You Are Not Alone

If you are struggling with food, weight, or eating behaviours, there is a way forward.

You are no longer alone. We too have experienced hopelessness when trying to control our problems with food.

We tried diets and many methods without success. We could not enjoy life because of our obsession with food, weight, and size.

We felt shame and frustration. We could not stop, even when we truly wanted to.

Understanding the Problem

We are not like normal eaters. Our bodies and minds respond differently to food.

Many of us cannot stop once we start, and even if we stop, we cannot stay stopped.

This cycle continues — until we find help.

There is a Solution

In Overeaters Anonymous, we learn that we have an illness that can be treated one day at a time.

We find freedom from the obsession with food and begin to live healthier, more balanced lives.

For many of us, this transformation feels like a miracle.

Many Symptoms, One Solution

• Eating binges
• Grazing
• Starving
• Obsessing about weight
• Using food for comfort

While our symptoms differ, we share a common solution through the Twelve Steps.

Abstinence — Our Primary Purpose

In Overeaters Anonymous, abstinence means refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviours while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight.

Spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery comes from living and working the Twelve Step programme on a daily basis.

Many of us find that we cannot achieve abstinence without using OA’s Tools of Recovery.

Developing a Plan of Eating

Developing a healthy plan of eating is an important step in recovery. It helps us approach food in a calm, balanced, and rational way.

Rather than reacting to emotional cravings, we begin to eat according to our physical needs.

While no plan of eating works without working the Twelve Steps, it becomes a powerful tool in helping us change our relationship with food.

Understanding Trigger Foods

Many of us find that certain foods or eating behaviours trigger cravings and a loss of control.

These may include:

• Foods we cannot stop eating once we start
• Foods we eat in secret or in large quantities
• Comfort or “reward” foods
• Foods high in sugar, flour, or fat
• Highly processed or “junk” foods

By identifying and removing these triggers from our plan of eating, we begin to experience freedom from compulsive eating — one day at a time.

Resources

Explore helpful resources to support your recovery journey, including podcasts, personal stories, meetings, and literature.
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