Newcomers The Best Thing I have always had an obsession with food. As a child, I was obese. Half an hour after I finished a meal, I would announce I was hungry again. My family didn’t think this was possible. As a teenager, I was never seen without a soda and a sweet. They were my icons. I tried every weight-loss program invented. I … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Heart’s Blood There was a time when I was a regular blood donor. Every other month, I would make my way to the local blood center, roll up my sleeve, and give a pint of A-positive. It was a small thing, but it made me feel good to know I was doing something that had lifesaving potential. But then things started to … Read More
Abstinence Good IDEA International Day Experiencing Abstinence takes place the third Saturday of every November, i.e., right before the amateur overeating season known as “the holidays.” Last year on IDEA Day, ten people braved their way through a snowstorm to hear about ideas valuable to abstinence. (Quoted material below is from Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed.) Compulsive eating is a disease, not a moral … Read More
Higher Power Ready for the Journey I am a 58-year-old male. I have been on the “diet yo-yo” five or six times in my life. Each time, I lost weight and kept it off for about a year; then I gained it back plus more. I’ve learned this is a progressive disease. Before OA, I was full of despair and frustration. I was hiding in my … Read More