This is usually when people start to feel their best after giving up alcohol. By this point, most physical withdrawal symptoms should have subsided and you should start to feel less anxious and more positive.1 One study showed that after 6 weeks of abstinence from alcohol, brain volume increases by an average of 2%.3.
6 Weeks Without Alcohol
You may have higher thinking and problem-solving skills, memory and attention than those who are still drinking alcohol. Several studies show that if you stop drinking, your chances of getting cancer, having a stroke and early death will decrease.
You can expect improved liver function almost immediately after you stop drinking alcohol. Experts predict that most drinkers' livers can return to completely normal function after 4-8 weeks of no alcohol.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that the vast majority of recovery occurs within the first year of abstinence, but continues for 5 to 7 years after. Any additional damage stops as soon as one stops drinking.
Quitting alcohol has numerous health benefits over time. Initial days without alcohol can be challenging, but the body starts recovering slowly. After a month of no alcohol, detoxification begins, and sleep and digestion improve. After two months, sleep quality, liver function, and digestion continue to improve.
The time it takes to lose a beer belly depends on individual factors such as age, sex, body composition, diet, and physical activity level. However, with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and lifestyle changes, it is possible to see visible results within a few weeks to months.
Some alcohol-related liver damage can be reversed if you stop drinking alcohol early enough in the disease process. Healing can begin as early as a few days to weeks after you stop drinking, but if the damage is severe, healing can take several months.
Depending on the organ and whether there is relapse, functional recovery is possible. Even after years of heavy alcohol use, the liver has a remarkable regenerative capacity and, following alcohol removal, can recover a significant portion of its original mass and function.
The liver, however, is able to replace damaged tissue with new cells. If up to 50 to 60 percent of the liver cells may be killed within three to four days in an extreme case like a Tylenol overdose, the liver will repair completely after 30 days if no complications arise.
After one year sober, it typically becomes easier to maintain long-term sobriety. That said, it's still common to experience challenges and setbacks over time. It's important to remember that a setback doesn't erase your progress. You can still achieve long-term sobriety without a 100% success rate.
When you suddenly stop drinking, your body has become accustomed to overproducing glutamate and under-producing GABA so you can become over-excitable, anxious, and shaky. The majority of people will recover from these withdrawal symptoms and normally the physical symptoms will subside after 72 hours.
Chronic use of alcohol and drugs alters brain chemistry which is why mood swings happen or mental issues develop—like depression—after quitting drinking. Becoming sober is the most crucial step. Other good habits to practice as you overcome addiction and work on recovery include the following: Exercising regularly.
Although positive changes may appear earlier, 3 months of not drinking can not only improve your mood, energy, sleep, weight, skin health, immune health, and heart health.
Depending on how much you drank, your starting weight, your age, and how you've treated diet and exercise since you stopped drinking, it's not uncommon to lose anywhere between 6-15 pounds after a month without alcohol.
If you stop drinking completely, one of the first things you notice should be improved energy levels, better sleep and finding it easier to wake up in the morning. Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep making you feel tired and sluggish during the day.
Even your liver can begin to recover when you stop drinking. If you have a fatty liver or alcoholic hepatitis, your liver can repair itself, and you could decrease the damage. You may not be able to reverse the course of cirrhosis, but deciding to stop drinking can add years to your life.
YOUR METABOLISM WILL CHANGE
Cutting out the drinks completely should see it speed up and make you burn energy more efficiently.
What do you mean by heavy drinking? For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week.
The liver is very resilient and capable of regenerating itself. Each time your liver filters alcohol, some of the liver cells die. The liver can develop new cells, but prolonged alcohol misuse (drinking too much) over many years can reduce its ability to regenerate.
How long after quitting drinking do you lose weight? Once you stop drinking for 30+ days, you should see other benefits start to manifest, like weight loss. In the United States, current Dietary Guidelines recommend that alcohol should only be consumed in moderation.