For Today: October 4th

Not to go back is somewhat to advance.  And men must walk, at least, before they dance.

Alexander Pope

Nothing in nature grows at the speed human anxiety would wish it to grow. It takes time to halt a retreat, more time again to overcome inertia and begin to take a new direction.  I cannot expect the difficulties in my life to be erased because I wish it.  I am learning to walk one step at a time, and I look forward to dancing.

I am grateful for the upturn in my attitude, for my patience, my ability to reach out, then step back and wait.  Yes indeed, I am on my feet, thanks to my Higher Power and Overeaters Anonymous.

For Today:  I rejoice in the broken bonds of obsession, and I am content with my progress..

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"I cannot expect the difficulties in my life to be erased because I wish it."  I have to do the footwork by sticking to my food plan if I expect some of my difficulties to be erased.


"Wishing" for things to be different is not going to MAKE things different. I've spent many, many years living with illusions and fantasies which got me nowhere.  If I want to change, I have to MAKE changes.  The first step is to surrender my powerlessness over food & agree to let God run my life instead of ME.


Once I fully realize that I CANNOT be in charge of my food intake, THAT is when I agree to stick to a structured food plan. THAT is when my obsession is lifted and my healthy food choices do not seem burdensome but FREEING instead.


Through restriction COMES a break with obsession; I do MY part, and recovery FOLLOWS.  


I have often wished for rapid weight loss; I want to be fixed and I want it NOW.  The only way out of it is through it, and I have to put in my time to see and feel results.  My husband always says, Nothing succeeds like success, and he's right.  I had to stay the course ALL the time in order to start seeing results with my weight loss.  I couldn't put in a day or two of work, then jump off the wagon, and 'wish' for results; I had to stick to the program every single day, day in and day out, before I started FEELING that I COULD do this.


Nowadays in maintenance, I have to stay the course every day as well, even though it may not seem like one binge would 'ruin' all my hard work.  But one binge is a RISK.........to my abstinence and my freedom from obsession.  When and if I take that first compulsive bite, I am not going to regain 100 lbs right then and there, but I can easily destroy my entire program.  As a compulsive overeater, I MUST stay abstinent in order to experience the joy of recovery I've worked so hard to FIND.


For today, I pray to put abstinence FIRST in my life and for today, I shall.