I go at least once a week to Overeater's Anonymous preferably on Sunday afternoons. I feel it goes deeper than just eating habits and meal plans maintenance. Its a way of life a new life free from the mental obsession of food as being an activity. Emotional eating is what landed me in the position to get the surgery in the first place. The 12 step program shows a life free from the bondage of food being the center of daily life. When people share during the meeting they discuss real life problems surrounding compulsive eating and compulsive food behavior. yes I said it behavior part that includes that mentality of eating disorders because its more than just getting the surgery. Its not an answer all at all. The issues the dark secrets, regrets, shame, guilt all those issues that kept us in bondage with eating disorders. Eventually doing an inventory with someone else that has experience in the 12 step program. An inventory is a list of issues that kept us mentally in bondage to emotional eating. Getting the surgery is just a tool in a program of maintenance which might include therapy with a therapist especially during the first year out. What good is getting the surgery if we are not prepared to deal with the disease of eating disorders. Thats right Im talking real talk not sugarcoating what the core of obesity was or is. Even after we reach goal weight and congratulate ourselves by patting ourselves on the shoulders for a job well done. Then whats next fighting the obsession for poor food choices by the food industry. we cannot do it by ourselves remember dieting didnt work or the idea that its all about fighting obesity by ourselves. Its all about letting people into our lives that can be part of a healthy support network. Its all about changing old behaviors.

Good for you! I have been interested in OA. Let us know how it goes.

I was just looking into OA last night and hoping a meeting was somewhat close to me. Unfortunately, there isn't a meeting nearby. I am considering the online meetings. I need to get my mental health in line with my physical progress to ensure the long term success. I am not taking any chances of regaining the weight I loose after surgery. I almost think the mental work will be harder than the physical work.

This topic interests me sooo much. Thanks for starting the thread. I think OA is an amazing program. I was a very active member for over three years. My reasons for leaving were that I just found I ended up taking on wayyy too much with them and it was becoming detrimental for my recovery. However those were my issues and I too just want to chime in and say the program does work. it truly helps you as an amazing tool in the fight against food addiction. Since making the decision to have wls I have thought very seriously about going back again. Adding these meetings back into my life with my sleeve as yet another tool I think would be soooooo smart. Heres my hesitation... how well it it received by others. I know in saying that...that this is my own addiction behavior talking and the program accepts eveyone... but im soooooo nervous about that.... well... that and the fact that I just stopped going and not a word to any one. Sigh...nice to see other active oa people on here thos may give me courage.

Congratulations on taking those critical steps towards change. Yes, as WLS patients, we need to address so much more than the few weeks of discomfort and doctors' eating plans. And if we don't address underlying issues along the way, we would have gotten to our goal(s) without really knowing how we got there.

Good luck to all pursuing OA!

Be well…

I went to OA for just about 3 years and it really helped me work on my issues. I left because of the way the meetings were being run. People would make comments while people were talking and issues I had with a few of the ladies. The program is wonderful and I highly recommend it to anyone that needs to work on food issues. Once I have my surgery I plan on re-reading all of my OA literature again to re-enforce what I learned.

Thank you all for your support and replies I so appreciate them.

@, thats so great!! I've started going too. At the moment I can't really mess this up as I am early on the journey and cannot eat much BUT It is food addiction that got me here and as my stomach expands and I am able to eat more I want to make sure I have my head straight!! Thanks for posting!!

I agree. Our issues with food need to be addressed if we wish to sustain a real lifestyle change. I am seeing a personal therapist. I know that many of the Hospitals that perform Bariatric surgeries also offer bariatric support groups. Al least I know they do here in Southern CA where I live. I went to OA a few times and cried because I knew this was a deeper problem and didn't continue because of the fear I had about changing and addressing my love relationship with food. I will do whatever it takes to succeed at this. Congratulations and good luck to u

In case you can't get to OA or don't want to go, there are 2 books that helped me separate emotions from food and set up my environment so I couldn't mess up:

1) "Emotional First + Aid" - there is one on bariatric surgery

2) "From the First Bite" and other books by Kay Sheppard

Hope this helps.

also may i add that if there are no OA meetings in your community hopefully there are AA meetings that you can still share about food as a substance that was or is abused AA is still a 12 step meeting.

i would try online meetings before sending a food addict to AA. just speaking from my experience as a former CD counselor. there is a huge recovery community online.

I would like to know where I can find one of these meeting in the irving texas area

I would like to know where I can find one of these meeting in the irving texas area

.

google it.

Here is a link to the website where you can put in your address and find a meeting near you:

http://www.oa.org/membersgroups/find-a-meeting/