Recovery Talk

I am a compulsive over eater. It really took off when I stopped drinking (cross addiction). I am 5'7" and for many years weighed 160 pounds. After I stopped drinking, I went up to 170. Then about 2 years into sobriety I ballooned up to 207 pounds. I was grossly overweight. I checked with the doctors and they did testing to see why this happened so quickly. It seemed to happen over a month.
Then I began working out and watching my diet. Still nothing. I started a new job and it involved strenuous work. I dropped to 195.
When I moved back to Iowa I was at 195. I began praying for relief of my weight problem. I turned the results over to God. I prayed daily to keep me in check and help me with this issue and show me the actions I needed to take. Then, as my spritual life began to get better, the weight started dropping off. I realized at my high point that i was no longer eating anything and everything, in excess. I was relieved of the compulsive part and the overeating part. I could stop after I started. That following summer I realized I had lost some weight as I had been tracking it as well as my measurements. I stuck to a diet that was high in protein, had 2 eggs for breakfast daily and drank a fitness water throught out the day.
After a year and a half, i was trying on some clothes to attend an AA function. I was already full of gratitude for the way life was going, and somewhat teary eyed. Then the miracle hit me. A shirt that had not fit me for over 4 years fit me again. THen I tried on my suit, it fit as well. I started crying uncontollably, tears of gratitude.
I started checking my weight and measurements. I was down to 155 pounds. I had lost 7 inches off my belly, 3-4 off my waist and hips, and at least an inch just about everywhere else.
Since then I have crept back up to 160-165 pounds. But the most important thing I learned was that I have an eating disorder.Without God's help much the same as alcoholism I could and can not do it alone. I need him to help me and take control over it. And he did and continues to do so. When my life seems to be not going so well, I eat, where as before I used to drink. And at times when I ate, I would eat to overfull. Donuts, cookies and sweets are my downfall. I really have to watch them. I have to recoil from them like a hot flame as the Big Book tells us. I know that if I don't start eating the sweet things that make me feel better, and I turn to God to feel better, I can stay fit. I can stay healthy, and fill up on healthy things to eat, not to mention that the comfort I am seeking will come to me through God; and it is better.
Once again, I can't, God can, if I seek him first.... The twelve steps work on EVERY area of my life. If I follow God and do His work, things happen.
John

Interesting topic.  I too believe that I am an overeater.  I have just recently discovered that I may have a problem.  Instead of just eating until I'm comfortable, I eat until I am way too full.  Unfortunately, I think it is just something I kinda grew up with.  I have a step-mother who is way overweight and her eating habits naturally got p%%%%ed down to the rest of us.  It was always, "you better clean up your plates" & "you better finish that".  I would watch her take mouthfuls that were about 2 - 3 times as big as a normal bite.    I now see it in me.  I am a man that should probably wiegh about 170 - 175 optimally and I weigh about 200.  I would say I'm at least 20 lbs overwieght.  It shows up on me like a tire around my midwaist.  Just recently in church I heard the pastor saying something about being careful about how much you eat or you will just balloon up.  Instead of doing that you need to use a little common sense and say ok, I've had enough to sustain me and I'm not going to eat anymore.  I have been doing that lately and it seems to be helping.  I have dropped a couple lbs. so far and have been doing situps every day too.  I too am making it more of a spiritual thing and leaning on God for help.  And also committing to Him to be a good steward of my body...  I have been feeling better about myself too.  Not only that, but it sure feels good not to be stuffed full after every single meal!!!  I'll keep you posted on how it's going.. 

Well I have'nt been doing too bad.  I'm not stopping eating as soon as I would like to!  But I am not overstuffing myself either.  I have still been doing my situps everyday and next monday I will start jogging with a friend..  No weight loss yet..  But I do feel better.  I feel like my stomach is getting flatter with the situps.  And it feels great!  I'll keep you posted..

Corey

I am doing quite well in this area in my opinion. I was able to get myself right again and not craving donuts and other sweets as much these past few days or week.
I think it is great that you are stopping yourself just short of being full. That helped me alot in the beginning, and was the hardest thing to discipline myself (God helps here alot). I would eat small amounts through out the day, and that helps. They are saying now that one should eat 3 meals per day, and 3 snacks per day to help keep your insulin in shape and also ward off cravings that lead to excessive eating. FYI
John