Being abstinent all of three whole days, I looked in my mirror to see if my body looked smaller. It didn’t. I was mad. “This doesn’t work.” “What a bunch of B.S.” “I’ll never get thin.” “I can’t do this.” “It’s taking too long.” “I’m doomed to be fat.” ‘I’m doomed to live like an accordion, in and out, up …

She was awakened by the pain in her knee. Gingerly, she swung her legs out of bed. The distance to the floor was shorter since she had taken the legs off the bed to help her climb in more easily. Leaning on her walking stick, she went downstairs to the kitchen. She took her medication as she did faithfully every …

Having an eating disorder is a beautiful thing. It allows me to cherish and love every moment that I experience clarity, despite whatever situation I am in. It gives me a unique and miraculous opportunity to have a direct connection with God. When the desire insidiously reappears, either to abuse food or to take the control of my body size …

Stand-up comedians tell jokes about the fat guy in a tiny swimsuit at the beach or park. But a powerful lesson exists there. You just have to look hard to see it. That heavy guy is having fun with his friends and family. He’s getting some sun and exercise, and he doesn’t care about your opinion regarding his appearance or …

“The main problem . . . centers in his mind, rather than in his body” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. 23). Ever since I can remember, I looked in the mirror and honed in on the flaws of my body: the soft protruding belly of adolescence, the irregular dimples on my left buttock, the way my inner thighs jiggled when I …

I came into Overeaters Anonymous more than nineteen years ago weighing 250 pounds (113 kg). I thought I was one of God’s biggest mistakes. I hated myself. I hated my body. I recall looking in the mirror and wishing I could just take a knife and cut off all the fat rolls. I got a sponsor at my first OA …

I’ve been in OA for four years now, and it has given me more than I ever imagined. I’ve lived around the world working for the US military. I started OA in Texas, got serious in Germany, and I’m coming to a deep realization here in Japan. What I’ve finally started to realize is a new sense of femininity. It’s so …

My journey in physical recovery has been full of ups and downs, much like the number on my scale before I came into program. I once believed that if I could wear a size 16 in jeans (stretchy jeans, that is), then I could live a fulfilled life; I truly believed I would die happy in a size 16. My Higher …

I came into OA in the middle of 2008. At the time I weighed just over 80 kilograms (176 lbs) and was on the way up. It was the most I had ever weighed. I believed I was going to end up obese, and I didn’t care. From the age of 15, I had been experimenting with diet pills, never …

My progress in recovery continues, though not as speedy or constant as I would like. In about five years, I’ve lost 60 pounds (27 kg), and I still have close to 30 pounds (14 kg) I’d like to shed. I started as a fat, lazy diabetic who suffered from asthma and episodes of gout. My blood pressure was high. I …