Here are all the posts I have flagged as Step 1 (aka Step 01 on the categories filter). I have them sorted in ascending order so they can be read in progression or by title.
02 – My Big “Why”
Even though I was an average-sized kid, I always knew my eating habits weren’t okay—my mom made sure of that. From the time I was 8 or 9, she warned me repeatedly: If you keep eating like this, you’ll be 500 pounds, and no one will want to date you. (We will unpack how that […]
03 – My First Meeting
I walked into my first OA meeting on Sunday, December 27, 1998, carrying more than just emotional baggage—I carried skepticism. How could this work when nothing else had? It had been the second-worst Christmas in my dysfunctional family’s history, which says a lot when you can rank them by levels of dysfunction. Beyond holiday turmoil, […]
04 – Understanding Powerlessness: OA Through the Lens of the Big Book
I didn’t always understand why my relationship with food felt so all-consuming. It wasn’t until I attended my first Big Book study that things began to click. That’s where I’d like to begin today—with a powerful line that reframed everything for me: “We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who […]
05 – The Problem Is in My Brain, Not My Willpower
My Addiction Centers in My Brain One of the greatest gifts my second sponsor gave me was the permission to take my relationship with food seriously. Before that, I had spent years minimizing it—dismissing my struggle as a lack of willpower or, worse, a personal flaw. But he showed me I was killing myself by […]
07 – OA’s Definition of Abstinence
In this post, I want to unpack what abstinence truly means in Overeaters Anonymous—and why understanding the difference between a food plan and the daily practice of spiritual recovery matters. Abstinence isn’t just about what we avoid; it’s about how we live, how we connect, and how we heal. Overeaters Anonymous defines Abstinence as: “Abstinence […]
08 – Getting Abstinent (Part 1)
When I take someone through the steps, I try to meet them where they are. Most of the people I work with are like me in that they overeat, either bingers or volume addicts. As we work on identifying trigger foods and behaviors we also work on their own healthy relationship with the foods they […]
09 – Call a Friend (Getting Abstinent Part 2)
The week that I started abstaining from compulsive eating I noticed that by the time my next meal rolled around I was ridiculously hungry. I am not certain if my level of hunger was due to the fact that I never really allowed myself to feel hunger and I was just not used to the […]
10 – Step 1 Overview
Step 1 – Admitted we were powerless over food – that our lives had become unmanageable Christina’s version – Admitted we could not refrain from abusing food – food made our lives (or parts of it) unmanageable. Personalize it – Once I start abusing food, I can’t stop. If I stop, I can’t stop myself from […]
12 – Contempt Prior to Investigation
As you read my posts you will notice that I refer mainly to the book Alcoholics Anonymous (aka the Big Book). I know many have challenges with this book that was written almost 100 years ago. So why do I make this my primary resource for working the steps? The book is written for alcoholics […]
31 – Firm Ruthlessness
I believe one reason I have experienced recovery from compulsive eating is because I have always seen my addiction as a negative entity. Not a part of me that needs nurturing and gentle care. Please understand, as a person I need nurturing and care. My addiction does not. I once heard a speaker refer to […]