I used to think spirituality in recovery meant believing in something specific god. A system. A rulebook. What I’ve learned is much simpler—and much harder. Spirituality, for me, became the moment I stopped trying to control everything.The moment I admitted I was exhausted from running my own life into the ground.The moment I got quiet enough to listen instead of argue with reality. Recovery didn’t give me all the answers it gave me humility it gave me space. It gave me the ability to pause before reacting. Some days spirituality looks like a meeting.Some days it looks like a walk.Some days it looks like calling someone instead of isolating.Some days it’s just choosing not to make things worse. I don’t always feel “connected.”I don’t always feel peaceful.But I trust now—trust that if I do the next right thing, I don’t have to see the whole staircase. That’s the miracle for me. Not perfection. Not enlightenment. Just progress. Just willingness. Just staying open. And somehow… that’s been enough.

Alcohol doesn’t just add calories — it shuts down fat burning. When you drink, your liver treats alcohol like a toxin and stops burning fat and carbs until it’s cleared. Anything you eat during that time gets stored, not used. A few key science facts: - Alcohol = 7 calories per gram, nearly as dense as fat - It blocks fat oxidation for up to 24 hours - Raises insulin → more fat storage - Increases cortisol → belly fat + inflammation - Disrupts gut bacteria → bloating and puffiness - Wrecks sleep, which slows metabolism and increases cravings That stubborn belly, puffy face, and constant bloat?Often not age. Not diet. Not willpower. It’s alcohol. The upside:When alcohol is removed, fat burning turns back on fast.Bloating drops within days. Sleep improves. Hormones rebalance. That’s why so many people say:“I didn’t change much… I just stopped drinking.” Progress, not perfection. 👇 Discussion:What physical change did you notice first after cutting back or stopping?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately… How every time I tried to plan my way out of a mess, I just ended up more exhausted. I had plans for everything.Plans to cut back.Plans to get it together.Plans to be “normal.” And none of them really worked. What actually changed things for me was stopping the planning…and just setting an intention. Not a big one.Not a dramatic one. Just something like—“I don’t want to live like this anymore.” Notimeline..no rules No pressure. And once I did that…things started lining up. Not perfectly.Not all at once. But I stopped fighting myself.I stopped negotiating every decision.I stopped needing certainty before taking the next step. I’d ask myself,“How do I want to feel today?” And that was enough. Calmer.Clearer.Less numb.More honest. I didn’t decide what sobriety had to look like.I didn’t decide anything about forever. I just decided I didn’t want to keep escaping myself. And weirdly…when I stopped obsessing over not drinking,the obsession started to fade. When I stopped controlling everything,I started trusting myself. I think plans kept me stuck because they were really about fear.Fear of losing control.Fear of feeling.Fear of not knowing what comes next. An intention doesn’t do that. It just points you in a direction. You can wander. You can pause you can course-correct. You’re not failing youre just moving. So if you’re sober curious and tired of extremes…maybe don’t plan your whole life. Just set an intention…and walk. That’s it.

Just a piece of philosophical gold my mom sent me yesterday.