We admitted we were powerless over food – that our lives had become unmanageable.
–Step One of Overeaters Anonymous
As we enter a new year many of us like to turn over a new leaf and start our lives afresh. For those of us who are recovering from an eating disorder it’s a good time to recommit ourselves to abstinence from compulsive eating. And for people who haven’t yet begun recovery but want to, this is an appropriate time to start.
Whether or not we are in a self-help group for compulsive eaters, the first step of Overeaters Anonymous is useful as a starting point for anyone who is addicted to food. Admitting powerlessness over anything is scary because we want to believe that self-control and willpower are the solution, particularly with our food problem. But deep down we know that controlled eating of our binge foods hasn’t worked for us in the past.
If you still aren’t sure about your powerlessness over food, ask yourself about the manageability of your life. Are you honest, happy and living the way you want to live, or does bingeing make this impossible? Do you spend too much time obsessing about food and its effects on you? You have the choice to stay stuck in a life where you repeatedly get in the way of your own happiness, or you have the ability to acknowledge powerlessness over behavior that brings you misery, and thus start on the road to a healthy life.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I choose to live a manageable life today.
