Overeaters anonymous

melissa6771 wrote: »

moyer566 wrote: »

melissa6771 wrote: »

I have never been, but I know the concept, assuming it's the same. No foods with flour or sugar listed in the first 5 ingredients in one of their things. That I wouldn't want to do. I do like to eat sandwiches. The minute I told myself I couldn't have those things, I would crave them.

yeah no. it's about redeveloping a healthy relationship with food. they don't tell you specifically what to eat.

i've been to other 12 step programs and i find the mutual support to be beneficial.
i've also found every meeting is different so if you don't like one try others in your area.

Ummm, yes, they do have different food plans for you to follow that are fairly specific. Although it looks like it's more tailored to each individual now. Back in the day, that was their Schtick, no flour or sugar in the first five ingredients in any food. I was very close friends with someone who went, and that's how it was. I said, assuming it's the same. Just give your opinion without having to be a smart *kitten* with your "yeah, no" BS. People on here just crack me up.

OP... You need to find what works for you! If going to meetings, having a structured plan, whatever it is, find the way that makes you successful.

Looks like there are six sample plans but choosing one is not mandatory.

http://bookstore.oa.org/pc_product_detail.asp?key=1CA4DF2A316E477FBFDC3FBC200054E9

This pamphlet provides guidance to both new and longtime OA members in devising their own plans of eating. It covers topics such as: the difference between a plan of eating and abstinence, having a choice of plans, reviewing our eating patterns, "trigger" or "binge" foods, eating behaviors, structure and tolerance. The pamphlet provides six sample plans of eating (reviewed and approved by a licensed dietitian) with which some OA members have had success.

alc649 wrote: »

I just think it would help me with the obsession of food. I can not be hungry at all and crave food.like tonight we went out to eat and I did good I got salmon sweet potato corn on cob.but my fiancee had potato wedges..and my son had chicken strips and now I want those so bad! I'm full though

Sure, give it a shot.

I failed to find useful info about the OA method on the OA site, but the compulsive eating part of the wiki page was useful - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overeaters_Anonymous. I support the goal of ending compulsive eating. Not sure how well or how quickly OA teaches that. Some of it will depend on the individual meeting.

We've been having a great debate on abstinence vs moderation here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10400683/dont-forbid-any-foods/p1 so I was interested to see that the OA philosophy is abstinence.

“Abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight.” [10] This concept of abstinence has been criticized for its lack of specificity. While in AA abstinence means not drinking alcohol, some argue that it is not possible to set out specific foods, because OA's experience is that different people have different food triggers (i.e. foods and food behaviors that cause them to eat compulsively). While it is often said that alcoholics don't have to drink, but compulsive eaters still have to eat, Overeaters Anonymous responds by pointing out that alcoholics do have to drink, but cannot drink alcohol, just as compulsive eaters do have to eat, but cannot eat foods which cause compulsive eating.

I'm off to catch up on that thread and to bring up OA there.

An alternative is tops.org. There is a chapter finder on the website.

I have been going to OA meetings recently and I have found it very helpful. Yes, there is an admitting that you're "powerless" factor... but overeaters anonymous isn't for the casual overeater. It's for those who genuinely have a serious compulsive / binge eating issue. As in, you've done everything in your power to control your eating issues, but you're still out of control and are feeling hopeless. It isn't about willpower when you get to that point. Seriously... I've had much success in many other areas of my life. I have no problem with my willpower when it comes to every other area of my life, but my addiction to food has kicked my butt over and over again, despite my attempts to control it. The admitting that you're "powerless" aspect sounds counterintuitive, but in general, it's stems from those who use compulsive eating as a way to cope with life's problems and difficult emotions and ultimately, you're trying to control your reaction by using "feel good" food... if that makes sense. It's definitely not for everyone but I have seen many people have great success with the program. If face-to-face meetings don't work for you, I recommend phone meetings or online meetings. There are phone meetings almost every hour of the day... all with different focuses. Some are conversational/sharing format and some are speaker format. I enjoy the speaker format phone meetings. There's one phone meeting in particular at 8am (eastern standard time) Mon through Fri, where a speaker works through the "big book", which is the AA book which OA is based off of... I really have enjoyed this meeting because it's an in-depth explanation of the program, and why and how it works. Check out the OA website for details. Feel free to message me if you have any questions .

Where can I find info on those meetings?

Ive been to meetings and you can do online meetings. There was no food plan that I was given. 3 healthy meals and avoid snacking was mentioned. Im not ready for oa yet. when lived in london you could find a meeting pretty much every day which would have suited me better.
The higher power concept has some positive and negative. In a way chanting the prayer is therapeutic but it feels almost religious which I dont believe in personally.
If you feel your an extreme eater or non eater it wont hurt to try it.

dixie_amazon wrote: »

An alternative is tops.org. There is a chapter finder on the website.

Tops costs more than OA.

melissa6771 wrote: »

moyer566 wrote: »

melissa6771 wrote: »

I have never been, but I know the concept, assuming it's the same. No foods with flour or sugar listed in the first 5 ingredients in one of their things. That I wouldn't want to do. I do like to eat sandwiches. The minute I told myself I couldn't have those things, I would crave them.

yeah no. it's about redeveloping a healthy relationship with food. they don't tell you specifically what to eat.

i've been to other 12 step programs and i find the mutual support to be beneficial.
i've also found every meeting is different so if you don't like one try others in your area.

Ummm, yes, they do have different food plans for you to follow that are fairly specific. Although it looks like it's more tailored to each individual now. Back in the day, that was their Schtick, no flour or sugar in the first five ingredients in any food. I was very close friends with someone who went, and that's how it was. I said, assuming it's the same. Just give your opinion without having to be a smart *kitten* with your "yeah, no" BS. People on here just crack me up.

And yet yours is the only aggressive comment on this post.

Anyway, speaking from personal experience, the only way I have been able to conquer overeating, after a 25 year battle is to do exactly what you are dismissing. Cut out flour and sugar and other carbs. For 4 years now I have had control over my eating and am finally free from the stress of it all. Carbs causes insulin to be produced which makes you crave more carbs. No carbs means you burn fat for fuel, no insulin spike, no insatiable hunger. Contrary to belief, if you've never seriously tried it you wouldn't know - cutting out those things does not make you crave them more, it frees you from the cravings. I'm no different to anyone else, I like cake and bread and potatoes, but I don't need them anymore, and they don't control me.

I went once and I never went back. If I had done more research on it, I probably wouldn't have gone at all but I was really miserable and desperate during that time in my life. I had expressed my concerns to some group members about various aspects of the steps and they said they took a few creative liberties with how they interpreted it but it still really rubbed me the wrong way. If you're cool with that, it might work with you, but it just conflicted too strongly with my morality. Mostly about stuff that's already been mentioned in this thread.

I've been in OA for the last 6 months. The way I see the "powerless" thing is that when I start eating some food I cannot stop, and I could not stop from starting up again. It isn't about the food, it's about my behaviors with the food. That's just how I make sense of it. Beyond that, it really is a spiritual program - ways of dealing with the build up of basic human emotion instead going to food with those things. I've lost 31 pounds so far and it has been not so hard since giving up my trigger foods. I went to a nutritionist to get started on a food plan and then took out my trigger foods (chips, popcorn, white flour, sugar). I tweak it based on my body reactions and the obsessiveness in my mind about food.

I did and did not find it helpful. I realize each group will be different but the one I went to spent too much time on parliamentary procedure as set forth in the "Big Book" and not enough on discussion.

Again, each group will be different. YMMV

A really close friend of mine recovered from a severe binge eating disorder by going to overeaters anonymous. She said she couldn't quite get into every single aspect of it but that overall it was super super helpful and she would recommend it to anyone serious about recovery from food addictions.