Getting Started in OA
Select Step Tabs on left to get Started
- Step One – Answer our 15 Questions for being a Compulsive Eater.
- Step Two – What exactly is an OA meeting like?
- Step Three – Introduction to the 12 Steps of OA
- Step Four – Temporary Sponsors: Newcomers’ First Twelve Days
- Step Five – Download our local meeting List to find a meeting near you.
- Do I eat when I’m not hungry, or not eat when my body needs nourishment?
- Do I go on eating binges for no apparent reason, sometimes eating until I’m stuffed or even feel sick?
- Do I have feelings of guilt, shame, or embarrassment about my weight or the way I eat?
- Do I eat sensibly in front of others and then make up for it when I am alone?
- Is my eating affecting my health or the way I live my life?
- When my emotions are intense—whether positive or negative—do I find myself reaching for food?
- Do my eating behaviors make me or others unhappy?
- Have I ever used laxatives, vomiting, diuretics, excessive exercise, diet pills, shots, or other medical interventions (including surgery) to try to control my weight?
- Do I fast or severely restrict my food intake to control my weight?
- Do I fantasize about how much better life would be if I were a different size or weight?
- Do I need to chew or have something in my mouth all the time: food, gum, mints, candies, or beverages?
- Have I ever eaten food that is burned, frozen, or spoiled; from containers in the grocery store; or out of the garbage?
- Are there certain foods I can’t stop eating after having the first bite?
- Have I lost weight with a diet or “period of control” only to be followed by bouts of uncontrolled eating and/or weight gain?
- Do I spend too much time thinking about food, arguing with myself about whether or what to eat, planning the next diet or exercise cure, or counting calories?
First of all: deep breath. There’s nothing to be nervous about. You will be welcome. You’ll find you are not alone anymore. Everyone at the meeting knows where you’re coming from about food. Here’s what happens at a typical meeting, but all meetings are a little different.
Once you’ve found a meeting that you want to check out, you show up. Set aside an hour for your meeting. Consider this “you” time. You’ll meet others like you with a simple first name introduction and be genuinely welcomed. Get yourself settled with the group to enjoy various readings, members sharing their journeys, and learning more about OA. Participate as much or as little as you want. You are welcome to share but you don’t have to. If you have questions, you can talk with individual members after the meeting. Congratulations—you completed your first meeting!
But, wait. What about the weigh-in? What about paying a membership fee? There’s none of that. When people become members, they often voluntarily contribute, but it’s never required. We promise.
So, to recap, at OA there’s …
- No weigh-in
- No membership fee
- No judgment
- No religion (we’re a spiritual group)
- A safe place for everyone (all genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, sizes)
- A program that works
- Hope
…and there are people who will understand
To find the meeting that works for you we suggest you try a variety.
“In OA we have no program of diets and exercise, no scales, no magic pills. What we do have to offer is far greater than any of these things—a Fellowship in which we find and share the healing power of love. Our common bonds are two: the disease of compulsive eating from which we all have suffered, and the solution that we all are finding as we live by the Principles embodied in these Steps. Since our program is based on the Twelve Steps, we would like to offer here a study of those Steps, sharing how we follow them to recover from compulsive eating. We hope in this way to provide help for those who still suffer from our disease.
“If you think you may be a compulsive eater, give yourself a chance for recovery by trying the OA program. Our way of life, based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, has brought us physical, emotional, and spiritual healing that we don’t hesitate to call miraculous. What works for us will work for you too.”
—Excerpted from The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous,
Second Edition, p. 1, © 2018 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc.
What is the purpose of the First Twelve Days in OA?
- To help newcomers, returning OA members, and other members learn about the OA Twelve Step recovery program by using this personal, short-term introduction to Overeaters Anonymous.
- To help sponsees learn how the OA recovery program might help them to stop hurting themselves with food.
- To help members who may be ready to sponsor but are reluctant to do so. This is an opportunity for a member to help a newcomer in a very structured way and to experience what it might be like to be a regular sponsor.
This program takes place during twelve sessions, which may or may not occur in twelve consecutive days. For instance, you may want to schedule calls on weekdays only. You also may want to look ahead at the sessions, and if you are uncertain about how to discuss any of the topics with the sponsee, you may want to ask your sponsor or another OA member for ideas.
During your calls, share the experience, strength, and hope you have because of the solution offered by working the Twelve Steps of OA. Without dominating the conversation and without judging the sponsee, share just enough to draw them out, answer their questions, and encourage their unique process of discovery and recovery.
Books that are not OA-approved, as well as diets and other programs, are outside issues.
Remember, it is not your responsibility to force someone to be abstinent (nor is it possible). The journey of the sponsee is between that person and their Higher Power. A sponsor is there for support.
Newcomers’ First Twelve Days: Instructions
The readings for this program are from the pamphlet Where Do I Start? Everything a Newcomer Needs to Know (#705 pamphlet or web page at oa.org/start). Both the sponsor and the sponsee should have a copy of this pamphlet. Page numbers in the table below refer to the #705 pamphlet.
| Day | Subject and Reading for Sponsee | Discussion Question(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fifteen Questions Read “Dear Newcomer” through “You Are Not Alone,” on pages 1–3. | Ask and Discuss: Review the Fifteen Questions on pages 1–2. Ask your sponsee to circle the questions they relate to. Discuss their responses. Stress to your sponsee the importance of working the Steps as a vital part of a lasting recovery. |
| 2 | Requirements Read “What are the requirements for OA membership?” on page 23. Next, read pages 24–25, starting with “Who runs OA?” through “What are the Twelve Traditions?” | Ask and Discuss: What led your sponsee to OA? What does/do “eating compulsively” and/or “compulsive food behaviors” mean to the sponsee? Does your sponsee have a desire to stop? Discuss. Listen to your sponsee’s concerns about OA. Discuss. |
| 3 | Symptoms Read “Many Symptoms, One Solution” on pages 4–5, then “Welcome Home” on pages 28–30. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about symptoms they have experienced. How early did these symptoms start? Discuss. |
| 4 | Abstinence Read “Abstinence—Our Primary Purpose,”1, 2 “The Tools of Recovery,” and “A Plan of Eating” on page 5. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about which compulsive eating or compulsive food behaviors concern them the most. Discuss. |
| 5 | Meetings Read “Meetings” on page 6, then “How much does OA membership cost?” and “How does OA support itself?” on pages 23–24. | Ask and Discuss: Suggest that your sponsee make a plan to attend six meetings. This can include face-to-face, phone, or online meetings. |
| 6 | OA Fellowship Read “Can I stop eating compulsively on my own just through reading OA literature?” on pages 22–23. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about their feelings concerning receiving help from other members in OA. Discuss. Suggest that they start contacting members listed on the Where Do I Start?pamphlet provided or their meeting’s contact list. |
| 7 | Action Plan and Other Tools Read “Telephone,” “Writing,” “Literature,” and “Action Plan” on page 6. | Ask and Discuss: Help your sponsee draft an action plan for the next several days that will help support their recovery. Discuss. |
| 8 | Draft a Food Plan Read “Disclaimer” on pages 30–31 and “Please Note” on pages 12–13, then pages 7–18, starting with “Further Information: A Plan of Eating” through “Structure and Sanity.” | Ask and Discuss: Suggest to your sponsee that, together, you draft an initial food plan that will support them. Discuss, and be sure to tell your sponsee that no sponsor is acting in the capacity of a health care professional. |
| 9 | Anonymity Read “Anonymity” on pages 6–7, then “Why does OA place such emphasis upon ‘anonymity’?” on page 26. | Ask and Discuss: Discuss the concept of “anonymity.” Discuss the meaning of “humility.” |
| 10 | Are You Convinced? Read “What is compulsive eating?” through “Can’t a compulsive overeater just use willpower to stop excessive eating?” on pages 19–21. | Ask and Discuss: Now that your sponsee has been introduced to the OA program and has taken some actions, does your sponsee now consider themself to be a compulsive eater? Ask them to write their thoughts and feelings on this subject. Discuss. |
| 11 | Higher Power Read “What is meant by ‘a Power greater than ourselves’?” through “Is OA a religious society?” on pages 21–22. Then, read “Structure and Sanity” on page 18. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about their understanding of a Higher Power. If they struggle with the concept of a Higher Power, are they open to the idea that a Higher Power can simply be the OA meeting group? Has their food history been characterized by their own willpower going out of control? Might the concept of connecting with a Power greater than oneself help their recovery? Discuss. |
| 12 | What’s Next? Read “Service” on page 7, then “Sponsorship” on page 5. Lastly, read “Conclusion” on pages 18–19. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about their experience of their first twelve days in OA and discuss. Review their action plan for how they will move forward.3 |
1 Overeaters Anonymous accepts the following definitions of abstinence and recovery: Abstinence is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight. Spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery is the result of living and working the Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Step program on a daily basis.
2 In the context of OA members’ individual abstinences, “Our Primary Purpose” references the primary purpose of each OA member, which is found in the OA Preamble: “Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer.” In contrast, Tradition Five is about an OA group’s primary purpose and states: “Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers.”
3 Upon the conclusion of the twelfth session, you will want to offer either to continue as the individual’s regular sponsor or assist this person in finding such a sponsor.
Remember
In Overeaters Anonymous, there is hope and help. Together we can recover! If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please email info@oa.org.
Find and download Temporary Sponsors: Newcomers’ First Twelve Days in the Document Library at oa.org.
Taken from oa.org
Congratulations- you’re on your way to recovery!
Take the Overeaters Anonymous Fifteen Question Test
- Do I eat when I’m not hungry, or not eat when my body needs nourishment?
- Do I go on eating binges for no apparent reason, sometimes eating until I’m stuffed or even feel sick?
- Do I have feelings of guilt, shame, or embarrassment about my weight or the way I eat?
- Do I eat sensibly in front of others and then make up for it when I am alone?
- Is my eating affecting my health or the way I live my life?
- When my emotions are intense—whether positive or negative—do I find myself reaching for food?
- Do my eating behaviors make me or others unhappy?
- Have I ever used laxatives, vomiting, diuretics, excessive exercise, diet pills, shots, or other medical interventions (including surgery) to try to control my weight?
- Do I fast or severely restrict my food intake to control my weight?
- Do I fantasize about how much better life would be if I were a different size or weight?
- Do I need to chew or have something in my mouth all the time: food, gum, mints, candies, or beverages?
- Have I ever eaten food that is burned, frozen, or spoiled; from containers in the grocery store; or out of the garbage?
- Are there certain foods I can’t stop eating after having the first bite?
- Have I lost weight with a diet or “period of control” only to be followed by bouts of uncontrolled eating and/or weight gain?
- Do I spend too much time thinking about food, arguing with myself about whether or what to eat, planning the next diet or exercise cure, or counting calories?
Have you answered “yes” to several of these questions? If so, it is possible that you have, or are well on your way to having, a compulsive eating or overeating problem. Your next step is to go to the Overeaters Anonymous website, oa.org, and Find a Meeting. Scan the QR code or visit oa.org/quiz and find out how we can help.OA Board-approved. Reprinted from Fifteen Questions © 1986 … 2012 by Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. Rev. 3/24. Overeaters Anonymous®, Inc.
What exactly is an OA Meeting Like?
First of all: deep breath. There’s nothing to be nervous about. You will be welcome. You’ll find you are not alone anymore. Everyone at the meeting knows where you’re coming from about food. Here’s what happens at a typical meeting, but all meetings are a little different.
But, wait. What about the weigh-in? What about paying a membership fee? There’s none of that. When people become members, they often voluntarily contribute, but it’s never required. We promise.
- No weigh-in
- No membership fee
- No judgment
- No religion (we’re a spiritual group)
- A safe place for everyone (all genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, sizes)
- A program that works
- Hope
…and there are people who will understand
To find the meeting that works for you we suggest you try a variety.
“We of Overeaters Anonymous have found in this Fellowship a way to recover from the disease of compulsive overeating. We use ‘compulsive overeating’ and ‘compulsive eating’ interchangeably. These terms include, but are not limited to, overeating, under-eating, food addiction, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, overexercising, purging, and other compulsive food behaviors. No matter what form our disease takes, anyone having a problem with food can find help in Overeaters Anonymous. After repeated failures to control our eating and our weight, we now have a solution that works. Our solution is a program of recovery—a program of Twelve simple Steps. By following these Steps, thousands of OA members have stopped eating compulsively.
“In OA we have no program of diets and exercise, no scales, no magic pills. What we do have to offer is far greater than any of these things—a Fellowship in which we find and share the healing power of love. Our common bonds are two: the disease of compulsive eating from which we all have suffered, and the solution that we all are finding as we live by the Principles embodied in these Steps. Since our program is based on the Twelve Steps, we would like to offer here a study of those Steps, sharing how we follow them to recover from compulsive eating. We hope in this way to provide help for those who still suffer from our disease.
“If you think you may be a compulsive eater, give yourself a chance for recovery by trying the OA program. Our way of life, based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, has brought us physical, emotional, and spiritual healing that we don’t hesitate to call miraculous. What works for us will work for you too.”
—Excerpted from The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous,
Second Edition, p. 1, © 2018 Overeaters Anonymous, Inc.
What is the purpose of the First Twelve Days in OA?
- To help newcomers, returning OA members, and other members learn about the OA Twelve Step recovery program by using this personal, short-term introduction to Overeaters Anonymous.
- To help sponsees learn how the OA recovery program might help them to stop hurting themselves with food.
- To help members who may be ready to sponsor but are reluctant to do so. This is an opportunity for a member to help a newcomer in a very structured way and to experience what it might be like to be a regular sponsor.
This program takes place during twelve sessions, which may or may not occur in twelve consecutive days. For instance, you may want to schedule calls on weekdays only. You also may want to look ahead at the sessions, and if you are uncertain about how to discuss any of the topics with the sponsee, you may want to ask your sponsor or another OA member for ideas.
During your calls, share the experience, strength, and hope you have because of the solution offered by working the Twelve Steps of OA. Without dominating the conversation and without judging the sponsee, share just enough to draw them out, answer their questions, and encourage their unique process of discovery and recovery.
Books that are not OA-approved, as well as diets and other programs, are outside issues.
Remember, it is not your responsibility to force someone to be abstinent (nor is it possible). The journey of the sponsee is between that person and their Higher Power. A sponsor is there for support.
Newcomers’ First Twelve Days: Instructions
The readings for this program are from the pamphlet Where Do I Start? Everything a Newcomer Needs to Know (#705 pamphlet or web page at oa.org/start). Both the sponsor and the sponsee should have a copy of this pamphlet. Page numbers in the table below refer to the #705 pamphlet.
| Day | Subject and Reading for Sponsee | Discussion Question(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fifteen Questions Read “Dear Newcomer” through “You Are Not Alone,” on pages 1–3. | Ask and Discuss: Review the Fifteen Questions on pages 1–2. Ask your sponsee to circle the questions they relate to. Discuss their responses. Stress to your sponsee the importance of working the Steps as a vital part of a lasting recovery. |
| 2 | Requirements Read “What are the requirements for OA membership?” on page 23. Next, read pages 24–25, starting with “Who runs OA?” through “What are the Twelve Traditions?” | Ask and Discuss: What led your sponsee to OA? What does/do “eating compulsively” and/or “compulsive food behaviors” mean to the sponsee? Does your sponsee have a desire to stop? Discuss. Listen to your sponsee’s concerns about OA. Discuss. |
| 3 | Symptoms Read “Many Symptoms, One Solution” on pages 4–5, then “Welcome Home” on pages 28–30. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about symptoms they have experienced. How early did these symptoms start? Discuss. |
| 4 | Abstinence Read “Abstinence—Our Primary Purpose,”1, 2 “The Tools of Recovery,” and “A Plan of Eating” on page 5. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about which compulsive eating or compulsive food behaviors concern them the most. Discuss. |
| 5 | Meetings Read “Meetings” on page 6, then “How much does OA membership cost?” and “How does OA support itself?” on pages 23–24. | Ask and Discuss: Suggest that your sponsee make a plan to attend six meetings. This can include face-to-face, phone, or online meetings. |
| 6 | OA Fellowship Read “Can I stop eating compulsively on my own just through reading OA literature?” on pages 22–23. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about their feelings concerning receiving help from other members in OA. Discuss. Suggest that they start contacting members listed on the Where Do I Start?pamphlet provided or their meeting’s contact list. |
| 7 | Action Plan and Other Tools Read “Telephone,” “Writing,” “Literature,” and “Action Plan” on page 6. | Ask and Discuss: Help your sponsee draft an action plan for the next several days that will help support their recovery. Discuss. |
| 8 | Draft a Food Plan Read “Disclaimer” on pages 30–31 and “Please Note” on pages 12–13, then pages 7–18, starting with “Further Information: A Plan of Eating” through “Structure and Sanity.” | Ask and Discuss: Suggest to your sponsee that, together, you draft an initial food plan that will support them. Discuss, and be sure to tell your sponsee that no sponsor is acting in the capacity of a health care professional. |
| 9 | Anonymity Read “Anonymity” on pages 6–7, then “Why does OA place such emphasis upon ‘anonymity’?” on page 26. | Ask and Discuss: Discuss the concept of “anonymity.” Discuss the meaning of “humility.” |
| 10 | Are You Convinced? Read “What is compulsive eating?” through “Can’t a compulsive overeater just use willpower to stop excessive eating?” on pages 19–21. | Ask and Discuss: Now that your sponsee has been introduced to the OA program and has taken some actions, does your sponsee now consider themself to be a compulsive eater? Ask them to write their thoughts and feelings on this subject. Discuss. |
| 11 | Higher Power Read “What is meant by ‘a Power greater than ourselves’?” through “Is OA a religious society?” on pages 21–22. Then, read “Structure and Sanity” on page 18. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about their understanding of a Higher Power. If they struggle with the concept of a Higher Power, are they open to the idea that a Higher Power can simply be the OA meeting group? Has their food history been characterized by their own willpower going out of control? Might the concept of connecting with a Power greater than oneself help their recovery? Discuss. |
| 12 | What’s Next? Read “Service” on page 7, then “Sponsorship” on page 5. Lastly, read “Conclusion” on pages 18–19. | Ask and Discuss: Ask your sponsee to write about their experience of their first twelve days in OA and discuss. Review their action plan for how they will move forward.3 |
1 Overeaters Anonymous accepts the following definitions of abstinence and recovery: Abstinence is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight. Spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery is the result of living and working the Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Step program on a daily basis.
2 In the context of OA members’ individual abstinences, “Our Primary Purpose” references the primary purpose of each OA member, which is found in the OA Preamble: “Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer.” In contrast, Tradition Five is about an OA group’s primary purpose and states: “Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers.”
3 Upon the conclusion of the twelfth session, you will want to offer either to continue as the individual’s regular sponsor or assist this person in finding such a sponsor.
Remember
In Overeaters Anonymous, there is hope and help. Together we can recover! If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please email info@oa.org.
Find and download Temporary Sponsors: Newcomers’ First Twelve Days in the Document Library at oa.org.
Taken from oa.org