Why You're Craving Sugar After Quitting Drinking (And Why That's Actually Okay)

I want to talk about something that comes up all the time with women who've just quit drinking: those intense sugar cravings and the frustration when the scale doesn't budge (or worse, creeps up a bit).

First things first, you are not doing anything wrong, and you are not broken.

This is one of the most common experiences women have in early sobriety, and understanding what's actually happening inside your body makes it so much easier to be patient with yourself.

What's Really Going On With Those Sugar Cravings?

Here's the thing: alcohol acts like a fast-acting sugar in your body. Every time you drank, it spiked your blood sugar and then dropped it just as quickly. Your brain got used to those super quick hits of dopamine and glucose - they made you feel calm and comfortable, even if just for a moment.

When you take alcohol away, your brain doesn't understand yet that this is a good thing. It just knows something familiar is gone. Your usual source of dopamine is missing, and your brain is trying to figure out what to do as a replacement.

That's why the sugar cravings show up. Your body isn't betraying you or sabotaging you, it's just trying to keep you stable and reestablish balance.

So in these early weeks? It's actually more than okay to give into those sugar cravings. A handful of chocolate chips, fruit, sugary mocktails, extra ice cream -

it's not a sign of weakness, and it's definitely not a sign that this is how sobriety will always be for you.

This is just your body trying to rebalance and recalibrate while your brain literally rewires itself.

But What About the Weight?

I know, I know. You quit drinking, and you expected the weight to just melt off. Maybe your partner is doing a dry month with you and they're losing weight while you're not. It's frustrating, and honestly? It's not fair.

But here's what's actually happening:

With alcohol out of the picture, your body is finally shifting from survival mode to actually healing. Your hormones are trying to rebalance cortisol, insulin, and estrogen. This delicate dance takes time, especially for women; and it means your body isn't prioritizing things like fat loss right now. It's focusing on the essentials.

Your gut is repairing itself. Your liver is healing. Your body might actually be holding onto water and nutrients while it stabilizes. All of this can lead to bloating or the scale staying the same (or even going up a few pounds).

Add in the fact that your sleep might not have regulated yet, and you've got a perfect storm for weight fluctuations.

But this doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. This is just biology.

Think of It Like a Renovation

When you're renovating a house, it gets really messy before it gets beautiful, right? The messy part usually lasts longer than you want. Things pop up unexpectedly, and you have no choice but to stick with it and see it through.

That's exactly what's happening in your body right now. The goals you have for your health and weight loss? They're absolutely attainable and possible! But you can't skip this messy healing part. It's the only way to build a solid foundation that's going to look and feel beautiful in the end.

What You Can Do Right Now

Instead of worrying about sugar or the number on the scale, focus on nourishment, not restriction. Here are some things that actually help:

→ Focus on Protein

Women should aim for about 100 grams of protein a day. This helps stabilize blood sugar (which reduces cravings), supports your mood and energy, and helps with hormone balance. Think: lean meats, fish, Greek yogurt, eggs, protein powder, tofu.

→ Get Enough Fiber

If things aren't moving regularly (and yes, we're talking about bowel movements), focus on fiber. Sometimes that extra weight is just your body trying to excrete toxins now that alcohol is out of the way.

→ Drink Water

Aim for half your body weight in ounces every day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, that's 75 ounces of water. This alone can help so much with cravings because sometimes we think we're hungry or craving something when we're actually just thirsty.

→ Prioritize Rest

Quitting drinking is a huge thing for your body. You need rest to heal. Rest isn't a weakness or a luxury, it's essential, just like food and water.

This Is Not the Time for Punishment

The best thing you're doing right now is staying alcohol free. Don't deny yourself sugar if you need it! We're in this for the long haul, and we're creating habits that are going to serve you for a really long time.

That number one habit is keeping alcohol out of the picture. Things like sugar cravings will resolve themselves over time. You will not always crave sugar the way you do in the beginning. Promise 🖤

Trust the Process

The next time a sugar craving hits or your jeans feel snug, remember: your body is not betraying you. It's working really, really hard to heal, to get better, to get stronger.

Every craving, every fluctuation, it's just part of your body finding its balance again, relearning how to do the things it couldn't do when you were drinking.

Healing takes time. And that doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. It doesn't mean it's not going to happen. It doesn't mean your body is failing you.

You're doing a fantastic thing by staying alcohol free! That is absolutely your biggest priority and your biggest win every single day.

Trust that it all shakes out in the end.

→ Need More Support?

If you need more tools and support to navigate early sobriety with confidence, check out my Alcohol Free Blueprint, my signature program that's helped hundreds of women go from feeling stuck in the drinking cycle to genuinely happy as non-drinkers.

You're not doing anything wrong, friend. You're just healing. And that's something to be proud of!

xx -

Shannon

Want to dive deeper into this topic? Listen to this full podcast episode here