Brand New to Recovery??!

[step3]

Here are a couple of posts with some thoughts on early abstinence and recovery. They are adapted from answers given by Outreach Members in FAA's Online Support to newcomers to FAA. If you have any questions about getting abstinent, staying abstinent, or working the FAA program of recovery, please either reply to this post or start a new thread with the question. Welcome to FAA!

"Congratulations on three days of abstinence from sugar! You didn't mention flour or wheat, but in FAA we learned that as food addicts we have an addictive response to any form of flour or wheat (in addition to any form of sugar). FAA offers a suggested food plan that allows the toxic substances (for food addicts) of sugar, flour, and wheat to be completely removed from our bodies. We consult the list called 99 Names of Sugar to make sure we're not ingesting anything (sugar/flour/wheat) that acts as sugar in the food addict's body.

FAA food plan and the 99 Names of Sugar:

http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/faa-food-plan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A good way to stay focused is to start applying the recovery slogan One Day at a Time.

Just for today, I can take care of myself. I can prepare my abstinent food and eat it according to the time schedule I learned about in the Guide to Abstinence. The Guide to Abstinence is where the FAA food plan can be found. The information in the Guide to Abstinence supplements the food plan. It has lots of tips and also has the list of sugar/flour/wheat. To see it, follow this link:

http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/faa-food-plan

Just for today, I can do some recovery actions. Suggestions of possible recovery actions to take can be found in the Tools for Recovery, pages 287-290 of the FAA Green Book.

Just for today, I choose abstinence from s/f/w over the insanity of active food addiction.

Just for today, I don't look for a way out, thinking I can always come back. There are no guarantees that the disease will allow me to come back after a relapse.

Just for today, I completely surrender to my powerlessness over sugar, flour, and wheat. I admit to myself that because of being in active food addiction, my life had become unmanageable.

Just for today, I will not eat sugar, flour or wheat in any form. Just for today."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have not received your literature yet, there are some writings on the literature in two of the other forums here in Online Support that you can read for inspiration. The forums are FAA's 12 Steps and FAA Literature (links below). Also here is a link for the area in the FAA Store that has literature specifically for newcomers.

http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/...FAA-s-12-STEPS

http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/...re-Discussions

http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/catalog/4

Best wishes, and keep coming back!

[muskyfvr]

I am new. In fact, I have not yet decided if this is the path for me. I am already trying to figure my way out of it if necessary, thinking I can just pop back into being abstinent. I know that is no way to begin.

I feel I have to say good bye to the food, by one last binge. I wish I could have a bite of everything I crave one last time...because forever is ...well forever. It saddens me terribly. I know I would feel better and look better and think better etc.... when abstinent, but I can't help but feel what I feel right now. Any suggestions???

[CleanErin]

I am new. In fact, I have not yet decided if this is the path for me. I am already trying to figure my way out of it if necessary, thinking I can just pop back into being abstinent. I know that is no way to begin.

I feel I have to say good bye to the food, by one last binge. I wish I could have a bite of everything I crave one last time...because forever is ...well forever. It saddens me terribly. I know I would feel better and look better and think better etc.... when abstinent, but I can't help but feel what I feel right now. Any suggestions???

Hey there. I too have felt that, just one more binge thought before. Doesn't that sound a little familiar, though? Like, I can quit, just after this one last drink/line/shot, etc...

If you do indeed go for that one last binge, or try to say goodbye to your foods, you may find it impossible. I know I would. There's no way you can cram everything you've ever loved or lusted after into one binge, no matter how much you can eat at a time. It seems that this mode of thinking would come to, well now I really crave this over here, so I will binge on that before starting... now I really want.. Chinese food, I'll have to binge on THAT before starting... and then it becomes the never ending cycle of binge eating insanity that we are all trying to escape.

For me, focusing on losing the activity of binging has really helped me. I DO feel insane when I lie to my loved ones or sneak out at night to eat gross fast food in dark allies in my car. I KNOW it's not normal behavior, I don't want it anymore. I don't want to hate myself for having no back bone, for "failing" again and again and again when the pull to food is just too much. I don't want to continue to hurt myself in this manner. I want to love myself.

I hope I've provided some insight.

[CarlyB]

I totally understand what you are saying!! I just joined and although i get that i need to do this and i do want to... i just have no idea how and fear losing my coping mechanism despite its negative impact on ny life... it feels too big... like im too far gone to make it back...although i lie to myself daily telling myself ill just quickly lose the weight and can stop doing this to myself..

im scared and feel like i am not strong enough..

[alicemdavid]

Hello and Welcome to Food Addicts Anonymous,

This is not a foreverthing, you only have to do this for one day...Just one day at a time it is amazing how the days add up to months and then to years...So I keep it simple... one day @ a time is all this food addict can manage, it so much more managable one day @ a time!!!!

I can do this today. My Higher Power has shown me that I can. I can pray for abstinence and guidance. I can experience freedom from the pain of addiction. Today I can prepare and eat three healthy meals and a metabolic and spend the rest of the time living my life. I can cope with the emotions that come up when I stop stuffing them down. I can reach out to another food addict, go to a meeting, call a sponsor, or read recovery literature. Today I do not have to control the world and the people around me. I know that I am responsible only for my actions and myself. Today I will focus on the present and live in the solution. If I think too much about the future, and never eating sugar again as long as I live, I set myself up. I am moving away from recovery and into diet mentality. If I dwell on the past with its failures, I am surrounding myself with negativity.

For today, I am grateful for turning my life and my will over to the care of my Higher Power.

One Day at a Time

from our daily meatation book food for the soul page120

[arleneh8745]

Hello and Welcome to Food Addicts Anonymous,

This is not a foreverthing, you only have to do this for one day...Just one day at a time it is amazing how the days add up to months and then to years...So I keep it simple... one day @ a time is all this food addict can manage, it so much more managable one day @ a time!!!!

I can do this today. My Higher Power has shown me that I can. I can pray for abstinence and guidance. I can experience freedom from the pain of addiction. Today I can prepare and eat three healthy meals and a metabolic and spend the rest of the time living my life. I can cope with the emotions that come up when I stop stuffing them down. I can reach out to another food addict, go to a meeting, call a sponsor, or read recovery literature. Today I do not have to control the world and the people around me. I know that I am responsible only for my actions and myself. Today I will focus on the present and live in the solution. If I think too much about the future, and never eating sugar again as long as I live, I set myself up. I am moving away from recovery and into diet mentality. If I dwell on the past with its failures, I am surrounding myself with negativity.

For today, I am grateful for turning my life and my will over to the care of my Higher Power.

One Day at a Time

from our daily meatation book food for the soul page120

This is a one day at a time program.. I eat my meals breakfast lunch and dinner and a metabolic at night.. I go to meetings, on the phone as there are none here in florida.. We have about 40 phone meetings a week.. There is a marathon meeting on Valentines Day from 3pm to 1:am.. Lots of topics and great support..hope you can make it.. One day at a time..
Keep coming back.. our new telephone number is 712-432-0900 pin 433801#

Arlene in Florida

[Iouhp1]

I am new to this site and am looking for some wisdom and insight to to FAA. I am in other 12 step groups. Anyone wishing to help me out would be great
Thanks

[alicemdavid]

I am new to this site and am looking for some wisdom and insight to to FAA. I am in other 12 step groups. Anyone wishing to help me out would be great
Thanks

Welcome to online support. If you want what we have than you have to do what we do, There is so much information here all you have to do is read thru the forums!! I have learned Abstinence alone does not last on our own. When we do what this program prescribes, it works and it lasts. Without spiritual support and growth, relapse is inevitable.

FAA is a wonderful program order the new comers literature bundle it is so worth it!! All the answers are in the literature it was written by food addicts, all you have to do is follow good orderly direction

http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/...rs-book-bundle


The FAA Chat Room is open 24 hours per day, and is reserved for one hour informal Open Chats on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm, Thursdays at 7:00 am, and Fridays at 9:00 pm. All times are Eastern Standard Time. Someone will be in the Chat Room during these hours to answer questions or chat with newcomers and any other FAA member. To get into the Chat Room, visit the FAA website at www.foodaddictsanonymous.org, look under "Meetings", then look under "Online Meetings".
Online FAA meetings are held in the FAA Chat Room each weekend. Saturdays at 11:00 am is a Beginner's meeting, and Sundays at 1:00 pm is based on FAA's Food for the Soul book. These meeting times are Eastern Standard Time. Online meetings are formal FAA meetings, and all are welcome to attend.

Please feel free to contact Marya with any questions about FAA's Online Support of the FAA Chat Room at faatoday@gmail.com

[gollum]

I am new to this site and am looking for some wisdom and insight to to FAA. I am in other 12 step groups. Anyone wishing to help me out would be great
Thanks

I just joined today and am in despair! I just want to die. I can't stop eating. I'm eating rubbish at the moment. I'm also in 2 other 12 step programmes. andymarmion@gmail.com

[want2bwell]

I totally understand what you are saying!! I just joined and although i get that i need to do this and i do want to... i just have no idea how and fear losing my coping mechanism despite its negative impact on ny life... it feels too big... like im too far gone to make it back...although i lie to myself daily telling myself ill just quickly lose the weight and can stop doing this to myself..

im scared and feel like i am not strong enough..

whow! it amazes me how so many of these comments feel like i could have written them myself in particular yours Carly. I am petrified I want the headaches to go away the shakes. Today is my
last supper :) :( you would think I should feel excited releaved and yet I feel scared and defeated before I even start. I do believe there is healing in this program and i do beleive we are all worth it. I guess its a choice ever day... do I struggle with the internal shakes, the sugar headaches, fatigue, embaressement and guilt or do i choose to... fight the good fight.... the one that could very well free me from all those false fixes maybe this really could be the freedom we need and deserve. The thought of forever is so scary and to think one day at a time well is that good enough ÉÉÉ My brain is hard wired and its time to disconnect short circuit and refurbish.

Fake it until we make it ... (Qoute)