Day 8 and physical changes
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 8
Day 8 and physical changes
Hello everyone,
It's my first post, today is 8th day after a huge all-day binge and waking up with such an anxiety I thought I will die..
I was drinking daily for the past 5 years with two breaks for pregnancies, most days 6-8 tall cans of beer.
I started to read this forum a few months ago and I think step by step I started to be convinced that life doesn't have to look so miserable and I just have to take an action. I never "really try" to stop, the longest I got without drinking was 4-5 days, never past that. So today is day 8 and I have to admit, that I don't have any desire as per now (thank God). I don't want to be too optimistic as I know that I need to be alert, however, I started to read Allen's Carr "Easy Way to stop drinking for women" and I feel that it really helps, as everytime I have a thought, I am not acting mechanically - I analyse why I want a drink and what would be the consequence of that. Somehow it really helps.
Along with health, the big motivation for me are physical changes after quitting, 5 years ago I was fit, self-confident and pretty successful women, now I am 20lbs heavier, my face look .. just sad, the confidence is gone. I am often reading posts about the physical changes that people experienced and it really lifts me up to look forward to the future.
As for day 8, my skin already looks better. I drink tons of water and I think bloating got worse, however, it's probably my body just trying to rehydrate. My eyes look less tired and the mood is more "stable" - still having attacks of irritability from time to time.
What changes did you experience and when did you start to notice it?
It's my first post, today is 8th day after a huge all-day binge and waking up with such an anxiety I thought I will die..
I was drinking daily for the past 5 years with two breaks for pregnancies, most days 6-8 tall cans of beer.
I started to read this forum a few months ago and I think step by step I started to be convinced that life doesn't have to look so miserable and I just have to take an action. I never "really try" to stop, the longest I got without drinking was 4-5 days, never past that. So today is day 8 and I have to admit, that I don't have any desire as per now (thank God). I don't want to be too optimistic as I know that I need to be alert, however, I started to read Allen's Carr "Easy Way to stop drinking for women" and I feel that it really helps, as everytime I have a thought, I am not acting mechanically - I analyse why I want a drink and what would be the consequence of that. Somehow it really helps.
Along with health, the big motivation for me are physical changes after quitting, 5 years ago I was fit, self-confident and pretty successful women, now I am 20lbs heavier, my face look .. just sad, the confidence is gone. I am often reading posts about the physical changes that people experienced and it really lifts me up to look forward to the future.
As for day 8, my skin already looks better. I drink tons of water and I think bloating got worse, however, it's probably my body just trying to rehydrate. My eyes look less tired and the mood is more "stable" - still having attacks of irritability from time to time.
What changes did you experience and when did you start to notice it?
Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 611
Hi, edyta, welcome to SR and congrats on 8 days. I was also mostly a beer drinker and experienced the same side effects as you. Fortunately, after a couple months I started really noticing weight loss and improvement in my skin and hair. I also increased my exercise frequency.
Basically, know that your wellbeing will trend towards positive now, and try not to drive yourself nuts tracking it on a daily basis.
It takes time, but it's worth it.
Basically, know that your wellbeing will trend towards positive now, and try not to drive yourself nuts tracking it on a daily basis.
It takes time, but it's worth it.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: St.Petersburg, FL.
Posts: 1,077
Welcome, edyta. Congratulations on day 8. I am glad you are here. SR is a great place for advice, support and information. Your drinking consumption sounds a lot like mine--I was drinking that amount in a 5 year period, 6-8 pints of high abv lager a day, sometimes more, rarely less, and had severe hallucinations and complications--it truly is a poison--I do not miss that hideous, all-encompassing anxiety on awakening, either.
I had horrible rosacea when I was drinking that went away after a couple months of sobriety. I got extra bloated at first but that went away. People started to comment about the light in my eyes, my color came back and I just felt better and could hold my head high. I had neuropathy in my hands and feet that took about six months to heal, and is fine now.
I was overweight but through cycling and yoga and healthy eating I've lost sixty pounds in two years. I have been sober since December 2015 and things aren't perfect but they're good, and that's enough.
I wish you all the best on your sober journey.
I had horrible rosacea when I was drinking that went away after a couple months of sobriety. I got extra bloated at first but that went away. People started to comment about the light in my eyes, my color came back and I just felt better and could hold my head high. I had neuropathy in my hands and feet that took about six months to heal, and is fine now.
I was overweight but through cycling and yoga and healthy eating I've lost sixty pounds in two years. I have been sober since December 2015 and things aren't perfect but they're good, and that's enough.
I wish you all the best on your sober journey.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 8
Thank you rascalwhiteoak, I have started gym over a year ago but as you can imagine it didn't do much while I was treating myself with thousands of calories after each training session. Hopefully, now I will see effects I am trying to not drive myself nuts! I guess seeing even small changes after 8 days and reading posts from other members make me excited and looking forward to what sobriety will bring. I like this positive feeling as I don't remember when was the last time I was looking forward to something (other than drink )
Verdantia, I am glad that you posted... it shows me how lucky I am, as although I was drowning myself in alcohol, as per now I did not experience any severe withdrawal symptoms and the scariest thing during my binging was this anxiety attacks. Congrats on your weight loss, that is huge and you must have put lots of work towards it!
I am trying to not drive myself nuts! I guess seeing even small changes after 8 days and reading posts from other members make me excited and looking forward to what sobriety will bring. I like this positive feeling as I don't remember when was the last time I was looking forward to something (other than drink )Verdantia, I am glad that you posted... it shows me how lucky I am, as although I was drowning myself in alcohol, as per now I did not experience any severe withdrawal symptoms and the scariest thing during my binging was this anxiety attacks. Congrats on your weight loss, that is huge and you must have put lots of work towards it!
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,426
Hi and welcome edyta
I was just pretty much glad to be alive on day 8 lol but there's no doubt quitting drinking helped my health and well being tremendously
I'm a guy.
The main thing for me is not cosmetic - not that there's anything wrong with that - but the terrific peace, joy and optimism I have now I'm not poisoning myself on a regular basis
D
I was just pretty much glad to be alive on day 8 lol but there's no doubt quitting drinking helped my health and well being tremendously
I'm a guy.
The main thing for me is not cosmetic - not that there's anything wrong with that - but the terrific peace, joy and optimism I have now I'm not poisoning myself on a regular basis
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 8
That is truly eye opening.
Today, I opened sober recovery as I remembered that I posted here some time last year. I was curious about how long ago I realized that I need to change. Well well.. my first post was exactly a year ago!
I would have been a year sober.. but unfortunately, it did not continue. This year thought me so much and I believe was necessary. In my first post, I wrote "i never really tried". From that moment, I started to try..
Although I did not stop drinking completely, it decreased from every day binge to 2-3 times a week, with few 1-2 weeks breaks. But realizing that no matter how many times you fail, you just need to keep going, helped me to try harder and harder!
Today is 30 days sober and hopefully, after a next year, I will report 12 months and 30 days
Today, I opened sober recovery as I remembered that I posted here some time last year. I was curious about how long ago I realized that I need to change. Well well.. my first post was exactly a year ago!
I would have been a year sober.. but unfortunately, it did not continue. This year thought me so much and I believe was necessary. In my first post, I wrote "i never really tried". From that moment, I started to try..
Although I did not stop drinking completely, it decreased from every day binge to 2-3 times a week, with few 1-2 weeks breaks. But realizing that no matter how many times you fail, you just need to keep going, helped me to try harder and harder!
Today is 30 days sober and hopefully, after a next year, I will report 12 months and 30 days
Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 290
Originally Posted by edyta 
That is truly eye opening.
Today, I opened sober recovery as I remembered that I posted here some time last year. I was curious about how long ago I realized that I need to change. Well well.. my first post was exactly a year ago!
I would have been a year sober.. but unfortunately, it did not continue. This year thought me so much and I believe was necessary. In my first post, I wrote "i never really tried". From that moment, I started to try..
Although I did not stop drinking completely, it decreased from every day binge to 2-3 times a week, with few 1-2 weeks breaks. But realizing that no matter how many times you fail, you just need to keep going, helped me to try harder and harder!
Today is 30 days sober and hopefully, after a next year, I will report 12 months and 30 days
Today, I opened sober recovery as I remembered that I posted here some time last year. I was curious about how long ago I realized that I need to change. Well well.. my first post was exactly a year ago!
I would have been a year sober.. but unfortunately, it did not continue. This year thought me so much and I believe was necessary. In my first post, I wrote "i never really tried". From that moment, I started to try..
Although I did not stop drinking completely, it decreased from every day binge to 2-3 times a week, with few 1-2 weeks breaks. But realizing that no matter how many times you fail, you just need to keep going, helped me to try harder and harder!
Today is 30 days sober and hopefully, after a next year, I will report 12 months and 30 days
Today is Day 2 for me. I'm leaving for a meeting in 30 minutes and just have that "feeling" it's where I'm supposed to be.
Congratulations on 30 days, and I hope you'll stick around and keep sharing! This morning just felt brighter for me knowing I could log on here and interact and not "wait around" for this meeting, "what am I gonna say", blah, blah, blah. It's a good place for me to fill up time right now!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 500
I'm 31 years old, 5'11" tall...just letting you know for proportional reasons.
When I was admitted into the hospital (Sept 2018) I was around 230 lbs, by far the heaviest I've ever been. I was bright yellow, my legs were swollen, and my abdomen was distended to the point where it was hard to walk upright. My eyes were dark yellow around the edges, and light yellow around the pupil. My skin very pale with a yellow tint. My face was fat, droopy, and sad. I couldn't take a deep breath.
Within a week of being at the hospital, my skin had some color back in it, my eyes were starting to clear up....not as yellow, but now bloodshot. They stuck a tube in my abdominal cavity, and drained 7.5 liters of toxic fluid, providing instant relief. Unfortunately the relief was only temporary, and I was full of fluid again within days, and they drained me again.
When I was released from the hospital I weighed 214 lbs.
Fast forward to now, day 281 of sobriety. I weigh 186. Which is a total loss of 44 lbs. I was down to 181, but recently started lifting weights again. I can breathe, and just ran a 5k. My skin is normal, tan actually, because I spend a lot of time outdoors. My eyes are bright white, like almost too bright! My face is thin, my belly fat is gone. I'm not swollen.
I still have a ways to go with my physical and mental health, but every day I'm sober, I see and feel improvements. Always moving forward, never moving backwards.
My profile pic is from 2 weekends ago. One of these days I'll have the guts to post a "before" pic of me....but not yet.
When I was admitted into the hospital (Sept 2018) I was around 230 lbs, by far the heaviest I've ever been. I was bright yellow, my legs were swollen, and my abdomen was distended to the point where it was hard to walk upright. My eyes were dark yellow around the edges, and light yellow around the pupil. My skin very pale with a yellow tint. My face was fat, droopy, and sad. I couldn't take a deep breath.
Within a week of being at the hospital, my skin had some color back in it, my eyes were starting to clear up....not as yellow, but now bloodshot. They stuck a tube in my abdominal cavity, and drained 7.5 liters of toxic fluid, providing instant relief. Unfortunately the relief was only temporary, and I was full of fluid again within days, and they drained me again.
When I was released from the hospital I weighed 214 lbs.
Fast forward to now, day 281 of sobriety. I weigh 186. Which is a total loss of 44 lbs. I was down to 181, but recently started lifting weights again. I can breathe, and just ran a 5k. My skin is normal, tan actually, because I spend a lot of time outdoors. My eyes are bright white, like almost too bright! My face is thin, my belly fat is gone. I'm not swollen.
I still have a ways to go with my physical and mental health, but every day I'm sober, I see and feel improvements. Always moving forward, never moving backwards.
My profile pic is from 2 weekends ago. One of these days I'll have the guts to post a "before" pic of me....but not yet.
Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 365
Congratulations on 8 days after your slip, edyta! Keep it up!
I'm coming up on three weeks, and I feel so good. Haven't lost any weight due to a healthy appetite, but my face looks thinner, skin looks better, energy level is higher, etc. I actually like the person I see in the mirror. It's great!
I'm coming up on three weeks, and I feel so good. Haven't lost any weight due to a healthy appetite, but my face looks thinner, skin looks better, energy level is higher, etc. I actually like the person I see in the mirror. It's great!
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