Overeaters Anonymous - anyone anonymously out there want to share?!

[Italiangreyhound]

Dear anyone

A few weeks ago I started attending Overeaters Anonymous. If you do not not know these meetings they are free (donations are taken to cover costs) there is no membership and no requirement except that people have a desire to stop compulsively overeating, there is a book which people can buy and follow, which helps people in a 12 step programme. It is all new to me and I felt I needed some support from people who are also using the OA 12 steps.

This is their UK website www.oagb.org.uk/

I have struggled with my eating for a very long time and had tried a lot of other things.

I am a firm believer in finding good support in good places and this is a place I have found support. I have got the 12 steps book and am getting started. The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous

Would anyone like to share thoughts specifically around the Overeaters Anonymous (OA) way?

Like the meetings maybe we can keep from specific references to food or food descriptions and just talk about how we are feeling about our eating and how we are doing and anything else that is relevant to us, how things are going etc, please?

I am a newbie so hope someone more experienced will jump on in.

If anyone who has not been to an OA meeting wants to join in and hear more they can.

Welcome one and all, I know that threads come and go but I will try and check often and if you want to join us, please do.

Hi guys, sorry I have been away for so long. Got a bit caught up in Christmas!

Back on track now.

I am watching this, anyone else?

What's the right diet for you, Horizon Special

Hi Italian glad you're back on track. Things all good here. Working on my Step 4 and have been for ages it seems.

I've also started exercising again, which feels good, though my knees aren't loving me.

Hi Rollermum hope all is continuing well.

Hi all. Just looking in to say hello and hope all are well.

Had a terrible bug thing this week and just felt too ill to do much. Been asleep tonight and now wide awake!

Had a bit of a break through this week. I went to a meeting at my church (C of E) as various members had said they wanted to be part of a prayer ministry team. We were a select band of about ten people, a mixture of men and women, and we went round the room talking about why we were interested in prayer ministry. We also had a little reflective Bible thing, very different from what I am used to, the story was a blind man being healed and we were asked stuff like 'Who do you think you would be in the story?' And 'What would you ask Jesus for?' I decided to confide to the group about my eating disorder. Something I do not usually do! I said I would ask for healing for my eating disorder. It was helpful to bring up because we also noted the need for confidentiality. As although I was happy to tell the group, I would not want it repeated. I am generally quite selective about who I tell.
Normally, it is only close friends or total strangers (or people on line!). But this was not that at all. People I know a bit!

Anyway, since Tuesday I have felt amazingly different about food. I mean I have also felt ill for some of that time but normally feeling ill doesn't make me want to stop eating! (Unless it is a stomach upset, which this isn't). So anyway things have gone so well since Tuesday. And I do feel for me coming out to a group of supportive people in that context was very helpful. This may well say something about God's healing power or about my own feelings about my 'condition' and what would help me personally.

Hi all. Hope all are feeling good.

I am feeling amazing (apart from this crapola cough!).

Since last week someone else shared with me about eating disorders. It was encouraging to know they have been healed of it and I would never have guessed they had had a problem with it. Sometimes we can feel like we are the only one.

At the church service tonight I got some prayer and I just felt very encouraged. I believe that God heals but I also feel we have to do things for ourselves too. I think in the past it has been all or nothing for me, and I've either been looking to do it all alone or be be miraculously healed! Now this feels a lot more like I can make positive changes, I can stop when full, eat slowly, avoid too much temptation, not buy or not open things, limit some choices when I need to (I am not meant to have sugar because I am diabetic so I really limit it. However, I had two very small items (TINY) at a friend's house recently! I loved enjoying them and not feeling like I had to keep stuffing them in my mouth, i could stop!

It is early days.

I have not acted brilliantly all week but I have felt so much better. And when I was really hungry I made myself a proper filling snack instead of just light snacking on empty calories. It's all a learning curve. I am trying to put into practise what I have learnt over the last 30 years of trying to get out of eating badly!

PS this is normally my key snacking time and I have not eaten a thing since dinner!!!!!! Yay!

Hi Italian

Glad to hear you are doing well. I think telling people can be fraught and tough but when it is heard by someone willing to understand and listen it can feel great. I hope you feel better soon.

I'm doing ok but my food is not as good as it was. I need to find a new sponsor as mine is stepping back to concentrate on her own programme. She is still supporting me, but I think I will feel a bit all at sea until I find another one.

I've decide to try and find a face to face group sponsor this time. I've no idea whether they will want me to redo the steps I've done or not.

Do you still go op?