Abstinence Gut Check Before I came home to OA, it didn’t take much to send me to the food. While stress and other emotions were obvious reasons for me to bury myself in junk food, other feelings— physical ones like being tired or in pain—also gave me all the excuses I needed to overeat. I had no spiritual life either, so I only … Read More
Recovery Relationships A Service Act of Desperation “Any form of service—no matter how small— that helps reach a fellow sufferer adds to the quality of our own recovery.” — The Tools of Recovery When I introduced myself as a newcomer at a meeting, I did my first real act of service. I asked for help—a selfish act of desperation. Most of us find desperation impossible to ignore, … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Peaceful and Active I am 91 years old and enjoying a fairly active, peaceful life because of OA. I joined OA at the age of 51, after struggling with my weight since childhood. I’d always dieted but immediately regained the weight. I was a degreed registered nurse who knew a lot about food and diets, but that didn’t help. Since childhood, I had … Read More
Recovery Gifts “As Is” Before I fully surrendered, my life was an ever-increasing battle with food, weight, myself, and others. I was a child who didn’t like being given half a cup of juice; I wanted the full cup. After overhearing family conversations about my “puppy fat,” I decided, at age 9, to attend my first commercial weight-loss club. I only had to lose … Read More
Diversity Newcomers It’s All Worth It I came into OA at 18 years old. I’ve been in program for two years, so I’m 20 now. Let me tell you, in the beginning, it wasn’t so easy to gain abstinence and honesty. Even though I’d never really struggled with a lot of weight gain, nobody really knew how much I struggled with food because I looked like … Read More
Relapse Slipping & Sliding A Slow Surrender I am powerless over compulsive overeating and abstinent since September 13, 2014, by the grace of God. I joined AA on March 19, 1988, and OA shortly thereafter. I try to practice unconditional love and abstain from abusing foods that induce cravings, especially fat, sugar, and salt. I promised long ago that once I had recovery, I would do all … Read More
Steps Traditions To Ask Humility has been a challenge for me. In the past, I think my focus was on feeling humble; I would try ways to make myself feel humble. I would change my facial expression, body language, and words to control myself into feeling humble. Maybe I was trying to control others, so that they would see me as humble. I’ve had … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Season’s Greetings from Program Happy, joyous, and free is what we can be in this Twelve Step program. Attitude change—the only person we focus on changing is ourselves. Prayer is suggested as a form of meditation—a strong component of the Eleventh Step. Problems begin to lose the magnitude they once had (when we do the necessary Step work). You need never be alone again—we … Read More
How OA Changed My Life This Holiday, Frenzy-Free From October through December, I used to engage in an eating frenzy that appeared to have no end. I absolutely could not comprehend that a Higher Power of any kind would be interested in my food issues, and my feelings of unworthiness and shame continued unabated. I just endured the process, as if it was a project I had to … Read More
Atheists & Agnostics Higher Power Getting Warmer I came into program uncomfortable with the concepts of belief and faith. I preferred facts and proof. Belief, I felt, was a sentiment best reserved for the religious, which I was not. I was, however, powerless over food and I wanted what this program had to offer. More than anything, I wanted the Twelve Step promises to come true in … Read More
