HI

IM A RECOVERING ADDICT I BEEN CLEAN FROM DRUGS,NICOTINE AND ALCOHOL FOR THE PASS 5 YEARS,AND NOW I GAIN OVER 80 POUNDS.I HAVE DIFFICULTTY ACCEPTING THAT FOOD IS CONTROLING MY LIFE EVEN WHEN THE EVIDENCE ARE SHOWING ME THE TRUE.I NEED SOME HELP BECAUSE,I TRY TO DO THIS ON MY OWN AND IS NOT WORKING.

I have some food stuff going on myself. I'm not so eager to work on it, because I'm afraid I will fail. I need to finish my AA 12 steps (My sponsor and I just booted me back to step 6, then I'm hitting step one for food. Sigh. I love my chocolate. And chips. And Sugar. But it's no good for me, so I need to start eating for fuel instead of comfort, or whatever.

I have no advice. I'm just here to say I support you.

{{{{vibes}}}}

Betsy

hey sister,

i can sooo relate. When i got clean, i eat everything in sight. Last year; however, i went on that no carb diet. i lost a lot of weight but the minute i started eating bread again, i gained it back .. this year i have made the resolution to take better care of myself. when ever i feel like eating(when im not hungry) i get up and start moving, you know do something to keep my mind off food. i also call my sponsor...because " i am powerless over food and my body has become unmanagable" thats what i call my food addiction first step

good luck and hugs to all my fellow sisters that struggle with the weight thing.

love, sacha

Hello, I'm new here - my first post.  I need to stop eating so much.  I really need to lose some weight.  I notice some here have a history with OA or AA.  So do I.  By the grace of God  I have been sober from alcohol and drugs for 22 years now, so I am no stranger to recovery, but now I'm struggling with this eating thing (among other things). 

I hope joining in here will help in some way.  Am I the only male here?  That was the way it was when I was in OA and I hated that.  I don't understand it, many men are overweight too.  Anyway, I just wanted to say "hello" and let you know I'm struggling too.

Food addiction is so difficult because we have to eat to stay alive. I'm 28 yrs old, female, 5'4 and weigh 126lbs. I should weigh about 110-115 for my frame. I had a baby last November and lost about 25lbs so far. I'm a recovering heroin/crack cocaine addict with 13 months clean time. My suffers from food addiction and is 100lbs overweight. I don't want to end up like her and I see myself following in her footsteps sometimes. So I started exercising at home using free exercise shows on Comcast On Demand. I also joined my local YMCA so that I could work out and for my son when he gets older he can participate in all the wonderful kids programs. I do take him swimming, he is 9 months. I cook a lot more instead of eating crappy food like takeout or tv dinners because even though they Lean Cuisine or Weight Watches they aren't good to eat all the time. So I'm eating healthy now. I use ground turkey meat whenever a receipe calls for ground beef because it's leaner and contains less fat. I have a sweet tooth and that's what I have trouble with at times but I'm chosing healthy options as much as possiable.

 I don't know whether I need OA or not but I have binged in the past when I'm upset. I try hard to not use food to comfort me. I haven't gained any weight, I am losing slowly but surely. I have gotten up to 130lbs once a couple years ago before I had my son due to eating lots of sweets. I lost it all and then I got pregnant. I came home from the hospital at 150 and now I'm down to 126 so I've lost almost 25lbs. I just feel like I don't want to end up like my Mom. She is addicted to food for real.

Tk

I agree that food addiction is difficult. For one, society is so saturated with it. If you look at people who are overweight and obese you are looking at people who obviously have food problems. But we need to eat to live. The goal is to not live to eat. I weigh about 196 and I am 5'2.5. I should weight about 110 - 115. But I haven't weighed that since high school. I don't have kids so I can't use that as an excuse for being obese. Food addiction is the hardest thing I have had to struggle with besides mental illness. The food plan I am following is an abstinent one and it is kicking my but. Now I am thinking about adding exercise to my new lifestyle. It takes everything out of me this addiction. This is the first time I am really dealing with it. Diets don't work because they can be addicting with their false hope. OA has been the my saving grace. But just as I am grateful for it, I am also very emotionally conflicted. To anyone out there who needs help...you can't do it by yourself so don't isolate yourself. Don't give up on yourself. You deserve to live the best life you can give yourself. Learn to love yourself...that is the hardest one!

Hi All,

I'm hoping this can be the right place to deal with my issues.  I need to loose a lot of weight and feel very pressured to do something.  I became compulsive with food after an abusive situation at a young age and it seems that food has remained my drug of choice all these years since those events.  It's like I don't deal with anything.  I block everything out with chocolate.  Crazy.  I have often been told that 12 step programs are just another addiction.  Okay.  What if thats true?  At least it would be an addiction that wouldnt kill me.  Besides being fat sucks.  I can't wear the things I want to wear or be active in the ways I would like to.  I stay home with my kids and on the rare occassion there is some event to attend with people my age- my weight kind of puts a damper on it because I am worried about what will fit in my closet,etc,etc,etc...I don't feel like I am flawed for having this addiction.  I think I am wrong not to try and manage it.  I recognize that on some level it comes down to me not caring about myself the way that I should.  That does baffle me because I think of myself as loving MYSELF- but if that were 100% true would I be treating my body this way?  So I guess I will be starting at step ONE.  

~InPeace~ 

     This can be the right place to deal most with any addictive issue. If living a way of life (12 step program) that not only treats my addiction, but allows me to look in a mirror without cringing, give something back to the world, feel loved and cherished for what I am - then I guess I am hopelessly addicted.

     We all start at step one. In fact, I do step one thru three at the start of every day. Every morning I get up knowing I am not only powerless over alcohol, but that my life is unmanageable  - by me. But then I have the direction of a Senior Partner and the willing support of millions of others around the world. How can I go wrong?

     This is not the esaiest program for me, as  I spent close to forty years getting screwed up - that takes time to unscrew. But I now can wake up in the morning and feel good about myself and what I did the day before.

     For more information on the 12 step programs check out http://www.12step.org.

     Welcome to a very good place. We are people that are here to get help and help each other.

Dennis