Overeaters Anonymous

[laur_454]

Is anyone familiar with this program? For as long as I can recall I've had an obsession with food/thinness/eating... You get the idea. If I'm not overeating then I'm starving. Does anyone have any experience with the 12 step method for overeaters? I'm getting so tired of being obsessed with food... I'm a TOTAL foodie, and I don't know what else I can do at this point. Thanks

[jamesbiz]

my friend is the same way either over eating or starving.

[Mogget]

Originally Posted by laur_454

Is anyone familiar with this program? For as long as I can recall I've had an obsession with food/thinness/eating... You get the idea. If I'm not overeating then I'm starving. Does anyone have any experience with the 12 step method for overeaters? I'm getting so tired of being obsessed with food... I'm a TOTAL foodie, and I don't know what else I can do at this point. Thanks

I haven't experienced OA though I am vaugely familiar with the principals, however I got over my own extensively disordered eating through use of techniques REALLY similar to those which can be found at normaleating.com (I only found the website after I had resolved my issues but was stunned at how similar the techniques were). I also found the trance track that goes with Paul McKenna's ICMYT program very helpful for building more positive self image and better habits with food.

[harmonysr]

Thanks Mogget for the link. I just spent quite a while browsing normaleating.com - the articles on the site and its blog are so eye-opening. I've struggled with emotional eating and still do, and the site's positive, hopeful perspective is so reassuring. I will continue to visit the site and use it as a resource to improve myself in a productive, acceptive way.

[laur_454]

Thanks Mogget!! I will check that out.

[laur_454]

I went to a meeting on Thursday. It was great. I haven't been back, but I'm planning on going tomorrow morning. I hope it helps!

[Angela Leeds]

Best wishes, lauren.

[harmonysr]

Hi everyone, at the mentioning of a site called Normal Eating earlier in this thread, I checked that site out. I found the free articles on the site and blog really helpful as they opened up a completely new way of thinking about overeating. Right now, I'm reading the Normal Eating book, which truly has opened new doors in my perspective. One particular quote was really informative for me and allowed me to reflect effectively on my behavior, and I'd like to share it:


A tendency towards addictive behavior is a personality style. People with addictive personalities tend to be perfectionist, obsessive, black-and-white thinkers who approach life in an all-or-nothing manner. Moderation does not come naturally - if a little is good, more must be better. People with addictive personalities also tend to be escapist, fleeing from discomfort through obsessive distraction or self-medication.

An addictive personality predisposes you to addiction, but it isn't all bad. Some aspects are quite positive. Think of all the interesting and talented people in public life who had to deal with alcohol or drug problems at some point. The same single-minded focus that made them vulnerable to addiction contributed to their brilliance and success. Both are manifestations of the addictive personality style - in one case it works for them, in another against them.

Addictive patterns similar to the diet-binge cycle can appear in many areas of life. For example, you might alternate between work-a-holism and procrastination. Essentially this is going on a "time diet" where you do nothing but work, followed by a "time binge" where you do no work at all. And then, when the work piles up, you go on another "time diet".

...People with addictive personalities can approach anything addictively, and often do. Even reading novels and surfing the internet can become addictive - obsessive distractions from the discomfort of everyday life.

Source: Canter, Sheryl. Normal Eating for Normal Weight, 2009.



I hope this passage helps! The root of compulsive overeating may come from an addictive personality, but it's the actions that are addictive, not the person. The actions can be changed once the person changes his frame of thought. This is ultimately recovery. Best of luck!

[Lioness]

I was a member of OA many years ago. It is modeled on AA and my understanding is that some chapters regard white flour and white sugar as the addictive substances to be abstained from, although my group did not preach this. Our group leader believed in portion control and deemphasizing the role of food in our lives in general, but there was no fixed eating plan. Most of the time, we didn't talk about food/diet at all, but life problems that caused the food addictions.

You work through the 12 steps, get lots of feedback from group members etc. have a sponsor you can call on, and there is a spritiual aspect to it. I remember we did kind of a prayer after each meeting where everyone held hands. If you enjoy interacting with people and face-to-face sharing, you will like it. It was a positive experience, and it opened my eyes to the fact that diets do not work and the goal for overeaters should be to quit dieting, quit bingeing and get normal about food.

Which brings me to normaleating.com. Harmony is right, this is the go-to site for anyone with food issues. The site actually has an article on OA and how it differs from the Normal Eating principles. For example, Normal Eating does not believe in admitting powerlessness over food as OA does. The steps in NE are very different from the 12-step formula adapted from AA, and much more effective, IMO. NE shows how the addiction is to an activity, namely, binge-eating as opposed to food in general or certain "addictive" foods. This site will give you lots of info, forums, and you can still check out OA if you like. You have to find what works for you.