Hello my names Gillian and I'm a compulsive eater. I come from the UK also and found OA in 2000 after struggling with anorexia, bulimia, overeating and co-dependency since I was 12. I attended regularly for 10 years and then my group folded. I tried to organise a group in my local city but unfortunately that folded also. Today, I continue to read literature regularly, journal and keep in touch with OA in any way that I can i.e. meeting up for coffee and chat.

I came to MFP in 2010 and managed to get an idea of portion sizes thanks to calorie counting. At first I didn't eat enough, and found my weight stabilized, I then found the courage to up my calories and I slowly began to lose 14 lbs that had been sticking. I decided to accept this as my weight, although the battle in my head wants me to lose more.

I've recently been struggling with MFP and found that I'm not listening to my HP anymore but taking back control. There have been a few binges creeping back in, and with that comes the depression and black hole I struggle to climb out of. Just for Today, I'm not calorie counting and listening to my HP and my bodys response.

I envy people who don't have a problem with food. I look at my husband and youngest son who definately eat to live, where as I'm the other way round. They eat their food slow, chew every mouthful and stop when full. I do all the opposite.

This is a programme of progress and not perfection and I realised a few days back that I don't panic anymore about what time I will get to eat my meal if I'm unexpectedly invited out, or a client books in over my usual meal time. I'm learning that I can have a light snack to carry me through to the next time I feel that hunger feeling arising. Sometimes my lunch is made up of 2 light snacks with a 1.5 hour gap between if a client has booked in.

Its great to see more people on this Message Board, and I feel so at home knowing I'm not alone in this struggle.

Keep safe. Keep abstinent, you ARE worth it.

Hi Karina, I'm glad you found us too
I am also in the UK and very grateful for my meeting. Now I have sttled in to the MFP thing I do find it helpful to use as a food journal like you say, I just plan my food on here and hand it over to my HP. It has helped me learn about portion sizes and keeps me on track that way.

My name is Maddy, and I am a compulsive overeater and sweets addict.
And I am THRILLED (and grateful) to have discovered OA on MFP!!!

About me: I came to OA for the first time in 1990 (wasn't ready), returned in 1993, got recovery, lost more than 30 lbs ..
and then ...
life intervened ...
in too many ways, both good and challenging ...
and I come to where I am today.
Living in a completely different region of the country from where I was when I got recovery.
100 lbs heavier than I was when I first came into OA.

I will always be grateful for the emotional and spiritual recovery I experienced.
However, I really have to recommit to the tools and steps that enabled me to gain control over my compulsive overeating.

So: today is the third day of my initial abstinence commitment, which is simple:
Eat fewer calories than my MFP food plan permits.

I'm a big believer in three things I learned from OA:
1. Do what I CAN do, not what I think I SHOULD do.
2. Not a good idea to SHOULD all over myself.
3. Baby steps.

I haven't weighed myself yet since starting this ... when I have the courage, I shall.

Cheers, everyone!

I love this Maddy!

I just joined MFP yesterday and one of the first things I did was look for an OA group. I'm SO glad you guys are here! Calling in my food has not helped me in program (I did give it an honest try) but I am hoping that sharing that info on MFP will be a good tool for my program. I am a COE/B, had a relapse last year, after 6 years of abstinence, and now have 5 months. I'm ready to do something different!

I must say ladies and gent -- this is AWESOME! I think I've sent a friend request to each of you and it read something like this; "I'm an OA retread, just returning after a 15+ year absence. Looking forward to connecting with other OA members on MFP!! Terri in Petaluma, CA"

I was extremely active in OA from 1990-1996 and then I allowed life to take me down a different road. Although I am blessed to be 30+ lbs under my highest weight, that is not my doing -- that is all due to HP being able to get through my thick skull upon occasion.

I've been writing today, defining my food plan, and feeling a bit frustrated that I can't "manipulate" the say that MFP breaks up our foods -- breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. But, I can work with it, since resistance is only a way to keep me in the insanity.

I am REALLY really glad God returned me to Overeaters Anonymous, and that there is a group her on MFP. This is very way cool. Blessings on your day

Welcome to both of you!!!

This is an often quite, yet pretty neat group of folks. I think a lot of folks friend each other and then take a lot out of the group posts, but I do tend to visit this group most days and know some others seem to as well! Best of luck to you!

Also, only if it's in your best interest, Ptown, but you can manipulate the settings in the my home, account settings section. It takes me a while to figure it out each time, but I have type II diabetes, so had to adjust my carbs and was able to figure it out. Good luck!

Jessie and Sheldon -- THANK YOU!! I have done it and will see how this works; at least I'm not lumping everything into a group that feels out of sync and of course, I "forget"! This is FABULOUS!!! Whooohoooo ! Doin' the happy dance!!