Reading program literature is an essential tool of recovery in Overeaters Anonymous and other 12-step programs. Alcoholics Anonymous, aka The Big Book, is an essential guide to recovering from addiction in all its forms. Overeaters Anonymous recommends replacing “alcohol” and “alcoholic” with “food” and “compulsive overeating” when reading AA literature. The 12 Steps and 12 […]
Category Archives: Gratitude
Falling Into My Higher Power
I am sitting in the shade of a tree overlooking the water of the Niagara River as it rushes toward the American Falls. It’s the last day of my vacation, so I came back to this park to meditate for a few minutes, to connect with serenity, and capture my thoughts before I finish getting […]
Miracles of Recovery: Following Doctors’ Orders
A recent conversation with a fellow OA member had me thinking about the miracles of recovery in Overeaters Anonymous. One of those miracles enables us to follow doctors’ orders regarding changes to our food and action plans to support our health. Even after 30 years of abstinence in OA, I still can resist making changes […]
WHY ME GOD?
I asked that question often when I was a little girl, probably omitting God. To me God was mean, punishing, to be feared. Why me? Why was I fat? Why wasn’t I cute like the other girls? They didn’t have to hide their bodies. I envied their legs. I wanted normal legs. There was a […]
Hurting? Reach for your Higher Power, NOT Food!
Saturday (9/11/21) was the 20th Anniversary of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the militant Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States of America on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. I spent much of that particular weekend reading about that day’s infamous events and watching a very detailed (and amazingly thorough) documentary that […]
Writing Out My Gratitude List
Many sponsors encourage members to make gratitude lists to aid us in the recognition of what is going well in our lives, rather than focusing on the things that make us unhappy or uncomfortable. My sponsor encourages me to remember to make a “Gratitude List” – especially on the days when things aren’t going as […]