Overeaters Anonymous

Hello, my name is Eric and I am addicted to food.

I've always known it.  After all, my entire life revolves around food.  Every birthday, holiday, sporting event, day the ends with "Y" is based around a menu.

My birthday is the worst, since I usually celebrate my birthday for a couple of days.  My co-workers would take me for lunch to the Chilean Deli for empanadas de pino & completos.  Then I would go to dinner with my family to Su Casa for a burrito smothered in chile verde.  Later that week, a few of my friends would take me to the Training Table for a Blue Bacon Burger & cheese fries.

Oh yeah, did I mention that my wife always makes a homemade German Chocolate cake that my kids don't like, so it was up to me to eat most of it?  (It goes great with Rocky Road ice cream.)

Since my birthday is coming up in a few weeks and since I have been trying to be good since July, I have decided to take the Steps of Overeaters Anonymous.  (www.oa.org)

They are based on the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps, but adapted for us overeaters.

I had no problem with the first few steps.  I believe in God and I believe that He will help me.  (NOTE: I respect your beliefs, please respect mine.  I'm not here to debate the existence of God, and I will delete any comments that want to start such arguments.) 

Where I ran into problems was the "searching & fearless moral inventory" and the list of all the people I have harmed, with the intent to make amends.  

Just how "searching & fearless" are we talking?  This could take me awhile.

Oh yeah, and then there's that part of Step 10 that states that I should continue with this personal inventory and admit promptly when I am wrong.  (I only admit when I'm wrong when I don't want to sleep on the couch.  This is going to be tough.)

Anyway, Step Twelve is to have "a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps" and try to "carry this message to compulsive overeaters".  That is the point of this blog post.  I plan to do these steps from beginning to end and, in return, I plan to see a mighty change in my life.  Not just in my health, but in the way I treat other people.

And I plan to help support any of you overcome your addictions to food as well.  Together we can do this.