A Commitment to Abstinence

The following is excerpted from the WSO pamphlet

A Commitment to Abstinence

Recovery is the result of living the Overeaters Anonymous twelve-step program. Many of us have come to believe that committing ourselves to abstinence on a daily basis is essential to our recovery.

What is abstinence?
What is commitment?
How do we help ourselves keep this commitment?
Some actions that help promote personal abstinence
Does keeping a commitment to abstinence seem too much for you?

What is abstinence?

According to the dictionary, the word abstain means "to refrain from." Abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous is the action of refraining from compulsive eating.

Commitment means to entrust, to put into safekeeping, to pledge oneself to a particular course. Hasn't this been our greatest problem: truly committing ourselves to refraining from compulsive eating on an ongoing basis? Full of determination, we are great in the short run; but when the "everydayness" begins to set in, we lose interest. For most people, especially compulsive overeaters, a diet is something temporary - one goes on it and then one goes off it. In Overeaters Anonymous we believe in abstaining from compulsive eating every day, one day at a time.

Each individual is free to determine his or her own way of achieving abstinence according to personal needs and preferences. Abstaining from compulsive eating, unlike dieting, has a sense of permanence about it. Unlike our dieting days we abstain only one day at a time, not worrying about any ensuing results. Each new day we recommit to our personal plan of abstinence, without thinking about tomorrow, next month, or next year.

How do we help ourselves keep this commitment?

We strive to:
Entrust ourselves and our abstinence to a Power greater than ourselves every day. All we need to do is to make the commitment.

Cultivate continued acceptance of the fact that our choice is between uncontrollable compulsive eating and doing without that not compulsive bite.

Cultivate humble gratitude for having discovered that we were compulsive overeaters, and that we found OA when we did.

Accept as natural that for a period of time -- and it can be a long one -- we may repeatedly experience:

A conscious nagging and craving for excess and/or inappropriate food.
The sudden, overwhelming impulse to eat compulsively or to take that first cornpulsive bite.
The gnawing desire for the soothing comfort that just a bite or two of food once gave us.

Avoid cultivating or dwelling on thoughts about any real or imagined pleasure once derived from certain foods, and avoid talking about them.

Stop kidding ourselves that a bite or two would make some bad situation better or easier to live with. By working the twelve steps, we develop a way of thinking and acting which enables us to live each day without eating compulsively regardless of what may upset us, or how hard the urge for a little taste may hit us.

Remember that each time we face a situation without eating compulsively it will make it easier for us to abstain the next time. Making abstinence a priority strengthens our commitment. Many times we're afraid we won't make it. Although the drive to overeat is powerful, it cannot really hurt us as long as we don't act on it. Our experience shows us that even the strongest urge will pass.

Cultivate enjoyment of abstinence from compulsive eating; because, as a result, we have found:

Freedom from guilt, remorse, and self-condemnation about the food we eat.
Freedom from the power food once had over us; and the ability to make choices about what we eat.
The gift to eat and sleep normally, and wake up glad we are abstinent.

Some actions that help promote personal abstinence

Here are a variety of actions OAs have used to help promote their abstinence. You are encouraged to take what you like and leave the rest. The following suggestions are not rules. As you develop your own abstinence, you may want to discuss these various approaches with your sponsor.

Develop an eating plan.
Plan your meals in advance.
Enjoy your meals.
Be conscious of the amount of food you eat.
Follow a predetermined meal plan.

Develop an eating plan.

An eating plan includes a guide to the food we choose to eat each day. Some members find the following an eating plan simplifies their daily lives and frees them from on-the-spot decision making. For some, an effective plan includes specific foods and portions, and the elimination of known binge foods or foods compulsively craved. For others, an eating plan is simply an overall guide which allows flexibility and promotes sane eating. A plan can be as simple as a set number of moderate meals a day or it can include weighing and measuring all portions Before choosing a specific eating plan, we suggest and encourage you to consult a qualified professional.

Plan your meals in advance.

Whether you weigh and measure your food or trust your judgment regarding portions, your day may be simplified by planning or even preparing your meals in advance. This can free you from facing food choices throughout the day.

Enjoy your meals.

Abstinence releases the pain and guilt accumulated over the many years of overeating. Relax. Take the time to enjoy your meals. You deserve it.

Be conscious of the amount of food you eat.

Some OAs don't take second helpings at meals, since overeating often begins with "just a little bit more."

Follow a predetermined meal plan.

Many OAs have found that weighing monthly is advisable. Frequent weighing or refusal to weigh can put too much emphasis on physical recovery alone.

Does keeping a commitment to abstinence seem too much for you?

Please don't let any uncomfortable feelings or negative impressions you may have scare you away. Most of us felt the same way in the beginning. And yet, we soon found that practicing the OA twelve-step program of recovery was doing for us what we had never been able to do for ourselves. In time, we learned a whole new way of living.

One day at a time, it works for us, and it can work for you. This we promise.