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MajestyJo 11-19-2015 01:38 AM
Food for Thought for Over Eaters Anonymous
 
1 Attachment(s)
The format has changed, but if you use the following link, you will get the daily reading.

http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/rec...od-for-thought

MajestyJo 12-08-2015 08:48 AM
Quote:
Food for Thought

December 8

Decisions About Food

We compulsive overeaters often find it extremely difficult to make decisions about food. We wonder if we are getting enough or too much, if we are eating the right kind of food, if we will be hungry tomorrow. The process of planning our three meals a day can be agonizing if we cannot decide which foods to choose.

Here is where a food sponsor can give us the assistance and support we need. Since someone who has traveled the road before us will be informed of our menus, we can relax and know that our decisions will be checked by an objective listener. As long as the choices we make fall under the food plan, which we have determined to follow, they will be good decisions.

Having written down our food plan for the day and having given it to our sponsor, we do not need to make any further decisions about food today. Recognizing that our obsessive worry about food is an illness, we will turn off further deliberations and work our program

Today I will make only those decisions about food that are necessary to my program.
Could really relate to this, especially about the part of running out.

http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/rec...od-for-thought

I boiled eggs to make egg salad sandwiches for today. I was really hungry. I got on the sites and forgot about them. Spiritual things overcome Earthly things. Mind you, when I just made my sandwich, I inhaled the first half. ;)

MajestyJo 12-10-2015 10:00 PM
Someone said, "Do they have a cheesecake anonymous?"

Sounds like a good idea. Lately I have been craving sweets, which is not a good sign. I know it is a time to get back to basics, my stinking thinking is saying, "More!" I know that is a danger sign, not only as an Alcoholic, but a recovering alcoholic, who is diabetic and has and eating disorder that she has to apply the 12 Steps to.

I am so grateful for AA for developing the program. The 12 Steps are a way of life and they have saved my life, many times over. They are applicable to all areas of my life and when I practice them, I never had it so good.

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/mammals-...idays/0009.gif

MajestyJo 12-15-2015 07:02 AM
Quote:
Food For Thought
December 15

We Are Sick


Until we realize fully that we are sick, we do not begin to recover. As long as we feel that all we need is a good diet and some willpower, we do not understand the nature of our disease. We would have been able to stop eating compulsively long ago if the answer had been willpower and diet.

When we examine the history of our obesity in the light of the OA program, we see that we are in the grip of an incurable illness, which gets progressively worse, never better. Once we accept the fact that there is no cure for our disease, we can begin to develop control. Until we recognize the seriousness of our illness, we do not succeed in controlling it.

By acknowledging that our very life depends on maintaining abstinence and practicing the OA principles, we come to terms with the reality of our situation. We can live satisfying, full, rewarding lives if we do not forget that we are sick and that our recovery will never be complete.

Each day, may I not forget that I am sick.
We are only as sick as our secrets. We are only fooling ourselves.

MajestyJo 12-20-2015 01:26 PM
Quote:
Food For Thought
From Hazelden
DEC 20

A No Fault Illness

Formerly, we may have blamed our parents, a disappointment in love, economic insecurity, or a million other factors for our addiction to compulsive overeating. We probably spent much time and energy trying to figure out why we overate.

When we get honest with ourselves, we assume the responsibility for our own actions, instead of trying to shift it somewhere else. Many of us come to believe that we would be compulsive overeaters no matter what the circumstances of our lives. As we recover, we see that the why of our illness is unanswerable and unimportant. What counts is how we control it.

We do not continue to berate ourselves for having this illness, or consider ourselves physically, morally, or spiritually inferior for having contracted it. Blaming ourselves is as useless as blaming someone else. We accept the fact that through no one's fault we have the disease of compulsive overeating. Then we get on with the business of learning to control this illness with the help of our Higher Power and the OA program.

I blame no one for my illness.
This is a good one. I use to blame everyone for everything that went wrong in my world. As they say, "I am responsible for my own happiness. Happiness comes from within." Using food and other people, keeps me in active addiction.

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/christma...imney/0019.gif

MajestyJo 12-28-2015 03:10 AM
Quote:
Food for Thought
December 28

Minimizing Temptation

There are things we can do to minimize the temptations that are around us. We are constantly exposed to food advertisements if we watch television and read magazines. Most of us need to spend a certain amount of time purchasing and preparing food. Social gatherings usually involve refreshments. All of this exposure to food can be uncomfortable for compulsive overeaters if we do not find ways to minimize it.

It is a good idea to skip the recipe sections in the magazines we read. Unnecessary thinking about food only intensifies our obsession. Moving away from the television set during a food commercial is a way to minimize that kind of temptation. Grocery shopping is expedited by not considering any items other than those on a prepared list and by spending as little time as possible in the grocery store. Meal preparation can be simplified so that less rather than more time is spent in the kitchen. At parties, we can concentrate on people and conversation instead of food.

The best way to handle temptation is by remembering that we are compulsive overeaters and that nothing is worth activating our disease.

Guide us as we avoid temptation.
Reminds me of the hymn I sang growing up.

http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/ni...ad_me_not.html

Country Version

http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/w...-not-9645.html

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/christmas-happy/0082.gif

MajestyJo 01-18-2016 09:58 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought, Jan. 18

Abstain or Overeat


For the compulsive overeater, there is always one primary choice to be made. Will I abstain or will I overeat? For us, there is nothing in between. If we have hundreds of pounds to lose or if we have reached and are maintaining our goal weight, the choice is still the same. It is the key decision we make many, many times each day.

We are free at each moment to choose which we will do. There is no magic, which will make us, abstains, and there is no force, which can compel us to swallow food we do not need. The choice is ours alone.

No one graduates from OA. There is no point at which one can say, "This is it. I've got it made now." We are always aware of the fact that we are compulsive overeaters and are always one bite away from a binge. When we remember that abstaining or overeating is our primary choice, then other decisions become easier. To abstain is to choose life. To overeat is to choose death.

May I maintain constant awareness of my primary choice.
http://www.animated-gifs.eu/mammals-pigs-17/0005.gif

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/mammals-pigs-3/0009.gif

A new way of saying, "The Devil mad me do it!" Yeah right! We have freedom of choice and chose the I instead of the We, meaning God and Me will get through this.

MajestyJo 01-21-2016 03:59 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought
Service


We compulsive overeaters have often spent our lifetimes being most concerned with getting, taking in, and consuming. Nourishing ourselves is necessary, but it is also necessary that we give. To stay alive, one must breathe out as well as in.

As we recover, we become stronger each day and better able to serve others. When we stop eating compulsively, we are amazed at the amount of time and energy we have available for useful activities. For one thing, we feel much better physically, since we are eating the amount and type of food, which our bodies need for optimum functioning. For another, we become stronger emotionally and spiritually as we work the Twelve Steps.

Each day, we can be open to opportunities to serve our OA groups, families, and friends. As we give out more and take in less, we gain new satisfaction and self-respect.

Show me where I may serve, Lord.
Have been involved in service outside of my group since I was 2 years sober. I don't think I would still be clean and sober in today, if it wasn't for service. I went into jails, detox, and the community to help others. They say, if you don't give it away, you can't keep it. You have to have it in order to give it away. How can I help others, if I can't help myself. We share our experience, strength, and hope, with the hope that what we went through, will help someone else. If it doesn't that is okay, it helped me and kept me clean and sober. We get out of Self to help others. We don't do service to say, "Hey! Look at me."

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/mammals-...-love/0015.gif

MajestyJo 01-23-2016 12:45 PM
Quote:
Working the Steps

The OA program operates on three levels. Abstaining from compulsive overeating takes care of the physical aspect of our disease. For our emotional and spiritual health, we need to work the Twelve Steps.

In each of us, there is a need and desire to grow spiritually. At first, we may not acknowledge this need, but as our physical illness improves and our emotions begin to stabilize, we become aware of inner urgings and promptings that can come only from our Higher Power. If we set aside time each day to listen to this inner voice, we facilitate our spiritual growth.

Working the Steps requires that we be as honest as possible with ourselves at each stage of our development. A program sponsor who has walked the way before us is an invaluable aid. Above all, we must desire to grow. We have spent much of our lives overgrowing physically. Now is the time to catch up emotionally and spiritually. If we make a sincere beginning, our Higher Power will lead us through each Step as we become ready to take it.

Lead me, Lord, and bless my work.
I have to apply the program to all areas of my life, not just the physical. I needed to heal emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/animals-cats-dogs/0013.gif

MajestyJo 01-27-2016 05:42 PM
Quote:
Enough Is a Feast


The frantic search for more and more has characterized many of our lives. We believed that if only we had more money, more clothes, more sex, more food, and more things - we would be happy and satisfied.

The more we consume, the more miserable we become. No amount of material things will satisfy our emotional and spiritual hunger. We learn to know our Higher Power, and we learn that He satisfies our need, not our greed. He feeds our hearts and our spirits with the abundance of His love, and when we are strengthened spiritually, physical control is possible.

Our measured food plan fills our bodily needs. The measured amount is enough. We accept it and become comfortable with it. More than that, we learn the truth of the ancient Zen saying that "Enough is a feast."

May I be content with enough instead of grasping for more.
This is why I can my drug of choice is more. It doesn't matter what the substance is, be it chocolate, potatoes and gravy, alcohol, prescription pills, busy/workaholic, etc. There is just no concept of just one. As my son said to me one time, "Who ever saves a case of beer until the next day. I you have it, you drink it."

It is a thinking dis-ease, and I have to take it to the God of my understanding. I have to eat, I need to choose healthy, and I need to deal with the feelings that tell me I need more.

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/animals-...-mice/0002.gif

MajestyJo 01-30-2016 09:46 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought
January 30

Eat Less, Enjoy More


Before we joined OA, we were eating more and enjoying it less. The more we ate, the more fat we had to lug around, and the harder it was to do anything, much less enjoy doing it. Feeling stuffed and guilty, we often did not even enjoy what it was that we were eating.

When our bodies are not overloaded with too much food and fat, we have energy for new activities. Our minds are sharper when they are not drugged with refined carbohydrates. Our emotions are more serene and positive when we are not full of despair and self-hatred.

Freed from the terrible compulsion to eat more and more, we have time and energy to spend learning a new sport, reading a story to a child, writing a poem. Whatever we choose to do, we enjoy it more when we are not overeating.

When we abstain, we feel good about ourselves. When we feel good about ourselves, we feel good about life.

May I understand that for me, less food means more enjoyment.
It is so good to have a thought and follow it up with an affirmation from the daily reading.

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/water-frogs/0231.gif

MajestyJo 02-02-2016 02:35 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought
February 2

Giving Thanks

I am a grateful compulsive overeater, abstaining just for today. I am thankful for my life, for the chance to grow and solve problems and love and enjoy what is beautiful. I give thanks for the insights, which have come out of struggle and despair.

I am thankful for OA. Without it, I would still be isolated in a hopeless attempt to control overeating my way, by myself. I give thanks for the serenity and joy which increase daily as I follow the OA program. I give thanks for the love and support, which come to me from fellow members.

Especially, I am thankful for abstinence. By choosing and accepting this gift, I enter a new world of freedom. No longer am I driven by compulsion. I give thanks for the work and play and love which abstinence makes possible.

Accept my thanks.
In order to have a spiritual awakening, I had to find some gratitude and change my attitude. Focus on the positive, instead of the negative. Look at what I had, instead of what I didn't have. My God meets my needs, a lot of what is sent I disregard because it isn't what I want in the moment. When I get needy, I get greedy. That means I have blocked my God and all His/Her goodness from me and I am back in the me, the great I am.

MajestyJo 02-13-2016 05:15 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought
February 13

Being Honest

During our compulsive overeating careers, many of us have been dishonest with others about what we were eating. Some of us have been closet eaters and some of us have stolen food. Most of us have eaten more when we were alone than when we were with other people.

We have almost surely been dishonest with ourselves, too. How many times have we promised ourselves to stick to a diet, only to find ourselves cheating a short time later? We tell ourselves that one small bite won't make any difference, when deep down we know that we intend to eat many more bites than one.

When we take inventory, and as our insights are sharpened, we may discover other areas besides eating where we have not been honest with ourselves.

The OA program gives us a chance to practice rigorous honesty, especially with ourselves. The light from our Higher Power will gradually clear away our confusion and darkness.

May I not be afraid to know the truth.
Use to call it a little white lie and say that lying by omission wasn't really a fib, because I didn't say anything. I think it is called self-justification and a long cry from being truly honest.

MajestyJo 03-02-2016 11:26 PM
From the book: Food for Thought

March 1, 2016

Changing

As we lose weight, we adjust to a new self. Part of the body we had is disappearing, and this can be frightening. As our physical appearance changes, others may react to us differently. Along with the physical changes come new attitudes and expectations. Though for years we may have wished to be rid of the fat, when it actually begins to go we may fear the change.

What is new and unknown is often frightening. We may have used food and fat to retreat from uncomfortable situations. We may have spent so much time eating that there was little left for anything else. We may have expected all our troubles to vanish with the excess pounds. Now we can no longer hide behind fat or kill time with food, and our troubles may very well still be with us. What do we do?

It takes courage to change, to become a new person. We may decide at age forty to learn to play tennis. That takes lots of courage. New activities, new attitudes, changes in relationships with others--all require courage.

Change is frightening, but it is also an adventure. We are not alone. We have OA. Others have gone through the same changes and can reassure us, one step at a time.

May I not be afraid to change.

Majesty12 03-17-2016 12:39 AM
Most importantly, I think it will be a great idea to talk to a doctor about his/her recommended exercise plan. I've also had problems with binge eating. Deciding to trust my doctor to set some guidelines and then following those guidelines accordingly has taken some of the ambiguity and confusion out of it for me. There are many eating disorder education and prevention methods( http://www.canadadrugrehab.ca/Eating...Treatment.html ) and many eating disorder screening tests( http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-d...ting-disorder/ ). This might be able to help you figure out strategies and techniques to help you limit the cause.

MajestyJo 03-17-2016 03:12 AM
Thanks for sharing, each has to find what is good for them. Eating disorders take many forms.

Exercise doesn't work if I am not eating properly. It is like alcohol, I don't think we metabolize food the same way other people do.

Like most programs, it is a thinking disease. I had to stop thinking 'more' and telling myself 'enough.'

It was a combination for me, portion size, making healthy choices, reading labels because I am diabetic and there are a lot of sugar content hidden along with chemicals and color.

I try not to eat processed food and limit packaged foods. Like diet pop, it is filled with mega chemicals to replace the sugar, which is more harmful than the sugar.

MajestyJo 03-17-2016 03:14 AM
From the book: Food for Thought

March 17

Vulnerability

When we stop doping ourselves with unnecessary food, we become vulnerable. We have been using extra food as a defense against our feelings. Without it, fears and anxieties surface and new energies are released. Instead of retreating into the refrigerator, we can learn day by day how to live with our exposed selves.

Making an overture of friendship to someone we would like to know better involves the risk of rejection. Saying no to a family member when a request conflicts with our program may make us feel guilty. Asking for help when we need it means admitting our weakness. Exposing our needs destroys our facade of self-sufficiency.

To be vulnerable requires courage, but only as we are able to live without the defense of overeating are we able to grow emotionally and spiritually. When we stop turning to food to cover up our feelings and needs, we are able to be more open with other people. We are nourished by them and by the Higher Power who allays our fears and directs our new energies.

May I not fear being vulnerable.

MajestyJo 03-23-2016 01:07 PM
Thought for the Day
Wednesday
MAR23

From the book: Food for Thought

Awareness


To be aware is to be focused and alive. If we are truly alert to what is going on within and around us, we will never be bored. Through working the OA program, we develop greater awareness of ourselves, other people, and our Higher Power.

Sometimes this new awareness brings pain; we realize that we have been hurt and that we have hurt others. Through our daily inventories, we recognize shortcomings and mistakes, which we may have ignored in the past. Often it is too late to undo all of the damage, which has been done by our compulsive overeating and general self-centeredness.

Here is where we pray for acceptance of what we cannot change and courage to make amends where we can. It is then important to put what is past behind us and concentrate on being more aware now, today, so that we do not make the same mistakes again.

When we are not dulled by too much food and the wrong kinds of food, we are more perceptive and aware in every aspect of our lives. Our experiences are richer and we are better able to grow and change.

I pray for increasing awareness.
This is something that I ask for regularly in prayer. Just yesterday, I shared with a friend that I don't eat to be full. I eat to fill myself and give myself the energy that I need. Eating proper portions as well as making healthy choices as to what I need to put in my body. Each life cycle begins with clarity and introspection, and there are circles with circles. I need that awakening and awareness in order to grow.

Sometimes I have found that it is better to lose inches than pounds. Love the skin you are in. It is up to you as to how to wish to portray it.

http://www.picgifs.com/glitter-gifs/...cow-131073.gif

MajestyJo 04-17-2016 06:17 AM
Quote:
Food for Thought
April 17

Easy Does It


Strain and struggle abound when we try to do everything ourselves, our way. We want positive change to occur immediately and expect miracles to happen according to our personal timetable. We sometimes feel that if our Higher Power is guiding us, we should be able to accomplish great and marvelous things constantly.

To remember "easy does it" is to humbly realize that we are not all powerful and that God does not expect us to be all things to all people. Growth is slow, time belongs to God, and change will occur according to His plan. If we do the jobs we have been given for this 24-hour period, our Higher Power will take care of tomorrow.

How much more agreeable life is when we do not overextend ourselves but admit our weakness and trust God to take care of us. We do not shirk our share, but we do not try to carry the whole load. Only our Higher Power is strong enough to do that.

Take from our lives the strain and stress.
I have always been my own worst enemy. No one was harder on me than me. As it say, "I need to do my part and allow my God to work His Will in my life, through me, not around me. As a sponsee told me one time, "Is your God hitting you over the head again with His Spiritual Cast Iron Frying Pan?"

http://grade8computers-2010-11-mp4-p...ancing_pig.gif

MajestyJo 05-06-2016 05:01 PM
Quote:
From the book: Food for Thought

Communicating


If we do not tell people what is troubling us, they cannot help. We have sometimes been too proud or too shy to let others know what we were feeling. Rather than trying to communicate with those close to us, we ate. Eating instead of communicating further increased our isolation and unhappiness.

Exposing our feelings makes us vulnerable, and we often fear that we will be hurt or rejected. We may be trying to preserve a false image of ourselves as self-sufficient and free of problems. Whatever the reasons for our unwillingness to communicate, we are cheating ourselves. By "clamming up," we cut ourselves off from the care and support of those who love us.

Honest sharing between individuals opens the way for growth and change. By expressing our thoughts and feelings out loud to another person, we become better able to understand and deal with whatever is bothering us. More important, we deepen our relationships with family and friends when we are willing to communicate on a meaningful level.

Give me courage to communicate.
Didn't know how to communicate in early recovery. I wasn't in touch with my feelings and it was only by going to meetings and posting on recovery sites, then I learned to identify them.

This girl in treatment kept saying, "...but how do you feeeeel?" I was extremely annoyed, especially after hearing for several weeks and I couldn't get away from her. I finally said, "If I knew how I was feeling, I wouldn't be here." I had a lot of childhood trauma and learned to shut down and stuff for many years. Food and cigarettes were great stuffers. I am hungry, no I don't want to eat, and would pick up a cigarette. When I found myself reaching for that second or third helping, I knew I wasn't hungry, I was just in the state of mind, "More...!" and acting out in my disease (dis-ease).

I use to get hit if I was told to shut up, so I didn't talk. When AA got me talking, they couldn't get me stopped. AA took me to other areas, because the 12 Steps are applicable to ALL parts of my life.

MajestyJo 05-22-2016 08:16 PM
Quote:
MAY22

From the book: Food for Thought

When in Doubt, Don't


If a particular food is not on our plan, we do not eat it. When in doubt, leave it out. If there is a question in our minds about the advisability of eating a certain food, we are most likely better off without it. Whether we are losing weight or maintaining our weight loss, there will be some foods we choose to avoid, since past experience has proven that we cannot handle them in moderation.

The principle of "when in doubt, don't" may extend to other areas of our lives. If we are unsure of a particular course of action, it is best not to go rushing into it. As we learn to listen to the inner voice, we become more responsive to the leading of our Higher Power. Our knowledge of His will for our lives becomes more solid and we develop a firm basis for decision.

When we are willing to wait for direction, it comes. Indecision may be turned over to our Higher Power for His clarification.

Give us prudence, Lord, to follow Your lead.
I was told that when the time is right, I will know. If I don't know, then it is time to wait on the Good Orderly Direction that I need.

MajestyJo 05-29-2016 09:44 PM
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
MAY29

From the book: Food for Thought

Quality, Not Quantity


We tend to be overly impressed with quantity. How much does it cost? How many friends do I have? How much can I include in my food plan? In a materialistic society, more is synonymous with better.

Before we found OA, we were eating more and enjoying it less. In fact, the more we ate, the more unhappy we became. Greater quantity did not bring better health or a better quality of life.

In this program, we are learning to place quality before quantity. We discover that smaller amounts of nourishing, high quality foods are more satisfying and make us feel better than vast quantities of empty calories. We become more selective about the way we spend our time, choosing the activities and companions that most enrich our lives, rather than trying to do everything and be everything to everybody. We realize more each day that the quality of our spiritual life is what gives us the inner satisfaction, which we sought but failed to find in quantities of things.

Show me how to live well.
A good one for me to remember after pigging out at the buffet of food at my sister's 70th birthday party today.

Had to have a little bit of everything, but it was a little bit of everything all afternoon and then I came home with a doggy bag, and had a wee bit of what I brought home.

The sandwiches were okay and the fruit was good, but it was those date squares, lemon squares, and brownies that will catch up and grab you, especially when you are diabetic. I kept telling myself, "Your doctor says your blood sugar is fine and you are okay." It wouldn't be fine if I did what I did today, every day.

MajestyJo 06-03-2016 03:14 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought
June 3

A Democratic Disease

There is nothing snobbish about our disease. It attacks individuals of every social and economic group. In OA, we meet the young and the old, male and female, rich and poor. One of the amazing things about an OA meeting is that it brings together in meaningful communication people from very disparate backgrounds. Even the generation gap closes when a common problem is the focus of genuine concern.

Thanks to OA, we experience warm fellowship. Perhaps for the first time, we come together with other people in a situation where game playing and ego building are at a minimum.

To be accepted for what we are and as we are is a healing experience. We may take off our masks and let down our defenses since we do not need to try to impress anyone in OA. As children of God, who happen to be compulsive overeaters, we are all equal.

We give thanks for OA.
Can't beat acceptance of who we are in the moment. As my sponsor use to say, "Don't worry dear, that is where you are at in today."

MajestyJo 06-09-2016 04:27 PM
Quote:
Thursday
JUNE9

From the book: Food for Thought

Greedy Thinking, Greedy Eating


Contentment comes from being satisfied with what we have. Since "bread" is a symbol for material things, it is easy to use food as a substitute for the money and possessions we may avidly desire. Overeating can be a form of compensation for the enticing worldly wealth, which seems so attractive, yet is out of our grasp.

When we desire abstinence more than we desire material things, we are able to maintain it. When we allow material cares and concerns to obscure our spiritual goals, then our abstinence is in danger! Each of us is confronted with the choice of striving to satisfy physical cravings or working toward spiritual ideals. We cannot serve two masters.

We may have thought that we could get rid of our greed for food and continue to indulge our greed for other material things. Our Higher Power does not work that way. He demands nothing less than complete allegiance.

May I serve You without reservations.
Today I was angry after seeing my sister and came home and hate three big chocolate chip cookies. I was hungry, but that doesn't make eating them right. When I saw her hooked up to all the machinery and oxygen, I wanted to cry. Just because I have a feeling, doesn't mean I need to act on it. I meant to come home and do a healing meditation, instead I ate the cookies and the meditation is still waiting for me, even though I spoke to a couple of people and said some prayers.

This is why I say, when I get needy, I get greedy. My drug of choice is more.

MajestyJo 06-16-2016 11:08 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought

June 16

Satisfaction Comes from Inside


Why do we continually expect to be satisfied by taking in and possessing things from the outside? Amassing material goods and possessions more often than not stimulates rather than satisfies our appetite. What we do and contribute satisfies us more than what we have and consume.

When we are at peace within ourselves and in contact with our Higher Power, we make fewer demands on the outside world. When we are able to use our abilities in productive work and can give of our emotional and spiritual strength to other people, we feel replete.

Nothing from the outside can bring us happiness if we are at war with ourselves. Chronic dissatisfaction indicates that we have not turned our will and our lives over to God's care, but are still trying to run the show egotistically. Complete surrender opens the way to satisfaction.

I want to surrender to the inner needs of my spirit.
Surrender is a principle of the first step. When I surrender to the program, the process begins and I am empowered to do what I need to do for my sobriety (soundness of mind), one day at a time.

MajestyJo 06-18-2016 09:51 PM
Quote:
Saturday JUNE 18

From the book: Food for Thought

Homesickness

There are certain foods, which we will always associate with home and which make us nostalgic to recapture the past. No matter how much we eat, we cannot go back home and again be the babies and little children we were. No food will satisfy our longing for the love, care, and safety most of us associate with home. Even (and especially) if our dependency needs were not met when we were young, eating unnecessary food now will not help.

As we grow in relationship with our Higher Power, we begin to believe that home lies ahead, rather than behind us. We begin to see that our homesickness is for a spiritual state instead of a physical place. Wherever we are, we are pilgrims and travelers, not sure of our final destination but drawn toward something more than what we know in this world. We sense that though we are in the world, we are not of it, that we are homesick for a spiritual fulfillment.

May our homesickness bring us closer to You.
Never thought of this. My mom was a great cook and made everything from scratch. When I think of my mother, I think of chocolate cake, butter tarts, and butterscotch and chelsea buns. Not a healthy thought, certainly not good for a diabetic.

She cooked on a wood stove, which made everything taste better and then we got a gas stove when I was 10. She saved up her money from her baby bonus to buy it. My alcoholic father was seldom home and she was left out in the country, in a big farm house with three girls, and not able to drive and go for what she needed. So much I didn't realize about what her life was like, and I am sure she had fibromyalgia, which was not even thought of then let alone diagnosed. I couldn't wait to get off the farm and then when I came out of recovery, I wish I had it to go home to. My dad sold the farm 30 years before I found recovery.

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MajestyJo 06-23-2016 12:09 AM
Quote:
Food for Thought
June 22

God Is a Verb


We cannot contain our Higher Power at a fixed point or in a closed system. However we may understand God, our understanding is always limited. The Power that rescues us from compulsive overeating is an active force, which constantly beckons us to move on. What we were to do yesterday is past; a new day brings new challenges and opportunities.

Our compulsion had us trapped in a pattern of self-destructive repetition. We did the same dumb thing over and over again. When we turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understand Him, we are linking up with the source of newness and creativity. God moves, and if we are linked with Him, we also move. His spirit changes us, and what we thought and did yesterday is not adequate to the demands of today.

Trusting our Higher Power means acting according to His promptings. We follow Him as He leads us into new tasks and activities and ideas. We learn from experience that He is always more than adequate for our needs.

May I follow where You lead.
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MajestyJo 06-23-2016 12:09 AM
This is one of my favourite reading of all times. Just the title in itself speaks volumns. This little guy reminds me to breathe, keep breathing in what I need, breathe out what I don't need. I need to be willing each day to draw the breath. I need to be willing to be willing to do what I need to do for my recovery in today.



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MajestyJo 06-26-2016 12:25 AM
Quote:
Most of us have early memories of birthday parties - our own and those of other children - and as compulsive overeaters, we probably remember the food more than anything else. For as long as we can recollect, parties have meant eating and drinking. The better and more abundant the food and drink, the better the party; or so we thought.

- Food for Thought

http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/t...iew?catId=1903

When I saw the topic and then saw my picture, I had trouble staying on my chair. How often we lied to ourselves on the way out the door to those parties. First of all about how good we looked, about how many layers we wore to cover the bulges or the heave material we wore to make ourselves seem heavier.

Those old phrases, "Well I am big boned you know." "It runs in the family, unfortunately I inherited my mothers habits instead of my dad's.

Then when you get to the party and their is more lying. Well this is a special occasion, I wouldn't want to offend the hostess. This is special, I deserve a treat or two. Those two often were big bowls or glasses instead of servings.

Then there is the comparing, well I don't look as bad as she does. When I get THAT BIG, I will cut down. She really shouldn't wear a dress like that, it shows EVERYTHING! The b*tch and the cat come out, and as we indulge more and more, we savour our lies, and tell ourselves the guys really don't like those other girls, they are too think or fat, depending on what side of the fence you are looking from. Then you tell yourself, well I am not like them or if you have it flaunt it! The games we play, the lies we tell ourselvles and inside we feel miserable. They say that the most cheerful, happy-go-lucky person, is someone who is overweight.

Ironically, it has been my experience in recovery, that the prettiest and handsomest, and the slimmest and most well built, have the lowest sense of self esteem.

I always liked to say, "I knew I had recovered when the inside matched the outside."
Unfortunately, the link doesn't go to the topic discussed but good that it takes us to todays's reading.

Post made on another site in 2011

MajestyJo 06-26-2016 12:26 AM
The reading isn't the same, but today's link can help me to accept me as I am and where I am at in today, knowing that all things are subject to change. I like the changes, losing another 5 lbs. makes me feel better. I am not sure if it is an answer to prayer or me being sick and losing the 20 odd pounds. I just have to accept what is in the moment.

Quote:
Food for Thought
June 26

Accepting Change


One day my mother and I were working together in the garden. We were transplanting some plant for the third time. Grown from seed in a small container, the plants had been transferred to a larger container; then transplanted into the garden. Now, because I was moving, we were transplanting them again.

Inexperienced as a gardener, I turned to my green-thumbed mother. "Isn't this bad for them?" I asked, as we dug them up and shook the dirt from their roots. "Won't it hurt these plants, being uprooted and transplanted so many times?"

"Oh, no," my mother replied. "Transplanting doesn't hurt them. In fact, it's good for the ones that survive. That's how their roots grow strong. Their roots will grow deep, and they'll make strong plants."

Often, I've felt like those small plants - uprooted and turned upside down. Sometimes, I've endured the change willingly, sometimes reluctantly, but usually my reaction has been a combination.

Won't this be hard on me? I ask. Wouldn't it be better if things remained the same? That's when I remember my mother's words - that's how the roots grow deep and strong.

Today, God, help me remember that during times of transition, my faith and my self are being strengthened.

MajestyJo 06-30-2016 11:40 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought
June 30

Praise God!

We did not create this program on our own, and we did not achieve abstinence by ourselves. Our recovery is a gift, just as life is a gift. Light, the natural world, our nourishment, talents, love, and fellowship - all come from our Higher Power. Our role is to receive, use wisely, share, and enjoy the blessings God has showered upon us.

When we get over the idea that we can do everything by ourselves, we become receptive to the moving force that creates and sustains us. As we stop looking at life from our own egotistical point of view, we begin to see God's glory. No longer a slave to our appetites and desires for material things, we are able to rejoice in our Higher Power and to share our joy with those around us.

Our recovery from compulsive overeating makes us examples of God's power to heal and renew. For all of His miracles, we praise Him.

In You, there is great joy.
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MajestyJo 07-03-2016 07:04 AM
Quote:
JULY3

From the book: Food for Thought

Rest in God

Fatigue is one of our worst enemies. Sometimes it is our own unnecessary busyness and over ambition, which wears us out, and sometimes, the cause of our fatigue seems unavoidable. Depression and weariness go hand in hand.

It was our habit to reach for something to eat when we were tired. We may still crave refined sugar and carbohydrates as a quick boost when our energy lags. Instead of these substances, which we know will let us down, we need to turn to our Higher Power for rest and refreshment.

Even better than waiting until we are fatigued to ask for help is the habit of resting continuously in God. We may then carry on our activities knowing that we are upheld by His power, and we will avoid the exhaustion of trying to accomplish everything by our own efforts.

May I remember to rest in You.
Love the last paragraph, so empowering.

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MajestyJo 07-06-2016 06:30 AM
Quote:
From the book: Food for Thought

Dual Personalities

It is as if we are each two people. When we are abstaining, we are calm, confident, and capable of handling the demands of every day. When we are in contact with our Higher Power, we have the right mental perspective and God's peace and love in our hearts.

Slipping back into the old attitudes and habits of our compulsive overeating days brings back our frightened, confused, and despairing selves. We lose our ability to function efficiently. We are antagonistic to those around us. Worst of all, we are cut off from the source of strength and light.

Remembering that the negative personality will destroy us makes us more determined not to give in to it. Abstinence, day by day, is our safety. Reliance on the OA group, our Twelve Step program, and our Higher Power keeps us living the good, new life of freedom.

Deliver me from my negative personality.
I once was told I had three personalities, not sure what the third one is. I know that two of them can have a real battle going on when it comes to food. Maybe the third one is the referee or pacifier. Either way, I go for calm and peaceful. When I eat the wrong thing, I get guilt for doing something I know I shouldn't have. Even the pain I get as a result of eating certain foods, doesn't seem to stop me unless I am willing to turn things over to my Higher Power. I can't, He can, Just for today, I choose to let Him. The lastest for me has been Strawberry Shortcake Muffins. Oh so good and oh so many calories and who knows how much sugar. Shortcake in any form seems to call out to me and I always seem to answer and I have trouble resisting.

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MajestyJo 07-10-2016 12:09 AM
Quote:
From the book: Food for Thought
next book
Tension or Hunger?


How often have we eaten because of tension, rather than hunger? Accepting our need for three measured meals a day with nothing in between establishes a sensible pattern, which satisfies our need for nourishment. When we are tense, we can find ways of relaxing which do not harm our body by making it fat.

Learning to relax the stomach muscles helps get rid of tension hunger. Often when we have eaten too fast because of tension, our stomach continues to send hunger signals after the meal. There has not been enough time for the digestive process to register satisfaction. We can consciously relax the muscles so that the feeling of emptiness will go away.

The best cure for tension is a growing faith in our Higher Power. If we are willing to trust Him in the little things of each day, as well as the big events of our life, we will be able to relax and cultivate serenity.

Dissolve my tension and feed my hunger, I pray.
Like this reading. I do have to ask myself, am I hungry? Is it for physical hunger or mental, emotional, spiritual hunger. Am I hungry or am I stuffing not to feel?

MajestyJo 07-12-2016 06:41 AM
Quote:
From the book: Food for Thought
July 12

Growing Up

There is no magic. Nothing - be it person, place, or thing - is going to give us instant and permanent gratification. We keep thinking in the back of our mind that there is some way we can manipulate life into granting us all of our desires, even when they contradict each other.

When we seriously and with honest effort work our way through the Twelve Steps, we begin to grow up emotionally and spiritually. Abstinence from compulsive overeating makes this growth possible. It is not easy, but it is definitely worth the effort.

Acceptance and renunciation are necessary if we are to live with satisfaction in the real world. Grandiose illusions are of no help. We come to understand that certain foods, emotions, and attitudes are not for us if we are to maintain our sanity.

There is no magic, but there is a Power greater than ourselves. Who is directing our growth.

Grant me the willingness to grow up.
This is something I never wanted to do. I have gone kicking and screaming all the way. I shared with some friends that I wanted to be like a member in my group who was 70 at the time, who went backpacking, goes to football games, and conventios all over the U.S. and Canada. She still goes, but can't do long distant walking trips, but still goes walking now that she is close to 80.

One guy remarked, "Well that is a safe statement, because she will never grow up, she will always be young in spirit.

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MajestyJo 07-16-2016 08:08 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought
July 16

Hard Right or Easy Wrong?


We are constantly faced with choices, and often we are tempted to follow the way of least resistance. In our dealings with others and ourselves it is usually easier to say yes than no, but yes is not always the best answer. If we are too permissive, we become lax and ineffective.

The problem with taking the easy way is that it usually ends up being harder in the long run. If we do not control our eating, we will have all of the problems of obesity. If we do not limit our spending, we will eventually lack funds for what we need. If we do not follow moral and ethical principles, our lives become chaotic and we live in constant fear and tension.

Although choosing the hard right is difficult, it is by exercising our ethical muscles that we become strong and gain self-respect.

By Your grace, may I make the right choices.
I didn't make a right choice today. I was hurting physically and emotionally and my thought was, "Darn it, I want a strawberry shortcake muffin!" I tell myself that they are muffins, not donuts and they are healthier, which in comparison, they are. They do have sugar in them, which makes them not a healthy choice for a diabetic.

I wanted comfort and even before I felt hurt by someone's words and actions, I was already feeling sad and lonely, when I walked into the hospital. Not sure what the root of my feelings were and they were something that I don't often feel.

I did a meditation before I left. I said a prayer when I left the hospital, but I still got off the bus at Tim Hortons, got my TWO muffins (can't have just one), and went out just in time to catch another bus downtown. It wasn't that I didn't have food at home, but it was food that I had to cook and I wanted a quick fix. It didn't help that I had hit my head and had a lump on it, it was more a feeling thing than a physical thing. I know I would have survived without the muffin, but I heard my son's words tellin me that I shouldn't have spent the money on them the last time I bought them. So I realize that I also had a resentment and a little defiance too, I'll have a muffin if I want one. As it says, it is me and my attitude and it isn't about someone else and I shouldn't eat to someone else's health and I need to take care of my own. Thanks for letting me share.

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MajestyJo 07-23-2016 01:51 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought
July 23

Food: Servant or Master?

Food used to be our master. The mental obsession with food and the craving for more controlled our life. As we recover, we begin to see just how much we were in slavery to food and our appetite. We know that no matter how long we abstain and recover from our disease, we will always be powerless over food. The idea that we will one day be able to eat spontaneously is the most dangerous delusion we can entertain.

By abstaining from compulsive overeating every day of our life, we make food our servant rather than our master. We eat what we need to nourish our body, but we do not permit eating for comfort, excitement, or any other emotional reason. Whatever it takes to remain abstinent is what we are willing to do each day.

Never forgetting that we are always one mouthful away from a binge ensures that food will remain our servant.

Today and every day, may I serve You instead of food.
As they say, "We can only serve one Master." God is or He isn't. What ever I put between me and my God in today, becomes the god directing my path.

MajestyJo 07-26-2016 07:08 AM
Quote:
Food for Thought
June 26

Doing God's Will


For a long time, most of us tried to achieve happiness by serving our self-will. We figured out what we wanted from life and then went about trying to attain it. When our efforts were frustrated, we turned to food and overeating.

The idea of giving our self-will to God and following His direction makes us fearful. We fear that we will lose out and be unhappy. We are reluctant to give up our illusions of autonomy and power. We wonder if there really is a Higher Power who can direct our way. We pray for guidance and then forget to listen for the response.

When we are willing to trust a Higher Power in even one small area of our lives, we begin to see results. As our faith grows, we become confident enough to relinquish more and more of the concerns, which by ourselves we are unable to manage. The more we work this program, the more sure we are that our peace and happiness lie in serving God, rather than ourselves.

I pray for courage to follow Your will.
This may be true, but for some, tomorrow never comes.

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MajestyJo 07-30-2016 08:36 PM
Quote:
Saturday, JULY30

From the book: Food for Thought

Focus on Living

Before we found this program, we were obsessed with food and preoccupied with eating. Instead of concentrating our energies on love and work and play, we were side tracked into the unsatisfactory substitute of overeating.

Abstinence gives us a new lease on life. We can develop more satisfying relationships with our family and friends. Since it has been our habit to withdraw and please ourselves with food, it takes time and effort to learn to relate more closely to those we love. It also takes courage and the willingness to be open and vulnerable.

In our work, we have renewed energy and greater ability to concentrate. Where before we may have avoided difficult tasks, we now have the strength and confidence to attempt them.

When we give up eating as a favorite form of recreation, we can find other activities to enjoy. Being released from bondage to food and fat opens the door to all sorts of new possibilities. Less eating means much more living.

We are grateful for new life.
I was just talking to a friend tonight and saying to her substitution doesn't work. Food is often something that people use to suppress the thinking about another dis-ease.

We are granted a new way of life. We need to embrace that.

MajestyJo 08-01-2016 01:18 PM
Quote:
Food for Thought
August 1

Promptings

If we are listening, we will hear promptings from the inner voice. Often they are suggestions for small acts of kindness and love. Sometimes they are urgings to do a difficult deed in order to correct a wrong or to apologize for a mistake. Whatever the prompting, we are free to ignore it or act on it.

Often, ignoring the prompting would appear to be the easiest course. Why should we go out of our way to help someone else, particularly if that person is a stranger? Apologies are frequently embarrassing and deflate our pride. Reaching out to someone with love makes us vulnerable to rejection, and we fear exposure.

In the long run, to ignore the promptings of our inner voice is to commit spiritual suicide. These promptings are intended for our growth, and if we do not grow in love, we will atrophy and decay. Through the Twelve Steps, our Higher Power leads us to do many things, which we would prefer to avoid, but which ensure our recovery.

I pray for willingness to follow the promptings of the inner voice.
When I can't find the willingness, I have to pray for the willingness to be willing.


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