[Sunflower22]

I know this forum isn't very active, but I wanted to post here, maybe more for me than for anything.

I'm an overeater. In the past 6 weeks alone I have gained 22 lbs from overeating. I weighed 159.5 on my wedding day, and today I weighed in at 182.6.

I am looking to join an OA group, and I am also doing Weight Watchers. A year ago right now I weighed 145. I honestly don't know what my triggers are and I don't know why I do this, all I know is that I need to find control over it to conquer it and get back to a healthy weight and a healthy life.

Marny, I've been reading your posts and they are very inspiring - I hope to have the success that you have had!

Thank you for letting me post

Katie

[marny]

Katie-
Welcome! Glad you're here. I was at the same weight as you 8 months ago when I started going to OA. I'm here if you have questions or just want to share.
Marny

[adrianajf]

Katy-
I'm some what of a newcomer here as well. Like you I put on my weight very quickly too. I have reviewed the OA website and have been thinking about going to a meeting, but have not quite gotten the courage to do it yet!! Perhaps we could help support each other thru posts and emails? Not in the same way as a sponsor of course, but it would be nice to have someone to chat with who knows the ups and downs. In any case, good luck on your journey!

[ellis]

Katie, I'm so glad you decided to post. Yes, sometimes just "letting it all out" is a big relief for some of us. It's an acknowledgement that there's something wrong, and we need to fix it. I hope you'll keep posting.

Adrian, again, I'm glad you're here, too.

[Sunflower22]

Thank you - all of you. Marny, I read your speech last night that you are going to present and it made me cry because I have times when I feel like that, too. More times than I want to count.

Adriana, I would love to have a "buddy" - I will definitely need one.

The OA that I found closest to me has meetings on Monday nights which works for me 3 weeks a month, but the 4th week I have a work meeting that goes until 6pm that I can't get home in time to make the meeting - so I have to decide if it's going to be ok. My work meeting is this coming Monday so I couldn't start OA for another week at least.

It has definitely helped to let it out here because I haven't admitted it to anyone yet, not even my husband. I really appreciate this forum.

Adriana, you can either private message me or post here - whatever works best for you!

Thank you everyone!

[telemetrynurse]

Hi Katie!

Congratulations on your decision to seek help with overeating! It is the first step...to realize that you have a problem, to acknowledge it and then to seek help. My heart goes out to you regarding the rapid weight gain.....been there, done that. After I had a miscarriage I gained over 20lbs in one month!

You mentioned that you don't know what your triggers are? Perhaps a food journal would be helpful? It REALLY helped me tremendously. I list foods consumed, times consumed and emotions or anything that is going on. Certain foods make me HUNGRIER, certain behaviors invite a binge (like eating in front of the tv, from the refrigerator etc.) and certain times of the day are when I am the most lilkely to overeat. I define my triggers as foods that I can't stop at a reasonable portion....there are many of them. I avoid them, not even one bite. I compare it to an alcoholic.....they can't even have one sip without possibly relapsing---this is true for me with my trigger foods.

Good luck with your OA meetings! It took me a while to tell my hubby. The funny thing is that he KNEW. I guess it was obvious due to my rapid weight gain that something was wrong. Please know that it is nothing to be ashamed of. Many people suffer from food addictions/compulsive overeating.

If you need a buddy, feel free to pm me
Best wishes,
Liz

[marny]

katie--
Thanks for letting me know that my story touched you. Three meetings out of the month is a great start. There are also online meetings that you can "attend" when your schedule doesn't allow a face to face meeting.

It's was really scary for me to sum up the courage to go to that first meeting. But, it was so worth it to see faces and hear stories from other people that were the same as mine. I wasn't alone.

[adrianajf]

Katie-
you can send me an email at [email protected] any time. Hope youre having a good day.