One of the things that got crowded out when life got busy was Overeaters Anonymous, OA, where I'd been going for about a month prior to getting so crazy-busy.
I stopped going to OA for a few weeks, not because I don't like or believe in the program but because I chose to do other things on my Saturday morning -- hang out with friends doing scheduled stuff, Zumba, relax. All of these things are perfectly justifiable, especially as self-care when life is pressing on me from all directions and I need to be particularly careful about my mental health. I do not feel badly about doing any of them.
However, as a result of my absence from the OA program I've realized that -- for me -- OA is going to be something that at the very least will be an ongoing part of my life for the next season. Maybe forever. It is a huge piece in helping me stay sane as far as food is concerned.
I feel like people at OA get me. I love that OA reminds me that I'm not alone in my stuggles with food -- there are not only other people, but most importantly God will and wants to help me with my food. This past weekend, I went to several OA phone meetings (they're free!) and I felt supported and validated and, best of all, that I let go of the compulsions about food. It was fantastic, and I had a great day of eating and activity.
Giving my food and my will about food is something that I'm realizing I must do everyday. It is not a switch that gets flipped; rather it's something like exercise that you must do regularly to derive all the benefits. I am learning this, and learning that I cannot be trusted with food in my own strength is something that is simultaneously very very difficult and humbling to do, yet oddly liberating at the same time.
Good to see a post from you. Have missed reading your writings.
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