Steps Traditions When Desire Works Tradition Three works. I believe the best way to show it is to share what I was shown when I first arrived in OA. All I wanted to do was lose weight while eating all my binge foods—was that too much to ask? I hated that I was unable to eat like my friends: they were skinny, yet here I … Read More
Relapse Slipping & Sliding A Slow Surrender I am powerless over compulsive overeating and abstinent since September 13, 2014, by the grace of God. I joined AA on March 19, 1988, and OA shortly thereafter. I try to practice unconditional love and abstain from abusing foods that induce cravings, especially fat, sugar, and salt. I promised long ago that once I had recovery, I would do all … Read More
Relapse Relapse & Recovery Foundation for Spiritual Growth When I was 16, I left the religion of my family and began a deep search for meaning. I thought I’d found my answer and settled into complacent spirituality until the age of 35, when I came into OA. As I began to understand the Steps and work them, I approached Step Three with confidence. I had already investigated my … Read More
Recovery Relationships A Gift from Grace Before I returned to OA in 1999, my life was a prison of my own making, and I had no visitors. It was a world of isolation because all I trusted was food and how good it made me feel in the moments I was consuming it. My compulsive overeating began when I was 5 and a half years old. … Read More
Recovery Never to Busy for Love My pets have always been important to me. I was socially awkward and an only child. Other than food, my closest relationships were with pets. My dog and cat were my best friends, my main sources of joy and comfort for many years. Early in my OA recovery, my pets gave me valuable insights into my eating behaviors. Although I … Read More
Higher Power New Resonance When I first came to OA, I was aware the Twelve Steps required belief in a Higher Power, but I felt spiritually broken after a traumatizing event with my church. I wanted nothing to do with religion or God. Still, I was desperate for hope and help with my compulsive overeating, so I went to meetings and tried to keep … Read More
Working the Program Adjusting Focus I was a great believer in whatever the next diet, philosophy, or trick was. You see, I knew there was a solution. Desperate, bingeing, swearing off, gaining weight, once-in-a-blue-moon losing weight through unhealthy restricting, and begging God to help me, eventually I found my way to OA. I was in another Twelve Step program, so I knew asking for help … Read More
Steps Take as Needed In our readings and in many other ways we are told, “Once we compulsive overeaters truly take the Third Step, we cannot fail to recover” (The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, p. 27). That’s quite a promise. When I was a newcomer, and again during my horrible three-year relapse, when I gained 60 pounds (27 kg) and … Read More
Steps Surrendering Dreams If this were a highly complicated program requiring complex levels of thought and planning, I would have nailed it long ago. But a simple program of recovery? Nope, that’s baffling! As wise fellows have said, “You can’t be too dumb for this program, but you can be too smart!” I have this vision of me versus God. I’m on my … Read More
Steps The Navigator I am a newcomer to OA. I’d reached my bottom weighing approximately 350 pounds (159 kg), and I started coming to meetings the following month. I have been abstinent for several months with a weight loss of about 85 pounds (39 kg). Things clicked for me right away. I knew I was in the right place with the right people. Within … Read More
