How OA Changed My Life Recovery Breaking 365 Chains I was looking for a diet. But what I’ve gotten is so much more. What’s different about my life today? The more appropriate question is, what’s the same? At this moment in time one year ago, I found program—or rather, program found me. Since then, I’ve lost about 40 pounds (18 kg), quit one job and started another, and I’m … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Morning Person Before OA, mornings were a chore. When my alarm went off, I wanted nothing more than to pull the covers over my head and yell “Not fair!” at a God I thought was cruel and punishing. My overeating, my bingeing the night before, had taken its toll. Once again, I was not ready to function. Finding OA and working the … Read More
Recovery Working the Program I Stayed Abstinent A favorite OA phrase of mine is “willing to go to any length” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. 58). Practicing this has helped me stay abstinent, which for me is not eating foods with refined sugar listed in the first four ingredients, for twenty one and a half years. For me, this phrase means: Attending at least two OA meetings … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Shipwreck Survivor When I was growing up, I had a lot of emotions to deal with. I never learned good coping skills, so I handled situations by eating over them. I buried feelings that were too much for me. It was either eat or go crazy, so I ate. I like to compare my experience with a shipwreck. At first, I went … Read More
Recovery Working the Program No Disrespect “Don’t dwell on any real or imagined pleasure you once got from certain foods. Change the channel!” (Before You Take That First Compulsive Bite, Remember . . .) Even after years of not eating my trigger foods, I have the habit of not going down supermarket aisles that contain the non-foods I used to worship. If by chance my husband … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Recovery A Change at the Checkout My trips to the grocery store became much different after I became abstinent more than ten years ago. Many aisles no longer held anything I could safely purchase. The remaining aisles got greater attention from me, and to this day, I read labels, check portion sizes, and compare prices. There is one aspect of the grocery store that gets my … Read More
Relapse Relapse & Recovery When Choice is Not an Option Over the years, I’ve heard people in our Fellowship speak about having “choices” when it comes to food and eating: “the choice to eat healthy or not” or “the choice of bingeing or not.” While this might be true for some, I feel compelled to speak to those for whom the notion of having choices does not apply. I know … Read More
Tools & Concepts HOW I Do It I wonder if the Overeaters Anonymous Fellowship took a wrong turn back near the beginning. Like AA, we kept our program one of suggestions rather than requirements. But abstinence in AA is clear-cut: don’t drink alcohol. Abstinence in OA is vague and unspecified: “the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Recovery Thinking When I first came into recovery, I was told that I’d have to completely change how I think about food and dieting. That baffled me: How do I change thoughts that just come into my head? And what do I change them to? Five years later and 50 pounds (23 kg) lighter, I understand. Today I know I’m not responsible … Read More
Working the Program OA For Visual Thinkers A target and a fork in the road: these mental images keep me focused on the goal of continued abstinence and recovery. The target image reminds me to aim for the center in my food planning and eating decisions. When I find myself pondering whether or not a particular food or eating behavior is within my definition of abstinence, I’m … Read More