alcohol and food

[steph]

when we quit drinking we are supposed to make sure that we are full so as not to trigger cravings and keep up sugar intake, so how do we make sure that food does not end up replacing alcohol? and how do we make sure that we dont end up blowing up like a balloon?!

[Lia~~]

Hey Steph-- good question.

Exercise and eat non-processed foods and drink LOTS of water.

EARLY (months 1-3) it is important NOT to diet, imho. I have seen a lot of people relapse because they tried to diet too early in the quit. Don't deprive yourself -- you are doing a huge thing quitting alcohol-- give yourself a break for a bit.

If you think about the number of alcohol calories we were consuming, it is pretty hard to match those calories with food. After you have some sober time under your belt, building a healthy diet and exercise plan is a lot easier. :)

[BillB]

Ditto for what Lia said :-) For me, fortunately, I've never had a weight problem, so I just eat whatever I want too but I'm sure some of the things I eat aren't exactly good for you either even if there is no weight issue. I eat some greasy foods, which I'm sure aren't good for the arteries and heart, etc. but then again, I'm no health expert either. I do know this much though, quitting alcohol is more important early on and your food intake needs to take a back seat to that. Remaining sober early on should be your number one priority. I'm sure Lia along with others can offer you more insight on what to eat to help control your weight. Good luck Steph, you can do it! :-)

[Honest Injun]

Hi there, Steph. This is a great question. Lia answered it perfectly.

I am now 2 and half months into my quit and noticing super results with my health and appearance with no special effort at all diet wise.

[steph]

thanks everyone!:)

has anyone got any tips on how to tell whether you are eating for nourishment or whether its becoming more emotional eating?

[greengirl32]

Eating early on in your quit doesn't have to mean stuffing your face every five minutes. It just means treating yourself and/or eating before you get so hungry you get cranky. Chances are you were taking in a lot of calories in alcohol, so treating yourself to a bowl of ice cream at the time you previously drank won't make you gain a ton of weight. I would classify the above mentioned bowl of ice cream at the witching hour "emotional eating." Also, if you are worried about gaining weight, just eat healthy, small meals that you like. Like pasta and sauce, a big salad, or turkey sandwiches with avocado, lettuce, tomato, mustard, pickel...whatever you like.

[Charlie]

thanks everyone!:)

has anyone got any tips on how to tell whether you are eating for nourishment or whether its becoming more emotional eating?

I wouldn't worry so much about food. Alcohol has tons of empty calories. A light beer has 100 calories, darker or fancier beers have 150. Wine is 100 calories a glass, A mixed drink can range anywhere between 150 and 1000 for a fancy concoction. Alcohol kills your metabolism because your liver is always busy breaking it down into sugar.

Eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. Apples are a good snack options because they're high in fiber, and hard to wolf down. I like to slice mine and sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on them.

If you find yourself craving potato chips, ice cream, or some other junk that's probably more emotional.

[Hoots]

You don't have to intentionally stuff yourself to the gills Steph its just a way to knock off those crazy AV's. You can replace eating a chocolate cake with a fun board game or a walk, run, trip to the work out center, cafe, friends house, bike ride, park to people watch, movies, ....find things that you find interesting and fun.

When those AV's hit..strike back with anyone of those routines you have planned out.

Ice cream and food to me are just quick fixes! You can't eat every second of the day or you are right...you will blow up like a balloon!!

Keep strong,
Hoots

[steph]

thanks everyone its been a big help! :)

[FrenchFryMustache]

Hey, I just started on here. I have only been sober 10 days, but over the last year I have lost almost 50 pounds. Personally, I find that I have a lot of the same eating triggers as drinking triggers (boredom, stress, social inter actions, etc).

My first two days of being sober, I completely ate like crap. It really helped me get through those two days, but I also could see that, much like my drinking, this was something that I would need to continue to manage.

If you think that it might become an issue, you're probably right as you know yourself best. Whatever you are doing to stay sober, apply those same techniques to your eating/health, and you'll be able to manage both and feel good about both!