The Twelve Steps are the heart of the OA recovery program. They offer a new way of life that enables the compulsive overeater to live without the need for excess food.

The ideas expressed in the Twelve Steps, which originated in Alcoholics Anonymous, reflect practical experience and application of spiritual insights recorded by thinkers throughout the ages. Their greatest importance lies in the fact that they work! They enable compulsive overeaters and millions of other Twelve-Steppers to lead happy, productive lives. They represent the foundation upon which OA is built.

The Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous

1. We admitted we were powerless over food — that our lives had become unmanageable.
   
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
   
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
   
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
   
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
   
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
   
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
   
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
   
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
   
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
    
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
    
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

What an incredible idea. Combining OA and the LAP BAND!! Thank you whoever came up with this idea!! Two GREAT Programs combined!!!

I think it is great what you are all doing.

Here is a helpful link:

http://www.aa.org/en_pdfs/p-55_twelvestepsillustrated.pdf

I too have had experience with the first 4 steps. Those were the only ones that I completed - and that was like 20 years ago.

Good Luck - it is not an easy journey. It was always emotionally draining to me.

Step 4 was familiar to me, but I couldn't remember it - so I went in search of.

I found a website that offers the actual worksheets with instructional pages. This was pretty good - I almost forgot that I was posting here....lol. :wink:

12Step.org for Sobriety, Strength and Serenity - Tools

Enjoy - I hope this help for some of you. Good luck!

i have been a faa member up untill i was banded in feb 2007 but have been messing around with sugar wheat and flour since i have been banded. i find it hard to eat the volume of food in the faa food plan, i really want to get back on track with clean food as i feel so well when i do. any suggestions please. irish food addict that knows the the band does not fix the addiction

Hello, thanks for your post. I have no suggestions, but would love some as well...........

Several years ago I experienced good success with the FAA foodplan, although I found it to be a lot of work, as it involved cooking and pretty much never eating out, it also felt like I was spending half my life chopping vegetables.

In April, Before getting banded I cut out all wheat and gluten and flour and sugar. I felt a whole lot better.

I would love to get back to the FAA way of eating, although it will be very hard for me to let go of caffeine.

Since being banded, I have been consuming more crap than I have in a long time, in terms of chemicals such as aspartame, and protien powders, etc etc.

My body is really craving the whole, unprocessed foods.

What is faa?

hi michee great to hear from you. have you read any of kay sheppards books. i would love to get back on track and wonder could we support each other online as all the groups in ireland have ceased. this is my first day clean from flour and will give up sugar in a few days. i thought having the band fitted would let me eat small amounts of these foods but it hasent worked out as i can eat any amount of biscuits or sweets and ice cream and my weight loss has stopped. i am down two stone and would like to lose two more.i would love to know what you think. bye for now. louise patricia

:eek::smile:

What is faa?

faa stands for food addicts anon. following the programme you give up sugar wheat and flour . i thought that the band would let me eat small amounts of these foods but its like drugs or drink once you start to use these foods you cant stop and you put on huge amounts of weight , if you go into kay sheppards website you can learn a lot about this addiction.

this is great! I believe that it'll help tons of people!!

anyone there at the moment interested in doing a food plan with me. i was banded 27 th feb 2007 and have a CHRONIC FOOD ADDICTION louise patricia

louise,

I would love to do a food plan with you. I think everyone that turns to banding and extreme measures are in fact addicts, like us. Some don't realize it though. The band is only a tool of restriction and to have a truly healthy weight and body you have to be willing to put in the work. Sometimes that work is staying away from "comfort" or "Trigger " foods. Look forward to hearing from you!!! Sheila

louise,

I would love to do a food plan with you. I think everyone that turns to banding and extreme measures are in fact addicts, like us. Some don't realize it though. The band is only a tool of restriction and to have a truly healthy weight and body you have to be willing to put in the work. Sometimes that work is staying away from "comfort" or "Trigger " foods. Look forward to hearing from you!!! Sheila

hi shiela what good news that you will do a food plan. the aim is to cut out sugar wheat and flour from our life. its tough to do but once we get over the first 5 days it gets much easier. how much weight do you need to lose . i have another two stone. i was banded in dublin ireland in feb 2007 and have lost two stone but i am still eating a lot of sweets and ice cream and have no problem getting them down. i followed athe food plan of food addicts annomous 6 years ago and lost weight and felt so good but addiction crept back in to my life and i thought havinthe band fitted would curb my addiction to food but alas it did not. i am off to work now but if you are still interested i will write the suggested food plan out for you and together we can modify it to suit the band. bye for now

hi shiela did you get the message i sent you in the last few mins

Hello

Sorry I havent been on line this week due to increase in my exercise regime. I read Kay Shephards book, I didnt know she had more!. I actually met her. I went to 2 FAA retreats, and we paid for Kay to come and "run' them.

THe food plan really works but it I find it hard. Since being banded I have very occasionally eaten white flour, and since I couldn't eat very much it wasnt that bad. I find though, that I feel sluggish if I do eat even one serving.

I would love to go to another FAA retreat to get on track!! I am not sure I want to do the whole 12 step thing again though

Hi Louise,

I Would Love To Put Together A food Plan And Hold Each Other Accountable. I Have Been Attending Oa Meetings Here In North Carolina. I Agree Getting Rid Of The Flour And Sugar Are Targets That Must Be Hit. I Have Some Ideas. Tell Me Yours!! Looking Forward To A Great Journey!!!! Sheila