Weight Loss and Gain

Drinking every night for more years than I care to remember means I have put on over 5 stone, has anyone lost it once they quit?

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Sure, gained 40 pounds due to drinking ;(

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Uuuhjjj , I have been overweight because of drinking and post-party junk food cravings for over 10 years. Am Over 20 kilos overweight now.
BUT I have dropped around 5 kilos ever since I quit drinking 24 days ago and am not dieting or anything , i actually have a pretty high carb diet :grimacing: (anxiety). So I guess yes , we will definetly loose weight by not drinking :grinning:

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I have about 10 pounds gained, but I know that my goal is to be healthy, not worry about the number. Getting exercise like going for walks or joining a gym/fitness group may be a good thing to try. Even when you get sober you will find that your body needs to adjust. Suddenly youā€™re hungry a lot and the cravings arenā€™t always healthy- itā€™s really your body freaking out going ā€œI need vitamins, I need nourishment!!ā€ After being deprived for so long.

I try and eat well balanced meals, fruits (my replacement for candy), veggies, and fish or lean meat. I donā€™t beat myself up for cravings, but be prepared for a little more weight gain at first. If I want a burrito, Iā€™m eating a damn burrito lol. :laughing: best of luck, and most importantly just listen to your body!

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I lost some immediately when I quit, but the sugar cravings were intense and I didnā€™t really ā€œdietā€ until I got that under control. After about 3 months I started losing again (about 25lbs now). Progress is slow. Slower than Iā€™d friggin like, but at least itā€™s something.

I know some people have said they lose it quickly and others it takes longer. I guess it just depends on you, but sometimes I fall into these bouts of sadness and I donā€™t give af about my workout that day. It comes and goes.

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Iā€™m still waiting on this magic weight loss at over 4 months haha eat what makes you happy and just focus on not drinking/using. I tried to go on a crazy diet for like a week straight and it was not good for my sobriety, I need that sugar still I guess haha

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But I did gain about 60 pounds due to drinking. I feel like Iā€™ve lost all the beer fat and replaced it with food fat :stuck_out_tongue:

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Iā€™ve lost 2.5 stone since quitting beer (3.5 months ago)
Improved the diet, cut hard back on carbs and junk food (crisps were my weakness so cut them out completely)
Started with gentle exercise (my fitness levels were poor).

The longer I am sober the more active Iā€™ve become.
I am now back within healthy weight bracket rather than ā€˜overweightā€™

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First time I lost quite a bit but wasnā€™t healthier. Then I gained weight but in lean muscle not fat. I had to jut get donervfirst, then I focused on my diet and sobered that up a bit too lol. Actors in tonthe scalenim heavier than Iā€™ve ever been, but I look tighter and much leaner / healthier.

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Iā€™m only on day 3 and already experiencing weight loss. I was drinking at least a 12 pack of beer everyday and more on weekends. With an average calorie count of 150 per beer, you so the math. Iā€™m by no means over weight. Iā€™m 6ā€™2 and 160 lbs but I do have a ā€œbeer bellyā€. Anytime I quit drinking I lost weight fast. Iā€™m also pretty disciplined in my diet and walk everyday too though. The problem a lot of sober people have is they start to crave sugar and sweets because it sets off the happy chemicals in your brain much like alcohol does. But all you are really doing is trading one addiction for another.

Alcohol has a lot of empty calories, in any form. Liquor beer or whatever. If you stop now, stay active and avoid junk food, you will surely lose weight. You may plateue eventually and it will require higher intensity workouts, but getting rid of all those extra calories you were getting from alcohol you should start to see some noticable effects quite quickly.

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Great topic. I lost weight very early on but now I am putting it back on. It now seems I am contantly hungry , especially for sugar-added foods.

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I have lost 25lbs once i stopped excessively drinking. I now eat clean and look forward to my workout 3x a week

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Iā€™ve lost some weight but it took a LONG time before it started. It isnā€™t just the decrease in caloriesā€¦the liver needs to heal first so it can get your metabolism back to normal.

I think it can take up to 6 weeks for the liver to fully regenerate.

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I havent lost or gained any weight. I was on low end of healthy weight/bmi to start with, and muscly, and Iā€™m the same now. If I lost 10 pounds, Id be underweight. My old eating disorder self really wanted quitting drinking to mean weight loss. Upset it isnt working. But i eat more, so it seems to balance out. In my rational mind, I dont want to trade a drinking issue for an eating issue. Itā€™s ok if I dont lose weight. Its more about being more attuned to how you really feel, physically and emotionally. Sugar cravings can be about low blood sugar or something, but they can also be psychological. I think most people who are newly sober have trouble with all this.

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How lucky you are of loosing weight. I am oppisite I am gaining weight after quitting drinking :frowning:

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I didnā€™t lose weight for the first six months after I quit but I also barely moved. My cocoon period coincided with winter. When spring came, I got a Fitbit and now I walk everywhere and all the time. I lost between 25 to 30 pounds and have kept it off for two years now. Iā€™m very disciplined about getting my steps in which allows me to eat what I want. I also cut out all soda and any sugary drinks shortly after I stopped the alcohol. I feel like walking is a great way to clear my head and process my thoughts. I live in the city and I enjoy walking past the bars I used to drink at. Makes me still feel like Iā€™m part of the city life.

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got it inwas :heavy_check_mark::zzz: now new day

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Damn, 10 miles is great. I try to make it a point to walk at least 5 miles a day, but Iā€™ve been slacking. Youā€™re probably shedding weight quick. Keep it up. :slight_smile:

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Badges I earned from my elliptical machine from working out. Feels great

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