Good morning, Polly!

I'm in OA and have used MFP on and off. How I use it though, is different than some. I use it to track my weight and measurements, the community, and only OCCASIONALLY the Food Diary. I really like the IDEA of the Food Plan, but sometimes it makes me a little crazy. My sponsor suggested that it might not be that helpful...since it is doing the opposite of what is intended. Plus I eat pretty much the same food every day (dietician's plan) and have RELEASED 21.5 since June,

I do not eat white flour and sugar - that was has made the difference in my program this time around. HOWEVER, having said that, I believe in the program and have seen that some are able to eat sugar and white flour, without it leading to a binge. I spent years trying to be "that person" who could eat anything, but alas. It wasn't meant to be. I've also given up caffeine (Dr.'s orders - grrr) and all sweeteners (including Diet Coke?!) I must say I sleep at night now, and that is nice, but giving up sweeteners is tough. So, my food plan has evolved over the years.

I also have a VERY STRICT sponsor, who includes has "suggested" that having V8 juice without a meal is "outside the boundaries of a 3-0-1 abstinence. I'm desperately trying to follow her lead, so I'm willing to try. (V8 juice had always been my "go to" when I got really hungry.) Her comment was, "Drink two big glasses of water, pray, and feel the feelings. I promise it will subside. If it doesn't, that is the time to make a phone call."

I'm not really good and don't know how to invite people or send them a message. (I'll try.) You're welcome to do the same with me, though I'm not on every day.

Enjoy your day!

Laurel

It's all a matter of finding what works for you. You can stay on MFP without using the food tracker. When I first started, I was only looking for a way of tracking my activity, so didn't log food for a long time.

As for my food addiction, once I accepted what my triggers are, it made life a lot easier. I track to keep myself accountable to myself (I don't have a sponsor and have not found a meeting in my area that I feel comfortable in, but have been to enough meetings to understand the principles).

I do track my calories, but more importantly to me, I monitor my carb, protein and fiber intake.

Best of luck in your journey to discover what is best for you.!!

Hi,

I hear you, I've stopped logging because it feels like a "diet" when I do. I think OA is great because it gives us tools for recovery. We're all not the same and we don't have the same triggers. For a while I tried to tell myself that carbs were not my trigger and a life without pizza wasn't a life. I also realize that it was my addict's brain telling me that I "could" have bread because I can't. It causes binges. I've released 20 lbs since I've "gotten" the message and on vacation I decided to tempt myself and I had 5 pieces of bread before I saw what I was doing to myself. Bread is not evil, it's just a trigger food and I can't have it. But releasing 20 lbs and the weight that has been on my chest has helped immensely. So it's your program and your abstience. Do what you need to do to keep it that way! FR sent!

Jen

Been in and out of MFP, and pretty consistent with one f2f meeting a week. When I'm not logging, I'm usually in the food and don't want accountability with myself cause then I can beat myself with a 2x4. It's not about what anyone else thinks of my food plan, although my diary is accessible to MFP friends.

I work towards being gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan, and find that substituting whole grain, non-wheat flours don't trigger me the same way refined white flour does; also trying substitutions for white sugar (some work, some don't). Logging doesn't turn into a diet for me -- it helps keep me honest with myself and on track so I can be aware of what works for my body and allows me a way to see what might be over-indulgence. I'm connected to my iPhone so not tracking is always a choice -- and usually that means I'm in the nutz range.
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