Working the Program Paperless Process I am a compulsive overeater, abstinent one day at a time since October 15, 2012. I’ve shed 120 pounds (54 kg) along with a frighteningly long list of ailments and medications. My liver had been failing, but now it’s fully functional. My physical healing has been truly miraculous, but the emotional and spiritual healing is far, far better. In approaching … Read More
Newcomers Me Changing Me “I’ve prayed healing prayers for people who are ill, and I’ve prayed for guidance in being able to grocery shop without buying the wrong items. My weight loss results from actions I am willing to take, not from asking God to remove my fat or help me lose weight” (Voices of Recovery, p. 318). I can’t pray for weight loss … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Happy Camper I was two years into recovery when my partner and I packed up our car with abstinent food, my food scale, an air mattress, two lanterns, and our very first tent. We hit the open road on an eight-day, crosscountry trip across the southeastern United States. I’d already researched historical sites, museums, and campsites, and I felt profound gratitude for my … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Out of the Spin Cycle Before OA changed everything, my life was so unmanageable I couldn’t see that I was physically exhausted, emotionally oblivious, and spiritually impoverished. At 5 feet 10 inches (177 cm) tall and weighing 267 pounds (121 kg), my body was tired; I lived in every kind of pain. I could only identify the most basic emotions: anger, sadness, or happiness (it … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Orderly Direction I couldn’t believe it. I found myself bottomed out with a binge eating disorder. Calling it BED for short is appropriate, since I often took food to bed with me. I was a binge-eater, a grazer, and a midnight muncher. I ate mindlessly, grazing; my meals had fuzzy beginnings and no clear end. It was my not-so-little secret that I … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Recovery The Same Solution It is easy for me to lose sight of the gifts OA and abstinence have given me. I have been abstinent for three and a half years. I lost about 50 pounds (23 kg), and I have maintained a healthy body weight for two and a half years. Before OA, I hadn’t been a healthy body weight since childhood. By … Read More
Journal Questions For Discussion and Journaling How has OA changed your life? Is your recovery new enough that you are just now finding sanity with food, or has your recovery progressed into finding peace in emotional recovery or threefold recovery? Are you hoping for or have you found a way to thrive? Who do you know that has what you want for your recovery? (more…) Read More