the basics of a plan of eating.

What is a plan of eating?: (from anonymousone.com)

Using a plan of eating is the beginning of freedom from compulsive overeating, bingeing, or food cessation. Instead of depending on resolutions and willpower to help make good decisions in front of the refrigerator or in the restaurant, we develop a sensible plan of eating in advance. Initially, many of us use a daily plan of eating which includes what, when, where and how much. This daily plan serves to separate our eating from our emotions and relieves us of making the decisions we formerly had to make throughout the day. Reducing the time we think about food clears our heads of the ongoing conflict between our self-will and the disease. We also find that we are more likely to stick to our plan if we commit it daily to a sponsor. As in the rest of the program, we do this one-day at a time. We do not have to think about doing it forever.

How do you develop a plan of eating?

One of the first steps in developing our plan of eating is to take an honest and courageous look at our eating history. What is our past relationship with food, from childhood to the present? We took with rigorous honesty at our eating patterns. When did we begin eating compulsively? What was going on? What did we overeat? What do we overeat now? What foods do we think about most? What foods do we crave? When do we overeat? What is the relationship between our reactions to life events and our eating patterns? We find it necessary to examine our current and old eating patterns in order to begin building a new set of healthy eating habits. The questions in Step One of the Twelve-Step Workbook of Overeaters Anonymous are an excellent starting point for this inquiry.

Why avoid certain foods?

One of the first steps in developing our plan of eating is to take an honest and courageous look at our eating history. What is our past relationship with food, from childhood to the present? We took with rigorous honesty at our eating patterns. When did we begin eating compulsively? What was going on? What did we overeat? What do we overeat now? What foods do we think about most? What foods do we crave? When do we overeat? What is the relationship between our reactions to life events and our eating patterns? We find it necessary to examine our current and old eating patterns in order to begin building a new set of healthy eating habits. The questions in Step One of the Twelve-Step Workbook of Overeaters Anonymous are an excellent starting point for this inquiry.

Does Overeaters Anonymous Provide a Plan of Eating?

Overeaters Anonymous, does not promote, endorse, recommend or distribute any specific food plans. For nutritional guidance, we seek advice about healthy eating from a qualified health care professional, such as a doctor or nutritionist. In addition to professionals, 12 Step Sponsors understand your challenges. They are working and living the Compulsive Eating Twelve Step program to the best of their ability. Their purpose is to support us in our program and help us gain insight into our eating patterns, not to give specific medical or nutritional advice. Most importantly, they can share what does and does not work for them.

This article is based on the Booklet, "A Plan of Eating, A tool for living—one day at a time" prepared by Overeaters Anonymous.