New to this forum

 Thank you all for honestly sharing with me your comments.  I will visit the sites recommended and will continue to visit this forum.  Thanks for welcoming me. Too Puffed, Puff to Buff

I am currently in the OA 12-step program.  I have lost 11-1/2 pounds since February, and I found it's the only way to keep me on track with my food.  When I came to OA on February 13, 2006, I was failing at Weigh****chers, and I found by working the Twelve Steps I have achieved what they call Abstinence, or not compulsively overeating.  I was failing at Weigh****chers because I was cheating all the time on my food plan, and constantly deviating.  As a result, I was gaining and losing the same pounds over and over, and getting very discouraged.  Today, I have achieved 70 days of abstinence so far, which is being on a diabetic food plan with 1600 calories a day, eating three meals a day with nothing in between. I considered WLS, but was afraid of the long term affects, and also of what I'd have to go through to lose on it once I'd had the surgery.  By the time I got through hemming and hawing, my insurance had changed, and the new insurance wouldn't pay for WLS.  So I'm doing it the long slow way, but I'm alot happier as a result.  As far as the Higher Power, I feel mine helped me get this far.  You can have any kind of Higher Power you want, and some people start with using the OA group as their first Higher Power.  My HP is nonjudmental, loves me dearly, and wants me to become a thin, healthy person, one day at a time.  I wanted WLS originally because you lost weight so fast on it.  Now I've learned not to be in a hurry. I hope I've answered some of your questions about OA. Denise Phares

Oh my story. Hmm. Let's see, I have never been small. When I was in high school I was a size 12 and I am happy at a size 12. I like being kind of "thick" Kind of like Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce. Anyways I am an athlete, well I was even though I am still athletic. Anyways my mother was diagnosed with Brest Cancer my senior year of high school and I just kind of went down hill from there. Ate ALL the time. And from senior year to now I had put on 100 pounds in 3 and a half years. I tried the diet pills I tried not eating at all. Then back in March I went to Medical Weight Loss Clinic, they put me on this plan of theirs but that wasn't working either and the girls that worked there just weren't very supportive. Basically...I wasted ALOT of money for nothing. But now I either go to the gym or I walk every night, and I eat all low fat, fat free, low carb, low calorie....anything diet. I only drink water and Crystal Light. Sometimes when I'm out I have diet pop. I try and keep my calories under 1500. And well I'll be damned....it works. It comes off. Oh and the whole surgery thing I can't afford any of that and I just want to do it myself, and work for it, not saying having surgery you don't work for it because I know you still have to. But surgery is scary too. So not for me. Good luck with everything!! And welcome to the board! ---Christa

 Welcome, we're glad you are here.  Whatever you dcide or your insurance company decides for you, keep coming here for great support.