New to OA Group and introducing myself.

angelgayla

I am not an official member of OA, but as a part of my struggle with compulsive overeating, everyday I read "Food for Thought: Daily Meditations for Overeaters" which supports the principles and practices of OA. It's been a great resource for me as I continue my journey to a healthier lifestyle. I've been using MFP for almost a year and it's a wonderful tool for planning and keeping track, but the most difficult thing for me continues to be understanding WHY I overeat. I've been on so many diets in my life and I must have lost and gained hundreds of pounds over the years. I understand nutrition and I know the right things to do - it's making myself do those things - that's the constant battle. 88 pounds down this time and quite a few more to go, so I am always looking for friends for mutual motivation!

NoahandPresleysMom

Hi!!! That's awesome you've joined. And I'm happy to meet another compulsive overeater. I don't finb many of us around.

angelgayla

Thanks for the welcome! I'm hoping that finding friends on MFP with the same type of struggles will help keep me motivated.

sheldonbe

Hi and welcome to the board! I have been to a couple face to face OA meetings, but not for awhile, so my situation is very similar to yours. I read OA materials as often as I can and I try to use the other tools as well. I have my struggles and setbacks, but I remind myself that this journey is about progress, not perfection.

I'm always looking to add more accountability partners, so feel free to friend me.

CoCoMa

I am not an official member of OA, but as a part of my struggle with compulsive overeating, everyday I read "Food for Thought: Daily Meditations for Overeaters" which supports the principles and practices of OA. It's been a great resource for me as I continue my journey to a healthier lifestyle. I've been using MFP for almost a year and it's a wonderful tool for planning and keeping track, but the most difficult thing for me continues to be understanding WHY I overeat. I've been on so many diets in my life and I must have lost and gained hundreds of pounds over the years. I understand nutrition and I know the right things to do - it's making myself do those things - that's the constant battle. 88 pounds down this time and quite a few more to go, so I am always looking for friends for mutual motivation!

Hi and welcome!
The literature is quite helpful in understanding the disease of compulsive overheating. However, understanding WHY is your own personal journey, and can be revealed to you by working the steps, which goes beyond just reading them. You don't necessarily have to seek a sponsor, but working with an OA'er who has worked the steps and has some abstinence under her belt can help you in self discovery. My first time working the steps led me to working with a therapist, which was something that I didn't think I could do because of my"pride." I've grown since and continue to progress.
Best of luck to you!!

MichelleOnWheels

As a member of OA since 2005, I have to say the 'why' I overeat has not mattered. I had a relapse 2 years ago, because I didn't have the skills to deal with some things that happened in my life. 'Why' I didn't have those skills didn't help me to learn those skills. I really appreciate your post. I am 11 1/2 months abstinent again, which I would not have been able to accomplish without OA. If you cannot get to a meeting in person, there are lots of other ways to attend, such as phone and Skype. You will learn so much just from listening to other members who are recovering, so I hope you are able to get to one. Also you can listen to podcasts for free at www.oalaig.org

janesmith1

I am not an official member of OA, but as a part of my struggle with compulsive overeating, everyday I read "Food for Thought: Daily Meditations for Overeaters" which supports the principles and practices of OA. It's been a great resource for me as I continue my journey to a healthier lifestyle. I've been using MFP for almost a year and it's a wonderful tool for planning and keeping track, but the most difficult thing for me continues to be understanding WHY I overeat. I've been on so many diets in my life and I must have lost and gained hundreds of pounds over the years. I understand nutrition and I know the right things to do - it's making myself do those things - that's the constant battle. 88 pounds down this time and quite a few more to go, so I am always looking for friends for mutual motivation!

I hear you on that. While others disagree, I believe the "why" is just as important. While I still go to OA meetings I've been looking for other answers as well. Feel free to friend me if you like.

CoCoMa

I hear you on that. While others disagree, I believe the "why" is just as important. While I still go to OA meetings I've been looking for other answers as well. Feel free to friend me if you like.

I do believe that part of the journey will lead to "why." As compulsive overeaters, we have to understand what lead us to this point in our lives, otherwise we're likely to repeat ourselves, like I have with many relapses. For me understanding why is a given.

kamuas

Welcome to the group!!! I can relate to the losing/gaining battle. Before my wedding in 2009 I lost almost 80 pounds, and then after slowly put all of it +10 back on. Talk about frustration. I hit rock bottom, started meeting with a counselor, and started attending meetings. I knew that there was a problem with someone who could work so hard for over a year to lose the weight, and then just stand by and watch it all come back on. That's why I started going to the meetings. And it's been incredible. I have met people who GET IT. They understand that I'm not lazy, I'm not pathetic, I don't lack willpower. I have a disease. A cunning, baffling disease. Alcoholics can stop drinking alcohol, although it's definitely challenging. But we cannot stop eating. We can try to determine our trigger foods and abstain from them, but it's such a process. I have been attending meetings for over a year, and while I am still not 100% abstinant and still have a LONG way to go in recovery, I feel like I am on the right path. And I now have a support group that loves me no matter what, and I can turn to whenever I need, without fearing judgement or humiliation. If there is a meeting in your area, I suggest checking it out, at least once or twice. It may change your life.

In the meantime, feel free to friend me. And you are in a good place!!!

medoingme

Hi! I've been on MFP since January. I've also been attending OA meetings since January. I've not started really working with a sponsor....for some reason, I think (since I want to lose 10 more pounds) that I might be able to do it on my own.

Unfortunately, I've not conquered complete abstinence from compulsive overeating....but I have lost about 10-12 pounds since first starting. I've been plateaued for about a month now...up two pounds, down two pounds, etc, etc....but not consistently losing.

I would love to meet people on here that are also OA members...and are faithfully working their program. If anyone is interested, please add me.

About my eating plan: I try to eat as organic as possible. I try to get in a lot of protein (sometimes I wonder if it's TOO much protein). I also workout frequently....sometimes once a day, and sometimes twice a day. Sometimes it seems like I'm doing everything I'm SUPPOSED to be doing....but somehow I'm just stuck. And that gets very discouraging....and that makes me want to compulsively overeat.