Hi, I am Faith and this is my sixth day of abstinence. I have been on this website lookoing for meetings and see that there are none in my area. I plan to figure out the phone meetings and I am doing the loop thing. I discovered that there is a meeting of the FA Recovery Anonymous in my area. Can someone tell me the differnce? I did not see a food plan on their site. Just wondering if that is something I should go to.
FAA meetings are completely open. Anyone can share. In FA, you need 90 days of abstinence in order to share at meetings.
FAA has 1 hours meetings in person that are normally done in a circle formation. FA has 1 1/2 hour meetings that are held like a lecture-style in an auditorium seating arrangement.
FAA has a written out food plan that is a suggestion. FAA yields to the medical professional. We have many people with an assorted variety of issues. We do not presume to know more than professionals.
FA's food plan is passed only between sponsor and sponsee. It is extremely similar to ours. We have had reports that it is much more rigid. For instance, if you say you are going to eat an orange and change your mind to an apple without calling your sponsor, some feel that is a break in abstinence. I know someone who was in it and her sponsor told her exactly what to eat. In our program, this does not occur. If you have a sponsor, you generally plan your food with your sponsor.
FAA's abstinence is defined as abstinence from sugar, flour and wheat. I know someone who decided she had a "slip" in FA because she hadn't gone to three meetings a week.
Although sometimes newcomers prefer to keep it simple and eat plainly, FAA has a cookbook and FAA members make recipes. We have had reports from former members that FA does not believe in combining foods. So no recipes.
Food addiction is a tricky issue-it is not simple, as we have to eat daily. Food allergies exist. Unlike alcohol, we cannot abstain from all food. I am prejudiced-I am really like this program better. I think we allow for individual differences more.
No matter what, continue to abstain from sugar, flour or wheat, regardless of the program. Another suggestion-just start your own meeting. There is no shortage of food addicts. You do not have to be abstinent to begin a meeting.
Thanks for your response. I will definately consider the possibility (wow does that have some back doors or what) of starting a meeting. I appreciate your help. I wondered why I could not find a meal plan etc. on the FA web site.
How does one go about starting a meeting, just get the literature? I don't even have a sponsor yet. Am keeping my eye open for one.
There is a meeting starter kit that can be purchased that has everything that you need to begin a meeting. And I checked to see what was included and it wasn't listed and I'll report that to the World Service Office - it looks like it was left off by mistake.
Hi, I'm not sure how to reply in this thread, so sorry if it messes up the forum setting. I'm in FA and have been for about 10 years. There are two lines in FA which you don't know about until you're in for about 3 months or so. Here's what FA is about:
"Soft" line vs. "strict" line:
Soft line: no flour, no sugar, sweeteners okay, you weigh and measure your food and don't eat between meals. Most people have three meals a day, no snacks. A very small number have more meals a day, with doctor's recommendation. It is usually for those pregnant, nursing, or have diabetes issues. You write down your food for the next day, for instance, "4 oz chicken, 8 oz mixed vegetable, etc.." If you have to change out your chicken for beef, or your apple for banana, you text/call your sponsor to let her know. After about 90 days, you can change it out without contacting her. You can mix your food together. You can weigh it out and then cook it up together in a wok or stew. You can slow cook your food and then weigh it out from there, for instance, weigh out the meat or beans and then the vegetables. Some sponsors have figured out a formula to weigh the meat/beans that is cooked in with the vegetables and grain, so as not to weigh them separately.
Strict line: no flour, no sugar, no sweeteners. You weigh and measure your food and don't eat between meals. ONLY three meals a day, no exceptions, even if doctor recommends otherwise. You cannot allow your food to touch each other, for instance, no chicken on your salad. Also, no mixed vegetables. It must all be of one kind of vegetable for each meal. If you have to change out your food, you must call your sponsor to get her permission. If she says no, and you do it anyway, you will have a "break" and have to start at day one. Sponsor can also drop you for being unable to "break your will."
Soft line: You're asked to go to three meetings a week. If you can't make three FA meetings, then you can go to two FA and one AA or Coda. If that's still impossible (say, you travel for work or you have young children and can't manage childcare for three outside meetings), then you can do one FA meeting and do two phone meetings.
Strict line: You must attend three committed FA meetings each week. No exceptions. And you cannot attend meetings where the "soft line" people go. You cannot miss a meeting for any reason, even if your child is sick. They say this is where you get your "medicine" and as you wouldn't skip a dose of medicine, you cannot skip a meeting. This also includes vacations, family needs, work needs, financial strain (hiring sitter, etc). If you miss a meeting without sponsor's permission, this is a "break" in abstinence and you must start at day one.
Soft line: You're allowed to have nuts, legumes, beans, any fruit, including mangoes and watermelon. You can have avocado and use as much soy sauce or balsamic vinegar as you want. Some sponsors allow peanut butter, although it is encouraged to watch out for bingeing on this. If a sponsee binges on peanut butter, then they will be asked to agree to give it up, at least for awhile. Milk and cheese allowed. French fries allowed, too!
Strict line: Absolutely NO nuts, no legumes, no beans, no "exotic" fruit (doesn't matter where you live, even if you live in Hawaii). Exotic fruit includes: mangoes, watermelon, cherries. Not allowed banana until at goal weight and then once a week. If you have stomach flu and you don't eat your meal, it is considered a "break" in abstinence. Also no avocado, and one Tablespoon of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar at lunch and dinner. No milk. With some sponsor, no cheese.
Soft line: What your doctor says, goes. If you're on antidepressants, that fine and none of sponsor's business. If your doctor thinks you need more protein, more dairy, then you submit your food plan to your doctor for review and your doctor alters your food plan as s/he thinks best. Sponsor goes along with this.
Strict line: Absolutely NO use of anti-depressants no matter what your diagnosis is. If you want to work with this type of sponsor, you MUST go off anti-depressants. Also, no hormone therapy drugs (for instance, for women going through menopause) and no thyroid medication allowed. Also, no coffee or diet soda allowed.
Soft line: A 5 foot, 6 inch woman will weigh anywhere between 125-140. She's happy with it and her sponsor feels she is at goal weight.
Strict line: Every single person in strict line follows this rule of goal weight: at 5 feet, a woman should weigh 95-100 pounds. For every inch after that, add 5 pounds. So if a woman is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, then she should weigh between 125-130. If she weighs more than this, food will be taken from her food plan until she is at this weight. Every "strict line" person is thin, no exceptions.
Soft line: Exercise encouraged. If you exercise, you do get more food.
Strict line: Exercise not allowed. If you do decide to exercise, you won't get more food.
Soft line: you have grains immediately when you start the program, no matter what your weight. People in this line do not get medical issues when following the food plan, whereas in the strict line, many are admitted to urgent care regarding gallstone problems.
Strict line: no grains until you are 10 pounds from goal weight. Even if you are 150 pounds overweight, you will not have any grains until you are 10 pounds from goal. This has caused gallstones and thyroid problems for many members but the strict line sponsors say that this is a better price to pay than being fat and miserable.
The FA meetings are one and half hours long. They are set up like a lecture and a new speaker is assigned each week by the secretary of the meeting. The secretary picks those to speak who are in her "line" and is therefore a "soft line" meeting or a "strict line" meeting. If you have 90 days or more, you can share your story of experience, strength and hope. If you are at a soft line meeting and raise your hand, you'll be called on to share, no matter what line you're in. If you are in strict line and raise your hand, you will not be called on to share until you have proven yourself to the group.
Hope this clarifies things!
Originally Posted by SFWFree
Hi, I'm not sure how to reply in this thread, so sorry if it messes up the forum setting. I'm in FA and have been for about 10 years. There are two lines in FA which you don't know about until you're in for about 3 months or so. Here's what FA is about:
"Soft" line vs. "strict" line:
Soft line: no flour, no sugar, sweeteners okay, you weigh and measure your food and don't eat between meals. Most people have three meals a day, no snacks. A very small number have more meals a day, with doctor's recommendation. It is usually for those pregnant, nursing, or have diabetes issues. You write down your food for the next day, for instance, "4 oz chicken, 8 oz mixed vegetable, etc.." If you have to change out your chicken for beef, or your apple for banana, you text/call your sponsor to let her know. After about 90 days, you can change it out without contacting her. You can mix your food together. You can weigh it out and then cook it up together in a wok or stew. You can slow cook your food and then weigh it out from there, for instance, weigh out the meat or beans and then the vegetables. Some sponsors have figured out a formula to weigh the meat/beans that is cooked in with the vegetables and grain, so as not to weigh them separately.
Strict line: no flour, no sugar, no sweeteners. You weigh and measure your food and don't eat between meals. ONLY three meals a day, no exceptions, even if doctor recommends otherwise. You cannot allow your food to touch each other, for instance, no chicken on your salad. Also, no mixed vegetables. It must all be of one kind of vegetable for each meal. If you have to change out your food, you must call your sponsor to get her permission. If she says no, and you do it anyway, you will have a "break" and have to start at day one. Sponsor can also drop you for being unable to "break your will."
Soft line: You're asked to go to three meetings a week. If you can't make three FA meetings, then you can go to two FA and one AA or Coda. If that's still impossible (say, you travel for work or you have young children and can't manage childcare for three outside meetings), then you can do one FA meeting and do two phone meetings.
Strict line: You must attend three committed FA meetings each week. No exceptions. And you cannot attend meetings where the "soft line" people go. You cannot miss a meeting for any reason, even if your child is sick. They say this is where you get your "medicine" and as you wouldn't skip a dose of medicine, you cannot skip a meeting. This also includes vacations, family needs, work needs, financial strain (hiring sitter, etc). If you miss a meeting without sponsor's permission, this is a "break" in abstinence and you must start at day one.
Soft line: You're allowed to have nuts, legumes, beans, any fruit, including mangoes and watermelon. You can have avocado and use as much soy sauce or balsamic vinegar as you want. Some sponsors allow peanut butter, although it is encouraged to watch out for bingeing on this. If a sponsee binges on peanut butter, then they will be asked to agree to give it up, at least for awhile. Milk and cheese allowed. French fries allowed, too!
Strict line: Absolutely NO nuts, no legumes, no beans, no "exotic" fruit (doesn't matter where you live, even if you live in Hawaii). Exotic fruit includes: mangoes, watermelon, cherries. Not allowed banana until at goal weight and then once a week. If you have stomach flu and you don't eat your meal, it is considered a "break" in abstinence. Also no avocado, and one Tablespoon of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar at lunch and dinner. No milk. With some sponsor, no cheese.
Soft line: What your doctor says, goes. If you're on antidepressants, that fine and none of sponsor's business. If your doctor thinks you need more protein, more dairy, then you submit your food plan to your doctor for review and your doctor alters your food plan as s/he thinks best. Sponsor goes along with this.
Strict line: Absolutely NO use of anti-depressants no matter what your diagnosis is. If you want to work with this type of sponsor, you MUST go off anti-depressants. Also, no hormone therapy drugs (for instance, for women going through menopause) and no thyroid medication allowed. Also, no coffee or diet soda allowed.If you choose to stay on anti-depressants and your sponsor can't find it in her heart to drop you, then you still can't do the 12-steps. The 12-steps are done in a closed group meeting and if you break your abstinence, drink coffee or diet soda, or use anti-depressants or other medication or engage in "non-abstinent behavior (ie missing a meeting), then you are asked to leave the closed group 12-step meeting and have to start again at another closed group meeting. Each 12-step study meeting is spaced about 6 months apart and to get through the 12 steps from start to finish takes roughly 1.5 to 2 years.
Soft line: A 5 foot, 6 inch woman will weigh anywhere between 125-140. She's happy with it and her sponsor feels she is at goal weight.
Strict line: Every single person in strict line follows this rule of goal weight: at 5 feet, a woman should weigh 95-100 pounds. For every inch after that, add 5 pounds. So if a woman is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, then she should weigh between 125-130. If she weighs more than this, food will be taken from her food plan until she is at this weight. Every "strict line" person is thin, no exceptions.
Soft line: Exercise encouraged. If you exercise, you do get more food.
Strict line: Exercise not allowed. If you do decide to exercise, you won't get more food.
Soft line: you have grains immediately when you start the program, no matter what your weight. People in this line do not get medical issues when following the food plan, whereas in the strict line, many are admitted to urgent care regarding gallstone problems.
Strict line: no grains until you are 10 pounds from goal weight. Even if you are 150 pounds overweight, you will not have any grains until you are 10 pounds from goal. This has caused gallstones and thyroid problems for many members but the strict line sponsors say that this is a better price to pay than being fat and miserable.
The FA meetings are one and half hours long. They are set up like a lecture and a new speaker is assigned each week by the secretary of the meeting. The secretary picks those to speak who are in her "line" and is therefore a "soft line" meeting or a "strict line" meeting. If you have 90 days or more, you can share your story of experience, strength and hope. If you are at a soft line meeting and raise your hand, you'll be called on to share, no matter what line you're in. If you are in strict line and raise your hand, you will not be called on to share until you have proven yourself to the group.
Hope this clarifies things!
Hi, I'm not sure how to reply in this thread, so sorry if it messes up the forum setting. I'm in FA and have been for about 10 years. There are two lines in FA which you don't know about until you're in for about 3 months or so. Here's what FA is about:
"Soft" line vs. "strict" line:
Soft line: no flour, no sugar, sweeteners okay, you weigh and measure your food and don't eat between meals. Most people have three meals a day, no snacks. A very small number have more meals a day, with doctor's recommendation. It is usually for those pregnant, nursing, or have diabetes issues. You write down your food for the next day, for instance, "4 oz chicken, 8 oz mixed vegetable, etc.." If you have to change out your chicken for beef, or your apple for banana, you text/call your sponsor to let her know. After about 90 days, you can change it out without contacting her. You can mix your food together. You can weigh it out and then cook it up together in a wok or stew. You can slow cook your food and then weigh it out from there, for instance, weigh out the meat or beans and then the vegetables. Some sponsors have figured out a formula to weigh the meat/beans that is cooked in with the vegetables and grain, so as not to weigh them separately.
Strict line: no flour, no sugar, no sweeteners. You weigh and measure your food and don't eat between meals. ONLY three meals a day, no exceptions, even if doctor recommends otherwise. You cannot allow your food to touch each other, for instance, no chicken on your salad. Also, no mixed vegetables. It must all be of one kind of vegetable for each meal. If you have to change out your food, you must call your sponsor to get her permission. If she says no, and you do it anyway, you will have a "break" and have to start at day one. Sponsor can also drop you for being unable to "break your will."
Soft line: You're asked to go to three meetings a week. If you can't make three FA meetings, then you can go to two FA and one AA or Coda. If that's still impossible (say, you travel for work or you have young children and can't manage childcare for three outside meetings), then you can do one FA meeting and do two phone meetings.
Strict line: You must attend three committed FA meetings each week. No exceptions. And you cannot attend meetings where the "soft line" people go. You cannot miss a meeting for any reason, even if your child is sick. They say this is where you get your "medicine" and as you wouldn't skip a dose of medicine, you cannot skip a meeting. This also includes vacations, family needs, work needs, financial strain (hiring sitter, etc). If you miss a meeting without sponsor's permission, this is a "break" in abstinence and you must start at day one.
Soft line: You're allowed to have nuts, legumes, beans, any fruit, including mangoes and watermelon. You can have avocado and use as much soy sauce or balsamic vinegar as you want. Some sponsors allow peanut butter, although it is encouraged to watch out for bingeing on this. If a sponsee binges on peanut butter, then they will be asked to agree to give it up, at least for awhile. Milk and cheese allowed. French fries allowed, too!
Strict line: Absolutely NO nuts, no legumes, no beans, no "exotic" fruit (doesn't matter where you live, even if you live in Hawaii). Exotic fruit includes: mangoes, watermelon, cherries. Not allowed banana until at goal weight and then once a week. If you have stomach flu and you don't eat your meal, it is considered a "break" in abstinence. Also no avocado, and one Tablespoon of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar at lunch and dinner. No milk. With some sponsor, no cheese.
Soft line: What your doctor says, goes. If you're on antidepressants, that fine and none of sponsor's business. If your doctor thinks you need more protein, more dairy, then you submit your food plan to your doctor for review and your doctor alters your food plan as s/he thinks best. Sponsor goes along with this.
Strict line: Absolutely NO use of anti-depressants no matter what your diagnosis is. If you want to work with this type of sponsor, you MUST go off anti-depressants. Also, no hormone therapy drugs (for instance, for women going through menopause) and no thyroid medication allowed. Also, no coffee or diet soda allowed.If you choose to stay on anti-depressants and your sponsor can't find it in her heart to drop you, then you still can't do the 12-steps. The 12-steps are done in a closed group meeting and if you break your abstinence, drink coffee or diet soda, or use anti-depressants or other medication or engage in "non-abstinent behavior (ie missing a meeting), then you are asked to leave the closed group 12-step meeting and have to start again at another closed group meeting. Each 12-step study meeting is spaced about 6 months apart and to get through the 12 steps from start to finish takes roughly 1.5 to 2 years.
Soft line: A 5 foot, 6 inch woman will weigh anywhere between 125-140. She's happy with it and her sponsor feels she is at goal weight.
Strict line: Every single person in strict line follows this rule of goal weight: at 5 feet, a woman should weigh 95-100 pounds. For every inch after that, add 5 pounds. So if a woman is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, then she should weigh between 125-130. If she weighs more than this, food will be taken from her food plan until she is at this weight. Every "strict line" person is thin, no exceptions.
Soft line: Exercise encouraged. If you exercise, you do get more food.
Strict line: Exercise not allowed. If you do decide to exercise, you won't get more food.
Soft line: you have grains immediately when you start the program, no matter what your weight. People in this line do not get medical issues when following the food plan, whereas in the strict line, many are admitted to urgent care regarding gallstone problems.
Strict line: no grains until you are 10 pounds from goal weight. Even if you are 150 pounds overweight, you will not have any grains until you are 10 pounds from goal. This has caused gallstones and thyroid problems for many members but the strict line sponsors say that this is a better price to pay than being fat and miserable.
The FA meetings are one and half hours long. They are set up like a lecture and a new speaker is assigned each week by the secretary of the meeting. The secretary picks those to speak who are in her "line" and is therefore a "soft line" meeting or a "strict line" meeting. If you have 90 days or more, you can share your story of experience, strength and hope. If you are at a soft line meeting and raise your hand, you'll be called on to share, no matter what line you're in. If you are in strict line and raise your hand, you will not be called on to share until you have proven yourself to the group.
Hope this clarifies things!
Wow. That was so hard for me to read all the way through.
That is frightening and sad for all the suffering addicts.
I am so grateful for FAA.
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