Meetings

Meetings are a great way to introduce people to the program and keep the old-timers in the process of recovery.

I remember when I first walked into the rooms of Overeaters Anonymous, I was welcomed and I felt at home in a matter of minutes when I heard other people talking about doing the same things that I was doing with food. I was no longer alone.

At meetings, food addicts and compulsive overeaters join hands in their goal to get and stay free from succumbing to the disease...and yes, I heard in the rooms of OA and FAA that I have a disease...

I am not stupid, weak-willed or uncaring about what I was doing to my body, I have a disease. When I put sugar, flour and wheat into my body, it sets up a craving for more (that's food addiction), but beyond that, I am also a compulsive overeater, which means that I tend to overeat for emotional reasons, and I can overdose on any food, even lettuce! More is always better in my book.

That's why I have a weighed and measured food plan. It's not an option to overeat no matter what is happening in my circumstances or how I feel.

At meetings, I hear what other people do. I hear what works and what doesn't work. I don't always agree with everyone. That's okay. I ask God for help in discerning what I need, and then I take what I want and leave the rest.

For me, too, I commit to showing up at certain meetings each week. I go to one face-to-face 12-steps for Christians Meeting (Tuesday night), and then two 90dayOA phone meetings (8AM on Sat and Sun) and then a 12-steps for Christians phone meeting on Sunday night at 5:30PM.

I also do an on-line meeting/loop, AWOLforchristians@yahoogroups.com, where I "work" the steps each day (Mon - Fri).