Lots will change in your life as you recover from drug addiction and leave drug rehab. A recovering addict is likely to gain weight after rehab because addiction causes you to overeat, leaving your drug-dependent body sober but bigger in physique. Although your mind and spirit may have already recovered from addiction, your physical body takes a longer time to catch up. Gaining weight after sober living is frustrating, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is bad. If you gain weight after rehab, it means that you are starting to get healthier.

What you want to do is to control your weight gain, so you don’t become too big. With that said, here are some key tips to help you stay fit after getting out of rehab.

Exercise, Exercise and Exercise

Exercising is usually the last thing that comes to the mind of a recovering drug addict. After rehab at Bend, Oregon treatment centres, a recovering drug addict (especially ones who are struggling with depression), tends to overeat. He or she can’t fight the urge to keep on eating because sometimes food is a replacement for drugs.

So if you are gaining weight excessively, with sober living you might want to start doing exercises and keep your body moving. Since most recovering addicts don’t like to exercise, they are usually beginners when it comes to getting fit. In that case, you might want to stick with simple exercises, as your body is still adjusting to your new life.

  • You may want to start doing exercises that are appropriate for your current physical levels like hiking, walking, swimming, or yoga.
  • Working out at for at least 30-60 minutes a day can help a recovering addict increase energy and endurance.
  • Exercising can also be used a channel for turning your addictive behaviors into doing things that are beneficial. Do not get caught, however, turning your addiction into exercising. You must always create a healthy balance between your spirituality, fitness, and family.
  • Don’t also forget about your scheduled appointments to your counsellors.

It is our responsibility to respect our physical health and to protect it by exercising. Most addicted people tend to neglect their body. They don’t care much about their physical health, and what’s worse is that their abuse of substances deteriorates their body even more. A lot of the damage done to physical health can be undone by sober living. Achieving sobriety through exercise will allow your body to heal itself. Exercising doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to spend hours and hours in a gym just to get healthy. Even simple exercises that keep your body moving are enough to restore your physical health.

Proper Nutrition

Proper nutrition is where most recovering addicts struggle after getting out of rehab. Recovering addicts tend to develop a habit of overeating especially if they were once addicted to stimulants.

Proper nutrition is integral to the recovery process of an addicted person. It helps restore both the physical and mental health of a recovering addict and improves his chance of achieving sobriety.

Nutritional deficiencies only lead to anxiety, depression, and low energy, which can trigger another relapse.

Recovering addicts should also undergo nutrition counselling and be involved in comprehensive nutrition education programs. It is recommended that a recovering addict get in touch with a nutritionist to create a nutrition plan needed for addiction recovery.

Here are a couple of basic nutrition tips you might want to start doing:

  • Avoid making any major changes in your diet immediately. You must take it slow and give your body enough time to adapt to your new nutrition regimen.
  • Avoid skipping meals.
  • Choose foods that are rich in protein to help rebuild your muscles.
  • If possible, make your diet contain mainly vegetables and fruits to get the needed nutrition your body needs such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
  • Avoid eating processed foods.
  • You can also choose to take vitamin and mineral supplements, especially during and after sober living.

A Plan for Your Sober Life

A well-balanced nutrition plan is a key element in achieving sobriety. With proper nutrition, you can reduce your cravings and restore your body to a more physically healthy state. Combining proper nutrition with regular exercise can do a lot in your efforts of achieving sobriety and preventing relapse along the way.

Getting fit is an important part of the recovery process. Recovering addicts will have to rely on regular exercises and proper nutrition to restore their body back in top condition. Developing these kinds of positive habits will help make a recovering addict feel better, which can also prevent a relapse. Achieving sobriety from drug addiction is not simple. It is a lifelong process that requires patience, discipline, time and effort. There will be times where you find yourself stepping backward instead of moving forward. When that happens talk to your family, friends, or counselors like the ones at Taylor Recovery, to help you set on the right track again.

Tom Taylor and Kristi Taylor

Tom Taylor and Kristi Taylor are owners and writers contributing to Taylor Recovery. Their interest in helping others has allowed them to write on some great topics to give help to those in need. Although inseparable, the two do indulge in their own interests whenever they’re free. They love life and love helping those who need help on the road to recovery from what life throws at them.