I had been out of bed for exactly eight minutes, and the disease was right in my face, a force that almost knocked me over. I was totally into resentment. “Woe is me. It takes so long to prepare my abstinent breakfast. I could be doing other things.” Then, quickly, powerfully, and closer, the voice of Higher Power. Today, it …

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 …

I love reading and learning about the Steps and Traditions through our Twelve and Twelve literature (I am brand-new to any Twelve Step program). When I read Step Five for the first time, this sentence really stood out for me: “Honesty is a key factor in our recovery from compulsive eating, and so we will want to develop this trait” …

I’m writing out the holiday cards, wishing everyone good cheer. Suddenly it’s holiday time, but I don’t feel holiday-ish this year. Dinner with friends and family will surely brighten the day, but being around all that food concerns me more than I can say. “Thank you, God, that’s not my food,” has worked for me before, and when they ask, …

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 …

Holidays have always been a difficult time in my family. My earliest holiday memories revolve around eating very large quantities of food. I still remember the treats my mother bought and hid in the dishwasher so my father wouldn’t find them and confront her. Sometimes it is hard to unlearn habits that date back to childhood, but I have discovered it’s …

I am a grateful compulsive overeater, abstinent since I walked through the doors of OA fourteen years ago. Thank you, God! I am maintaining a 33–35 pound (15–16 kg) weight loss, one day at a time. I have greater emotional and spiritual fitness than when I came. I live a life that is happy, joyous, and free; it’s a miracle …

When I sat in my first OA meeting in February 1990, I weighed 215 pounds (98 kg). I could not stop eating, and three-quarters of all my mental energy was devoted to food: eating it, not eating it, getting it, hiding what I was eating, obsessing over what I thought you were thinking about my eating and weight. I hated my …

Before OA I never lived my life for today. I spent all my time rehashing the past or dreaming about the future. No wonder my life was in such bad shape: It was as if I was only existing through today to get to that great tomorrow. But the miserable truth is that tomorrow never comes. When I wake up in …

Throughout my time in OA, I have been helped by certain program slogans. Simply saying them can change my frame of mind. When I have been in pain, physical or emotional, “This too shall pass” has helped me. In college I had very strong cravings to go eat binge foods I knew would make me feel bad. So I’d think, do I want …