Tradition Three in Overeaters Anonymous tells us: The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively. When I attended my first few meetings, I heard people talking about abstinence and, in some cases, abstaining from certain foods and eating behaviors. I was appalled. I had spent a lifetime dieting and restricting as […]
Author Archives: OASVadmin
Again
Alone in the dark How did I get here? Again I didn’t want to Yet here I am Again Every day I wake up I say “not tonight” Every night I’m here Again Self loathing Obese Isolated Body Aches Again Then I met you I act “as if” I write to you I hit my […]
Giggles and Grins
A man arrives at a bus stop, and while waiting, he notices two men working in the center divider of the road. He watches the first man dig a hole about three feet deep, then move down about 4 feet and digs another one. Meantime the second man fills the first hole up with the […]
All About Acceptance
Acceptance is the inner realization that all is well despite outward appearances. All problems are arguments with reality. Happiness doesn’t come from getting what I want – it comes from wanting what I already have. Serenity isn’t freedom from the storm; it is peace within the storm. Acceptance is Not Arguing with Reality. Acceptance is […]
This Obsession
This obsession – always thinking, planning, wishing to be thin, beautiful. This obsession is the way I hate myself: the way I look, the way I am, who I am. When I attack my body, I attack my soul, my Inner Self. My soul fills me like water fills a sponge, Reaching everywhere, Even into […]
Tools of Recovery: Overview
In working Overeaters Anonymous’ Twelve-Step program of recovery from compulsive overeating, we have found that a number of tools are available to assist us. The Tools of Recovery, p1 When I showed up at my first meeting, I didn’t have any idea what to expect. It was the basement of a church, and the meeting […]
Admitting Powerlessness
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over food — that our lives had become unmanageable. Once we honestly examine our histories, we can deny it no longer: our eating and our attitudes toward food are not normal; we have this disease. Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions, p3 I have heard people say […]
New Beginnings
With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. – Alcoholics Anonymous p. 58 Welcome to the new website and the new blog. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share my experience, strength and hope! I’ve gone through a lot of holidays, […]
Laughter is the Best Medicine
A man is sitting at a bar, crying. The bartender asks, “Why are you crying?” Man says, “I wish I knew where I was gonna die.” Bartender says “Why’s that?” Man sobs “I wouldn’t go there.” A man from the south walks into a bar in Boston and hears the bartender talking in that Bostonian […]
Show Me the Way
I’m a compulsive overeater and a sugar addict, and also a grateful member of Overeaters Anonymous. Before coming into OA, I used sugar to calm my nerves and I was always nervous. I had a marriage that was dysfunctional, and I thought it was my husband’s entire fault. I tried to match his addiction with […]
All About Abstinence
What is abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous? Abstinence is a gift from God, but I’m the one who gets to keep it or throw it away. Abstinence is the gateway to recovery. Abstinence is the most important thing in my life. Abstinence needs to be strong, but not brittle. Abstinence: I abstain from starting over. I […]
How OA and Zentangle helped me untangle my life
I was fortunate to find a sponsor that was not merely extremely kind, patient, and loving – but someone willing to challenge my old beliefs about art and my own creativity! When I was a child, my parents had discouraged my keen interest in art by advising me it was “a complete waste of time.” […]