“I was a fat kid, a fat adolescent, and . . . weighing 315 pounds (143 kg), I was a fat adult,” says Stuart, an OA member from Louisiana USA. Stuart suffered relapses and weight gains “but I never quit coming back,” he says. “In concert with my Higher Power, I have achieved a normal body weight of 139–144 pounds (63–65 kg) for the very first time in my adult life. . . . I am eternally grateful.“
“I can say without a shadow of a doubt that OA has completely saved my life,” says Renee D. from California USA. “I can’t wait to see what the next 900 days has in store for me.”
“It’s that time of year again,” says Edward, “when the national focus is placed on . . . food!” Learn how Edward uses his recovery to change the focus of any holiday from food to living in recovery.
Arriving at an empty meeting gave one OA member the opportunity to shake the fear that her local OA meeting was going to shut down. Instead, she picked up her pen and wrote checks to her intergroup, the World Service Office and her region, and she reflected on the overwhelming sense of unity she felt at the last OA World Service Convention.
Edward from Kentucky shares an important lesson he learned about recovering from relapse. Spoiler alert: the lesson is to keep coming back!
“What was so fun about World Service Convention?” OA member Beth recalls an epic road trip and the amazing recovery vibe she felt at the three past Conventions she attended.
“I’ve been blessed to attend some of our World Service Conventions,” says Bonnie. ”I know I‘ll be reunited with my ‘worldwide friends’ and meet new ones. Most heartwarming is when . . . ‘I put my hand in yours’ again.”
“Connection with another person on any level is what I love most,” says Elizabeth from Missouri USA. But even after losing 120 pounds (54 kg) her defects of character kept her emotionally isolated. See how she found success working the OA program.
“Why do I keep coming back to World Service Convention? When was the last time you were in a room with more than a thousand compulsive eaters working or working toward a program of recovery?” —Karen, OA member with a more than 200-pound (91-kg) weight loss.
When our job is stressful (or even when it isn’t), an announcement of snacks in the break room can create a moment of weakness. When it happened to Linda, she reached for two Tools, literature and the telephone, to keep her abstinence.