Overeaters Anonymous

**Quija** · Posted On: 9/26/2008 10:45am

I figured this was a good noBS forum to ask about this program in.

I used search but only found one vaguely related entry.

I am going to my first meeting tomorrow morning, I will report back on how it went. Has anyone else ever used group support like OA or Weight-watchers? Anyone used both? How do they compare? They say some of their approach is spiritual but that they do not follow a specific religion, I'm not big on spirituality in any form(although i'm open-minded) but the bottom lines are it's free and I'm fat and broke.(no shame in my game) I think having a group of folks to look to for support when losing weight would be helpful.

I think there should be a thread like this on a martial arts forum because no matter how active you are or how much you know, eating too damn much is an issue for some of us and I know many a rotund martial artist.

I weighed myself last night, I am 351.6 pounds. I run 5ks, I train, I know everything I need to know to lose weight and be in shape. The ability to do it is a different story.

This lack of ability while for me only applies to overeating, can apply to anyone and anything. Lots of folks know how to fight, can show you a perfect short left-hook or an armbar, but can't pull it together in a real fight. Same thing goes for me and dieting. I'm gonna give this support group a try, though it might be mildly embarassing at first, I have a suprisingly rubbery ego. Any info on what to expect would be appreciated.

**BaronVonDingDong** · Posted On: 9/26/2008 1:49pm

Best of luck, I hope it helps. Let us know how you get on.

**Suprore** · Posted On: 9/26/2008 1:55pm

If you don't mind an uneducated opinion on your overall problem:

Spoiler:

otherwise -- good luck, hope it works out for you. I know some people who had a bit of success with the support side of weight watchers, so there's some promise at least!

**Quija** · Posted On: 9/26/2008 8:55pm

Originally Posted by Suprore

If you don't mind an uneducated opinion on your overall problem:

Spoiler:

otherwise -- good luck, hope it works out for you. I know some people who had a bit of success with the support side of weight watchers, so there's some promise at least!

I have trouble with small portions, If I don't eat till I'm full then I'm still hungry and feel like I shouldn't have even bothered. My friends say I don't eat enough to justify being so heavy, but they're my friends they're supposed to say stuff like that I reckon. I'm pretty damn sure I over eat.

The problem with dieting for me is it's not all or nothing like almost everything else can be. You can't eat all you want, and you can't just quit eating. You have to find a balance which is pretty damn difficult in my opinion.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 9/27/2008 1:30am

You wanna know the easiest way to lose weight? Don't go on some kind of weird diet and try and re-vamp your eating habits all at once. It sucks and it's way too hard for most people to stick to. Just eat less gradually over time. If you eat 4 tacos every time you get lunch, start eating 3. If you usually get the super huge 44oz soda, get the regular large sized soda.

I lost 50lbs (from 165lbs down to 115lbs) over the course of about 3 years, and this is all I did. I went from eating like a fat body to eating like a reasonable human being gradually. It works great because the less you eat, the less you feel you need to eat as you get used to the smaller portions and it's really easy to just keep going with that trend once you've gotten it started.

**mrm1775** · Posted On: 9/27/2008 3:37am

You may have to force yourself to eat smaller meals over the course of a few days. If you limit your food intake over time, your stomach will shrink and you will become satisfied more quickly. You should also try substituting low-calorie foods for some of the things you usually eat. I find that steamed broccoli and watery fruits like melons and apples work well for this.

**Quija** · Posted On: 9/27/2008 7:36am

Thanks for the advice folks, on my way to the meeting now. I'm guessing its going to suck being all spiritual and stuff but I'm not going in biased. Expect the worst, hope for the best :)

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 9/27/2008 10:07am

When you have the time, I'd suggest you read through The Hacker's Diet. Note that I'm explicitly not telling you to follow it, but in terms of a philosophy-of-weight-management work, it was personally groundbreaking for me.

**Big Dozer** · Posted On: 9/27/2008 11:20am

Its always easier if you have a group to support you. Which is why it was so easy for me to stay in shape during high school. I had an entire team as back up. One thing that helped me as a habitual eater is good snacks. Like broccoli, carrots, celery...etc. I got a steamer for Christmas last year thats just wonderful.

**Quija** · Posted On: 9/28/2008 10:23am

The group was OK, I'm going back. Theres no discussion of what to eat or what plan to follow, no real intellectualism. It is what it claims to be, a support group. You go there and say how your doing and people either tell you your doing great when you are or console you when you are not. There was no negativity. Since folks on this forum usually want specifics I'll give some:

There is no mentioning of specific foods, if you want to talk about a bag of chips you would refer to it as a "binge food".

There is no questioning, or "cross talk" during speaking turns, you say what you say about yourself and your situation, then the next person does the same. No feedback about what the last person said or asking questions. It's encouraged that you hang around after the meeting for specifics like that. This is good for people who are shy but not for people whod like to engage in debate.

They do not encourage or endorse any specific eating plan, it's more like you try stuff on your own and they are there for you regardless.

It's free, they pass a donation plate around to help support themselves with, but you are not allowed to donate until your 6th meeting, and even then its not required.

My meeting was mostly women. At first it was me and 10 other women, but another guy showed up a little late, making the ratio 2/10.(When it was just me and the girls and my turn to came speak I so desperately had to stop myself from saying "Hi, I'm Quija and I'm just here to meet fat chicks." (I'm not shallow but my mind does tend towards the sarcastic as a first-response)

Nobody there was extremely large, in fact I'd call most of them healthy. A couple of the girls could even be called hot.

The age group was mostly 30+ with 2-3 exceptions.

There was prayer, twice they did the serenity prayer, which if youve been under a rock and don't know is "God grant me the courage to to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference" or something like that(Ive spent my fair share of time under rocks too) but that was the extent of it, and its not a bad prayer for any religion. I can handle it.

Eventually you can get a "sponsor" who you can call and chat with and who holds you accountable for your actions, they can also help you with your meal plans. You submit to them what you plan to eat and if you go off you have to tell them. If you feel an urge to eat something you shouldent, you can call them for support.

Ok I have company over now and need to cut this off, but if you want to know anything specific just ask.