Steps Knowing about OA A doctor, a nutritionist, and a weight loss clinic gave me three opportunities to carry the OA message of recovery while maintaining the Traditions. What a gift. Several years ago, my nutritionist, who had not worked with anyone with food addiction prior to me, asked me to talk to a group of medical students as part of their nutrition curriculum. … Read More
Tools & Concepts Uncategorized My Abstinence Kits When I first came to OA forty years ago, my idea of a plan of eating was a diet. OA members suggested I have three moderate meals daily with nothing in between, and of course, avoid foods with refined sugar. I was ecstatic at my first meeting when I saw the different color coded plans lying on the table. Each … Read More
Tools & Concepts The Words I Needed to Hear The very last thing I wanted to do when I came into OA sixteen years ago was use a plan of eating. I joined OA in desperation because I was working for a weight-loss company, where I had to weigh in monthly, and I could not stop gaining weight. I was trying to follow a restricted diet and could not … Read More
Abstinence Clear Definitions What is abstinence with respect to food? It’s a good question. Overeaters Anonymous defines abstinence as “The act of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working toward or maintaining a healthy body weight” (Business Conference Policy Manual, 1988b (amended 2002, 2009, 2011, and 2019). This sounds reasonable . . . except it doesn’t define compulsive eating or compulsive food … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Our Shared Solution We recover together or not at all. This is the “we” in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. OA is not an “I” program. I tried the “I” program. It was all I knew; wasn’t I supposed to apply my will to problems and overcome them? But my food issues were impervious to my efforts. I was stuck. And I … Read More
Literature Tools & Concepts Medical Matters I don’t remember how I heard about OA, but I do know it wasn’t from any of the many medical or support professionals I went to for help. During my thirty years as a compulsive overeater, I never heard about OA from any doctor, nurse, therapist, plastic surgeon, nutritionist, dietician, eating-disorders charity, or acupuncturist . . . and the list … Read More
Higher Power Trusted Others I’ve heard that a Higher Power can be anything or anyone but me. However, I do believe in listening to my own intuition and conscience, in addition to outside voices. I believe in God, but I don’t believe in a God who directly intervenes in my every interaction. Instead, God is embodied in appropriate others, in my case, my sponsors, … Read More
Anorexia & Bulimia Diversity Meltdown Medicine: Use the Tools I’m a recovering anorexic and bulimic. I have over seven years of not purging, over six years of not weighing myself, and over five years of not restricting. I’m a firm believer that, with time, abstaining gets easier. What I learned this week, however, is there will be days when that doesn’t feel true. Three weeks ago, I had a … Read More
Tools & Concepts Professional Planning When I came into OA in July of 1995, I was working for a weight-loss company and terrified of losing my job because of my weight gain. I was following a diet plan, which is quite different from a plan of eating, and I had to report my food to my manager and weigh in each month. I was in … Read More
Tools & Concepts HOW I Do It I wonder if the Overeaters Anonymous Fellowship took a wrong turn back near the beginning. Like AA, we kept our program one of suggestions rather than requirements. But abstinence in AA is clear-cut: don’t drink alcohol. Abstinence in OA is vague and unspecified: “the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a … Read More