Have you lost any weight?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 324
Have you lost any weight?
I hover around the 15 stone mark, which is too heavy for me. I am only on day 12, but given my anxiety I have not eaten much really and I haven't lost any weight.
This maybe because I have also stopped smoking, and because I have been frightened to leave the house.
This maybe because I have also stopped smoking, and because I have been frightened to leave the house.
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Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 622
I'm still early in my quit [140 days or so] and I don't worry about my weight. I figure it's better for me to be an overweight sober person then a slimmer drinker/drunk. I also believe my weight will take care of its self because I'm also being active and go to the gym.
Just my $1.98 worth and YMMV.
Have a great day!
Just my $1.98 worth and YMMV.
Have a great day!
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Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 3,942
Big yes and no.
I was 110Kg (240lbs), drank a bottle of wine a day, did no exercise but ate fairly healthily. I cut down to half a bottle a day and did exercise, and the weight fell off to 88Kg (195lbs). I then quit the alcohol altogether nearly a year ago, and the weight has stayed at 88Kg.
There are other factors to consider. Your body has to get rid of alcohol as a priority, so your metabolism is affected. I also had a fatty liver which cleared up with sobriety. That fact alone is a massive reason to give up.
Alcohol also affects appetite, so when you quit or cut down, you’ll likely eat more. As long as it’s good food, you’re doing better than the empty calories that booze provides. I also mentioned exercise. My daily wine quota would’ve required I run about 3 miles to burn off those calories.
Whilst my weight’s stabilised, I’m sure it would go up within weeks if I drank moderately (impossible for me) again.
I was 110Kg (240lbs), drank a bottle of wine a day, did no exercise but ate fairly healthily. I cut down to half a bottle a day and did exercise, and the weight fell off to 88Kg (195lbs). I then quit the alcohol altogether nearly a year ago, and the weight has stayed at 88Kg.
There are other factors to consider. Your body has to get rid of alcohol as a priority, so your metabolism is affected. I also had a fatty liver which cleared up with sobriety. That fact alone is a massive reason to give up.
Alcohol also affects appetite, so when you quit or cut down, you’ll likely eat more. As long as it’s good food, you’re doing better than the empty calories that booze provides. I also mentioned exercise. My daily wine quota would’ve required I run about 3 miles to burn off those calories.
Whilst my weight’s stabilised, I’m sure it would go up within weeks if I drank moderately (impossible for me) again.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,525
I never lose weight early on but when I was sober 4+ years before I did find that over time weight came off. Early on I reach for comfort food and treats and often sugary sodas instead of alcohol. I haven't really gained much weight though, just haven't lost.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 324
Originally Posted by Hodd 
Big yes and no.
I was 110Kg (240lbs), drank a bottle of wine a day, did no exercise but ate fairly healthily. I cut down to half a bottle a day and did exercise, and the weight fell off to 88Kg (195lbs). I then quit the alcohol altogether nearly a year ago, and the weight has stayed at 88Kg.
There are other factors to consider. Your body has to get rid of alcohol as a priority, so your metabolism is affected. I also had a fatty liver which cleared up with sobriety. That fact alone is a massive reason to give up.
Alcohol also affects appetite, so when you quit or cut down, you’ll likely eat more. As long as it’s good food, you’re doing better than the empty calories that booze provides. I also mentioned exercise. My daily wine quota would’ve required I run about 3 miles to burn off those calories.
Whilst my weight’s stabilised, I’m sure it would go up within weeks if I drank moderately (impossible for me) again.
I was 110Kg (240lbs), drank a bottle of wine a day, did no exercise but ate fairly healthily. I cut down to half a bottle a day and did exercise, and the weight fell off to 88Kg (195lbs). I then quit the alcohol altogether nearly a year ago, and the weight has stayed at 88Kg.
There are other factors to consider. Your body has to get rid of alcohol as a priority, so your metabolism is affected. I also had a fatty liver which cleared up with sobriety. That fact alone is a massive reason to give up.
Alcohol also affects appetite, so when you quit or cut down, you’ll likely eat more. As long as it’s good food, you’re doing better than the empty calories that booze provides. I also mentioned exercise. My daily wine quota would’ve required I run about 3 miles to burn off those calories.
Whilst my weight’s stabilised, I’m sure it would go up within weeks if I drank moderately (impossible for me) again.
Originally Posted by soberbythesea
I never lose weight early on but when I was sober 4+ years before I did find that over time weight came off. Early on I reach for comfort food and treats and often sugary sodas instead of alcohol. I haven't really gained much weight though, just haven't lost.
May I ask how much you lost over the course of 4+ years, approximately? Did you make any other lifestyle changes, or was it purely abstinence from alcohol?
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Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
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Originally Posted by Auchieshuggle
Ceteris paribus, you should have continued to lose weigh when you stopped drinking the half bottle of wine!
Half a bottle of wine is about 300 calories. That’s easily replaced with a few pieces of fruit, which is nutritional. I’m also fairly slim now, and apparently it’s easier for a fat person to lose a lot of weight than it is for a slimmer person to lose a few lbs.
The all clear for my liver is reward enough for quitting the wine.
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Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 743
I kept in shape the best I could through my 3 decades of drinking.
I had a set schedule for work, school (if applicable at the time), gym, running, eating, and of course drinking! I relate to the actor in step 3 quite well! The whole week had to happen just this way and I could stay in shape and still enjoy a drink. My diet had to be so strict when not drinking that I think most people would land in a padded cell if they tried to sustain it for a period of time.
I would have a meltdown anytime life got in the way of my schedule! I could maintain this schedule probably much better than a reasonable person would think possible. From time to time the inevitable would happen. The earlier in the week the worse it was. Say I'm supposed to run on monday but something happens that makes me late. Now I can't run so I have to drink on monday. Then I'm supposed to lift weights on Tuesday but I'm hungover and I didn't get enough sleep to lift heavy weight. No gym tonight better drink. Now I'm too hungover to lift on Wednesday night, this would go on until next Monday's hangover run. Vacations, holidays, injuries could really throw me off. I never could quite get down to the way I wanted to look.
Now I have more flexibility in my diet and my life. I'm not having to work hard just to get rid of the weight from the last binge. I'm able to stay at a light weight. I can keep buying size 32 pants and don't have to worry about drifting back up to 36 or 38 (usually 34)
For me exercise was and is a substitute for drinking. Even when actively using a good workout could slow down the madness that goes on in my head.
I had a set schedule for work, school (if applicable at the time), gym, running, eating, and of course drinking! I relate to the actor in step 3 quite well! The whole week had to happen just this way and I could stay in shape and still enjoy a drink. My diet had to be so strict when not drinking that I think most people would land in a padded cell if they tried to sustain it for a period of time.
I would have a meltdown anytime life got in the way of my schedule! I could maintain this schedule probably much better than a reasonable person would think possible. From time to time the inevitable would happen. The earlier in the week the worse it was. Say I'm supposed to run on monday but something happens that makes me late. Now I can't run so I have to drink on monday. Then I'm supposed to lift weights on Tuesday but I'm hungover and I didn't get enough sleep to lift heavy weight. No gym tonight better drink. Now I'm too hungover to lift on Wednesday night, this would go on until next Monday's hangover run. Vacations, holidays, injuries could really throw me off. I never could quite get down to the way I wanted to look.
Now I have more flexibility in my diet and my life. I'm not having to work hard just to get rid of the weight from the last binge. I'm able to stay at a light weight. I can keep buying size 32 pants and don't have to worry about drifting back up to 36 or 38 (usually 34)
For me exercise was and is a substitute for drinking. Even when actively using a good workout could slow down the madness that goes on in my head.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,525
Originally Posted by Auchieshuggle
May I ask how much you lost over the course of 4+ years, approximately? Did you make any other lifestyle changes, or was it purely abstinence from alcohol?
Hoping to get back there again, but right now I'm just focused on not drinking.
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: New York, New York
Posts: 600
Exercise is key as most have said. For me, it’s first thing in the morning so nothing else gets in the way. Part of a daily routine. Without drinking, there are no wild swings in energy so each workout is pretty much the same effort. The fitter you get over time the greater your ability will be to burn calories & lose the fat & bloat. I lost 25 pounds & gained muscle over 6 months.
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Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 324
Originally Posted by Tailai
Exercise is key as most have said. For me, it’s first thing in the morning so nothing else gets in the way. Part of a daily routine. Without drinking, there are no wild swings in energy so each workout is pretty much the same effort. The fitter you get over time the greater your ability will be to burn calories & lose the fat & bloat. I lost 25 pounds & gained muscle over 6 months.
I am using an exercise bike and some free weights at the moment, but nothing too strenuous.
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Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 771
I’m down by about 20 pounds. I pretty much replaced drinking with going for walks, whenever I had cravings for alcohol. So that meant a LOT of walking, especially in the earlier days of sobriety.
I no longer need to walk every day at 5 pm, and if the weather sucks I stay in. The urge to drink doesn’t bother me as much anymore, so I’m able to relax once in a while.
Anyway, I’ve been doing classes at the gym on most days. No hangovers preventing me from exercise, and I’m learning to enjoy it. Getting fit is a nice feeling.
I no longer need to walk every day at 5 pm, and if the weather sucks I stay in. The urge to drink doesn’t bother me as much anymore, so I’m able to relax once in a while.
Anyway, I’ve been doing classes at the gym on most days. No hangovers preventing me from exercise, and I’m learning to enjoy it. Getting fit is a nice feeling.
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Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
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Originally Posted by Bonniefloyd
I no longer need to walk every day at 5 pm, and if the weather sucks I stay in. The urge to drink doesn’t bother me as much anymore, so I’m able to relax once in a while.
Anyway, I’ve been doing classes at the gym on most days. No hangovers preventing me from exercise, and I’m learning to enjoy it. Getting fit is a nice feeling.
I hear you about gym with hangovers. All sorts of aches and pains, but these all disappear after a few booze free months.
Well done on 20lbs 👍
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Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 771
Originally Posted by Hodd
Shame you stopped the 5pm walks as walking burns a surprising amount of calories. Yes, the weather is a problem. I’m running 5K most evenings, and the dark rainy stuff might send me back to a boring treadmill.
I hear you about gym with hangovers. All sorts of aches and pains, but these all disappear after a few booze free months.
Well done on 20lbs 👍
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Join Date: May 2019
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Good to hear 😀
I must admit in my first few booze free months, if I didn’t go to the gym or do some evening activity, I would feel like a drink. It goes to show that one reason a lot of people drink is boredom.
I seem to have caught the running bug lately, even in this grim weather, but I’m not going to complain about that. After nearly two years of gym and treadmill, my body is reacting to this new form of exercise, and whilst the scale weight hasn’t changed, I’m toning up. But to put things in perspective, I run 5km which is maybe 400 calories. I expect to lose a few pounds initially, but that will soon plateau. I’m not complaining, though.
I must admit in my first few booze free months, if I didn’t go to the gym or do some evening activity, I would feel like a drink. It goes to show that one reason a lot of people drink is boredom.
I seem to have caught the running bug lately, even in this grim weather, but I’m not going to complain about that. After nearly two years of gym and treadmill, my body is reacting to this new form of exercise, and whilst the scale weight hasn’t changed, I’m toning up. But to put things in perspective, I run 5km which is maybe 400 calories. I expect to lose a few pounds initially, but that will soon plateau. I’m not complaining, though.
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Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 771
Originally Posted by Hodd
Good to hear 😀
I must admit in my first few booze free months, if I didn’t go to the gym or do some evening activity, I would feel like a drink. It goes to show that one reason a lot of people drink is boredom.
I seem to have caught the running bug lately, even in this grim weather, but I’m not going to complain about that. After nearly two years of gym and treadmill, my body is reacting to this new form of exercise, and whilst the scale weight hasn’t changed, I’m toning up. But to put things in perspective, I run 5km which is maybe 400 calories. I expect to lose a few pounds initially, but that will soon plateau. I’m not complaining, though.
I must admit in my first few booze free months, if I didn’t go to the gym or do some evening activity, I would feel like a drink. It goes to show that one reason a lot of people drink is boredom.
I seem to have caught the running bug lately, even in this grim weather, but I’m not going to complain about that. After nearly two years of gym and treadmill, my body is reacting to this new form of exercise, and whilst the scale weight hasn’t changed, I’m toning up. But to put things in perspective, I run 5km which is maybe 400 calories. I expect to lose a few pounds initially, but that will soon plateau. I’m not complaining, though.
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Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
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You must! 😀
I couldn’t motivate myself to run alone at first, but 5K parkruns are pretty motivating. Then I joined a running club and found I wasn’t the slowest! Now with the aid of the Strava app, I can pace myself a lot better and knock off those 5K or 6K runs.
All a big change from this time almost exactly two years ago when I was 240lbs (BMI 32, obese) drinking a bottle of wine a night and doing no exercise. Now nearly 50lbs lighter and not handicapped by booze, so many things that were impossible before are now within reach.
I’ve not tried spinning. If it works, brilliant 👍
I couldn’t motivate myself to run alone at first, but 5K parkruns are pretty motivating. Then I joined a running club and found I wasn’t the slowest! Now with the aid of the Strava app, I can pace myself a lot better and knock off those 5K or 6K runs.
All a big change from this time almost exactly two years ago when I was 240lbs (BMI 32, obese) drinking a bottle of wine a night and doing no exercise. Now nearly 50lbs lighter and not handicapped by booze, so many things that were impossible before are now within reach.
I’ve not tried spinning. If it works, brilliant 👍
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Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 324
Originally Posted by Bonniefloyd
Running is such fantastic exercise. I used to run a lot before my drinking started to screw up my mornings, and I eventually stopped doing it entirely. Lately I’ve been going to spinning classes for my cardio fix, but it does get boring! Maybe I should pick a 5k and train for it.
Originally Posted by Hodd
You must! 😀
I couldn’t motivate myself to run alone at first, but 5K parkruns are pretty motivating. Then I joined a running club and found I wasn’t the slowest! Now with the aid of the Strava app, I can pace myself a lot better and knock off those 5K or 6K runs.
All a big change from this time almost exactly two years ago when I was 240lbs (BMI 32, obese) drinking a bottle of wine a night and doing no exercise. Now nearly 50lbs lighter and not handicapped by booze, so many things that were impossible before are now within reach.
I’ve not tried spinning. If it works, brilliant 👍
I couldn’t motivate myself to run alone at first, but 5K parkruns are pretty motivating. Then I joined a running club and found I wasn’t the slowest! Now with the aid of the Strava app, I can pace myself a lot better and knock off those 5K or 6K runs.
All a big change from this time almost exactly two years ago when I was 240lbs (BMI 32, obese) drinking a bottle of wine a night and doing no exercise. Now nearly 50lbs lighter and not handicapped by booze, so many things that were impossible before are now within reach.
I’ve not tried spinning. If it works, brilliant 👍
Maybe I just need to do a few months on my exercise bike and then build it up from there.
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Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 433
My weight fluctuated during the first month or so, I was craving sugar, junk food, ice cream, and sodas, now not so much haven't had ice cream in weeks.
I had very blood pressure 170/95 weeks after I quit it returned to the normal range 110/70.
The last time I weighed, 242 lbs which I'm happy with since I'm 6' 8"
I had very blood pressure 170/95 weeks after I quit it returned to the normal range 110/70.
The last time I weighed, 242 lbs which I'm happy with since I'm 6' 8"
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