Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience and mutual support, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive overeating and to carry this message of recovery to those who still suffer.

Steps is published quarterly by Houston Metro Intergroup (HMI) of Overeaters Anonymous, P.O. Box 741836, Houston, Texas 77274-1836, 713-973-6633

Editorial Policy: Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and not of HMI or OA as a whole, unless otherwise noted. We reserve the right to edit all submissions with the intent of preserving the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous

Sometimes I have to remind myself that the glass is half full -- not half empty. When I am able to recognize the positive, suddenly my options multiply and I experience freedom and peace in my spirit. I am constantly amazed with the winding path that my higher power has created for me. I always have a choice of which way to go on this path -- no matter what.  And, if I don't like the direction I'm going, I have the option to try a different route. Cool, huh?

An Autobiography in Five Chapters

Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost . . . I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in, again.
I can't believe I am in this same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I fall in . . . it's a habit . . . but my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5
I walk down a different street

--contributed by Susan

I awoke this morning to that elusive ‘moment of clarity’ spoken of with awe by those who have experienced it. It is in that moment before I opened my eyes that God was able to speak – my mind was quiet, not yet churning with worry, guilt, fear, and indecision.

Last night, I attended a brand new meeting with a person I met when we both came to the program about 10 years ago. As we shared with one another, I realized we were both asking ourselves the same questions – "Why didn’t I ‘get it’ the first time around?" We bemoaned the fact that this is a SIMPLE program. Both of us are professionals – intelligent, capable, accomplished. How is it that each of us failed to work the program despite years of effort? We both admitted that we had "tried to find easier, softer ways" -all of which failed us in the end. The vital question for me became, "What did I miss?"

In that moment of clarity I realized that I am in the clutches of a deadly disease – fatal, lethal, incurable, terminal. Before this moment, I never really saw my ‘problem with overeating’ as something that will eventually kill me. Surely, this addiction with its wide societal acceptance is nothing compared to alcoholism or drug addiction. Everyone knows that alcoholics get fatal liver problems and addicts get heart, lung, liver and other maladies as a result of the untreated illness. But overweight people don’t get cirrhosis or endocarditis.

With the weight of eternity, it hit me that overeating results in diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, degenerative arthritis, cancers of the colon and breast, to name a few. These snowball into heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney failure, heart failure, and etcetera. In short, compulsive overeating has consequences as deadly as alcohol or drugs.

When I came to program and heard people talk about ‘the physical ravages of the disease,’ I really did not understand. I had not had the disease long enough to develop such difficulties. Today, I definitely comprehend the physical torture referred to in the AA Big Book as ‘alcoholic torture.’

We compulsive overeaters have allowed others in the world to lull us into believing that our illness "is ‘not as serious’ as alcoholism or drug addiction – "unless, of course, you happen to have anorexia," to quote one AA friend. I was told when I first came into this program by an AA member that I should be glad I have a problem with food because having a problem with alcohol would surely be worse." Would it? The answer reverberating in my head is NO!

Why? Because we deal with food – cunning, baffling, and powerful. We cannot live without eating some food every day. We cannot become teetotalers from the very substance, which will KILL US if consumed in excess long enough. How is that easier than alcohol or drugs? IT IS NOT.

Today, I am faced with a choice. Knowing that I have a terminal disease and that there is only one treatment that really works, I must choose between food and recovering from this grave situation. I must choose between a disease with a slow, painful death and a program of recovery requiring a complete change of mind, heart and spirit. In the Big Book, I an promised 7 times that I will be ‘recovered’ from this illness contingent upon maintenance of a fit spiritual condition. I must work the steps one day at a time, every day, for the rest of my life if I wish to be free of my illness. The steps are my chemotherapy, a kind of radiation treatment for the soul to arrest the insidious cancer of compulsive overeating.

With tears and hope, I honestly say "I am POWERLESS over food and my life has become UNMANAGEABLE. I believe that GOD, a power greater than myself, can relieve my compulsion. For today, I will turn my will and my life over to God (as I understand him). I will go to meetings, be abstinent, make telephone calls, pray, and extend my hand to those who still suffer. I MUST IF I AM TO SURVIVE.

God, help me. --Mary H.

If nothing changes, nothing changes.

I can sit on my butt all day, I can complain to as many people as will listen.

I can wait for all of you to recover first. I can stare at the literature all I want.

I can criticize everyone else's efforts all the time. I can take your inventory instead of mine.

And I can expect all of you to do service before I'll lift my finger.

But that won't change anything.

Because it's true: If nothing changes, nothing changes.

Recovery happens when I start changing. When I put myself out there. When I pick up the Big Book
and start studying it.

When I share my progress with you at meetings and over the phone. When the inventory I take is mine and I make my amends. When I start looking at how I can help this wonderful fellowship grow. When I give service. When I let God show me where I can help.

That is when things change.

Anonymous

--Reprinted from "Sydney Morning Serenity," Sydney, Australia

Just a thought.....

10. Work with a sponsor.  Don’t just HAVE a sponsor--use her, take her advice, and try out what she says.

9. Work the program.  That means following ALL 12 steps in ALL areas of life.

8. Go to meetings.  That’s and easy one. There are only two times you need to go:
when you want to and when you don’t want to!

7. Read literature.  There’s so much to choose from: The Big Book, both the OA and AA 12 and 12,
One Day At a Time, Lifeline, and all that other great stuff (that is conference approved, off course!.)

6. Talk about it.  As a friend always says, "Talk about it until you don’t have to talk about it anymore."

5. Have a plan of eating.  We don’t live any other area of our lives without some sort of plan:
we plan vacations, we plan out our education, we plan our careers, why not plan our food?

4. Get out of your own way.  Don’t let that "stinkin’ thinkin’" continue to rule your life.
If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you always got!

3. Erase the old tapes.  No matter what others have told you in the past,
know that you ARE good enough, worthy enough, lovable, and GREAT!

2. Make amends as the need arises.  Don’t let it build up. It just gives you a reason/excuse to overeat.

1. Trust.  Trust God, or your Higher Power, with your life. Know that He loves you, no matter what,
and He wants your happiness. Trust the program. Here, you are safe. We love you. After all, we ARE you!

--Sherri H.

• The next HMI Meeting will be on Saturday, August 11. Does your group send a representative?  All are encouraged and welcomed!

• Have you registered for "Footprints In the Sand--Stepping Into Recovery"? This Region III Assembly and Convention will be October 5-7 in Galveston.   Online Brochure & Registration Form.

• HMI/GBAI/HOW wants you!! Volunteers are needed for the convention. See the flier inside for more details. Come on--now’s your chance to be of service! The next convention planning meeting will be August 25.    Link here to download Service Announcement flyer (MS Word .doc file).

• Writing for Recovery Workshop to be held at the Oasis on August 18, from 2pm-4pm.