[deebygrace]

Hi Everyone,
In doing some research on the web, I see there are GreySheet Anonymous, CEO-How, and OA.
OA has a meeting quite a distance but it is H.O.W? Does anyone understand what that is?
Does anyone know what Greysheet is?
COE does not have any meetings in my area but they have phone meetings.
Which one is the one I need to look into?
Thanks
Denise

[marny]

Hey Denise-
HOW is a version of OA. It's a much sricter version where you do not choose your own food plan. You are told what to eat and not what to eat.

The Graysheet is something that OA used to use, and some people still do. It's a food plan that was printed on a gray sheet of paper. I understand that there is now a separate organization called GreySheet Anonymous.

COE stands for Compulsive Over Eaters. If it's an organization, I don't know anything about it.

In OA, you choose your own food plan with the help of your sponsor. You decided what your own trigger foods are. Everyone's are not the same. You also decide your own definition of abstinence. My own definition of abstinence is: I eat only at my planned meal times. I don't eat dessert. I don't drink alcohol. That's what works for me to keep me sane and on program. Other people have totally different definitions of abstinence. The general idea of abstinence in OA is to refrain from compulsive eating. Each individual has to figure out what it takes for them to do that.

The only program, of the ones that you listed, that I can speak from experience on is OA. You may want to try all of them to see which one works best for you.

Hope that helps.

[deebygrace]

Thank you Marny, I found a meeting on Friday morning not to far away but it isnt the HOW meeting just an OPEN meeting. I am going this Friday. I have the 12 and 12 book, and the big book of AA, and NA. I am replacing the words alcohol with Food, and it hit me last night of just how powerless I am. I feel like the Jaywalker in the big book that even after having WLS, still am out of control. Yikes what an eye opener. I am so glad I found this board. Thank you so much for being here
Denise

[marny]

Denise-
Let me know how the meeting goes on Friday. Something that I do that helps me when I'm going into a meeting, especially a new meeting, is I pray that God will make my mind and my heart open so that I can learn whatever he wants me to.

Great job getting a hold of the books. I dearly love my program literature. It comes through for me in hard times and good times. I always learn something new when I pick it up and read it.