I was talking to my sponsee the other day. Just writing that sentence is a revelation—me, a sponsor? That’s something I thought would never happen, and something I would never be good enough for. When I was asked to be a sponsor, I was so stunned that the first thing that flew out of my mouth was, “Are you sure?”

Clearly, there was still a bit of self-will there or my HP would have helped me keep my mouth shut. One of many miracles is that I said yes. Now I believe my experience, hope, and faith can help someone else. I see how being a sponsor helps me live a life beyond my wildest dreams.

So my sponsee and I were talking about our food inventories and how long it took to figure out that certain foods were hurting us. To be crass, I joked that if I had a wheat product, like pasta, I need not worry about using fuel to motor me home because the natural gas from my consumption would see me safely to my door. And I ate like that for years! Something I delighted in for a few minutes would wreak havoc on my body, causing a copious amount of gas, discomfort, skin breakouts, and worst of all, the loss of my sanity.

In retelling my story to my sponsee, I reaffirmed my stance on certain foods and my behaviors. Those foods hold a negative connotation, not an attraction for me. I associate them with all the negative words used in Step One on page 6 of The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition.

When I stop for a moment, I really do see this program living up to its promises. As long as I keep talking, writing, attending, and taking personal inventory, which all seemed very overwhelming when I first started, life does get easier.

My sponsee is my lifeline. She keeps me accountable, keeps me working the program, and keeps me sane.

— Karen, Australia

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