Hi Jon - I think what @Smitty97 is pointing out is that getting sick with the flu helped interrupt your drinking, and possibly even masked some detox symptoms. We can all relate to how abstinence feels very rewarding for a time, and how fragile it can be.
Abstinence is great, it is a minimum requirement for sobriety. Eating right and going to the gym and some mild mental distractions are also good - but they do not address our underlying need for escape nor our obsession with alcohol, with thinking about it whether we are drinking or not.
AA is one model for recovery, so are structured programs like SMART recovery and Dharma Recovery. Some people find help in individual or group counseling. Some people get long-term recovery from participation and honest sharing here on Talking Sober.
If going to the gym and clean eating were enough to overcome alcoholism, then Talking Sober and similar programs would not need to exist. To personalize it, I could not get and stay sober until I abandoned all my opposition to “things I will not consider doing for sobriety.” I had to be willing to try any suggestion fairly, to see the positive strength people who knew how to stay sober were getting from their practices.
Here’s a link to a discussion about this very topic! Blessings on your house 
as you continue your quest for sobriety.