I have had an issue with overeating all my life. Even in Program, I have broken my abstinence several times by eating too much of things. I have had some trouble exercising good portion control when I eat out, although with my sponsor’s help, these last few years have been much better for me. I always ate over stress and chaos before I came into FA. The combination of a stressful job, my drive to be a perfectionist, and poor coping abilities helped me get to 297 pounds. I still have a stressful job, but FA has given me the tools I need to handle stress without food. My husband and I have recently been doing some home renovations. We had all the interior rooms painted, new blinds put on all the windows, and had some work done in the bathroom. All this has led to quite a bit of... Continue Reading
I came into Program because I could not stop eating, was miserable, and was not able to go forward in my life, even though everything looked good on the outside. I had my master’s in counseling psychology and worked in the field for ten years, but all I ever really wanted to do with my life was to get married and have six children. I dated, but had not met the man of my dreams, and was concerned because I felt that something was wrong with me. I was worried and anxious most of the time and was starting to eat out of control. I tried CODA groups, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Alanon, therapy, Reiki, TaiChi, and more, and nothing helped. I was getting worse, not better. Then I came into FA, but the main purpose of my staying abstinent was to find a man and have children. However, I... Continue Reading
A fellow recently told me that when she gets in the car, she prays, “God, please help me drive safely and sanely.” When I think about how I drove when I was eating addictively and how I drive now that I am abstinent, I recognize that God has restored me to sanity. The insanity of the way I ate spread into all areas of my life. I would buy my binge foods at the grocery store, and as soon as I got in the car, I would start stuffing my face. I sat in the car in the supermarket parking lot devouring my groceries, hoping no one was watching. I didn’t always stay parked, though. Once, I didn’t want to stay in the parking lot where someone might see me, but I could not wait to get home to eat, so I put the sugar and flour products in the... Continue Reading
At my first FA meeting, I felt uneasy not knowing what to expect. Little did I know that the experience of that night would turn my entire life right-side up. How could a group of people whom I never met before eloquently explain the “demons” that I had fought for the past twenty years. How? In that cozy room, at last there were people who knew of the madness of my obsession with something as seemingly innocuous as food. At the edge of my seat, I began to breathe slower and listen more intently as the details of my secret life unfolded through those who shared stories. Speakers spoke of the powerlessness and hopelessness of being a food addict. I started to understand that those “demons” that I battled were due to an illness, and the uncontrollable cravings for food were no match for me. At the meeting’s end my... Continue Reading
Eating for me was like being in a contest to see how much more I could eat than anyone else at the table. When I was in around seventh grade, my parents were entertaining a friend from New Zealand and we went to a popular fast-food place for lunch. The friend commented on how much Americans eat. Not to let her down, I ordered an entire extra meal and ate everything. At an even younger age, my family was visiting an old friend for supper. I kept eating and eating, to show our host how much I liked the food. I ate until I got sick. I’ve had trouble with food ever since I can remember. While I was growing up I continually sneaked large amounts of sugar and flour products until they were all gone, just hoping that no one would notice. It was somehow acceptable in my family... Continue Reading
