MUSINGS
I’m 2 Stone Lighter Than When I Was Drinking, and I Love Food More Than Ever
Sobriety is the gift that keeps giving.
Happy Sobriety
The benefits of sobriety are like one of those rotating conveyor belts you get in sushi restaurants. Just as I think I’ve settled on a favourite, a new unexpected one will come along from around the corner.
When I first gave up alcohol, I was wading through the dark a bit. Didn’t really know where I was going, where I would end up, even if I would make it to long-term sobriety (which is why I hardly told anyone for the first 6 months).
I understood that cutting out alcohol would bring benefits to my life, but at first, they were all theoretical. Something out there, probably for other people. I had this ridiculous idea that even though I wasn’t drinking, any benefits would just bypass me. I would spend the rest of my life watching other people have fun from the bylines wishing I could join in, remaining miserable and overweight.
Thankfully the benefits came thick, fast, and some completely unexpected.
Money money money
The first benefit I noticed was the financial one. I seemed to have loads of money spare at first. Couldn’t believe it. I treated myself to loads of lovely things like expensive bedding, jewelry, and perfume as a marker that this sobriety lark was really working for me. As always though, just like any pay rise, 20 months on, all this spare money seemed to have been absorbed somewhere (no idea where). As my old nan would say ‘Expenditure rises to meet income’.
Health and wellbeing
The second benefit after a couple of months was the pure joy of no hangovers ever. Up bright and fresh every single day, I never missed a session in the gym, and all my jobs were done quicker and earlier. I was so much more efficient at just about everything. I noticed I just felt well. Fitter and brighter, I was going on bigger and better dog walks, and doing more sea swimming. Life became more outdoorsy.
Free weight loss
I had decided (and taken advice from all the quit lit I had read) not to even think about dieting during the first few months of sobriety. To maximise my chances of success, I would prioritise it over everything else. Plus take my word for it, hunger can trigger alcohol cravings, so you definitely don’t want to let yourself get hungry during this time.
Yet at 6 months sober I had magically lost a whole stone without even trying.
Bingo!
Honestly, at this point, I was thinking sobriety was like all my Christmases coming at once.
When I was drinking, although I was never seriously overweight, I did have to battle to keep at an acceptable size. I was always following diets, using low calorie ingredients and fry light for everything along with regularly going to the gym. It was an uphill struggle. I could never just have a big binge and eat what I wanted (except on hangover days of course when it was essential).
I’m now at 20 months sober, 2 stones down from where I started, really happy with my weight, and I don’t diet at all.
Yet now, it is all about the food.
That’s not to say I’m out eating junk food all the time, in fact hardly ever. You just don’t need to when you’re never hungover.
I take time to plan lovely meals with all my favorite ingredients. No need to diet anymore, I can use what I like. Proper butter, cream and chocolate if I want to. Mmmm
Where I used to treat myself with a glass of wine, I’ll look forward to my favorite curry, a gorgeous slice of cake, or some Haagen Daz ice cream.
I can even go mad if I want and eat a whole packet of biscuits knowing that I can do this now and it won’t be catastrophic.
It’s ace!
Freedom
It’s a form of freedom to not worry about what I eat. After years of dieting and struggling to keep my weight down, it’s a whole new world to be in this territory. Definitely an unexpected benefit of sobriety.
I didn’t think it would be this good.
So this is today’s favorite benefit and I’ll let you know when the next unexpected benefit pops its head around the corner. Looking forward to finding out what that one is.