Recovery Working the Program From Great Fall to Grateful I would like to tell you how I think the character, Humpty Dumpty, can be like some compulsive overeaters. Humpty Dumpty had been told not to get on that wall. It was slippery and dangerous. “No one can tell me what to do. I will keep climbing that wall; I will not stop. I’m in control. I’m Superman,” he told … Read More
Tools & Concepts Working the Program Eight Other Tools Here I sit, self-quarantined in the middle of a viral pandemic after returning home from the teeming petri dishes of an airport and airplane. I’ve been advised to stay put for two weeks, which is just as well since some of my meetings are closed indefinitely. So, what’s a compulsive overeater to do? Isolate? I think not. Last time I … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Learning More Each Day After several starts, I found myself knowing that OA was for me, thanks to the acceptance I got from longtimers and other members. Attending meetings, finding a sponsor, learning to work the Steps, and using all the Tools and literature of OA in my program greatly improved my relationships with family and friends. Once I obtained abstinence, I discovered what … Read More
Keep Coming Back Relapse Relapse & Recovery Standing in the Wings I came to Overeaters Anonymous to lose weight, period. I had no idea what the program was about. A friend told me she had lost weight in OA; maybe I could lose weight too. The methods I had tried over the years (little chocolate candies, pills, shots, nasty-tasting predigested protein, aerobic exercise while wrapped in cellophane, and actual physical exercise … Read More
Abstinence Daily Contact Looking back to my life one year ago, I would have never thought that I would be as content as I am now. In fact, I do not think that there ever was a point in my life where I felt this way. I was always longing for something comforting, and for twenty years, food provided that comfort. I’d always … Read More
Tools & Concepts Ten Thousand Miracles I had prepared a salad and was fully enjoying the two sources of protein in it when it occurred to me that I don’t usually put more than one source of protein in my salads. With a start, I realized I had made a mistake: I double measured. It’s not like someone had died, but I realized that, if such … Read More
Tools & Concepts Building on Success I had been attending meetings sporadically for a few months and was thinking about a plan of eating. I read about the different plans listed in Where Do I Start?, but I wasn’t drawn to any of it. So, I asked my sponsor for his take on the subject. He suggested I choose a plan that I was 99 percent sure … Read More
Recovery Relationships Writing Away Resentments I imagine many members of OA have issues with their parents. Here is how I solved my problem with my mother. My mom and I never got along because she was so controlling and at times was abusive during my childhood. I felt completely controlled by her and also misunderstood and, frankly, unrecognized for who I was. I started eating … Read More
Abstinence A Change of Purpose When I came to OA, I heard “We are not a diet-and-calories club.” “Oh really?” I thought. “Of course it’s a diet-and-calories club. Who are they trying to fool?” I had spent years joining every dieting, calorie-counting, television-infomercial club out there. They all promised weight loss. We’re all here, I thought, because we want to lose weight. Lose weight, lose … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Chairing is Difficult I’ve had personality conflicts in the past. Once, I was chairing my home group’s business meeting, and it was not clear how the meeting should be conducted. A couple of people criticized me because I was not using Robert’s Rules of Order. I was not familiar with them. I asked if anyone would like to take over, but no one … Read More