Is anyone else struggling with eating? All I want is a glass of whiskey but I’m just eating instead. Day 379. When does this get easier? There are no in person meetings where I live and I really need support. So here I am. Hoping someone understands.
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I am feeling with you here- I eat my feelings too, and I have had some serious weight fluctuation in recovery trying to manage it. I dont have an easy answer, but you are not alone. For me, it was so much easier to grapple with eating than deal with anything while I was drinking. Hang in there!
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Thank you. I just feel so alone in this recovery. Makes me feel better to know I’m not…
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ALSO not sure if anyone can relate but from a harm reduction perspective, I’ve never been arrested for eating while driving, or put other people’s lives at risk because I was overweight…
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You are not alone! I think our brains are still kinda deranged from a reward perspective and it takes a long time to even out and some work on other addictive behaviors. I have counters for addictive behaviors in addition to alcohol, helps me keep an eye on them the same way. Hard with food because we have to eat to live, no abstinence program for us
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I am eating ice cream every night, and way too much of it. I have 30 pounds to lose. Very challenging, but it is much better than drinking. I feel your frustration though. I am going to start checking in more on the weight loss thread on this forum. I eat healthfully otherwise, but really need to cut out the fully loaded ice cream.
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Yes sweets are my go to and it’s not sitting well on my waist. I guess it’s better than drinking. My mind likes to think I can handle “just one drink” but I know how that ends-me blacking out- so I just eat instead. I’m on my.third Snickers ice cream bar today but I guess it beats a bottle of whiskey.
Hi Beep, sorry to hear about your struggles 
It’s hard for us as we build up our sober life, from the ground up 
Have you tried an online meeting? There are lots - and because they’re all over the world, there’s usually one starting whenever you want one:
Online meeting resources
Be gentle with yourself. One year is an accomplishment but it’s still early days in terms of your sober life (compared to all the years before this one ). We addicts learn a lot about our self-concept, our sense of who we are and what we want and how we do things in the world, in recovery. We’re exploring how we operate in the world sober. It’s like learning to play the piano, or learning to cook. It takes time, and it’s about persistence.
Gaining a bit of weight isn’t the end of the world. I’m not saying that to be dismissive, I just mean, in the big picture, youve already achieved so much and you’re still walking forward every day. That’s something you can celebrate. You can explore diet and exercise options if you think they will help you live your best life. Just remember you’re already good enough, as you are.
Take care and remember: you’re a good person who deserves a safe, sober life where you can be your full self.
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Thank you Matt. Thank you for your kind words and wisdom. I’d like to think I’m a good person but as an active alcoholic I was at best questionable. I don’t know that woman anymore. The one that woke up at 2 a.m. to drink more “so I could sleep” then drank at 7 a.m. to feel better and just kept drinking until all the beer/whiskey/wine was gone. One drink was NEVER enough. I will try the online meetings.
Thanks again.
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it’s funny but damn it’s true.
I’ll take some eating and weight over the raging dumpster fire I was when I was drinking.
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It always makes me wonder how many people say ah eating is okay, don’t worry about that. Probably, and I own it, as I always struggle with eating and it was an eating disorder I started my addictive career with that I am a bit, cannot find a word, concerned maybe.
In the end what I do is eating not bc I am hungry or so but bc I feel lonely, sad, angry, bored. This is for me the same root cause as drinking.
Okay, I won’t kill anyone in a car accident being drunk but different kind of eating disorder can impact my life severely as well.