… And so Your Journey Begins
Have you tried over and over again to control your eating and weight, but nothing has worked? Compulsive overeating, under-eating, food addiction, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, or over-exercising… no matter your challenge with food or body image, you are welcome here.
Let’s dive in and learn a little more about OA….” Your Journey Begins pdf
One day at a time!
The First 12 Days
These twelve sessions may or may not occur in twelve consecutive days. For instance, you may want to schedule calls on weekdays only. You also may want to look ahead at the sessions, and if you are uncertain about how to discuss any of the topics with the sponsee, you may want to ask your sponsor or another OA member for ideas. Newcomers First 12 Days pdf
As we work the Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Step program of recovery from compulsive eating, we have a number of tools to assist us. We use the tools on a regular basis, to help us achieve and maintain abstinence and recovery from our disease. A Plan of Eating , Sponsorship, Meetings, Telephone, Writing, Literature, Action Plan, Anonymity, and Service.
A Plan of Eating
As a tool, a plan of eating helps us abstain from compulsive eating, guides us in our dietary decisions, and defines what, when, how, where, and why we eat. This Tool helps us deal with the physical aspects of our disease and achieve physical recovery.
Many of us came to Overeaters Anonymous expecting to find the perfect diet and get our food problem under control. What we found instead was a Twelve Step program that provides a foundation for living a balanced and healthy life. We learned that OA does not have a specific diet.
We came to understand that the basis for stopping our compulsive food behaviors—and staying stopped—is personal, inner change. Yes, we had to decide—with help—the appropriate plan of eating for ourselves, but the power to follow that plan comes from emotional and spiritual change.
We achieve this inner change by working the Twelve
Steps and learning to live according to the Principles underlying the Steps. As a result of working the Twelve Steps, our obsession with food is lifted.
Sponsorship
We ask a sponsor to help us through all three levels of our program of recovery: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Find a sponsor who has what you want and ask that person how they are achieving it.
Meetings
Meetings give us an opportunity to identify our common problems, confirm our common solution, and share the gifts we receive through this Twelve Step program. In addition to face-to-face meetings, OA offers telephone and other types of virtual meetings that are useful in breaking through the deadly isolation caused by distance, illness, or physical challenges.
Telephone; Connect Between Meetings
Many members call, text, or email their sponsors and other OA members daily. Telephone or electronic contact also provides an immediate outlet for those hard-to-handle highs and lows we may experience.
Writing
Putting our thoughts and feelings down on paper, or describing a troubling or joyous incident, helps us to better understand our actions and reactions in a way that is often not revealed by simply thinking or talking about them. Some call it journaling. When we put our difficulties down on paper, it becomes easier to see situations more clearly and determine any necessary action.
Literature
We read OA-approved literature, which includes numerous books, study guides, pamphlets, wallet cards, and selected Alcoholics Anonymous texts. All this material provides insight into our disease and the experience, strength, and hope that there is a solution for us.
Literature includes podcasts, Overeaters Anonymous community has a wealth of inspiration available 24/7. Click here for a list of podcast collections.
Action Plan
Creating an action plan is the process of identifying and implementing attainable actions to support our individual abstinence and emotional, spiritual, and physical recovery. This Tool, like our plan of eating, may vary widely among members and may need to be adjusted as we progress in our recovery.
Anonymity
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities (Tradition Twelve). Anonymity assures us that only we, as individual OA members, have the right to make our membership known to others. Anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television, and other public media of communication means that we never allow our faces or last names to be used once we identify ourselves as OA members (Tradition Eleven).
Within the Fellowship, anonymity means that whatever we share with another OA member will be respected and kept confidential. What we hear at meetings should remain there.
Anonymity gives OA members freedom of expression and safeguards us from gossip. A deeper understanding of this Tool is that it assures that we each are one among many. OA has no stars.
Service
Any form of service—no matter how small—that helps reach a fellow sufferer adds to the quality of our own recovery. Members who are new to OA can give service by attending meetings, sharing, and putting away chairs. All members can also give service by putting out literature, welcoming newcomers, hosting a virtual meeting, or doing whatever is needed to help the group. Members who meet specified requirements can give service beyond the group level by serving at the intergroup, service board, region, or world service level.
As OA’s Responsibility Pledge states, “Always to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who share my compulsion; for this, I am responsible.”
See the full Tools of Recovery pamphlet for more information.
Relapse Begins When You Start Stopping
I’ve heard relapse begins when you “start stopping” recovery behaviors. Daily recovery behaviors include planning and committing your food, praying, meditating, striving to live a spiritual life, practicing the step principles in everything you do, being honest, and doing service.
Picture a large brick wall. Each brick represents a specific recovery behavior. You don’t know you are headed for relapse the first time you decide to stop doing, even for one day, any of the actions that help you stay abstinent. You remove a brick with each action you do not do and tel yourself, “I am okay because my food is in order.” You remove a brick with each behavior you ad that is not part of your recovery plan but insisted, “I am okay because my food is in order.”
You I are headed for relapse when you decide not to call your food into a temporary sponsor while yours is on vacation. A brick comes out of the wall for each day you do not make that call. The wall begin to sway, but “I am okay because my food is in order.”
You are headed for relapse when you hold onto a resentment. You remove another brick each day you don’t discuss it with your sponsor or look for your own part in it. The wall begins to sway and weaken, but “I am okay because my food is in order.”
Yourare headed for relapse when embarrassment keeps you from weighing and measuring your food at a class reunion. Another brick comes out of the wall, but “I am okay because my food is in order.”
You are headed for relapse when you think “justified” anger is okay because you are right but fail to look at your part in the situation. But “I am okay because my food is in order.”
The wall eventually collapses, and you are in relapse.
A brick comes out each time you make a decision on your own about your food; miss a day of prayer or meditation; miss an opportunity to do service or Twelve-Step someone; become selfish, self-centered, or fearful; and don’t ask for your higher power’s help as the Big Book says we must live a spiritual way of life.
Abstinence
Abstinence is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight.”*
The following are links to OA literature that will help you refrain from compulsive eating. We encourage you to read OA literature, work the OA 12 Steps with an OA sponsor, and use the OA tools of recovery.
Abstinence Checklist
Use the Abstinence Checklist every day to support you in keeping your abstinence strong and intact.
- 1) Have I been abstinent today?
- Did I pray and meditate today?
- Am I maintaining or working towards a healthy body weight?
- Did I rely on my Higher Power to get or stay abstinent today?
- Is what I am currently doing working for me to remain abstinent?
- If I am having problems have I asked someone else what they are doing?
- Have I made an OA call today?
- Did I have an attitude of gratitude today?
- Did I plan my food today?
- Have I helped someone else today?
- Did I have an action plan in place to stay abstinent today?
- Do I have a sponsor and am I working the Steps with that person?
The Simplicity Project
Keep it Simple Sweetheart! A simple plan that answers “How do I stop eating compulsively?”
Abstinence Literature Guide
The following literature is specifically helpful for obtaining and maintaining abstinence. Use literature every day to support you in keeping your abstinence, and share the list with newcomers and sponsees to help them understand and find abstinence. Read more
Abstinence and a Plan of Eating
…our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eatnig and compulsive food behaviors and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer…” Read more