Gaining a whole lotta weight

There’s nothing to do while being sober but eat I feel like and I’m gaining so much weight with the meds I’m taking and all the food I’m eating which is making me depressed and have low self of steam which makes me want to do bad things … any tips or advice?

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Unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet. I’ve gained, and I’ve lost and gained again. Both are hard, choose your hard.

You can make small changes, today.

Go for a walk
Eat celery for a snack
Drink water
Cut sugar by 25%

Do this every day and you will eventually notice a difference. May not be significant, May only be maintaining your weight, but when you’re ready add to it.

Walk further, longer
Do 10 situps, 10.pushups
Eat healthy snacks 3 times a day
Make healthy meal for dinner
Eat oatmeal for breakfast
Cut sugar by 50%

Then when you’re ready, take it to the next level and cut sugar out completely.

It takes time, be patient and don’t give up.

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I agree with @Dejavu about making small changes. I am in the same boat as you. When I quit using drugs I almost feel like I replaced it with food. I put on weight for sure. I was also put on medication for mental health reasons which doesn’t help with losing weight. There seems to be nothing to do but eat… and then covid hit and things shut down like the gym which made it even harder. Then by not making changes to my diet or eating, I felt worse about myself which made me want to act out in unhealthy ways. But I have been using distraction recently. So picking up a new hobby, doing abit of exercise everyday (somedays it’s just stretching), picking up a new book or a game to play, cleaning is good exercise (plus you get a clean house too). I try to get outside at least once a day for a walk and have spent time meal planning for the upcoming week. I watch workout videos on YouTube and bought myself a resistance band set to workout with. Drinking more water and green tea. And as of recently I will begin doing the keto diet soon (Dr recommended it for me). Just take baby steps. Make a plan the night before of what you will accomplish for the following day with regards to food and exercise. That helps me. Hoping some of this helps you too :slight_smile:

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Thanks for the advice I’ll definitely put these tools to work

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Good advice thanks for the help

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I’m going to start this myself. I’ve put on a bunch of weight in the past few months and can’t even fit in to my work clothes anymore :neutral_face:

Good luck to us!!! Let’s get after it!

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I’m in the same boat here! I hate feeling so down about it. I’ve started to walk 2 miles a day. Not helping much until I get my sugar craving under control :woman_facepalming: I also quit smoking so its a really big sweet tooth. Lol. I just keep telling myself that I’m healthier than I was. Don’t beat yourself up. We’re all feeling it :wink:

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Honestly it’s about adjusting and control.

I use a meal tracking app to adjust through the day. I do a bit more exercise on my own, but I can understand with the lock down, that alot of people cant get out, plus it may be winter where you are at.

There are some basic exercise apps that can keep you honest and show progress.

Fitbit! I got one after I was sober for six months. I’m as dedicated to my daily walking as I am to my sobriety. Lost approximately 40 pounds the first year I got the Fitbit and I’ve kept it off ever since. I don’t miss a day. I started with the recommended 10,000 steps a day, quickly upped it to 12,000 steps and for the past five and a half years or so, I’ve walked a minimum of 18,000 steps a day. Rain or shine. My body is completely different than when I was a lethargic sofa dwelling, binging beer drinker.

I’m a 51 year old woman. A doctor told me years ago I have arthritis in both knees. I don’t feel it. The most pain I felt was when I wasn’t moving.

Move! It feels good— even if I’m tired or under the weather or busy or whatever, I get it done. It’s an accomplishment every day.

I also don’t drink my sugar: I no longer use sugar in my coffee and I cut out soda and artificial sweeteners.

Good luck!

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Before I relapsed I had a 14 month sobriety run that was literally built on getting healthy. At 53 years old I quit drinking, began a low carb diet (they work), and began running for the first time in my life. I felt so empowered! I went from not being able to run 100 yards to finishing my first half marathon within 8 months . I couldn’t drink AND run, so running became my priority. I am now sober again and still running. Losing weight, getting in shape and feeling strong is a powerful motivator for sobriety.

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I put on 23kgs when I got clean. Its a daily process of just moving your body and eating clean and cutting out sugar and processed foods . you said there’s nothing to while being sober? There is SO MUCH to do now that your sober. The options are unlimited. Start journalling every morning and get your thoughts down on paper and start listing things you would like to achieve. Write your goals list every morning and repeat the same list every morning so you do not forget your goals and desires and intentions… :heart: in a few weeks you will be a different person I promise. Just make sure you write in a journal every single day like clock work … I do mine as soon as I wake up at 5.30am while I sit in bed with my coffee while the sunrises. I sit there for about an hour. My time with my journal and coffee at sunrise is my favorite hour of the day. It keeps me reminded of what I want to do and that there is so much to do now that im clean and sober :heart:

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Where is a good place to cut sugar? I feel it’s in everything? I’ve never been overweight but since I quit drinking I’m eating a lot and now quit smoking eating snacks all day? Don’t want it to creep up on me

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Come Join my thread !
Where we stay acountable post our success and failures i started my journey last month so far 25 lbs/kg lost not by dieting eating what i want still just not overeating and not eating late at night you can do this !!!

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Also a smart scale for long term motivation and perspective. I have an Aria 2. Watching weight daily is bad advice for the short term, but I’ve found it really useful on the weeks scale.

A smart scale is useful since all you gotta do is stand on it regularly and it records the history completely automatically.

Between a fitness tracker for monitoring daily goals and the scale as one indicator of long term, it’s a really clear picture of progress.

But for me now, the biggest indicator isn’t just weight. It’s how I feel. And sober it’s so much easier to work on fitness, improve, and feel healthy again.

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For cutting sugar, liquids are a big one if you’re a soda person.

I pretty much only drink sparkling waters now. Besides a black coffee in the morning and herbal tea at night. Maybe the odd glass of milk.

It is literally in everything. Well not everything but most things. I started with the basics- coffee. I slowly cut my sugar down to half a teaspoon then I didn’t even need that. I have soy milk and that has sugar already so over time my taste buds could taste the sugar when I ordered soy milk latte no sugar… The hard one for me is fruits. I love fruit. Bananas and grapefruit and watermelon are my daily go to. Full of sugar. Natural sugar but still sugar. So I also find it hard to quit sugar completely :thinking: there is a good book called “I quit sugar” I will post a pic for you.

this Australian author is grest . she wrote these two books a few years ago when paelo was getting popular. They have good recipes!

@Eke @apes2020
Hey lucky for me I don’t drink soda. At least not very much. I’m afraid I’m switching my smoking for candy. Werther’s dum dums hot tamales etc. Basically all sugar. I just want to stay aware.

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How did you find training for a half on a low carb diet? I have read a lot about low carb being good for anxiety but I also do a lot of running!