Hi there!

My name is Magic Flute and I am a compulsive overeater.

I have been coming to this site for over a year and recently, within the past 4 months or so I have noticed there is little if any discussion about OA.

Few posts talk about using the tools, working the steps, getting a sponsor, going to meetings.

Being a Compulsive Overeater is a desease. Not all overweight people are compulsive overeaters. If you are not sure you can take a brief questionaire on the Overeaters Anonymous web site.
If you discover that you are a compulisive overeater and want to become a member of OA, you only need to have a desire to stop eating compulsively.

But, you can also choose to work the program which includes:
A plan of eating and getting a Sponsor and going to the meetings. OA is fashioned after Alcoholics Anonymous and like those addicted to alcohol we are addicted to food, thus to recover we must STOP overeating compulsively.
Thanks for listening,
Magic Flute

I don't think it's a site entirely for OA...I'm sure theres a subforum or something on it though

Actually this is the subforum. I think people get confused because of the title "Chicks in Control". Ironically, my understanding of OA is that we admit we are powerless over food and that our lives have become unmanageable. I personally thought I could "control it" for eons and for short periods from the outside it looked like I did. In fact, those periods where I "controlled" eating were the most obscessive of my life. 24/7 food thinking whether I was eating or avoiding it. I understand why the OA subforum is part of the overall binging/disordered eating forum because our histories track, but that whole "control" thinking makes it an odd marriage. I know the moderators and the "Old Hens" work their butts off trying to make this work so maybe as posters we just have to turn try to post more often "on topic" and direct those who are not interested in OA to other areas.

Hi y'all,

I'm brand new and happy to be here. I have been in OA for the past 3.5 years. In program so far I have lost 110 lbs, but that is minor compared to the rest of the gifts of the program.

Is anyone out there still active on this forum? I still need to lose 75 lbs and I have now stalled on my old food plan. So, although my focus needs to be on recovery and not food or my weight, I do care about my health and being an attraction to the program.

Cheers,
chickie

Welcome Chickie. 3.5 years is a nice chunk of time. Congrats on the weight loss as well. The fact that you have stuck with the Program for so long is an attraction to others who are maybe just dipping their toes in. Perhaps you could let us know what your food and exercise plan has been and you may get some helpful suggestions.

Hi Tommy and all,

Sure, I'm happy to share.

When I came in to OA I weighed over 330 lbs. I started each day on a new "diet" but by 3pm, of course that fell apart and I was eating everything in sight. At around 7pm, I'd freak out about what all I'd eaten and start barfing and eating laxatives. I was not a pretty picture.

I'd been heavy since I was 12 years old. When I was 33 yrs old, I had silastic ring vertical gastroplasty and lost 120 of my 300 pounds. I knew absolutely nothing about addiction in general or food addiction specifically, nor the 12 steps, etc. Once I lost my weight, and withOUT my "drug of choice" available to me, I bottomed out.

Within the next 5 years, I quickly gained back the 120 I'd lost, plus 30 more, divorced and remarried three times, lost 8 jobs, lived in 12 different houses, and lost custody of my small son. If people think that food addiction cannot bring you down just as low as alcohol and drugs can, they should have a talk with me. I'm an addict, with a legal addiction.

I joined OA in May of 2005, got a food plan and a sponsor, and my life quickly improved. My original food plan was the Recovering Food Addicts food plan written by Kay Sheppard. I lost most of my weight on that food plan.

When I'd lost about 80 pounds, I started WANTING to exercise and enjoyed running so I did that, but my body wasn't ready for it and I pinched a nerve in my back. Now what I do is the elliptical three times/week, yoga one time, and swimming one time.

I've gone from a size 26 to a size 14. I am a work in progress however, and still have 75 more pounds to go. Today my food plan is one I've worked out with my sponsor and a nutritionist. I have around 1500 calories/day and eat no sugar in any form, flour, or wheat.

My life today is better than I could ever have imagined it. I'm happy in my life and in my own skin, for the first time ever. I'm happy to answer questions about OA if anyone has any.

What's your experience with it Tommy and others?

Peace,
carrie

I know I am an Over Eater. I am addicted to food ,and have a very OCD personality.
Are there any online OA meetings? IN my town OA meetings are during the day.( I work)
I am calorie counting,but I know its not gonna last.
Food is comfort and fun, I miss it

Hi Chickiebell,

I am so happy to have stumbled onto this site. I was doing google searches on different things and amazed to see where I've been led. I have ordered all the literature from OA and am going to my first meeting tomorrow at noon.

I have been battling an overeating addiction since I was a very little girl and it has made many areas of my life completely out of control. However, I am still so afraid to go tomorrow. All I can see at this point is that I will lose the only friend, food, that has been my comfort and also my **** for the last 38 years of my life. At the same time, I long to have the freedom you and so many other describe with OA.

The literature is so encouraging and I will face my fear and go, I just wish I weren't so apprehensive. If I could ask, how do you go about getting a sponsor in OA? I have been in other 12 step groups and have taken a while to get a sponsor. These were anon groups so the need for a sponsor was great but not a necessity. With OA, I know without a doubt that I will need a sponsor.

Thank you for sharing party of your journey. Because you did, I have stumbled upon it and am encouraged once again to face my fear and attend my first meeting. I would love to stay in touch with you.

Thank you again and God bless all the courage you've shown. You're amazing

Carrie,

Thanks for sharing your story. There ARE active folks on this sub-forum...just maybe not as active as other parts of 3FC...but we are here! I would be very interested to talk more with you about your food plan...for my benefit mostly :-) but would be happy to share ideas with you. I would like to know what your typical day of food looks like but maybe we should do this off list. I know that mentioning specific foods can sometimes be a trigger for people. I will send you a private message so we can talk specifics.

Be blessed,

Hi Happy,

I'm glad you stumbled onto this info also. With all the sincerity in my heart, I can honestly say I believe that OA not only saved my life, but gave me a life I never thought was possible.

I was terrified when I went to my first meeting. I had NO idea what to expect. As soon as I walked in, I knew I had found something VERY different from every other thing I had tried to help me with my food and weight problem. These folks spoke my language.

These people actually knew about driving through fast food places and ordering enough food for 4 people, and making sure you got enough drinks for 4 people too, so the clerk wouldn't think it was all for you. DIET drinks at that, right? I thought *I* invented that!

These people knew about stopping halfway through a package of cookies and throwing them away, only to find yourself riling through the garbage later on to find and eat them.

These people knew what it felt like to walk into a room full of strangers and feel judged for your weaknesses without every opening your mouth, based on appearance alone.

These people knew what it was to WANT to stop eating (or barfing, or starving, or exercising, etc.), to KNOW it was a slow form of suicide and to be ABSOLUTELY POWERLESS to STOP. They KNEW these feelings. I had thought I was all alone with my freaky disease until I walked into those rooms. I really was "home".

Let me know how your first meeting goes.

Peace,
Chickie

Hi Cartp,

I know that there are online meetings and many folks get a lot out of them. In my own experience, I use them when I am traveling or for some other reason cannot get to an OA face-to-face meeting.

I think we are not allowed to give website addresses in this forum but I know if you Google Overeater's Anonymous you will be led to the official site and there is a lot of information there to get you started, including links to online meetings.

I hope this helps.

Peace,
Chickie
Carrie

[QUOTE=happy67;2368602]
If I could ask, how do you go about getting a sponsor in OA? I have been in other 12 step groups and have taken a while to get a sponsor. These were anon groups so the need for a sponsor was great but not a necessity. With OA, I know without a doubt that I will need a sponsor.

Thank you for sharing party of your journey. Because you did, I have stumbled upon it and am encouraged once again to face my fear and attend my first meeting. I would love to stay in touch with you.[QUOTE]

Me again, being a mouth chickie this morning. I just get so enthusiastic about OA!

As far as getting a sponsor, the way you do it is you simply ask someone. You'll be told in meetings to observe the members, find someone who has what you want, and ask them. In some meetings available sponsors will be asked to identify themselves. In other meetings, a "We Care" book will be passed where members can list their contact info and whether or not they are available to sponsor.

I believe there are many OA loops online too. You might start with Yahoo. And there are folks available to sponsor online.

In my humble opinion, the online stuff should be used as an adjuct to a face-to-face program, not in lieu of one. We OAs have a hard enough time with isolating and fear of people. Meetings are fun, magic, and healthy. Just my $.02.

I assure you I am not amazing. The only thing that happened that was different this time is that I was beaten down enough by my disease to actually listen to OTHER people and follow instructions!

Peace,
Chickie
Carrie

[B][QUOTE=junebug69]Hi Carrie,
The food plan I started on is the Kay Sheppard plan for Recovering Food Addicts. Google the name and you will find a link to her page. There is a page called Food Plan online, free, that outlines the complete plan. I stuck to that religiously for two years.

Here is a typical day for me on that food plan:

Breakfast
1/2 c oatmeal
6 oz peaches
1 c skim milk
2 eggs

Lunch
2 cups salad
4 oz chicken
1 cup chickpeas
1 T sf salad dressing

Dinner
2 cups broccoli
4 oz salmon
8 oz sweet potato

Snack
1 cup yogurt
6 oz blueberries

Honestly, at first it felt like WAY too much food, and I did have trouble with sugar and carb cravings. However, after about the fourth day or so, it was like I woke up from a dream. The cravings were gone. The food was 'enough'. And I was finally able to be mentally clear enough to work the rest of the program.

I didn't exercise much at all my first year and that is when I lost the most weight.

Apparently I can't send PMs until I've done 10 posts, so I'm going to put my answer to you on the forum. After one more, I can PM. YAY me. Maybe I'll get to put up my ticker also.

Peace,
Chickie Carrie

(((((Welcome Carrie!!!)))))

I'm sooo happy to have you here. I have learned so very much in just this thread alone! You seem to have it togehter and you're quite an inspiration. I'm anxious to hear more words of wisdom.

Chickiebell,
Thank you so much for sharing your food plan. *goes to google Kay Sheppard*
I'm also looking for a sponsor and trying to figure out what my abstinence looks like.

Thanks to everyone who's active and posting on here!

~Alexis