The Sweet Switch: Why Am I Eating So Much Crap Now I'm Sober?
Sober Awkward
Victoria Vanstone
4.8 • 533 Ratings
🗓️ 11 January 2026
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ever noticed how the moment you put down the wine glass, you suddenly find yourself at the bottom of a family-sized bag of Haribo? You aren't alone. In fact, for many of us, the "sugar monster" was waiting in the wings long before we poured our last drink.
In this episode, we sit down with Vanessa Kredler, a Sydney-based psychotherapist and specialist in ultra-processed food addiction. Vanessa brings a lived experience in recovering from both food and alcohol addiction.
We dive deep into why these two habits are so often "best friends" and how to navigate the "naughty food" phase of early sobriety without losing your mind.
We explore:
- The Binge Trigger: Why Vanessa had to give up alcohol to finally heal her relationship with food.
- The AA Sugar Phenomenon: Why are there always so many sweets at recovery meetings? We look at the biological link between the bottle and the biscuit tin.
- The Great Food Addiction Challenge: You can choose to never touch alcohol again, but you have to eat. How do you manage an addiction to something you need for survival?
- How Worried Should You Be?: Should you be concerned about your skyrocketing sugar intake in early sobriety, or is it okay to "treat yourself" while you find your feet?
Whether you're "sober curious" or a few years in and wondering why you’re suddenly obsessed with ice cream, Vanessa offers incredible insight into how to find balance and understand the "why" behind your cravings.
💛 Resources & Links
Vanessa's Website: https://www.vanessakredler.com/
Her Insta: @vanessakredler
📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays
A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The kettle's boiled, Vic. |
| 0:03.7 | Great, perfect timing. |
| 0:05.7 | Just a dash of milk for me, please, mate. |
| 0:09.5 | Here you go. |
| 0:10.9 | Should we get started then? |
| 0:17.3 | Have you ever woken up on a Sunday morning and said, |
| 0:19.9 | I'm never drinking again, |
| 0:21.4 | and then found yourself waving 50 bucks at a barman by happy hour? |
| 0:25.1 | Are you wondering why everyone else can stop at one, |
| 0:27.8 | while you head to a dodgy after-party with a weird bloke called Disco Dave? |
| 0:31.6 | If so, it might be time to take a deeper look at your relationship with your reliable social crutch, alcohol. |
| 0:38.1 | On each episode, we'll investigate our own dysfunctional dealings with booze |
| 0:42.2 | and find out if it's possible to stop this deeply ingrained habit |
| 0:45.4 | before things get too messy. |
| 0:47.5 | Yep, we're going to open up a shame shed of humiliating drinking stories |
| 0:51.1 | to help you understand why waking up from a booze coma each weekend with a |
| 0:54.9 | kebab sticking out of your top pocket might actually be negatively impacting your health. |
| 0:59.9 | Hamish and I are here to delve into what it's like being sober, an unwanted warts and all look |
| 1:05.3 | into why giving up those cheeky pints or putting down those mummy wines will make you feel happier, |
| 1:12.0 | help your anxiety and mental health, and turn you into the most sparkly authentic version of you. |
| 1:16.5 | Won't that mean I become boring though, Vic? |
| 1:18.3 | Well, Hamish, we'll just have to wait and see. |
... |
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