I’m 6 days without wine now (that was my only alcoholic vice. I hate liquor and if I drink beer, it’s always only one or two.) Wine can quickly become an entire bottle and that was happening way more evenings than I wanted it to. So since the start of the pandemic, I’ve gained about 15 lbs despite training for marathons, lifting weights, and consistently staying very fit and eating well 80-90% of the time. I have a good relationship with food and even since I stopped drinking, I’m not having any real cravings (probably because I only drank super dry reds that were already pretty low in sugar). So why the hell have I gained 5 lbs this week? I honest to God am not eating more. If anything, my appetite has been suppressed and I’ve eaten less. My clothes feel tight and I’m tired and feel gross. I thought I would be feeling really good by now!
That happened to me the first 30 days now I’m at day 101 and down 22#
Hi 
welcome to the community
Congratulations on yur 6 days.
Give it time, physically and mentally we need time to heal.
Our bodies are trying to re balance.
It gets better stick with it 
You mentioned that you are lifting weights. You might be converting fat to muscle. And muscles weigh more.
I kind of swelled when I first stopped drinking. I was drinking a lot of water and other non alcoholic beverages. And I found I was retaining fluid. It began to stop around day 22 once my body realised I wasn’t drinking anymore. Stay strong. It gets better everyday.
Hugs
Welcome and congratulations.
We didn’t become addicted overnight, so we don’t recover overnight, so easy does it. Unfortunately, these things do take time, but the promises of recovery started early for me. Some within a month, many within 6 months.
Keep on keeping on and you will see your life turn around in every aspect.
All the best!
I had the same thoughts and questions when i quit. What i ended up realising is that the benefits are slow and not always noticeable. Eventually you look back after enough time has passed and are really thankful for the person you have become but it does require a ton of patience.
Hi L! Welcome to the forum. Every person is different, but in my personal case, I had more or less the following time marks;
• 3 months: my mood changed in a very positive way, I didn’t white knuckle anymore
• 4 months; I started sleeping much better!
• 5 months; my gut health (finally) improved a lot!
I had been a daily wine bottle drinker for the last 6 years approx.
Give your body some time to heal! Hang in there, cause it’s sooooo worth it! 
It takes time for the body to heal and recognize life without alcohol. Give it time, it will balance out. Congratulations on the 6 days.
Firstly, congratulations on 6 days!
Feeling better does take time. I felt pretty crappy the first couple of weeks… But that’s not that long when you consider the rest of your life.
With regards to the weight gain… Alcohol dehydrates you so maybe the weight gain is due to you becoming hydrated again? You did say that your clothes are fitting tighter though and you feel gross(sorry I don’t know if you are female perhaps it is that time of the month?) I fluctuate 5 lb up and down during specific times especially. And finally like @Mallory said, the same amount of muscle weighs more than the same amount of fat. Three times more infact. So if you are gaining muscle you may still be losing fat but either staying the same weight or gaining weight because muscle is more dense.
Other than that I think you should just give it some more time because 6 days is still pretty early.
This could also be part of the emotional struggle from withdrawal from alcohol. Sometimes when we feel gross and hate our bodies it’s not always just because of a physical thing sometimes it’s a mental and emotional thing as well. I hope you stick around and keep on going. It’s worth it!!!
Welcome. Try keeping a log of the food you’re taking in. You might be consuming more sugar inadvertantly. It could also be fluid retention.
I don’t know you or your training; however, it’s unlikely you’re going to gain 5lbs of muscle in one week, especially if you are consuming less calories (which you need to create muscle). This is expecially true if you’re female. If you are male, and your calorie intake is appropreate, and you are really lifting hard, then maybe. Despite popular misinformation, you can’t “convert” fat to muscle. It is much more difficult to gain muscle if you are simultaneously losing fat as well. You also likely would not be feeling tired and gross if you were stacking on muscle.
The thing that makes the most sense to me is that your digestive system may be having difficulties. How have your bathroom habits been? Have you been regular? (you don’t need to actually answer me, but it’s something to consider). If you’re constipated, I would recommend something like Miralax which draws fluid into the bowl rather than causing muscle contractions. If it is a gut issue, do some research on pro/prebiotics to see if you think they might be good for you. Alcohol doesn’t do your digestive system any real favors so it might just be figuring out how to work without constantly being poisoned.
Seeing your doctor for a check up couldn’t hurt just to be sure everything internally is working as it should. As some others have said, it can take time for your system to go to a new balance.
Best of luck.