12 Steps to Overcome Eating Addiction?

As y'all know, I am addicted to food.  I know it is an addiction, and I am determined to work my way through it.  I have decided to carefully work on a 12 step program.  Would you like to work with me? I am good with steps 1,2 and 3.  The moral inventory part has me stumped, and the honesty of it really hurts. Step 5 I have done, but step 6? If I were really ready for God to remove this addiction, wouldn't it happen? How about you?

The 12 Steps

Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all Step 9 - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

Marilyn,

Step 6 had me stumped for a long time.  Finally my sponsor told me I didn't have to let go of all of my defects at once, just try one.  Then she said when I was sick and tired of another defect to let it go.  Well I was certainly tired of being fat so I decided to TRY and let God have my desire for food.  I think being entirely ready only means you are tired of doing it on your own and are ready for some help.  It's like everything else I give to God:  (1) give it to him (2) take it back (3) give it to him (4) take it back, etc.  God  understands our weaknesses, but he won't help us unless we ask.

I think Steps 6 & 7 go together.  When I have taken back one of my defects then I have to humbly ask him to step in again!

Just wait until to get to Steps 8 & 9.  Now those are real doozes!!

I have heard people in 12 Step programs say "I've worked through all 12 steps, but each morning I have to get up and go through the first 3 again.  That's the only way I can get through the day."  Remembering that has helped me a lot.  Also remember that you can re-start the 24 hour clock any time.  So if you mess up at 1:00pm just say "I'm starting my 24 hours over from right now."  Some how thinking I only have to do something for 4 hours is a lot easier then forever!

Hope this helps.

B

Hey Marilyn,
Another thing that helped me through this process of giving up food was the Weigh Down Workshop...by Gwen Shamblen...she has a good book out that is called Rise Above...it goes through the 12 steps as it is specific to food...I have one that I just let one of my other buddies borrow...I will let you have it next if you would like...
Looking forward to seeing you in Feb!

Betsy,
Hey, I love Gwen Shamblin!  You know she was actually my Nutrition professor at Memphis State University WAYYY back when it was still MSU instead of U of M?  Not that it did me any good, I guess I didn't listen.  Anyway, I would love to have the book next!

Marilyn,
It is yours next...sorry so long for the reply...I have not been over here on OH since discovering Facebook...I am "addicted" to it...it is so much fun and have found friends from nursing school that I have not spoken to in over 20 years...
Hope you enjoyed the snow today!! We did!!