Anyone familiar with Overeaters Anonymous?

[librarylady45]

I went to one of their meetings the other night. I am so frustrated right now about my inability to take off weight and keep it off. Probably put on lots of pounds over the holidays. But they start any discussion with "I'm a compulsive
overeater" and follow the 12 steps that AA uses.
Does anyone have opinions, good or bad about the 12 step programs.
Thanks.
ysic,
librarylady

[Eternally]

I've not heard of them, but I qualify!

[imfree]

I've heard of them. I have a close friend who is going through the program right now. She's lost about 50 lbs. so far. Time will tell though on how permanent the weight loss is.

I have struggled with my weight for many years as well, trying just about every fad diet out there and have come to the conclusion...at least for me...that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is the hard way. A combination of correct eating and vigorous exercise is the only thing that is working for me. I feel better than I did even in my 20's. I am also very fortunate to have a close friend that happens to be a personal trainer. She is very knowledgeable on fitness and nutrition and her help and advice have been invaluable.

Just pray. If you feel like this is where God is leading you to go, then go. Don't be discouraged. It's going to take time to take the weight off. Be patient. It will happen! :)

God bless!

[Sapphiregrl]

I went to one of their meetings the other night. I am so frustrated right now about my inability to take off weight and keep it off. Probably put on lots of pounds over the holidays. But they start any discussion with "I'm a compulsive
overeater" and follow the 12 steps that AA uses.
Does anyone have opinions, good or bad about the 12 step programs.
Thanks.

I'm familiar with the program. I actually went for several years and it did me absolutely no good. None whatsoever. It's not that it's a bad program, because it isn't. Many, many people have been helped by OA. It's just not what was right for me.

Here's the deal. OA teaches, like other 12 step recovery programs, that you have this disease, which is compulsive overeating or/and food addiction, and that it will never go away. It teaches that you can overcome it on a daily basis, though, if you trust in a http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g69/Sapphiregrlz/quote.gifhigher powerhttp://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g69/Sapphiregrlz/quote.gif and live a life of abstinence. Abstinence varies from person to person, but the gist of it is abstaining from the foods that give you problems. For me, that was all food, so what then. :idunno

So, like I said, I attended meetings on a regular basis for years, but the program never worked for me because it wasn't the right way for me to lose the weight. God had made it very clear to me that I was not going to lose my weight until I fully surrendered my life to Him, and at that point I had not. My food issues were the thing that He was going to (a) use in order to display His awesome and amazing power to me and others, and (b) pull me into a deeper relationship with Him, and He was not going to allow me to just "live with it" and try to manage it on a daily basis on my own. I knew this in my spirit, but fought it for years because I didn't want to surrender my will and who I was to Him.

OA always bothered me on a Christian level because of three primary things. First, the issue of a "higher power." Your higher power can be a potato chip in the shape of Abe Lincoln if you want it to be. They just want you to believe in something; that is the key, believing in something, anything that is a greater and higher power than yourself. If that's a great chipmunk in the sky, so be it. Knowing the Lord as I do, that always bothered me. The second primary thing that bothered me is the teaching that you have an incurable disease. I do not believe overeating or food compulsion is a disease.

The last thing that really bothered me was teaching that you will never be free of it. I serve a God who can set anyone free from anything, at any time, forever. It totally went against my whole system of belief in Jesus and who I know Him to be, to be told that I would be a perpetual victim of this behavior for the rest of my life. The scriptures say that if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. Sometimes Jesus sets a person free overnight; other times it's a journey to freedom, but He will do it. That is not what OA teaches. OA teaches that you have this issue, you will have it until the day you die, but that you can at least manage it through trusting in your higher power, practicing abstinence, attending the meetings, fellowshipping with other OAers, and being involved in service.

So that's about it, off of the top of my head. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll see if I remember enough to be of help. :)

[GreenEyedLady]

I would suggest going to this website FIRST.

http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/lords_table/

This is a WONDERFUL biblical program. Forget the 12 steps. Do it the bible way! I have done this and it is very good. It really teaches you to watch your intake.

Let me know what you think.

Fasting is an incredible experience!