You have been on every diet in the book. Prolonged dieting can do more harm than good. You don’t know where to look for support. Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is ready and eager to help. You will be talking with people who want to get you through an ordeal that seems impossible to conquer by yourself. OA helps you work on your emotional and spiritual well-being, not just the fact that you want and need to lose weight.
Look in the phone directory book in your area to see if there is an OA listing. If there is, call them to find out where and how often they meet.
Contact OA’s World Service Office or email them if there is no listing in the phone book. This office will help you find a local OA group.
Select an online meetings available through OA if there is simply no meeting anywhere that you can reasonably travel to weekly. While this option is not the decision of choice for many, it is better than not attending at all.
Attend the meeting you have selected. During the meeting notice that the people who are already there are just like you. You are all working for a common goal: to have control over your life once again. OA meetings are structured around the 12 Steps of Overeaters Anonymous. Everyone who joins must adhere to these steps. It is vital to their recovery and winning the battle over food.
Be ready to share your innermost thoughts and fears relating to dieting, weight loss and why you are unable to accomplish your goal.
Choose a sponsor to help you work through the 12 Steps. Although anonymity is crucial to success, a list will be passed around during the meeting so that your name and contact information will be available to others as they make calls of support to encourage you along your path.