Terry, Ann, Uma
Hi there.
When we first come to OA all that we can think about is food. We are obsessed by it. We walk into our first meeting expecting to be told some magical formula for eating. Instead, we don't hear much about food at all. Instead we hear about how people are working the steps, changing their lives, and learning to love and be of service to others. This surprises many of us. We wonder how in the world is this supposed to help me lose weight?
After a lifetime of diets, we wonder why no one at the meeting is giving us a diet. OA is not a diet. OA is a program that works from the inside out. By working the steps we learn that we eat to cope with feelings. Through working the steps we learn new ways of coping with life, feelings, and people. We learn that we don't have to eat over it. We learn new tools to use in place of food.
Part of the OA program is abstinence which is refraining from compulsive eating. Another part of the program is a food plan which is very personal and individual to each person. A sponsor can help you figure out an abstinence and food plan that will work for you. Each person's OA program is different. Each person's abstinence is tailored to them.
The book that Terry mentioned sounds like it may have been written by someone in OA HOW. HOW is a different program from OA. In HOW, there are very specific rules about what you eat and how you define your abstinence.
So, I recommend that you attend an OA meeting, read the OA 12 Steps and Traditions, and find a sponsor.
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