Got clean? Got an insatitable appetite?

[SotiredIcantsleep]

Well I let myself go slowly throughout my addiction. Today is day 27.  I've always been very physically active throughout my addiction, although less and less there towards the end.  I got clean last month and I've put on almost 20lbs.  I can't quench my hunger.  I was at an unhealthy weight towards the end (143lbs I'm 5'10) now I'm up to 162 pounds less than a month later.  The weird thing is I know a lot about nutrition, it was a course of study in college for a while and also a hobby of mine.  3500 calories = 1 pound.  I have been active in the last 2-3 weeks of my recovery (at least 5 hours of exercise daily) so in order for me to gain 1 pound a day (which I have) in addition to being active I would have to be eating somewhere around 5000-6000 calories per day, which I'm not.  It's pretty weird but my body doesn't tell me that I'm done eating, I will eat myself sick.  I can't believe I'm putting on weight like this, I've always been a very hard gainer, slender build, but all of a sudden I am bulking up. My bench-press in the gym went up almost 30 pounds in the last two weeks, which is pretty unheard of.  I just feel like I am getting so strong.  

Anyone else have a hard time not eating themselves to death after getting clean?  I started eating a lot healthier the past few days but I'm gonna continue to eat like this if my progress in the gym continues to go as unreal as it has been.

[marcatj]

i can't shovel the food in fast enough... it's weird!!   i totally get it.. i'm hungry all the time.

as for the energy - amino acids and lotsa supplements.  it HELPS!!

[AM71]

I feel like you are my field guide in all of this since you are about a week ahead of me, you hold the map up and say, "here's what to expect," thank you!  Your on 37 days and still no energy!  When does it come back!?  If ever?   In my mind, I was just going to pop out of bed back to normal in one month (which would be tomorrow for me), what a nice idea.  
When do people say that we can start expecting some energy back?

[AM71]

I feel like you are my field guide in all of this since you are about a week ahead of me, you hold the map up and say, "here's what to expect," thank you!  Your on 37 days and still no energy!  When does it come back!?  If ever?   In my mind, I was just going to pop out of bed back to normal in one month (which would be tomorrow for me), what a nice idea.  
When do people say that we can start expecting some energy back?

[GoingToMakeIt]

I really think this is true. I have never seen so many different changes happening since I quit. 37 days. Some days are better than others. Energy? I don't know what that is. It is a process. Ye old timers say that this is normal.....Do I regret quitting? No. I am so glad to have a mind again. I am getting my life back. It is one more reason to stay clean. If our bodies got this messed up, why would we subject our bodies to this again?

[AM71]

I am really happy that you posted about this b/c I have been getting really frustrated with what is going on with my body here on day 29.  To go from being such a controlled eater and devout gym rat to this has been hard.  My body is so bloated and puffy that I can't even look at myself in the mirror.  My hunger has died down a little but I too have put weight on.  I am getting a bit depressed about all of this, plus my lack of energy and that I feel like this is never going to end.
WOW! I guess that might not be the sort of support you were looking for when posting hmm?  =)  
I'll just say that I know what you are talking about, physically I must admit that I am starting to see a tiny light at the end of the tunnel as appetite and this bloating starts to subside ever so slightly.
The best thing I can say about all these withdraw symptoms is that I NEVER want to do this again ...
I like thinking about it like GoingToMakeIt said, the body "reset and re-regulating,"  everything going a little out of wack to get back to normal,

[CinCee]

Overeating is another way of self-medicating.  Guilty.

[GoingToMakeIt]

The body goes thru more changes than we can ever know after getting clean.. You might just wait (or is that weight) it out. I jumped 20#s this last month. I thought it was from all the holidays but who knows?
I have seen ups and downs in emotions, body temps, weight, blood sugars, sleep etc.. I really think some of these are do to getting clean. Our body has to reset and re-regulate all of it's functions.

[SotiredIcantsleep]

Yeah I'm drinking protein shakes first thing in the morning and one PWO(post workout) But I'm also eating about 6 small meals a day and maybe a snack or two.  It's pretty much impossible to gain 20lbs of muscle in a month unless you are on gear. But it's ok I look better, my face filled out and doesn't have that crack-head look, I put a slight buldge in my belly but the rest of me is looking pretty ripped, I'll start cutting once I hit 170 and shred all my fat, it's very encouraging to have good workouts again after years of being weak and useless.  

I am currently training with my climbing partner (we are climbing Mt Mckinley[Denali] in June which is one of the main reasons I got clean to be honest, just so I can be a reliable partner to him, Its a 28-35 day climb, thats a lot of oxys to be toting up there :D) the training is going so much better ever since I got clean, I'm still a little depressed but I think I'm on the up-and-up, I start school back tommarow, life is good.

[Victim of Surgery]

If you're working out all the time, the weight might just be more muscle. When I complained to my doctor about being tired all of the time he told me to stop eating dairy products and carbs for breakfast and instead, told me to drink a cup of soy milk + a scoop of whey protein powder + a scoop of whole wheat germ. I've been doing it religiously for a few months and, without even wanting to, I've lost about 15 pounds. I don't know if that will work for you but you might try it. I also take a bunch of vitamins and supplements he prescribed. The drink in the morning is gross but after taking it will all the supplements I am full and don't need to eat until dinner. You can get flavored soy mile and flavored protein powder--vanilla or choc--whichever you prefer. I mix it in a blender with a couple of icecubes to make it nice and cold. It's definitely filling and I believe it's nutritious.