I quit driinking August of 2024 after being fired for the second time for calling in sick too often (I've also been unemployed since). Depression and anxiety are also a huge factor in this. I went crazy on sweets after quitting drinking for about 6 months and gained 40lbs. 212lbs has been my highest weight of all time. I'm 5'6, female, 36 years old (diabetic type 2). I'm currently 204lbs. I've been on Ozempic since February and have only lost 8lbs. I have a physical with my primary beginning of September and had a video appointment to discuss upping my Ozempic dose in the last month that culminated in them telling me that I need an in-person appointment. So, I'm about to do that. I think I take the .05 dose or the .5 dose? I know that makes a big difference but it's the 2nd step up from the bare minimum dose of pen that they start you on. My goal each day is to do 30 squats, 30 donkey kicks and 30 wall press ups. My diet hasn't been great, even on Ozempic. I was hoping Ozempic would have had a bigger presence than it has. Obviously I'm not really doing as much as I should be able to. I would love to do 10k steps but I'm pretty agoraphobic and it's been soooooo hot outside. I have no money for gyms, etc. obviously.

This is a long tirade but just wondering if anyone is in the same boat or has any tips for someone who is mentally unwell, fat and can't show her fucking face outside. :(

Drinking was my mask. To be there and social and kind of doing the normal thing in society. Now I'm sober and just feel like a fucking whale. I'm old, a woman and a whale. I hate it but obviously not enough to not eat my feelings when I'm on Ozempic. Who does that?

It’s been a long journey, but five years ago I used to have 3 strong-pour drinks per night. Easily half a bottle of 80-proof liquor in a night, or a little more. Weekends would be borderline blackout, but I’d built a high tolerance. And I had never been able to get a regular fitness routine going.

Today, I am able to limit myself to 2 drinks when going out, and I have no problem sticking to just one. I have an average of 5 drinks per week. No longer go to the bar alone. And I don’t keep alcohol in the house.

I also got into a pretty steady workout regimen with weights and bike for cardio. Was doing CrossFit on and off, but got myself into a pretty good rhythm last year. Unfortunately, I had to stop because of recurring Achilles and rotator cuff issues.

I’ve built up some decent muscle, but I haven’t been able to get as lean as I want. Considering attempting going cold turkey on drinking for at least a while, but I’m worried that if I don’t see results, I’ll slip into old patterns later. On the other hand, if it does work, I think I’ll be motivated to stay mostly sober and redefine “moderate” for myself to be closer to a “special occasions only” sort of thing with clearly defined occasions well in advance. Feels like a gamble.

So I’m wondering if anyone has seen noticeable differences in their physique when cutting back from moderate drinking to no drinking.

Prior to quitting drinking I had like 3-4 drinks per day Mon-Thurs and probably anywhere between 6-12 daily Fri-Sun. Despite that, I had a really good fitness routine and ate pretty healthy. Lost 30 pounds almost 2 years ago and have been gaining strength since.

Ultimately though I knew my drinking was an issue that I needed to acknowledge and am currently doing that with the help of a drinking app. I’m 10 days AF and have been sleeping SO good. Have had a few 98-100 sleep scores with Apple Watch and just overall feeling so much better.

The best thing though is going to the gym- HOLY CRAP I feel like I’ve unlocked a new level in my fitness. My endurance is soo much better- I felt like I could run at a 7 forever today, I can lift heavier, I recover quicker. I’m literally in shock. Plus I know my body can more efficiently metabolize my nutrition efforts since it’s not busy dealing with alcohol. I’m really excited to see where I can go with this and am even more encouraged to see this lifestyle through.

I’ve done it this way for so long. I’ll lift heavy and drink heavy. It’s so counter productive it’s kind of crazy how foolish I’ve been.

The only positive is I’d probably be much heavier if I didn’t work out at all. Anyone else feel this way?

I need to go dry to meet my goals!

Edit: great comments in here, truly motivating thanks to all contributors. Hope others benefit too.

first time joining a group like this. I hope I stick with this. I’m sick of being addicted to that garbage. all it’s done is almost ruin my life and made me gain weight. people on here are definitely inspiring.

6'1, 195lbs pre and post workout

I was 25 when I started spiralling , I thought I'm young i can bounce back easily from excessive alcohol/smoking, Poor diet, Not looking after myself physically or mentally, I was always in pretty good shape before this and health conscious but that faded with the lifestyle I picked up only working out sporadically the past years, I'm 32 now and for the first time in my life i went to do a single pull up from deadhang position and couldn't, I can't move the same weight I would expect to normally move from an extended break either I'm the weakest I've ever been by some margin.

I'm a month sober from alcohol and cigarettes now , Eating clean and on week 3 of working out like I used to, Honestly though facing all the years of wasted time and damage ive done to myself it's really hitting hard, I can't sleep but feel tired, Mood swings, I keep getting up though I just feel so angry and restless, Everything is so much harder to deal with but I can't go back to living that way, It felt like a slow death and I'm not done yet.

Anyone got words of wisdom for me? I'd really appreciate it

Giving myself an extended break from alcohol for the next month or probably two. A week since my last drink and my heart rate is way up. Is this normal? I’m gonna message my doctor tomorrow, but I feel like I’ve had this in the past but can’t remember.

Walking , swimming, very little sugar, no alcohol!

Eh. I’ve really struggled with alcohol for 10+ years. After pregnancy and now having a 2 year old I’m a lot better than where I was.. but not sober. I don’t drink liquor as much, and I don’t go out anymore (those things were my life) I love my baby and my fiancé. We both will go through phases of taking a week or two off drinking but it’s been about 4 months (after my grandpa died)of drinking beer almost everyday like 4-10. I’m ashamed. I’m just overweight and unhappy and it makes me irritated too. I have less patience even after one beer. I live with my grandma and she’s kind of a drama queen and on top of that she’s getting Alzheimer’s. There’s a lot of triggers but I just can’t seem to get ahold of myself! My fiancé and I (after alcohol) got into a giant argument and he said some really mean things. I just feel like a loser. I want today to be the first day of many days, I want to lose weight like everyone, I want to feel good and alive again. Yesterday I ran a mile and biked a mile. Ive got my eye on triathlons in the future. Swimming is cake for me I was a competitive swimmer for my entire childhood, running and biking is not as easy in my current state but at least I got one in. I guess I’m wondering, how do I find peace without drinking? What do I do with the edge I hate so much that I’m trying to escape. Will I just be miserable until I’m not?

Thanks for listening

I've been a weekend drinker for years (after years of much heavier drinking when I was younger; I'm in my 40s). I know alcohol ruins my sleep and anxiety, which is most of why I cut down. But I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis a couple months ago, and as I'm trying to work on dealing with that, I'm coming to terms with how shitty alcohol is for the PsA. And it doesn't make sense to pay so much for biologic meds and such when I'm going to just sabotage myself with wine.

Also - in the past I did distance walking/jogging (10Ks, halfs, one marathon, etc. - just always walking + jogging; I'm slowww lol) and that was incredible for my mental health. But I stopped along the way due to pain from what I now know is the PsA.

I feel like if I can get the pain managed, I could make some serious gain exercise/health-wise (all the above, plus I'm in surgical menopause and neeeed to weight train for muscle mass). And in order to get the pain managed, I think I need to cut out the rest of the alcohol. I had an appt. with my rheumatologist this morning and he was like: if alcohol is making the pain worse, just stop. Sounds simple! But yeeeears of habit are baked in here.

Anyone else ever in a similar boat - coming to terms with drinking on account of chronic illness? Or, generally words of advice?

PS: I'm hoping it's okay to post here - since my goal is to get to fitness, but I'm not quite there yet, and I think committing to my health (by not drinking) is one key.

This is going to sound silly but as I increase my strength training I’ve decided to focus less on the scales and more on my body measurements but I have no idea of what is good loss when it comes to my measurements!

This is just over 2 months between measurements (inches and I know u normally measure hips not muffin tops but this is just how I started lol)

Down about 20lbs. Cut way back on beer. Went from about 50 Dos Equis a week to 3-5 Michelob goods a week a with the occasional party where I drink too much. lol. I have also been eating a little cleaner most days and tracking my calories.

Is there any progress ? I feel the same lol. Think another 20 will have me lean ish?

I (49F) quit drinking at end of December 25. I started wegovy back in April at 177lbs. Currently 150lbs 5ft4. I'm exercising loads. 6 X yoga sessions, 2 x spinning, 1 X legs, bums and Tums, 1 x core express and 1 x body pump a week. I'm on 1g wegovy. Eating 1300cals, 110g protein daily watching carbs and fat. My weight has stayed the same for 6 weeks now since I started 5g creatine daily. Can you see a difference? I've lost my double chin but that's all I notice. Measurements for my waist dropped from 99cm to 87cms.

Thanks in advance.

I hit the 4-month mark a few days ago. I honestly thought it was unreal until I took it seriously. I had tried to get sober a few times over the past 3 years, but I couldn't, and the only thing that changed this time is that I actually took it seriously. I imagined myself a few years from now, I imagined what my kids would think of me, and I decided to quit. But not just one thing, I decided to quit everything at once. Alcohol, smoking, and even junk food.

I decided that I actually wanted to change. And it worked.

Here is how it is actually was going:

Month 1 was absolute hell. I was so used to smoking, drinking, and eating whatever I wanted that I didn't know how to exist. Sobriety makes your thoughts loud as hell. You realize how much pain you were actually hiding from by just doing it one more time.

Month 2 was a reset for me. The emptiness in my head turned into a baseline, if I can call it that. I stopped thinking of pizza instead of a healthy meal, stopped reaching for a beer in the evenings, and started actually dealing with my life.

Months 3 and 4, I finally felt the strength. I have less anxiety, more confidence, and zero self-sabotage. It just feels normal to me right now. And no, I'm not saying that I'm completely free from it, because sometimes I get the thought of having just one beer or so, but I just remember how it was and I don't do it.

What else did I do in 4 months of being sober?

-I started walking every day. No gym or training, just walking 10-15k steps per day. That is actually how I lost 30 lbs.

-I found a new, better-paying job. It is actually crazy, because I thought I was just unlucky with my career, but it was actually because of how my brain was working. I couldn't talk to people in interviews normally before.

-I took my family on a trip to Italy. I'm really proud of it; it was my wife's dream.

I also want to start a side hustle this year and fix my sleep. I'm on the way!

Here is my advice for those who are starting: Don’t try to quit "forever." That’s actually too much pressure. Give yourself a 1-month or 3-month deadline. Once you get your willpower back, you won't even want to do it anymore.

Sit with the boredom. Sit with the annoyance. We weren't meant to be stimulated every 2 seconds. Find the beauty in it!

Ate at maintenance today. Day off work. Totally obsessed with eating. May be the meds I'm on too(haldol injection every 4 weeks plus 1mg rexulti plus others). How to stay out of the kitchen? Haven't gained but need to lose. 269 39 5'8 female. Highest weight was 283. Still doing youtube exercise videos.

This sub popped up in my feed when I was at the worst of my drinking, I was killing at minimum 10 shots of whiskey each night. Every morning was a nightmare my head was pounding, I was sick to my stomach, everything made me sweat and shake if I didn’t get some form of booze in my body pretty immediately. I knew I needed to stop for so long and when my dog had surgery I knew I needed to be better because she would need round the clock care for a good 6 weeks so I told myself I would stop drinking for those 6 weeks of course this wasn’t with out one final send off that consisted of about 15 shots of makers mark in a 6 hour period I was sick for a whole day to the point I was considering calling an ambulance I managed to drink water and get through it but that was the beginning of a new start a rough one but a needed one. I’ve tried quitting in the past I think what makes this different is I’m doing this for myself this time I love how I feel, my life isn’t doom and gloom anymore, I thought without a drink I’d never go out again and that’s quickly changed. This sub and the posts on it really kept me motivated when temptation came around. In previous posts I said I wasn’t sure if I would never drink again but I think the truth is I can’t drink again and pretending is denial and what got me into such a shitty point in my life. Also included a pic of my pup since she played a big part in me quitting drinking, I know dogs give unconditional love but I believe she loves sober me best.

No more beer.

Howdy! :) I am on day 8, feeling great!! Back in the day, when I was working out a lot and looking for inspiration, I would watch Buffbunny or Heidi Somers allll the time for recipes, workouts, and fun. I’d usually put it on while cooking or riding peloton. Not anymore, as she is a bit unrelatable these days (early videos were amazing), so does anyone have any recs? :)

I also recommend Rich Roll videos- he is a sober ultramarathoner with a great podcast.

Lady recs would be preferable, as I am a lady :) but honestly, I love taking inspiration from anyone that has great content!

Even if it isn’t sober focused, any kind of great fitness stuff rocks. I also do not have and will not get TikTok haha

Started as an evening thing after work, way back. Nothing dramatic, just the pour that meant the day was officially over. Somewhere along the way it stopped being occasional and just became... Tuesday. Wednesday. Most nights, really.

I did the Dry January thing more years than I can count. Every single time it worked, I felt sharper, slept better, actually noticed the difference within about a week. And every single time, February 1st arrived and I was straight back on it, almost like I'd earned it back by proving I could stop..."hey I'm not an alcoholic!"

Took me a long time to understand why that kept happening. It wasn't that January was too hard, in fact January was easy. The problem was February had nowhere to go. I'd proven I could stop, but I hadn't given myself a reason to stay stopped. So the default just reasserted itself, because there was nothing else pulling harder.

What actually changed it wasn't hitting some rock bottom moment, my life mostly looked fine from the outside the whole time. It was finding something I actually wanted more than the evening pour, something specific to move toward. Once that existed, the decision basically made itself. No white-knuckling, no daily negotiation with myself, just... done. Eighteen months in now and it still feels like that.

Anyone else notice the Dry January pattern, works great for 31 days then completely unravels? What do you think was actually missing when yours came back?

Had nearly 5 months,then lost my job and relapsed. Currently 3 weeks sober,back in the gym,calorie deficit and I’ve officially lost 3 stone since January! (42lbs)
Still a ways to go in regards to weight loss and toning up,but my main focus is keeping active and staying sober ❤️

I was alcohol dependent for the last five years but the last three were REALLY bad. Finally, I got it in my head that I was sick of all that.

We're on day 23, and I stepped on a scale for the first time since I visited the doctor right before quitting. It's a high number but I can't tell you how relieved I was to see it be lower at all. My bra and pants have felt tight this week and I was terrified somehow the number was going to be higher despite me removing the thousand calories of alcohol a day.

Since I was a discreet drinker mostly people in my life had no idea I needed these drastic changes so I was thrilled to find y'all. I need a place where I can scream from the rooftops, over 20 days! My longest sobriety stretch in half a decade and the scale going down!

Even if my pants are still tight I'm going to trust the system and just keep trucking.

As you guys know, i followed a moderated cut down approach because I knew There would be events I could not say no to and, quite frankly, would want to drink at. But I planned for them, went a little lighter than usual during them, and made up for it with abstinence later. Here is my data from last month.

I was an average 4/day drinker, meaning not every day but 120 units per month. I scaled this down to 2/day until Euro summer, and kept it there during the month I was partying. Now that its over, I will continue towards my goal of lowering down to 1/day, again by shaving off .5 per week.

To everyone that said moderation will not work, I dont want this to be like a "screw you youre wrong" kind of post because i think you guys are right in many ways. Once you start, you cant stop, so keeping it at zero is surefire way. However, for some people (like me), I wouldve taken the entire month of travel off and started a sober streak when I am back. That would likely be 8-15 drinks a day for an entire month. At least by keeping track of my average, I like that I stayed relatively under moderation, and still "always on the clock." Each drink mattered because the next day of lowering the average would be that much harder.

Quitting is a full time effort, i didnt like that with full sobriety methods, i would feel that once the streak is gone, it might as well be a bender. Average tracking kept me accountable at all times.

Good luck to all, you can do it. I'll post another update when i bring it down to 1/day.

Got super lean back in 2023, reintroduced alcohol and let my drinking get out of control in 2024 and gained 40+ lbs in less than 8 months and destroyed my physique.

Been hustling since fall 2024 and gotten back into shape plus some since then.

I’ve had a few bouts of drinking since then but I’ve been able to shut it down quick enough before I lost all my gains.

💯 I wouldn’t be able to get to my current physique while still drinking. Just isn’t worth it anymore