I first began to attend Overeaters Anonymous many years ago. I was fortunate to have hit a very hard bottom with my health and bulimia struggles, so swiftly sought a sponsor and began working the steps in earnest. Much to my surprise, abstinence came rather easy for me despite my eating disorder of more than […]
Tag Archives: Abstinence
Action (Rather than Willingness) was the Key to Recovery
For years, I’ve heard people in Overeaters Anonymous meetings talk about the importance of ‘willingness.’ In fact, many for whom abstinence had been but a hoped for dream, shared that they were struggling to find that ‘willingness,’ and even praying ‘to become willing to be willing.’ I thought I was willing, but when things got […]
A Bay Area OA Member’s Plan of Eating: An Evolution + Julie’s Broccoli Hash
My plan of eating has evolved over 30 years in program. From early on, I defined my abstinence as “what, when, and why I do not eat.” I am grateful for the grace that allowed me to realize from my first meeting that, as a member of this fellowship, I had to abstain from chocolate. […]
How An OA Member Came to Enjoy Cooking Healthy – Creamy Pesto Chicken, Tomatoes, and Spinach
There was a time when cooking was a huge chore and not something I would ever consider doing on a daily basis when there were fast food restaurants and shops where I could swing by and grab the foods of my choice, even if I ate most of it before ever setting foot in the […]
OA Member Recipe: Yummy Good-4-U Spinach Parmigiano Chicken Rollatini
My family is from Italy and came over to the US on a boat back in the late 1940’s. Although they are all exceedingly slim and healthy (most of them living to ripe, old ages), I was the exception in that I struggled mightily with my weight from nearly the moment I was born. While […]
Comparing Weight Loss Drugs to OA’s Twelve Steps
You’ve likely noticed the multitude of news headlines and social media posts regarding “easy” and “dramatic” weight loss resulting from “a simple weekly injection,” along with the promise of that injection being made available “in the near future” as a simple little pill. Such a “magic pill” was once the ultimate dream for this compulsive […]
Rigorous Honesty Opens The Path to Recovery from Compulsive Eating
A Requirement for Recovery In addition to having a sincere desire to stop eating compulsively, rigorous honesty is possibly the most important factor in success in recovery. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous clearly states: Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people […]
Happy to Share the Secret to Recovery
Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these principles in all our affairs. “We’re always happy to share our secret: the Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous, which empower us to live well and be well one day […]
Abstinence
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 […]
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.” […]