Enthusiasm, the quality of being filled with my Higher Power’s presence, reminds me that I always have a choice. A recent deep freeze in my part of the United States seemed to limit my choices; I couldn’t get my truck out of a snowbank to get to my weekly face-to-face OA meeting. Glumly, I stared out at the frozen landscape, …

When I attended my first OA meeting, I was beyond nervous, and I was overwhelmed with debilitating shame. Overweight since age 7, I had tried every diet and magical fix available. Each failure chipped away at what little self-esteem I had, and the “mean girl” in my head would remind me that I was worthless and ultimately unlovable. As I …

When reflecting on our precious Tools of recovery, I always forget one (probably the one I need to concentrate on most). So I use a mnemonic device to help me recall all of the Tools: And          Action plan Please      Plan of eating Spend      Sponsorship More        Meetings Time     …

The Big Book says we get to keep what we have “so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. 85). Doing my spiritual exercises stands between me and that first bite! I reached my maintenance weight, having released 125 pounds (57 kg), after years of struggling with food, weight, body size, and life in …

This is not your typical story of inspiration, abstinence, and recovery. This is a story meant to foster awareness inside our OA rooms. I had been in OA for almost a year and was attending five meetings a week. I held a service position, had gotten a sponsor, and was working the Steps. I had finally found what abstinence meant …

Autonomy in OA is a really cool thing! I love how each meeting I go to is a bit different. My home group is a literature meeting where we study Conference-approved OA literature each week. I go to a Big Book meeting too. I also attend intergroup meetings whenever I can. Sometimes I listen to a recorded meeting. Each type …

A light bulb went on in my head. I got it! After reading the Twelve Steps, I realized my stress and my worries were causing my overeating. Now I put all of that in God’s hands. I don’t worry anymore. It’s wonderful! It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I now get Lifeline, and I’m very aware …

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 …

I just attended my first and second ever OA meetings. In 2013, I lost 80 pounds (36 kg) in seven months using powdered food, veggies, and prescribed medicines under a bariatric doctor’s care. That diet was not sustainable, and now I’ve gained all the weight back, plus 10 pounds (5 kg) more. I knew all along that I could not …

I sat at the table waiting for someone to show up for the meeting. No one came. I’d felt angry before, but tonight was different. I was feeling afraid—afraid that this meeting would fall by the wayside as others had done through the years. Afraid that the people I had come to know and love through this small-but-mighty meeting were …