Comment
Print
Journeys are easier, more exiting and more productive when they are shared. Between computers, smart phones, apps and the public library, tools to guide us along our never ending Journey are unlimited.
I am most grateful for the knowledge I gained from Overeaters Anonymous. This program is based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of AA. There I learned that it is not just about the weight loss, maintenance, weight gain or obesity. In order to conquer the weight, the emotional and spiritual well-being had to be address first. OA is not a religious organization but just like AA, it is based on believing a power greater then yourself in order to restore you to sanity.
Restore you to sanity. When I attended my first OA meeting, these were the words that made me feel at home. I guess you can say they were my first mantra. Food obsession is a character disorder. It is not a disease; it is a condition, and quite a horrid one at that. Food is fuel. That's it. But in my life it is the alpha and omega and life is either too busy or too short to put that much priority on fuel.
I have learned a great deal about myself and my higher power. God is MY higher power. I am proud to share this with you. Although I was raised in the Catholic Church I can truly say my relationship with God didn’t become healthy and loving until I saw him through the eyes of recovery. I knew he was always there but I needed his guidance in my quest. To this day, I carry the great knowledge the program gave me and try to live the twelve steps as well.
You may ask why I no longer participate in something I know is good for me? A twelve step program takes a great deal of honesty with your self and that can be exhausting. Being human I am grandiose and believe I can do it on my own. But it’s harder than it should be, so I needed something I am willing to do, to continue my Journey, share my knowledge and reach my goal.
OA is on line, and I can go there for mental and spiritual help. There are many great programs on line that can help in every facet of your Journey.
A reader told me about a wonderful site which I am very excited to start using. You enter your food and not only does it tell you calories, carbs, fat, protein, sodium and sugar, it tracks it for you. You tell the site what your exercise plan is, and it tells you the amount of calories you burn. The site has a community page and message board. There are reports to break down your meals and calories for the day. In conjunction with your exercise plan, enter what you ate and it will tell you what you burned. Should you not like the direction you are going, you simply modify your plan. The best thing is, it is a free site. So thank you kind reader for giving me a new and exciting tool of which I am sharing with those on their own Journey. http://www.myfitnesspal.com
Affirmation: The weather is beautiful and so am I.
Martha T. Soto-Galicia is a longtime dieter and motivational speaker, and president of The Lebanon Voice. She lives in Lebanon.
All material on this site is copyright protected under penalty of federal law