Diary of a Food-Fighterfood
How I Became Abstinent (This Time)
For seven years (2002-2008), in addition to being a raging compulsive overeater, I was a raging workaholic and I stopped attending all OA meetings. Sometimes I tried to restrain my compulsion to overeat, but as the stress at work grew, so did my size. Not only did I eventually regain all of the 96 pounds I …
Stop “Measuring” Yourself!
One of the toughest things for food addicts to give-up is our impulse to measure ourselves, whether by getting on a scale, using a measuring tape, counting calories, monitoring our time at the gym, graphing our progress, projecting how long it will take us to lose a certain amount of weight, or marking the number …
The Difference Between “Abstinence ” & “Sobriety”
For recovering alcoholics, “sobriety” is that period of time when they have not had a single drop of alcohol. “Abstinence” for food addicts is similar, yet much more difficult to define. Theoretically, it is that period of time when they have eaten only the items and the amounts that are allowed on their food plans. …
Don’t Count Days!
I know I am not supposed to be telling anyone what to do but… Although counting days and getting medallions is a wonderful way to celebrate days of sobriety in AA, in my experience, it is not such a good idea in OA. My first time around in program, getting that one-year medallion meant everything to me. …
What is “abstinence?”
You probably already know that when alcoholics in recovery say they are “sober,” it means that they are not drinking any alcohol. But when food addicts in recovery say they are “abstinent,” does this mean that they are not eating any food? Of course not. In OA, “abstinence” is the word used to describe freedom from eating compulsively. What does that …
