Pictures. Shame based eating even very young.

No matter how poorly I was treated growing up no one treated me worse than I did.

Joined the military to loose weight, it worked AND I was dismissed for failure to maintain below weight limit.

Came into program 2008 and followed direction. I has worked ever since.

Even at a good weight I am still working on the authentic Domingo 

Today I like others, I like me and value those relationships.

I use the big book, steps and tools of this program for any problem that comes up.

I wear my program like a loose garment. there is room for me to be me inside this program.

Even though we have unique stories there s a common thread that joins us.

I Have one picture form 2004. I have not been there for a long time but i could be me tomorrow.

I thought I could control EVERYTHING.

I wrote a new plan for my food and my life every Sunday. Worked perfectly until Monday noon.

All my self hate was projected on to other people.

What brought me into OA was an event where I dramatically picked my food over  my kids. 

I got a sponsor who remains with me today. 

I have a morning ritual based on the direction I would like to face today.

Every day My relationship with my food reflects my relationship with my world.

My higher power holds my n a tight string .

2010

5 years old eating rolled balls of bread, chubby and judged by my parents

Evan heavy I excelled in athletics just to prove my dad wrong.

I had a feeling, I needed to eat.

I maintained a weight loss with hours of excersize and handfuls of laxatives.

in 2015 I went to an Xmas party and partook of the food to the fullest.

Early 2016 I started meetings for 9 moths with no food plans,steps or honesty. 

I just recently got honest on al levels and the difference is palpable. I am using all the tools. 

My anger has been replaced with tolerance .

I was large as a child. first meeting August 1988 and the recovery started.'

I grew up in an unsafe household. with multiple candidates fr 12 step work. 

When I started babysitting all my money went for food. 

I ended up in the biggest size I could find. No where to go.

The laughter pissed  me off. It took a while for me to have the change.

I got a life, i started dancing in recovery, I have a sponsor and I am a sponsor. Gone through steps multiple times, and continue to find new things.

A morning ritual is a core component of my program.

My last relapse was during the pandemic by overeating abstinent food. 

My food plan is pretty tight, I take my food with me most of the time.

Wide weight swing - 5'8' and 108lbs  And way up.

Confusing childhood. Finish you food, you're fat but a later a reality check indicated I was not.

I was given 'Metrical' as a kid. On the cleanup I could finish lots of plates.

Protein shakes lost weight fast. seemed like a plan. until every parts of my life was compulsive including fasting, excersize, weighing myself, drugs and alcohol.

I sober first in '82. My sponsor suggested OA which I had never heard of. They were my people. and fell into the program. 

After a year of success and weighl loss I shifted my addiction to men. and  up to 360.  next time into the program it took all the lessons and truly embraced it long term.

I was fat and teased by my family

Came into OA 55 years old, 130 lbs overweight with 30 years sobriety.

Recently I was at a party that had EVERYTHING that was of my list , abstained and had a great time actually relating with my family.

None of my alcoholic foods are in the produce aisle.

Accountability is still uncomfortable for me.

Long timers mentioned they do service, so I got involved in service.

As a result of my abstinence I am able to learn so much about OA, its working, the tools and Zoom etc y and offer it back when needed. 

It is important for me to attend strong meetings where people ave gone through all the steps.

My weight popped between first and second grade. Food helped me handle my home life.

Admitting I was a compulsive eater was easy. Surrendering to the program - not so easy.

I developed daily practices,  had a spiritual connection and i was working. When it slipped, I slipped for about a year.

When I came back I embraced the reality of the program and my life changed - for the better.

Meeting my current husband (11 years) was only be possible because I was using the tools of recovery in all my affairs.

I continue to do the steps in a variety of ways each revealing something different.

Today I ask myself questions about how I can improve and then act on the answers.

Addictive family, Dinner was a challenge. A smorgabord  of food behaviors.

My first obsession was bread and I knew enough that is brought me sham

My first real addiction was cocaine and it helped me eat less. Exercise bulimia was also part of my story.

When drugs and alcohol left my left there was room for food.

Being in 2 12 step programs, heard of OA and one more time I found a way to not belong.

I discovered my emotional triggers fro binging and continue to do the work one day at a time.

OA Really did save my life.

1999  5x shirts .'6'4''  over 400 lbs,type 2  diabetes

I remember Mary G.,  the person who first greeted me at my first meeting. I identified as a compulsive over eater not realizing I was taking the first step. She was diagnosed with cancer,and always shared she wanted to die sober and abstinent.

Abstinence gave me the ability to have continuous improvement in every area of my life.

Coming into OA I have lost weight ans gained skills

Started with junk food early in my youth. I powered through sugary, snacks.

My physical activity offset my eating unll I got married.

I treated myself with bags from the gas stations.

Food programs never worked long term.

Covid was a disaster for me and my food intake.

I was in another program but had never heard of OA. When I did find out I jumped in with the help of the meetings i went to.

My program has not been perfect but never left my meetings. I continue to learn in practice personal skills which are bringing me a great life.

I lived in LA when they started 100 Pounder meetings.

I became and addict in infancy with teabags filled with sugar instead of a pacifier.

I married at 17 to get away from my parents. I was not anything resembling a adult relationship.

Came to OA first in 1976 In LA embraced the grey sheet food plan an lost 140 lbs. and relapsed as a blackout eater in and out for 7 years.

Took me a long time to connect my weight with my food.

Finally got it abstinence coming up on 40 years continuously.

When I came to OA in 92 I was broken. They asked me to read at my first meeting. I said "I can't read, I'm new" - Really?

I call my disease my Lower Power.

I will go through the 15 newcomer questions to confirm I qualify. I do.

Today I am half the man I was both in weight and size.

My relationship with my Higher Power, service and the steps are the foundation for my recovery.

I excelled in academics to hide my insecurities up through scholarship in undergrad and flunked out at Grad level.

I am a sugar addict, Not a normal eater. I ended up suicidal in a locked ward.

I tried going Vegan which was really not compatible with my body.

My first 12 step program was ACA, Finally into OA where I learned I had to clean up other addictions to be sober in OA. Today I am active in 3 programs.

My motto is to do more of what works and less of what doesn't.

I continue to work the steps out of the big book examining my part and what basic instincts are out of whack. i do a little every night.

I do a little every day. 

I was not wanted and ended in an orphanage. I was adopted by parents who had their own personal and relationship issues.

Big as a child and picked on at school. 

At 20 I worked in LA, saw diet DRs, used speed and lost weight with unintended consequences.

Got married for all the wrong reasons.

Failed at DRs food plan, Did not qualify for bypass surgery, Was sent to OA - the free one. Eventually leaned into the program.

The miracles started kicking in and have not stopped.

"Missed first few minutes, Mike G, amung a crew of guys whose sole purpose was to eat BBQ and lots of it. REALLY LOTS!!!"

My BBQ band was my way of being. I would eat tons, publicly, deliberately and proudly.

I came into OA 

My sponsor suggested go to 3 meals a day and 5 things I don't eat.

Meetings made it seem real. I was doing the deal. Others were doing the deal. Eating was my connection- now it is OA.

Now I sponsor men and i REALLY do care about them.

I came in with a list of what my higher power was not. I found I could determine what it would be.

My food is now a gift from my higher power building me, nutritionally, 

I used to used food to keep my rage down. it pooped out as I recovery. I stayed the course and have some scene of emotional sobriety, appropriate reactions to life

Grew up as a perfectionist which served me well during that time.

Always overate. No amount of education would help.

Drifted near OA but left when I realized there were no 'cheat days'. Like my Birthday.

I next came back for a while dabbling as OA 'adjacent' I knew the word but not the behavior.

I finally accepted that I am NOT the best judge of what I should be eating. 

Member of multiple 12 step programs. 

I am retired and more to hang by the fridge.

I grew up in alcoholic home. and learned to avoid everything with all five children with working addictions. 

My brother was morbidly obese and recently passed away.

I learned to use food to escape, specially at night.. Dinner . then the junk until I passed out.

I do the first three steps before every meal.  I slows me down to eat mindfully so I know when I am full. Helps me feel satisfied.

If I don't go to meetings I can forget and end up listening to my disease rather than my sponsor.

There are lots of opportunities for service. It really make a difference for my recovery and helps others...