Eating Disorders - OA April 2014

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Came to Believe

Perhaps we have believed in a Higher Power all our lives, or perhaps we have been agnostic. In either case we have been unable to apply faith and belief to our greatest problem - compulsive overeating.

OA asks only that we be willing to believe and that we keep an open mind. As we hear the stories of members who have come to believe through the program, our own faith grows. As we experience God's grace, our belief increases.

Steps One, Two, and Three work together. Only by admitting that the problem has us defeated, that we are powerless - only then do we become open to a Higher Power. If there is no way that we can stop eating compulsively by our own strength, then we require a strength greater than our own. Others have found this strength in God, as He is understood by each individual. When we turn our will and our lives over to our Higher Power and practice the Twelve Steps every day, we apply our belief and faith. The belief may be very small and weak in the beginning, but like the mustard seed, it grows. Gradually, we become convinced of what we had known all along, but were afraid to believe.

Strengthen my belief, I pray.

I came, I came to, I came to believe the program would work for me.

Got a birthday call from a friend, who I met before I went into recovery. His wife to be was living in the YWCA when I was there.

He asked me to be his temporary sponsor when he made the decision to get help. Last Sunday he celebrated 12 years. He says he share his story about me with others in recovery. He had a lot of anger, didn`t believe in anything, and wasn`t open to anything religious. I bought him a necklace, with a stone, can`t remember the shape or colour, on a leather lace. Every time he had a difficult moment, he hung on to the stone. As he said to me today, `You have to believe in something.`

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Food Is Not God

Though we may not have admitted it, food was probably the most important thing in our lives when we were overeating. How many times did our relationships with family and friends suffer because of our slavery to our appetites? How often did we hurt those we loved by placing our craving above their needs?

Instead of loving God first, most of us . . .

I was told that anything that I put between me and God, became the 'god' of my life. Anything that prevents me from being the kind of person He would have me be in today. Anything that takes me out of the moment and today, becomes the Lower Power, instead of my Higher Power.

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, April 3, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Trusting God

Most of us have spent a great amount of time and energy trying to order and arrange our own lives. We have searched frantically for something to hang on to which would solve our problems - a new diet, a new job, a new lover. Nothing has worked permanently. The harder we have tried to straighten ourselves out the more our problems have defeated us.

When we came into the OA program, we were advised to "let go and let God." At first, this may have seemed to us to be a huge cop out. The idea of passively waiting for a Higher Power to do for us what we could not do for ourselves was an insult to our pride and our illusions of self-sufficiency. We were afraid to let go.

Our Higher Power requires that we be willing to trust Him with our lives in order to receive His strength and direction. From our vantage point of limited knowledge, there is a risk involved in letting go. If we are willing to take this risk and if we have the courage to face our fear, we will eventually receive the peace and support which we so desperately need. Besides, what do we have to lose except our own weakness?

Grant me courage to trust You completely.

[MajestyJo]

Friday, April 4, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Resting

We compulsive overeaters often used food as a stimulant when we felt the need to be busy about something. Of course, food did not keep us stimulated for long, since we usually ate too much and ended up in a stupor.

With this program, we can be more in touch with how our bodies really feel. There are times when the craving for food may mask our fatigue, times when what we need is rest, not food. When we are tired and feel that we cannot continue with what we are doing, it is very possible that we need to rest rather than eat. A short nap can refresh us much more than unnecessary food.

True rest for our spirit as well as our body comes from our Higher Power. A period of meditation can lift us out of mental and emotional depression. Only a brief moment is required to take our attention away from the daily routine and let our consciousness be drawn to God. These frequent pauses during the day tap a vast storehouse of energy and power.

I rest in Your greatness, Lord.

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, April 5, 2014
You are reading from the book Food for Thought
Fears

Do you eat when you are afraid? Many of us do. When we were babies, being fed brought the safety of our mother's arms. As adults, we subconsciously give food a sort of magic ability to ward off real or imagined danger.

There are times when food may serve as a temporary tranquilizer, but overeating prevents us from facing what we fear and learning how to deal with it. Eating compulsively, moreover, usually produces a feeling of guilt and a fear of "getting caught." The fear that we will not be able to stop eating is added to the fear that prompted us to reach for food, and the more we eat, the greater our fears.

Many of our fears are groundless and irrational. Through contact with our Higher Power, we are given the sanity, which causes them to disappear. Those fears that remain are often the result of the self-centeredness, which prevents us from turning our lives completely over to God. When we give Him absolute control, we have nothing to fear.

May I love You enough to let go of my fears.

Face everything and recovery. Through our faith in our Higher Power, we can let fear fun away, because fear and faith can't occupy the same space.

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, April 6, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Giving Up Delusions

As we work the steps of the OA program, our new actions produce new thoughts. When we are ready, our Higher Power reveals new truths and gives us new insights.

Gradually, we give up old, deluded ways of thinking. We realize that we had put self at the center of the universe, and we see this to be a delusion. We may have secretly considered ourselves better than those around us. Once we honestly take inventory and face up to our defects, we can no longer believe this. Another common delusion is that material goals will bring us ultimate satisfaction. When we admit the pain we have caused ourselves and others by our insatiable cravings and demands for material things, we see that they are not the answer.

Most of us have harbored the delusion that one day we will be completely rid of the temptation to overeat, and that we will then be able to relax our efforts. It is our experience that continued effort is required to maintain abstinence and that only through daily dedication to the life of the spirit are we able to receive sanity, strength, and satisfaction from our Higher Power.

Take away my delusions, Lord, and show me Your truth.

A good prayer, I don't know about you, but I can talk my way into anything. Justification is a defect of character and was an unhealthy defect of character for me.

[MajestyJo]

Monday, April 7, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Appetite

Appetite grows as it is fed. The more we eat, the more we want to eat. If we let any physical appetite take over - whether it is for food, sex, security, or whatever - we become its slave.

If we do not nurture our relationship with our Higher Power so that God is the ultimate authority for everything that we do and the object of our greatest desire, then we will be enslaved by one or more of our physical appetites. When God is perceived to be the greatest good and the source of all joy and satisfaction, then physical appetites fall into their proper place.

First we seek spiritual growth. Our primary desire is to do God's will for us, as He enables us to do it. When He is our Master, His love feeds our spiritual appetite and we begin to know the inner peace and satisfaction, which the world cannot give.

May my desire be always for You.

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

The Enemy Within

Why do we self-destruct? The problem of evil has been with us ever since the serpent tempted Eve to eat the apple. We often feel at war internally, one self-fighting another self.

There are forces that would have us abandon our program, and usually we find the temptation coming from within. We become careless, bored, lackadaisical in our efforts. Instead of disciplining ourselves to further spiritual growth, we rest on our oars and then wonder why we are drifting downstream!

There is nothing wrong with our bodily appetites, except when we allow them to take control. Then they will destroy us. Sane, healthy living requires that we acknowledge our spiritual needs. When our Higher Power is in control, we work for emotional and spiritual growth as well as physical satisfaction. Instead of being divided internally, we are integrated. The enemy within is subdued in the only way possible - by God's power.

Defeat the enemy within me. Lord.

So often that enemy is me. I have to get out of the way so my God can work through me, instead of around me. I can be my own worst enemy. I may blame the devil, and say `The devil made me do it,` but that is giving up my power through my God, and playing the blame game. It isn`t the drug, food isn`t my enemy, it is my thinking behind it.

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Retreats

OA retreats are a wonderful way to recharge our batteries and gain strength through sharing. Whether for a day or for a weekend, the retreat is an extremely effective tool for growth in our program.

If an organized retreat is not available when we need it, we can arrange our own personal retreat for a day or two. Choosing a day or a weekend when we can concentrate on our program may give us a boost we need when we are having difficulty. If a minimum of time is spent on necessary tasks, there will be many hours free for reading, writing, and meditating. We can plan our abstinent meals ahead of time so that they require as little preparation as possible.

A personal retreat may take place at home or, if there are many distractions and it is possible to leave for a day or two, we may go somewhere away from home where we can be quiet and reflect. Extra time spent in prayer and meditation yields enormous dividends, and we return with increased strength and perspective.

I seek the refreshment that comes from You.

My sponsor said to me many years ago, `You can take a holiday any time. Shut off the phone, don`t answer the door, cook what you like or order in, do what you want to do, what is good for you, be it be a bubble bath with music and candles, soft music and a good book, a nap with music, perhaps a sleep mask and ear plugs.

It isn`t about excess and too much of a good thing and spoiling yourself rotten, it is about giving yourself some tender loving care.

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, April 10, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Increasing Joy

Before we found OA, many of us felt depressed much of the time. The combination of too much food and too little inspiration was lethal. We existed and we did what we had to do, but there was a lack of deep joy in our lives.

When we get the poisons out of our systems, which have been deposited by refined starches and sugars and by overeating in general, we feel one hundred percent better. As we get rid of the poisons in our minds and hearts, our joy increases.

Gradually we are relieved of the guilt of overeating. We are also relieved of envy, anger, and fear - all of the negative emotions, which have poisoned our hearts.

Deep joy can only come from the deepest part of ourselves. That is the place where we find and come to know our Higher Power.

Thank You, God, for increasing joy.

Be joyful about the program and learning to live a healthy life. Much more rewarding than that second piece of chocolate cake.

[MajestyJo]

Friday, April 11, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Deliverance

OA is here to say that compulsive overeaters have been delivered from compulsive overeating! We have found a way of eating that delivers us from fat and, even more important, we have found a way of living that delivers us from fear.

The price is high. We find that in order for the program to work, we need to give ourselves completely to it. We have proven over and over that half measures do not succeed. Unless we keep our will and our lives entirely in the hands of our Higher Power, we will fall back into the trap of compulsive overeating and compulsiveness in other areas.

Every day when we wake up, we give thanks for another day of abstinence, and we put ourselves under God's care and direction. We ask that we be guided in all our activities and that we may follow His will for us in all that we do. Then, whatever happens during the day, we accept it as part of God's plan, and we play our part as He directs us. The outcome and results belong to Him. We are delivered from self-centeredness and freed from compulsion.

We celebrate our deliverance.

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, April 12, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Compulsive Means My Will

When I am compulsive about something, I "have to" have it or see that it is done. I am insisting on my will, my way. I forget that the world does not revolve around me.

Going against the laws of the universe inevitably brings trouble. I cannot willfully consume everything my uncontrolled appetite demands without hurting myself and others. I cannot arrange other people's lives to suit my time schedule. I cannot adjust the world to me; I can adjust myself to what is, to reality.

Giving up my selfish, egocentric desires is probably the most difficult task I have. "He who masters himself is greater than he who conquers a city." I cannot do it alone. Through the fellowship of OA, with the help of the program, and by the grace of my Higher Power, I seek to turn from my will to His will.

Thy will be done.

Obsession and compulsive are part of my disease, no matter what substance I use. That is why I say, ¨My drug of choice is more.¨

That is why I like the Serenity Prayer, it gives me a chance to hesitate and meditate, before I open my mouth, follow thought with action, and as I use to say to my ex, ¨You take your foot out of your mouth to put the other one in.¨ As they say, ¨It takes one to know one.¨

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, April 13, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Greed

How many of us are killing ourselves with our own greed? In spite of all that we take in, we remain empty. Excessive consumption depresses our spirits even before it destroys our bodies.

Why are we so empty? Is it because we search for fulfillment in the wrong places? Do we expect permanent satisfaction from new clothes, more food, a bigger house? When the acquisition of these things fails to satisfy us for long, we then think we must go out and get more clothes, better food, a more elegant house.

Sometimes our greed arises out of fear, fear that we will not have enough. Kahlil Gibran says, "What is fear of need but need itself? Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the thirst that is unquenchable?"

We are all children of a Father who satisfies our need but not our greed. To trust Him to abundantly supply all that we truly require is to give up fear as well as greed.

Take away my greed, Lord.

Greed is one of the 7 deadly sins. Osho says it is about not being happy with what you got, and always wanting more. As the saying goes, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."

As I have posted many times, "When I get needy, I get greedy." How do I get needy? God supplies our needs. He will take away our greed.

[MajestyJo]

Monday, April 14, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Gluttony

In the Middle Ages, gluttony was considered one of the seven deadly sins. Now that sin has become an unpopular concept, we are inclined to overlook gluttony. It is still listed in the dictionary and defined as "eating to excess." Every compulsive overeater knows only too well what that means.

OA says that gluttony begins with one bite too much. When we give in to that first compulsive bite, we walk from the protection of our Higher Power into the snare of self-indulgence. Sometimes we are lucky enough to escape before the consequences are disastrous, but usually we are caught in our own trap.

There is no cure for gluttony, but we can stop practicing it. We can refuse to take the first extra bite. We can so strengthen our minds and hearts with the gifts of the Spirit that we do not need to eat to excess. The time we spend each day working the steps of our program is our insurance against gluttony.

By Thy grace, protect me from gluttony.

Another word that describes my disease as more. When is enough, enough? How can I stop and stay stopped? We need to fuel our body, mind and spirit. When we get those hunger pains, perhaps it isn't your body that is empty, but your mind and spirit. Emotional voids can make themselves known physically.

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

A Daily Reprieve

Through the grace of our Higher Power and by means of the OA program, we compulsive overeaters are given a daily reprieve from our disease. This reprieve, however, is dependent on our spiritual condition. If we do not stay in touch with our Higher Power and if we do not practice the OA principles each day, we lose the reprieve and fall into compulsive overeating.

Our program comes first; other concerns are secondary. OA is not something which we can tack on to our schedule when it is convenient. To be effective, it requires top priority. This does not mean that we spend all of our time involved in OA activities. It does mean that all of our activities are guided by spiritual principles.

Impossible? Only if we refuse to turn our lives over to our Higher Power. When He is in control, our work, recreation, and rest all come under His direction. We are spiritually in tune each day and safe from our disease.

Thank You for saving me from my disease today.

That is all we have. We don't think about stopping forever, it is just for today, I choose not to abuse myself and others.

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Helping Others

Twelfth Step work is essential in OA, since in order to keep the program ourselves we have to give it away. Each of us finds opportunities to share what we have received.

It is discouraging when someone we wish to help turns down the program. It is hard to know what to say or do when a friend who needs OA responds to our efforts with indifference or hostility. Sometimes, those we are trying to help take advantage of our time and patience. Often, we feel inadequate when we encounter a person with seemingly overwhelming and insoluble problems.

As we go about our Twelfth Step work, let's remember that the best way we can help someone else is by maintaining our own abstinence. Let's also remember to turn over our perplexities to our Higher Power. We do the best we can, according to the insight we are given at the time, and we leave the results to God.

Show me what to do for those I would help.

It says over eating, but I believe the disease is over eating or not eating, and the mind set behind using food.

I think we all have different reasons, but most of all it is our thinking that activates our disease. When my body is swollen, I think fat. I either act on, "What the heck, I am fat already, so eat with no thought of content;" or it is I am fat and I don't eat and shut down and tell myself I am not hungry, then I often pick up other things to take away the hungry feeling, like cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, relationships, gambling, etc.

We can share with the hope that others will identify with us and not compare their thinking to ours, but get honest about their own thoughts and feelings.

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, April 17, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Easy Does It

Strain and struggle abound when we try to do everything ourselves, our way. We want positive change to occur immediately and expect miracles to happen according to our personal timetable. We sometimes feel that if our Higher Power is guiding us, we should be able to accomplish great and marvelous things constantly.

To remember "easy does it" is to humbly realize that we are not all powerful and that God does not expect us to be all things to all people. Growth is slow, time belongs to God, and change will occur according to His plan. If we do the jobs we have been given for this 24-hour period, our Higher Power will take care of tomorrow.

How much more agreeable life is when we do not overextend ourselves but admit our weakness and trust God to take care of us. We do not shirk our share, but we do not try to carry the whole load. Only our Higher Power is strong enough to do that.

Take from our lives the strain and stress.

I was told, "Easy Does It...but do it!"

We didn't get this way over night, so how can I expect myself to heal and get better over night. Recovery is a process. As our healing is takes place, more is revealed, and the processing continues. It is a one day at a time program.

[MajestyJo]

Friday, April 18, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Caring

"Teach us to care and not to care. Teach us to sit still."

We know that God cares for us and we try to give to those we love the care that He would have us give. But sometimes we become so caught up in our cares and concerns, whether they be for ourselves or for others that we forget to listen to our Higher Power.

In order to work the spiritual part of the program, we need to spend time quietly by ourselves listening to the inner voice. Each day we need a period of time alone when we can get in touch with the center of our being.

When we are tuned in to our Higher Power, we are able to give to those we care for. Our concerns fall into proper perspective, and we are freed from selfish preoccupation. Our actions become more effective and our hearts are more open to the needs of those we love.

Teach us to care.

Love the line, "sit still." That was one of the hard parts of the program. Being still, with myself, with God and not picking up the phone, the mouse, the book, etc. Self reflection and new awareness as to who I was, what needed changing, and instead of using food to try to fill the empty feeling inside, I had to find a spiritual outlook on life.

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, April 19, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Perseverance

We all go through periods when we seem to be standing still or slipping backwards. It is often difficult to stay with our food plan when weight loss slows or stops. We may become bored with the program if our understanding of it is superficial. There are many times when things do not go the way we would like, and we may be tempted to give up.

Let's remember where we began and how miserable we were before we found OA. If there are times when abstinence does not seem so great, let's remember how much worse the alternative is. We have been down in the depths of despair before, and we do not choose to go back there.

One day at a time, we can keep moving forward. Even when we see no signs of progress, we can know that our Higher Power is now in charge of our recovery and that His purposes never fail.

Lord, give us strength to persevere.

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, April 20, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Social Situations

Many of us find it especially difficult to follow our food plan when we go to parties and eat with friends. We may feel deprived if we do not eat and drink what everyone else is eating and drinking. Sometimes we maintain our abstinence at the party and then go home and break it for some strange kind of emotional compensation.

The longer we live the OA program, the easier it becomes to deal with social situations. We begin to realize that the company is more important than the food and drink, and we discover that we can enjoy being with our friends regardless of what we are or are not consuming. We also become convinced that only by abstaining do we maintain our health and sanity, and we value these more than whatever refreshments are being served.

Because we are stronger now than we were before, we are less affected by the social pressure to do what everyone else is doing. We know who we are and how we can best live our own lives.

May I enjoy my friends more than food.

Many times I walked into a friend's house and said, "What you got to eat?" My disease wasn't always in the closet, it often took me outside of myself. That is why I have to take my recovery program out of my meeting, and apply it to my life, at home, at work, in the community, and in the home of friends and family.

[MajestyJo]

Monday, April 21, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

New Skills

When we stop eating compulsively, we get out of ruts that we may have been in for years. Our schedules change, since we spend less time eating. The confidence we gain encourages us to try new activities, and we discover skills we never knew we had.

Because we are no longer disgusted with ourselves, we get along better with those around us. As we learn to give up fear and self-centeredness, we find ourselves turning out better work and performing well in areas where before we had been weak.

Spiritual growth is the key to the new developments in all parts of our lives. We have become more closely connected to the source of creativity, so we are more alive. Others respond positively to our new sincerity and enthusiasm.

That we may continue to grow and learn gives us quiet satisfaction. For this, we are grateful to OA and our Higher Power.

Thank You, Lord, for newness of life.

Lamenting not going to my niece's yesterday, stopped and thought of all the food and goodies she was making. With my sister being there, didn't want to take anything to hurt that would hurt her. I was and still am running a low grade fever, bad cough, chest pains, and nauseated. Every fibre of my Fibromyalgia was screaming, so ended up with left overs, and even had to go to my bed, cover up, and if I didn't sleep, I watched tennis and curling, and had a few resentments because I missed a lot of the matches, so I spent the day in prayer. Not sure how much of it was in my head, but tried to listen to my stomach and my heart.

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Happiness

Happiness is rarely achieved by pursuing it. We compulsive overeaters used to think that food could make us happy, but we found that it could not. Many of us tried other substances, too, such as alcohol, drugs, or money. When these also failed us, we may have decided that only a perfect partner could make us happy. Alas, we soon discovered that there are no perfect individuals, only ordinary people with faults like our own.

So where does happiness fit in? At some point along the line, we abandon the frantic pursuit of an external object of happiness and begin to work on ourselves. As we go through the Twelve Steps, we become less self-centered and more focused on a Higher Power. As we are able to concentrate more on His will and less on our own, we find that periods of happiness come as a by product. Paradoxically, when happiness is no longer our goal, we have more of it.

In You, there is joy.

I kept coming back, because of the first promise of AA, that said you will find a new freedom and a new happiness. The rest of the promises were good, but all I wanted was that first one.

http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?p=21220#post21220

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Wisdom

The longer we live this Twelve Step program, the more we realize that we do not have all the answers. Our finite knowledge is very limited, and we need all the help we can get.

Acknowledging our limitations and our powerlessness is the beginning of wisdom. Conceding that we cannot manage our own lives puts us in a position whereby we may humbly ask for the wisdom that comes from our Higher Power.

If we are to grow in wisdom and learn which things to accept and which to change, we need to conscientiously devote time each day to the OA program. We need to read and re-read the literature. We need to examine our motives and our deeds. We need to act according to the promptings of our Higher Power.

Wisdom is not acquired overnight. The more patient we are and the more humble, the better able we are to learn from the mistakes we make.

May I stay close to You, the source of wisdom.

The old saying says, "As wise and an owl." Don't know if I will ever get there, it was hard for me to have the wisdom to know the difference. The Serenity Prayer, said in earnest, with the right intent and motive, got me through a lot of thing, stuff that I could never have done before I came back into the fellowship. It is kind of hard to have wisdom, when we cut ourselves off from our Higher Power. You don't get a clear message and a whole lot of wisdom if you are using, be it the solid, liquid, powdered, braised, roasted, boiled, baked, broiled, stewed, or the flesh and blood variety.

[MajestyJo]

Thursday, April 24, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Hungry or Bored?

When we ate compulsively, we often interpreted boredom to be hunger. When there seemed to be nothing else to do, we could always eat! Unstructured time may have made us anxious; we thought we could fill up with food and allay our anxieties.

To be egotistical and self-centered is to be bored. If we are always the center of our awareness, we will soon tire of ourselves, since none of us is all that fascinating. In order to escape boredom, we need to turn our attention outward and focus on something besides self.

When we give our lives to our Higher Power, we are making a commitment of service. We are asking that His will be done and that He use us as He sees fit. By relieving us of our obsession, God frees us from slavery to our appetites. If we are to remain free, we need to serve Him instead of ourselves. Day by day, He shows us our tasks and as we become absorbed in them, we lose our boredom along with our false hunger.

May I know the true nourishment of doing Your will.

Realized tonight, or I should say I got honest with myself, that my eating patterns have been the cause of my feet problems. I thought it was okay because my blood sugars have been normal any time I took it, problem was, I didn't keep track on a regular basis.

[MajestyJo]

E is for Eat. Eat healthy. Learn health habits, not just what you eat, but how you eat. Remember that you need food for the body, mind, and spirit.

Instead of eating to stuff your emotions, let go and let God, feel them and let them go.

With addiction, sometimes the friend becomes an enemy.

http://angelwinks.net/images/iq/qcchocolateshake1.jpg

[MajestyJo]

Friday, April 25, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Forgetting Food

Abstinence enables us to stop being preoccupied with food. We decide that we will have three meals a day with nothing in between, and we have a definite plan for those meals. Whenever cravings or thoughts of food begin to distract us, we put them out of our mind. We remember that food has proved to be a false friend, and we no longer permit it to control our life.

Through OA, we have found new interests and activities. We have friends to call when we are lonely or upset. When we are feeling shaky, we can go to a meeting. Perhaps our new energies have led to involvement in community activities, new jobs, hobbies and projects.

Each of us faces a certain amount of sluggishness and inertia when we decide to get involved in something new. It is easier to stay in the same old rut, since we often fear what is untried and unknown. Let us not permit apathy or anxiety to weaken our resolution. Escape into food and overeating is no longer an option.

Keep my thoughts on the new possibilities, which You have opened for me.

For some people, they find it difficult to put food in the same as alcohol and other drugs. Yet it is the thinking behind the substance, the drug is but a symptom of my disease.

To remove the obsession, I had to pray and ask my God for it to be removed. With food, it is necessary to have in order to survive. The other drugs are best left on the shelf, but with food, it was making healthy choices, having a new outlook on food and what I needed in order to recover.

[ScaryCarrrie]

I would love to hear what others are using as their planned meals. I know I am told to start with three meals and life in between. Meanwhile I am trying to identify food triggers as well as mood triggers. I know I am not a sweetie, instead I'm afraid I'm a fattie. Gravy, sour cream, sausages....sexy right? Anyhow, I'm learning what flips the switch for me as I go along on my 3-0-1 (three meals, 0 in between, 1 day at a time) plan. Anyone else???

[MajestyJo]

For me, I just try to make healthy choices. When I went to a clinic, they said 5 small meals a day. Without using my program, the 12 Steps, they became more and they didn't end up very small.

I had to cut down on the portions, used a smaller plate. I can't eat a whole chicken breast, unless they are small. I was told that food portions, should be the size of your palm, and your veggies fill up the rest of the plate.

One day at a time, is how I do it and apply the 12 Steps to my life. H.O.W. works for all areas of my life that I need to change.

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, April 26, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Overcoming Sloth

Another of the seven deadly sins, which we do not talk much about anymore, is sloth. Webster defines it as laziness or indolence. It is our experience that the more we eat, the lazier we become. We procrastinate, we do not feel like undertaking anything difficult, and we avoid movement as much as possible.

Abstinence puts our bodies into high gear. With proper nourishment and without an excess amount of food to digest, we feel alert and alive. We find ourselves requiring less sleep and fewer naps. Lifetime habits of laziness do not change immediately, but if we are willing to become more energetic, our Higher Power will provide the motivation.

Sometimes the thought of a large task looming ahead of us is overwhelming, and we feel that we will never be able to manage it. Here is where the willingness to take one step at a time can make the difference. If we will begin, God will keep us going when the task is part of His plan.

Deliver us from slothfulness.

Heard someone say that procrastination was included in slothfulness. I forgot it until just now as I started to post. I was horrified, I was a great procrastinator. My motto was, why worry, it isn't going any where, it will still be there when I feel like doing it. Often put off until I had no other choice and I continued to run away from home so I didn't have to confront it. Because I would run away from home, no self care and no housework. As a result, I got addicted to service. I didn't have the right attitude or motive toward it, and my recovery got slothful.

I would have this don't care attitude, which spread into my eating habits and because of the guilt, I would stuff.

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, April 27, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Food Is No Cure all

In spite of what we compulsive overeaters may have believed, food does not solve our emotional or spiritual problems. Food cannot fill our hearts with love, no matter how much we eat. Rather than erasing our difficulties with family, friends, and self, overeating multiplies them.

If our problem were that of not having enough to eat, food would be the solution. It is possible for us to be overweight and undernourished at the same time, if we are eating the wrong foods. For most of us, though, the difficulty is simply that we like to eat too much. The only cure all for that problem is eating less!

The good news for compulsive overeaters is that a life of abstinence and control is possible. We do not have to be destroyed by our disease. When we recognize that we have been using food to do what only our Higher Power can do, we are on the way to recovery. Instead of turning to food to ease our aches and satisfy our cravings, we turn to God.

Thank You for being there for me.

Had to go for outside help for several issues. The 12 Steps are applicable to all areas of my dis-ease. When I did the 12 Steps, I uncovered a lot of things that were best spoken privately.

[MajestyJo]

Monday, April 28, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Failure

If the OA program demanded perfection, then we would all be failures. Our goal is progress, not perfection, since none of us will ever be perfect.

It is said that the only time we fail in OA is when we do not try again. When we stumble or slip in our physical abstinence or in our emotional and spiritual life (and the three are always interrelated), the important thing is to pick ourselves up and keep going. We may lose battles here and there, but if we rely on our Higher Power, we will win the war.

None of us is free from temptation. Even when we abstain from compulsive overeating we may indulge in self-pity, envy, or anger. There is always the danger of pride and self-will. Perhaps it is through our failures that we become humble enough to seek and accept God's help. If we could manage by ourselves, we would have no need for a Higher Power. A failure is an opportunity to start again.

From failure, may I humbly learn to walk more closely with You.

All we are asked to do is try. I was told that the failure was in the NOT trying. Trying and failing, means I have an opportunity to start again. This is a one day at a time program.

[MajestyJo]

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Judge Not

When we have received the gift of abstinence and have gotten rid of excess weight, we sometimes tend to be very critical of those who have not yet succeeded with the physical part of the program. We may also be especially critical of those who obviously need the OA program, but who are not yet willing to try it.

Then there are some of us who resent those who come into the program with very little weight to lose or those who are of normal weight but nevertheless suffer from compulsive overeating.

Instead of worrying about other people and trying to pronounce judgment on their needs and efforts, it would be better to concentrate on our own progress. Only God understands completely where we are at a given moment, and only He can judge our sincerity and growth. We can help and encourage each other, but we are each responsible to our Higher Power.

To refrain from judging others is to stop trying to compare apples and oranges. We are each unique, and we grow according to our individual timetables.

May I not waste time and energy judging others.

Being judgmental, is playing God with other people's lives. If I am doing this, I am not connected to the God of my understanding.

[MajestyJo]

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Waiting and Acting

Do you seem to have spent much of your life waiting for something? Waiting for Santa Claus, waiting to grow up, waiting to get married, waiting for children, a better job, etc., etc. When we join OA, we wait for the time when we will be thin, thinking that surely then everything will be as we want it to be.

It is important that we begin to live more fully now, rather than projecting our satisfaction into an indefinite future. Rather than waiting for tomorrow, let's obey our inner voice today. Rather than reaching for another bite that we do not need, let's enjoy the measured meal that we have in front of us. Instead of waiting to be thin, let's become more active now, even if all we do is go for a walk around the block.

There are some things that require patient waiting. But there are other things which we need to make happen now by taking action.

Lord, grant me the wisdom to know when to wait and when to act.

How often I put my life on hold waiting for others. Remembered the old saying, `It isn`t always what you eat, but what is eating you.`