# Has anyone tried OA (overeaters anonymous)?



## Feathers (Sep 20, 2021)

I'm wondering if anyone here has had experience with OA (overeaters anonymous) and would be willing to share pros/cons?


----------



## rebrascora (Sep 20, 2021)

I can't comment on OA but what I can say is that cutting my carb intake stopped me craving too much food. Eating more fat stopped me feeling hungry and eating less carbs stopped the craving for carbs so Low Carb, Higher Fat way of eating enabled me to manage my diabetes better and curb my tendency to overeat. Increasing exercise also seems to reduce my craving for food, so all the things which improve my diabetes management, also improve my disordered/excessive eating.


----------



## Nayshiftin (Sep 27, 2021)

Hi, I tried it years back it actually should be that you are anonymous and what is said there stays there and although I will identify myself it should not be mentioned who goes or not. They follow the twelve steps that they also use for alcoholics, You enter and the group admits in a circle they are overeaters and maybe a little. The you have timed minutes to talk . There is topics too to go into like to help. You do not get feed back in the group people are not meant to mix outside the group and you can go to many. It was expensive and more so as none close to me and petrol cost. It dragged me down as a lot were anorexic or bulimic and there is no diet. They almost blame you and you have to admit its down to overeating and your fault which in my case I do not overeat to that extent. I did however have a day on the program I tried to be bulimic and hated myself so I left. I do not have bulimia and well I hope that gives you insight.  There is web sites and books you can buy. If it works for you use it. Everyone needs their individual thing.


----------



## Nayshiftin (Sep 27, 2021)

rebrascora said:


> I can't comment on OA but what I can say is that cutting my carb intake stopped me craving too much food. Eating more fat stopped me feeling hungry and eating less carbs stopped the craving for carbs so Low Carb, Higher Fat way of eating enabled me to manage my diabetes better and curb my tendency to overeat. Increasing exercise also seems to reduce my craving for food, so all the things which improve my diabetes management, also improve my disordered/excessive eating.


Did you use any specific laid out diet plan? I am just asking for to try for myself. I tend to do better if I can follow something and just tweak. I have found cutting everything out now just drops my blood sugar too low at times. But it was 9.6 this morning so I am guessing post breakfast it will be okayish. However I was hungry and have had two breakfasts this morning,


----------



## rebrascora (Sep 27, 2021)

Nayshiftin said:


> Did you use any specific laid out diet plan? I am just asking for to try for myself. I tend to do better if I can follow something and just tweak. I have found cutting everything out now just drops my blood sugar too low at times. But it was 9.6 this morning so I am guessing post breakfast it will be okayish. However I was hungry and have had two breakfasts this morning,


No I'm afraid I didn't follow any plan. I just modified things as I went along until I found what worked for me.
The key things that probably helped me was that I went cold turkey with the sweets and sugar straight away even before official diagnosis as soon as I figured out that my symptoms were likely diabetes. Then I spent another 6 weeks post diagnosis whittling the other carbs down to an absolute minimum. Then I started introducing more fat into my diet to make it sustainable and I made sure I always have plenty of low carb snacks/treats available to "hit" if I needed to comfort eat but gradually the craving just stopped and I love the control I have now over my eating (as well as enjoying my food) that I wouldn't go back to the other stuff. Yesterday my treats were a pot of olives with feta and a packet of pork scratchings

I currently have a large batch of chilli in the slow cooker which I will have with salad and coleslaw and a big roasting pan full of ratatouille which had a couple of rib eye steaks thrown on the top, both of which are going to get portioned up and frozen for the days when I can't be bothered to cook. These are two of my favourite meals and I don't miss the carb portions I would normally have had with them ie potatoes or rice.

Regular exercise (walking or running for me) definitely helps to curb the cravings for food too.

What amazes me is that I don't really find pleasure in a Yorkshire pudding or some chips anymore or even bread. It is just boring bulky white/beige stuff that carries other more tasty food.... and I used to love them, or at least I thought I did! I can eat these things because I use insulin but I choose not to unless it is a social occasion where it would create awkwardness. I make sensible choices in those situations but sometimes it upsets my system with bloating etc afterwards and I almost feel like I was conned (perhaps culturally) into thinking these things tasted good for all my life when they were mostly just filling my plate up and teaching or encouraging me to eat more than I needed.


----------



## Nayshiftin (Sep 27, 2021)

rebrascora said:


> No I'm afraid I didn't follow any plan. I just modified things as I went along until I found what worked for me.
> The key things that probably helped me was that I went cold turkey with the sweets and sugar straight away even before official diagnosis as soon as I figured out that my symptoms were likely diabetes. Then I spent another 6 weeks post diagnosis whittling the other carbs down to an absolute minimum. Then I started introducing more fat into my diet to make it sustainable and I made sure I always have plenty of low carb snacks/treats available to "hit" if I needed to comfort eat but gradually the craving just stopped and I love the control I have now over my eating (as well as enjoying my food) that I wouldn't go back to the other stuff. Yesterday my treats were a pot of olives with feta and a packet of pork scratchings
> 
> I currently have a large batch of chilli in the slow cooker which I will have with salad and coleslaw and a big roasting pan full of ratatouille which had a couple of rib eye steaks thrown on the top, both of which are going to get portioned up and frozen for the days when I can't be bothered to cook. These are two of my favourite meals and I don't miss the carb portions I would normally have had with them ie potatoes or rice.
> ...


I am delighted you are doing so  well.


----------



## rebrascora (Sep 27, 2021)

Nayshiftin said:


> I am delighted you are doing so  well.


Thanks. I just wish you were finding things less difficult.


----------



## AndBreathe (Sep 27, 2021)

Feathers said:


> I'm wondering if anyone here has had experience with OA (overeaters anonymous) and would be willing to share pros/cons?



Feathers, I haven't tried OA myself.   I don't know (and I'm absolutely NOT asking you disclose) the exact issue you have with food, probably, except that there could be a bit much of it in your life, but I have become rather interested recently in the work being done by Dr Jen Unwin and others relating to food addictions?  

She has recently published a book, call "Fork in the Road: A Hopeful Guide to Food Freedom".   I haven't got around to eating it yet, but I have encountered Drs Unwin in the past.  She is a clinical psychologist and he a game-changing GP, interested in diabetes - particularly T2, so they have the formal as well as experience-based crededntials to talk about this topic.

All profits from Jen's book go to the Public Health Collaboration.  They are ".... A UK registered charity dedicated to informing and implementing healthy decisions for better public health....."






						About – Public Health Collaboration
					






					phcuk.org
				




I have no vested interest in the book, or the PHC, other hand a deep respect for Jen and David and the ethos of the PHC.  They have a decent YouTube channel if you are looking to while some time away.

I'm sorry I can't offer you anything specific for OA, but I hope you find your comfortable place with food sometimes soon.  As someone who lived with an eating disorder for some years, I do appreciate it's not a happy place to be.


----------



## Feathers (Sep 27, 2021)

Thanks @AndBreathe I'll take a look at the book! 
I don't mind being fairly open - I'm an emotional eater and occasionally my behaviour probably qualifies as binge eating. I've carbed my way through many years of patchy mental health, and now here I am.

On a lighter note, this freudian slip in your post made me lol: "I haven't got around to eating it yet"


----------



## silentsquirrel (Sep 27, 2021)

AndBreathe said:


> Feathers, I haven't tried OA myself.   I don't know (and I'm absolutely NOT asking you disclose) the exact issue you have with food, probably, except that there could be a bit much of it in your life, but I have become rather interested recently in the work being done by Dr Jen Unwin and others relating to food addictions?
> 
> She has recently published a book, call "Fork in the Road: A Hopeful Guide to Food Freedom".   I haven't got around to eating it yet, but I have encountered Drs Unwin in the past.  She is a clinical psychologist and he a game-changing GP, interested in diabetes - particularly T2, so they have the formal as well as experience-based crededntials to talk about this topic.
> 
> ...


I hope that's a Freudian slip, eating books would definitely be an eating disorder!


----------



## silentsquirrel (Sep 27, 2021)

Feathers said:


> Thanks @AndBreathe I'll take a look at the book!
> I don't mind being fairly open - I'm an emotional eater and occasionally my behaviour probably qualifies as binge eating. I've carbed my way through many years of patchy mental health, and now here I am.
> 
> On a lighter note, this freudian slip in your post made me lol: "I haven't got around to eating it yet"


great minds .....


----------



## Nayshiftin (Sep 27, 2021)

Laughter is a good medicine. I believe it is a form of addiction similiar to alcohol but not as unpleasant. O the other hand we get all things put our way which I find make us eat more. Like every holiday is about food . Presents are good too as is perhaps most of our day . Food is a huge issue for me . Once I eat something I want more


----------



## Nayshiftin (Sep 27, 2021)

Go into your profile and change account detail setting . https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/misc/contact   there is a link to your profile there hope this helps


----------



## AndBreathe (Sep 27, 2021)

Feathers said:


> Thanks @AndBreathe I'll take a look at the book!
> I don't mind being fairly open - I'm an emotional eater and occasionally my behaviour probably qualifies as binge eating. I've carbed my way through many years of patchy mental health, and now here I am.
> 
> On a lighter note, this freudian slip in your post made me lol: "I haven't got around to eating it yet"


Whooops a daisy.  Not that my stomach rules me, or anything,...........................


----------

