Phase 3: Making Your Shift
MAP: Appetite, Perspective
Substance use transforms your body's metabolism and appetite regulation, making weight loss significantly harder. Alcohol and many drugs alter brain chemistry, disrupt hunger signals, and promote fat storage while providing calories without nutrition.
How this headwind creates over fueling:
Substance use creates a perfect storm for weight gain through multiple pathways. First, many substances contain significant calories themselves — particularly alcohol at 7 calories per gram (nearly as calorie-dense as fat). These calories provide energy without nutrition, while simultaneously increasing hunger.
More importantly, substances fundamentally alter your metabolic processes. Alcohol, for example, becomes your body's preferred fuel source when present. Your liver prioritizes processing alcohol over all other nutrients, essentially putting fat metabolism "on pause" while the alcohol is in your system. This creates a metabolic traffic jam where calories from food are more likely stored as fat.
The brain chemistry disruption is equally problematic. Substances hijack your brain's reward system — the same pathways involved in appetite regulation. As tolerance develops, the brain becomes less responsive to natural rewards like food. This can trigger compensatory overeating as your body searches for the dopamine release it's no longer getting efficiently.
For many, substances also impair decision-making and impulse control precisely when you need them most. The "midnight pizza after drinks" phenomenon isn't just about social norms — it's about compromised brain function. Your Above Water Mind's ability to make conscious food choices diminishes dramatically under the influence.
Beyond calories, alcohol fundamentally disrupts your metabolism at the cellular level. Even short-term drinking alters metabolic gene expression in your muscles and liver, creating effects that last well beyond the alcohol's presence in your system. With regular consumption, these disruptions become more profound, interfering with your body's fat-processing abilities and natural metabolic rhythms, often leading to increased fat storage, particularly around vital organs. This means that alcohol can give you fatty liver disease (now known as metabolic associated liver disease) before it gives you alcohol-related liver disease.
This headwind often works alongside Sleep Disruption, Mood Disorders, and Dehydration, creating compound challenges for weight regulation.
Signs you’re facing this headwind:
You're likely battling this headwind if:
You notice consistent patterns of eating differently (usually more or less mindfully) when using substances
Your food choices deteriorate significantly during or after substance use
You experience increased cravings for high-calorie, processed foods during recovery periods
You find yourself underestimating how much alcohol contributes to your overall calorie intake
Regular substance use is followed by periods of increased hunger or cravings
This headwind often intensifies during social situations, stress periods, or when trying to reduce substance intake. Many people report stronger food cravings during the first stages of cutting back on substances, as the brain seeks alternative rewards.
For those who've had bariatric surgery, it's important to understand the phenomenon sometimes called "addiction transfer." When access to food as a coping mechanism is restricted post-surgery, some individuals may unconsciously shift to alcohol or other substances to manage emotions or seek reward. This isn't a character flaw or personal failing—it's a neurobiological response as your brain seeks alternative sources of dopamine. If you recognize this pattern in yourself, approach it with the same compassion you'd offer someone else. Your brain is solving a problem the best way it knows how, and with awareness, you can develop healthier alternatives.
Tacking strategies:
Honest Accounting: Track all substances in your Ship's Manifest alongside food. Note not just calories but effects on subsequent eating patterns.
Consider this tactic: Set a reminder to log drinks or substances immediately, not the morning after when memory may be less reliable.
Strategic Scheduling: If you choose to consume substances, do so after eating a balanced, protein-rich meal, not before. This minimizes the appetite-stimulating effects.
Consider this tactic: Have a protein-forward meal before social events where alcohol will be present.
Hydration Pairing: Alternate each alcoholic drink with a full glass of water. This reduces overall consumption, minimizes dehydration (which mimics hunger), and maintains better decision-making capacity.
Consider this tactic: Set a simple "1:1 rule" - one water for every alcoholic beverage.
Substitute Development: Create non-alcoholic alternatives that satisfy similar sensory experiences. Sparkling water with bitters in a wine glass, or caffeine-free tea rituals can replace the habitual aspects of substance use.
Consider this tactic: Invest in quality non-alcoholic options that feel special rather than deprived.
Medical Support Options: Several approved medications specifically target alcohol and substance cravings by modulating the same brain reward pathways that drive food seeking. Interestingly, some weight management medications are now being studied for their potential benefits in reducing substance cravings due to how they help with intense wanting.
Consider this tactic: Discuss these options with a healthcare provider who understands both weight management and substance use treatment.
Consider professional support if substance use feels compulsive, if you experience withdrawal symptoms when cutting back, or if these strategies don't produce improvement after 4-6 weeks of consistent effort.
Success looks like:
Improvements typically begin within 2-4 weeks of implementing these strategies. The first signs of progress usually include more consistent energy levels throughout the day and improved sleep quality, followed by reduced cravings and better appetite regulation.
Track these indicators in your Ship's Manifest and Captain's Log:
Frequency and quantity of substance use
Eating patterns following substance use
Quality of food choices when substances are and aren't present
Energy and hunger patterns the day after substance use
Celebrate small wins like declining a drink without feeling deprived, making a conscious food choice despite being in a triggering environment, or noticing reduced hunger fluctuations when moderating substance intake. Success isn't measured by perfect abstinence (unless that's your goal), but by increased awareness and intentionality.
Important self-management tools for this headwind:
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): Evidence-based information about alcohol's effects on health, including interactive tools to assess drinking patterns. [Link]
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Comprehensive resources for substance use concerns, including a 24/7 helpline and treatment locator. [Link]
Moderation Management: Community-based support program for those who want to reduce drinking without necessarily abstaining completely. [Link]
Try Dry App: Free app from Alcohol Change UK that helps track drinking, calories consumed, money saved, and health benefits. Available on iOS and Android. [Link]
Today I’ll:
Track all substances I consume today in my Ship's Manifest, noting not only what and when I consumed them, but also how they affected my subsequent food choices and hunger levels. I'll use this observation without judgment to better understand my patterns.