Has anyone ever participated in OA? I think I am addicted to food. Everyone tells me that I should just cut down on my intake and exercise more, but it seems to that I can't make it through certain moments in my day without leaning on food. I'm considering OA for additional support. If you know of anyone who has ever done this, have they found it to be a good support and help them in overcoming food issues (and losing weight)?

My personal experience with OA is mixed. The problem is they don't give you a food plan. But then most of the people there advocated "abstinence" from everything white - white flour, white bread, sugar, etc. (of course this was all talked about "outside" the meeting, because discussing food IN the meeting is a HUGE no-no.)

I think anything is worth a try, just because it doesn't work for one person, doesn't mean it won't work for another. I think my biggest deciding factor was the fact that the 3 main "leaders" of the group had been there for 10+ years, and were a lot bigger than me!!

I am not familiar with OA. But there is a forum right here at 3FC on it. It can be found in the Chicks in Control forum.

Good luck to you with whatever you decide to go with. I do think the most important thing to do is to find a plan that you can live with forever. Yes, that means making sacrifices at times, learning to make better choices and doing without - but the rewards far outweigh any and all sacrfices. For me, I always said I can't ever lose weight, I have no control. But I've figured out that yes, I always DID have control. I was the indeed the one controlling what went into my mouth. I was the one controlling the fact that I sat on the couch too much. What I didn't have was discipline. The discipline to say no, you just can't do that. It is unacceptable. I couldn't have it both ways. I couldn't eat all that I wanted and be healthy all at the same time. So for me learning discipline was vital.

We all have to find our own way. Don't ever give up. There IS something out there for you. Good luck.