Does Overeaters Anonymous work?

ParamoreAddict

My wife and I are thinking about trying out OA. I was wondering if there are any first-hand accounts from people here on the boards? I'm a bit hesitant because of the religious tones (especially with the meetings being held in churches) but I'm willing to give it a shot. Whatever will help us to make us healthy is definitely worth it. Any experiences you would like to share? Thank you.

Curtis

ndj1979

no experience with OA..

why don't you try eating in a calorie deficit and moving/working out more first?

or have you tried that and does not work for you ..?

I would assume if OA is like AA that they take the whole disease approach and I do not really see how over eating can be a disease, but that is just my opinion...

ParamoreAddict

I really didn't want to throw my wife under the bus or anything but tbh it's more for her than anything. OA takes the approach from what I heard that those who are overeaters hide their emotions with food and they work on that. That aspect would be perfect for her. Weight comes off pretty easily for me when I put my mind to it. Just cutting all the crap out and exercising a few times a week has made me lose about 10 pounds in the last couple of weeks.

ndj1979

Oh OK ….well if you think it might be beneficial it could not hurt to attend one or two sessions.

maybe you could go to one by yourself and check it out …?

vjohn04

My wife and I are thinking about trying out OA. I was wondering if there are any first-hand accounts from people here on the boards? I'm a bit hesitant because of the religious tones (especially with the meetings being held in churches) but I'm willing to give it a shot. Whatever will help us to make us healthy is definitely worth it. Any experiences you would like to share? Thank you.

Curtis

Hi Curtis-

I've never participated in OA.

I'd say definitely give it a try, if you remotely think a 12 step program will work for you. I think the saying is that you should attend 6 meetings (at different places, if possible) to decide if the program is right for you. This may help you determine whether or not you have an addiction that needs to be addressed.

I can agree, many people find the thought of the religious tones to be off putting, but the programs revolve around accepting that there is a higher power (of your understanding) and turning your will over to your higher power. Many people find success in these programs when they turn their will over to the care of their higher power. The fact that meetings are held in a church is somewhat irrelevant, as nothing religious occurs in the meetings- as 12 step programs are not allied with any sect and are non denominational.

What's the worst that could happen? You attend a meeting and decide the program isn't for you. Seems to me that you have nothing to lose. Good luck, and I hope you find what you're looking for.

Madame_Goldbricker

A guy I worked a shift with last year attends OA. It worked for him & he lost nearly half his body weight. Each to their own I guess though. What works for one will not necessarily work for the next person. No harm in trying it OP. Good luck :flowerforyou:

ParamoreAddict

My wife and I are thinking about trying out OA. I was wondering if there are any first-hand accounts from people here on the boards? I'm a bit hesitant because of the religious tones (especially with the meetings being held in churches) but I'm willing to give it a shot. Whatever will help us to make us healthy is definitely worth it. Any experiences you would like to share? Thank you.

Curtis

Hi Curtis-

I've never participated in OA.

I'd say definitely give it a try, if you remotely think a 12 step program will work for you. I think the saying is that you should attend 6 meetings (at different places, if possible) to decide if the program is right for you. This may help you determine whether or not you have an addiction that needs to be addressed.

I can agree, many people find the thought of the religious tones to be off putting, but the programs revolve around accepting that there is a higher power (of your understanding) and turning your will over to your higher power. Many people find success in these programs when they turn their will over to the care of their higher power. The fact that meetings are held in a church is somewhat irrelevant, as nothing religious occurs in the meetings- as 12 step programs are not allied with any sect and are non denominational.

What's the worst that could happen? You attend a meeting and decide the program isn't for you. Seems to me that you have nothing to lose. Good luck, and I hope you find what you're looking for.

Thanks for the tip about trying the different places. Since my wife works nights and there are three that do mornings, we might just have to visit three different meetings twice I'm def willing to give it a shot. If it helps her get healthier and the 12-step program works, I'm willing to sit through some religious talk. Nothing is more important than keeping us both happy and healthy. Thank you both for your much-appreciated replies.

ParamoreAddict

A guy I worked a shift with last year attends OA. It worked for him & he lost nearly half his body weight. Each to their own I guess though. What works for one will not necessarily work for the next person. No harm in trying it OP. Good luck :flowerforyou:

Half his body weight? Wow, that's amazing! Is he keeping it off? Thanks for the good luck and responding.

Madame_Goldbricker

A guy I worked a shift with last year attends OA. It worked for him & he lost nearly half his body weight. Each to their own I guess though. What works for one will not necessarily work for the next person. No harm in trying it OP. Good luck :flowerforyou:

Half his body weight? Wow, that's amazing! Is he keeping it off? Thanks for the good luck and responding.

I can't comment on if he's still kept the weight off. As he was an agency sub so I only met him the once. However, I'm sure he said he'd been in maintenance for quite a while by that stage. It seemed to be life changing in helping boost his confidence though (not just the weight loss). He'd also met an SO for the first time in years, & said he was attending sports activities he'd never have dreamed of in the past. I guess the big thing would be if someone thrives in group settings or not. As to if it would work for them.

SLLRunner

My wife and I are thinking about trying out OA. I was wondering if there are any first-hand accounts from people here on the boards? I'm a bit hesitant because of the religious tones (especially with the meetings being held in churches) but I'm willing to give it a shot. Whatever will help us to make us healthy is definitely worth it. Any experiences you would like to share? Thank you.

Curtis

HI Cirtis.

OA is a support group based on the twelve steps of alcoholics anonymous where yo discuss what's bothering you about food. They don't promote any type of diet, but they are strong on offering support via other members and getting a sponsor who holds you accountable for what you put in your mouth. I would not be surprised if several members use MFP or some other type of logging application for food.

I went on and off for a few years, but stopped due to personal reasons.

Just to be clear, based on some replies upstream: In my experience, OA does not promote any type of diet, and they do not promote whether someone need eat at a calorie deficit or not. They are a support group only for people to discuss their food issues. A person who chooses OA still needs to stay accountable to their logging practices and weighing and measuring food and staying within a calorie deficit in order to lose weight.

mellowadam

I go to OA once a week. I have worked the 12 steps and have a sponsor. I text a food plan to my sponsor every morning and don't deviate. If I need to change a meal I just send a text with what I'm changing. It has really been the only thing that has worked for me. I eat three meals and one snack. In the beginning I eliminated anything with refined sugar and white flour. I slowly phased some stuff back in. For instance I can eat a cup of soup with a cream or flour base now. I can handle nuts now which I couldn't eat with any control in the past. I also eat a good bit more fruit now.

I was incredibly depressed and doing major binges. I was probably eating 4000 calories in a sitting around the holidays last year. The OA website has a quick quiz you can take to see if you are a compulsive eater. It's www.oa.org. It's not for everybody but in my case I had lost and regained large amounts of weight constantly over the years. I was totally obsessed with food and dieting yet couldn't eat within a calorie target to save my life. I'm not sure what the meetings will be like in your area but I know where I am there are crummy meetings where everyone is still fat and whining like its group therapy. I don't go to those meetings. I go to solution oriented meeting where people will tell you to do the work and get well. In some meetings you aren't allowed to speak unless you have successfully been on a food plan for at least 30 days. It has religious overtones but some of my friends are atheist and have still been successful. I had a lot of success in AA and knew that recovery was possible as an agnostic so I didn't really flinch when I saw the god stuff in the OA steps.

There is a wide variety of how people work the program so if you wanted to know more you could send me a message and I'll answer any questions. Like I said it's not for everyone and I'm not posting to start a debate but it has made a radical change in my life. I've lost all the weight I regained and finally have a sane relationship with food. I know a lot of people who have maintained 100 pound losses for decades. It's a good solution if you've tried everything else.