Overeaters Anonymous

[Kristen.NewCreation]

I just started attending OA this week, and have found it quite encouraging and helpful so far. I was able to find a sponsor and we are getting started today with Step 1.

Anyone else involved with OA? What has your experience been? Are you working steps as well? Do you attend f2f meetings, phone meetings or online meetings?

I look forward to further discussing your experience, tips, struggles, etc.

Kristen

 

[madison1101]

Hi Kristen,
I have been to OA off and on for 23 years. Since my alcoholism had me in the psych ward and inpatient rehab, I focus my recovery on attending AA. However, I do occasionally stop in a local OA writing meeting. I believe the 12 Steps are the key to the program, and I apply all of the Steps to all of my addictions, which are many.

I did have gastric bypass surgery six years ago, which gave me very strict guidelines for a food plan. The surgery is not a cure, but a tool. OA discusses many tools, but most participants frown on the surgery. I am fine with that.

The tools of recovery that I use and apply to all of my recovery are as follows:
Prayer
Food plan
Meditation
Journaling
Phone
Sponsor
Meetings
Bible study
Literature

It took me 20 years in 12 Step recovery before I understood a very important fact. All of those tools I listed are NOT the program of OA, or AA. They are all good tools that help me in my recovery. The program is the 12 Steps of Overeaters Anonymous, or Alcoholics Anonymous, or any of the Anonymous programs.

One thing that has helped me in my recovery is reading the Life Recovery Bible

 

[Kristen.NewCreation]

Thank you for the list of tools and for sharing. That is very helpful. I'm struggling with the food plan concept at this point. I signed up for myfitnesspal to keep my food log.

I have the NLT recovery Bible. I haven't quite figured it out yet, but I am using it.

 

[madison1101]

Thank you for the list of tools and for sharing. That is very helpful. I'm struggling with the food plan concept at this point. I signed up for myfitnesspal to keep my food log.

I have the NLT recovery Bible. I haven't quite figured it out yet, but I am using it.

Hi Kristen,
I'd like to make sure that you know OA does not advocate a specific food plan. They used to push a Grey Sheet food plan, and some OA groups might still do that. But, I recommend you follow a food plan you can live with.

I'll suggest the food plan I try to follow with my weight loss surgery, because it is a healthy food plan, with all meals in moderation.

5-6 small meals a day. I usually have three main meals and three super nutritious snacks.

High protein, low fat meals. Choose any proteins you like. What I buy are chicken, pork, steak or roasts, cheese sicks, yogurt (Greek yogurt has more protein)

No sugar in any beverage, except fruit juice, which has fructose. I drink diet Coke and home brewed iced tea with Splenda.

No sugar in processed foods, like yogurt. Read the labels. I only eat Chobani, because it is sweetened with fruit juice. There is sugar in peanut butter and jelly. I buy natural peanut butter and either jellies like "All Fruit" or No Sugar Added.

All grain breads, where the fiber content is 3 grams or more per serving.

I limit starches to only during supper. If I have a potato, I make sure to include the skin because that's where the fiber is.

I don't buy chips or crackers, except for when I am having company. If I am going to a pot luck, I tend to bring a fruit or vegetable tray, so I have something to snack on.

I only eat No Sugar Added ice creams. Klondike makes some very good treats. Don't get the 100 Calorie ones, because they have sugar in them. I don't know if you can get Turkey Hill ice cream, but they have No Sugar Added now.

I make sugar free puddings and Jello. There are now No Sugar Added popsicles and Italian Water Ice too.

I make my own homemade applesauce, sweetened with Splenda. They put sugar in most applesauce.

I don't eat sugary desserts. Because of the gastric bypass, I get sick if I consume too much sugar. Same goes for fat. I get sick if I eat too much.

I hope these suggestions help you. I never feel deprived, and am still losing weight.

 

[RuthD]

I am praying for you Kristen. I don't have any advice on OA. Just know that I care and am praying here. God bless you.

 

[If Not For Grace]

Just Remember its progress not perfection that counts. Getting the 12-steps is alot like learning to tie your shoes-Nobody gets it right the first time. Takes practice, but every step you take (pun intended ) puts you one step closer to your goal. Keep up the good work.

 

[Kristen.NewCreation]

Update:

I'm doing pretty well... I have 32 days of abstinence, and I'm loving what I'm learning.

Right now I'm focusing on getting closer to my HP (God), and the steps are helping me to take a new, fresh relationship with Christ. I have the Recovery Bible (NLT) and I'm enjoying not only the scriptures but the information in the sidebars on the steps.

I'm so thankful I found OA. Next week I will weigh in with my doctor so I'll find out if there is any progress with my weight.. so that's both exciting and nerving.

 

[If Not For Grace]

The fact that you are excited and want to continue shows improvement and PROGRESS-don't fret the scale-you will get positive results with the program, some weeks will be better than others-but if you are making spiritual progress-the rest WILL come.

 

[arabianhorselover]

Hello. I am in OA. I attend a meeting of some truly wonderful, caring women. My problem is that no matter what I do, or how badly I feel about my eating habits, I am not motivated to change. I have prayed endlessly about it, etc., but it has not helped. I simply do not want to give up the excess food.

 

[Kristen.NewCreation]

I can relate to that. On a bad day, I take it one meal at a time because the whole day is too overwhelming. I don't have any restrictions except to not overeat, so I don't feel deprived.

Do you have a sponsor you're working with?

 

[If Not For Grace]

Addiction is never a one-trick pony. There's always more to it than just the substance. Time Takes Time. Start Small developing one Good habit at a time (make the first couple something VERY small an easy-cause victories are very important especially in the beginning) Then set a bit more difficult goal-then even if you don't succeed the first couple of times with the harder goal you will have the smaller goal to feel good about.

Sometimes we have to almost trick ourselves into winning. Then remember if hungar is not the problem Food is not the Solution...keep searching for the real problem so you can apply the real solution.

 

[arabianhorselover]

I have a woman who is willing to sponsor me, but I have not felt that I should expect her to help me if I am not willing to do the work.

I am 52. I have spent the last 40 years thinking about why I eat the way I do. There are several reasons. Knowing why is not helping me.

 

[Child of JC]

Well, I never thought I would find myself in a 12 step program.

I've struggled with junk food for sooooo many years. I've prayed and fasted and tried to have more faith. I thought my problem was a lack of fruit -no self control. I wondered if I even had a problem with food or if my real problem was with my body image. Maybe I just needed to accept my body as it was and be happy with how I look. I questioned if God wanted me to lose weight or not because there seemed to be no change in me. I had so many different theories over the years, but never a real change of heart. My eyes were always on trying to control food because I believed my joy would be found in being slim. Food was the enemy. And, I blamed myself for getting myself into this terrible habit that has entrapped me.

So 2 days ago I googled OA to see if I fit in. I wanted to see if the people there were like me or not. I found a list of 15 questions used to determine if I'm an COE or not. I answered "yes" to 12.

I'm slim and my friends do not understand my struggles. They think I should be happy, but I'm not. Seriously, internally, I wondered if they were right. I wondered if I should be happy. I wondered if I was making myself miserable with battle. Maybe if I gave up and just didn't worry about what I are or what I looked like I would be happy.

BREAKTHROUGH!!!

Reading through some stuff on the OA site and praying about it, and God wakes me up!
Overeating causes me to hide in my house. I avoid social activities. I don't get dressed. I don't do my hair or may cup. I stop exercising. I don't clean my house. (I have never realized this before). I never saw how overheating was affecting my life. I thought the only problem was my weight. In this state of isolation, to feel some "joy" I eat junk food, but later I feel worse. When it gets to be too much I go on a diet and when I feel a bit better I think I'm all better and I return to eating junk food and the cycle starts over.

My problem is, I'm not taking care of myself. I'm not living!!! When I think of a full life I think of getting up and getting dressed in clothes that I like. (I NEVER buy clothes!) I imagine feeling good in my skin and getting outside. I think about painting, and dancing, and nights with my girlfriends. I think about being busy living.

Abstinence from Junk Food is step one towards taking care of myself. To this I will need to add getting dressed daily. Which means spending money ON myself and buying some clothes. And, I'm going to have to leave the house daily, even if it's just to soak up some Vitamin D. Time to live!

 

[Chaplain David]

I have a good friend who goes to OA. It helps him immensely. He has a PhD in Psychology and freely admits that all of that knowledge has been of no help to him. He gives all credit to God and the program of OA.

 

[arabianhorselover]

I attend OA, but I give all the credit to God. For almost two months now, I have been living a miracle. I am almost 53. After being a compulsive over eater since I was a teenager, this is pretty amazing. With God's help I have been motivated to exercise a lot, and to count calories. I eat about half as much as I used to, and have lost 12 pounds so far. This is not me. I was never able to do this.

 

[If Not For Grace]

Well, I never thought I would find myself in a 12 step program.

Is one thought I think everyone who has ever been a part of ANY 12-step program has had.