Just curious if anyone else decided it wasn't for them either? (no offense! Just wondering if anyone else felt the same)

Yes, I did. I only went to 2 meetings, so I can't really say I was a member. I read some of the literature and theories behind the 12 steps. It was helpful. However, the meetings were not for me.

Agreed. I went to one meeting. After an hour and half of listening to people cry and one lady talk about a battle with a Twix and another talk about reporting every morsel eaten to her sponsor, I realized it wasn't for me.

It was working for the people at the meeting though. Several had lost large amounts of weight. Maybe I'm not ready to admit I'm powerless over food. Maybe I'm not. Maybe I am and am just delusional.

I'm just happy that it does work for people! Just not for me at this point in my life.

i also tried it.I ended up leaving hating myself worst after the meetings than i did before them.I'm overweight and a hard core compulsive eater who wants to hear from others just like myself and leave feeling better about myself.I only liked the special ones met for over 150 lbs,compulsive eaters theme.But they don't have them anymore around.Looks like you all are doing great .i haven't binge since 3/9 so far

Me. I went to some in person meetings awhile back, maybe 7-8 years ago. I felt really out of place since the one I went to no one was under like 50 years old and I was in my early 20s. So I stopped going.

Fast forward to last year and I decided to try to phone meetings since with the kids I cant get to an in person one. I'm an atheist, and although there are plenty of non believers that can do 12 step programs, I had trouble. I tried several meetings, to try to find a group with a "personality" I messed with, but none seemed to fit. I tried the meeting meant for non religious, which I liked, but the root of it, admitting I'm powerless over food, goes against my core beliefs, that we can learn/change/control our lives. I am not powerless, I am not a helpless victim.
It might have to do with my life, outside of food, I came from a very dark place, with some severe family disfunction and other challenges, and I had to believe that I am never powerless, but instead possess the power and strength to change my life. My personally beliefs are admitting that I am powerless against something, is the first step to giving up.
The concept might work for others. I wanted it to work for me, but it didn't. But I can say that I gave it a fair try anyway. I'm glad it exists because it does help many many people.

Hey GlamourGirl-I'm agnostic and in my 20s, I get what you mean.

Funny things trigger me-sometimes thinking TOO much about a day to day battle with overeating makes it seem so much greater-if I don't think too much about it its a lot easier for me. But my father kicked his smoking habit the same way-he just stopped. So maybe its genetic who knows haha.

Congrats Mrslosing it! On a good note, haven't had bread since I made that post, I think around 3/13? Not really counting the days (even though I like counting cals, counting days of nonbinging would be too much for me for some reason) but its the same with Nutella, I guesstimate maybe a year since I had it? Also not sure.

I'm atheist along with GlamourGirl, and can't really satisfy the rules of the program, so it's not for me. Three Chicks is all the social support I need, thankfully. I'm glad I found this site when I started.

It's funny....AA which follows the same steps as OA has helped me stay sober. OA made me feel worse about my compulsive eating and bingeing.

Although AA and OA are supposed to be the same 12 steps just applied differently its rare to find a group that really sticks to the big book. I love oa but once the meetings get away from the big book and into the war with the twix talk and the complaining it gets harder to get anything out of the meetings. That being said there is a group called oapp. And they stick to the big book only.

i don't like OA meetings that use the big book.You don't fix compulsive eating the same way.You can live without the booze but you need food to live.i'm like justbea.Started in a/a.

I love the OA meetings...but only the phone meetings and only the OA 90, they work for me! The other OA meetings don't really work for me. OA 90 use the Big Book, which is an awesome book. I treat the sugar, flour and fake sugar as foods to stay away from and commit my food plan to my sponsor every morning and weigh my food before eating. It is awesome!

I could not agree more , never was in AA but did go with a friend. I attended Nicanon online for nicotine addiction and great , it worked - I was a hopeless smoker and most of them were also members of AA - and we had a laugh - I loved it but OA is different , I have only been online but found it very depressing and that really is the last place I want to be and that's a real shame-

I went to several OA meetings and had two sponsors before I quit. The first sponsor put me on a severe 1200 calorie diet. The second wanted me to report everything to her and there were restrictions (can't eat peaches, nectarines ok) that didn't really make sense. I could have found a better sponsor, but I just wasn't getting what I wanted out of it. I've been through AA and it worked miracles for me. OA, not so much.

I only tried OA online. There aren't any groups close to me because I am in a rural area. I'm not atheist, but I struggled with some of the steps and ideas, too. The powerless thing was also an issue. I did end up finding a TOPS group in my area. But, it was like GlamourGirl described her OA meeting, about 90% older ladies...older than my mom. Some old enough to be my grandma. I went for almost a year. But, it really wasn't clicking for me.

One thing that did help me; I picked up some of the OA literature at Half Priced Books. I especially like the OA workbook I found. There were still some things that I didn't find helpful; but, overall it was well worth the $6 I paid.