After giving birth to my sixth child, I realized I was obese. I had always dieted away my postpartum fat, but this time I was obsessed with food, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep the weight off for more than a few weeks. I weighed over 170 pounds (77 kg).

My Higher Power helped me find my first OA meeting in October 2014. I live in a rural community in Israel, where the nearest meeting is an hour’s drive away. I started making the grueling journey through morning traffic every Monday. Because I could only start driving once I had dropped my children off at daycare and school, I always arrived late, and this bothered me greatly. I got to a satisfactory weight after about six months, but I had become tired of the traffic-filled journey and disheartened from always arriving late, so I gave up attending meetings. I had lost around 30 pounds (14 kg).

Over the next six months I tried to keep abstinent, but there was always an excuse to eat. All the weight came back. All the lovely outfits I had bought no longer fit me, and I was back to bingeing and desperation. I was truly miserable and felt helpless.

I decided the only sustainable way forward was to open a meeting in my home community. My Higher Power sent me a wonderful partner with her own food addictions who gave me the courage to advertise and start a meeting at a location one minute away from my house. We began in November 2015 with four ladies. We have a small but strong meeting every week committed to working the Twelve Steps. We ordered Lifeline and OA literature. We all are newcomers but sought out experienced sponsors to guide us on our journey.

I feel that this is my service. I know if I don’t show up then the meeting is significantly weaker, seeing as I’m one quarter of it! This really encourages me to keep going. Because I have six months more experience than the others, they turn to me for advice, and I am all the stronger for it.

I hope to continue with our home meeting forever. The weight is coming off again and I am hopeful for the future.

— Anonymous

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