Fellowship Unity Day Totally Immersed My first Unity Day was in February, 2010. I had just started attending meetings, but I had no idea how the program worked. At a Unity Day celebration, I was exposed to dozens of people working the Steps. It wasn’t about being overweight; it was about sanity. At a workshop, I made friends who encouraged me to work the Steps, … Read More
Service Once I’ve Started I have been in program for twenty-seven years. When it comes to using a food plan, I used to have rules for what to eat, what not to eat, how much to eat, when to pray, and more. But I’ve found that the more I complicate my food plan, the more loopholes appear for my disease to discover and exploit. … Read More
Recovery Real Feeling Before OA, I was falsely cheerful. I always appeared put-together and acted like everything was great. I never let anyone see me feeling sad, angry, or low energy. At my very first meeting someone shared about a hard time she was having—she even cried. I was repulsed, but others were nodding, and after the meeting she got hugs and support … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Smile Therapy I experimented with food for years before joining program. I noticed if I ate sugar in the morning, I was more likely to eat it in the afternoon, too, and also forget I’d already eaten some (the more I ate, the more I forgot). I noticed when I went without a certain sweet, I thought about it obsessively. When a … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Peaceful Ways I joined OA in 1981 weighing more than 250 pounds (113 kg), and I’ve been abstinent for thirty-five years. Because of this Fellowship, sponsors, the Steps, the Tools, slogans, and a loving HP, I have been able to be peaceful with food. I have horrible examples of how I behaved before program. For example, at our oldest son’s wedding, I … Read More
Higher Power Spirituality God on Board About three years after I became abstinent, I was driving to a meeting when I felt the presence of God in my car. Peacefulness and calm came over me. It seemed as though God was guiding my driving, there in the car with me. I shared in the meeting about this experience, and someone whom I considered very spiritual asked … Read More
Abstinence Being Nourished This is my twenty-ninth year in OA and my twenty-sixth year in recovery, which for me means back-to-back abstinence and maintenance of a healthy body weight. When I walked in the doors of OA in 1986 at the age of 30, the compulsion to binge was strong. I knew if I could eat well consistently, I would not have to … Read More