

I decided in early sobriety that I would eat really well AND allow myself a lot more carbs and sweets than I would be able to continue eating. I did that mindfully, to substitute for alcohol (sugar.) At about six months I cut back on the sweets. I was already in my healthy weight BMI range, but I did lose an additional 15 pounds after that first year - on purpose.

Time takes Time.... It took a long time for us to get here. So our bodies all respond differently from the abuse.

But stay the course and everything will work out.... :)

Bloat reduction was rather immediate but it took me a while to lose any actual weight because I substituted ice cream and chocolate for wine, as my sugar cravings were so intense. While I didn't lose any weight at first, the substitution didn't cause any significant increase either.

As my sugar cravings subsided, so did my sugar-intake, which resulted in gradual weight loss.

Maybe, try to not to be too focused on weight loss at first but on including some healthful foods and plenty of water into your diet and a bit of exercise into your routine.

Nice to see you, Babescake!!!!!!

Honestly, i thought I would lose weight, but I didn't. About a year after I stopped drinking, I joined a weight management program. THEN I lost.
But everyone is different.

I lost weight initially but gained it back over the course of 6-9 months because I indulged my fierce sweet tooth. Had to count calories and drop the ice cream, then I lost the weight again. Given the amount I drank/calories (I figured I was drinking around 700 calories of wine a day!) I was disappointed the weight didn't come off as quickly as anticipated.

I started a low carb diet around the same time as giving up beer. I have lost 35 pounds and eat what I want now. That is over a year. About a pound a week when I was really strict.

I didn't put on any weight while drinking,for some strange reason!I8yrs of downing gallons of cider,mostly 'organic'mind you...

I'm glad to see I wasn't alone in gaining weight! Before I quit I was barely eating at all. So when my appetite finally returned I indulged it especially if it meant making sobriety easier to maintain.

We develop insulin resistance, since alcohol is basically sugar. That's also why we crave sugar so much when we quit drinking. So once we feel like we can eat less sugar and not lose our minds, we can eat more protein and fat and cut out most carbs, and then once the insulin resistance corrects itself we can start losing weight.. it can take a few weeks or months.

But just try to eat healthy, more fruits and veggies, more water, and walk every day and you will no doubt lose weight. I would focus more on feeling better than on looking better or seeing a number on a scale.

I have lost 25 pounds in five months without doing any of the things i just said to do lol

I dropped 25 pounds in my first month of sobriety but I was very nervous and depressed so I didn't eat much. I also walked several miles a day to burn off some adrenaline.

I gained back about 7 or 8 pounds and now my weight is steady.

Not necessarily what I want to hear. Weight is a huge trigger and I self sabotage a lot. If I see some progress with it, it is a big sober incentive for me as vain and superficial as it is. It really affects my self-esteem.

You only got a few replies here, Babescake. I'm sure some people lose weight. It depends on if you have a lot of weight to lose, too. I didn't, so I didn't lose at first. I was already at a healthy weight, so I couldn't really cut calories and maintain a healthy diet and still have those sweets that were helping keep me away from the booze.

My point was that sobriety was my #1 Priority. I did want to lose a little weight, but early sobriety is so stressful anyway. Not drinking is the most important thing.

Why don't you join MyFitnessPal and read around the forums there and start logging your food (if you don't already do so.) I believe I was malnourished a bit when drinking, because I substituted alcohol calories for food calories, AND I made poor nutrition choices when I had had a few drinks.

Sobriety is much easier when I make sure I eat enough, get a little exercise and get my eight hours of sleep.

You can lose weight. Sobriety is the most important thing right now, though. I wasn't about to add to my stress by worrying about a pound or two when it was all I could do to get through the day with my sanity intact in early days.

How long sober, Babescake?

When I stopped drinking at the end of November I lost all the water weight in the first 2 weeks. I don't have a scale, but I fit in to skinny jeans that I couldn't even zip while drinking, so probably 7 pounds. I'm barely 5'2 so 7 pounds is a full size for me as it all seems to go to my midsection.

I've lost 25 lbs in the 51 days since I quit, but I have been working at it, I'm on my feet all day at work and I walk 3 miles every night after dinner and swim about half of those days too, I haven't changed my eating habits yet as I don't want to change too much too fast, I figure I'm not taking in all those calories with beer so I can reward myself with other things I enjoy, I would like to lose 40 more pounds, that will put me at the weight I was in my early 20's, this is the first time in a long time that that seems like a realistic goal too, I feel like I've lost more than 25lb, prob gained some muscle, my old XL shirts fit again for the first time in years and my XXL stuff seems big.

It really is different for everyone. I've been trying to be a bit conscious of what I eat through sobriety (little over a month now) and I have definitely lost weight. BUT I am allowing myself some sweets here and there to curb the cravings which is a sacrifice I'm willing to pay. Sometimes I'll have chocolate, but fruit like clementines or pineapple seem to do the trick too! Drinking water really helps as well.
Alcohol is full of empty calories so it will happen....just try to be patient:) I did notice a HUGE improvement in my skin pretty fast – which is a major incentive to keep going!

during my addiction I lost a lot of weight then when I stopped using I kept it off for two months and then boom I've gain most of my weight back and most of my clothes don't fit me now but I'm healthy now. I am going to start drinking more water and eating healthier.

I am a binger, never everyday or multiple days in a row carl. I am about 2 to 3 months in with 4 slips, each a night. I do not count days as that is a trigger for me. So know early, but better than the 3x to 4x a week I averaged with 6 to 10 standard drinks, wine or hard liquor. Have never had physical withdrawal, just painful hangovers and weight gain, messing up my life.

I'm about 3 months in, and I've lost a few pounds on the scale. BUT, I've lost a lot of the bloat so my clothing fits me much better now. Somehow I wasn't that big even when drinking, so I'm not looking to lose much.