Food for Thought: February 10th

Write Before You Eat

When you are tempted to grab an extra bite, stop and make contact with another OA member. If you cannot bring yourself to make the call, or if you make it and still want to eat, then try writing.

Before you take the bite, write down exactly how you are feeling, what you think the extra food will do for you, what the likely result will be, and how you will feel an hour later. It is a good idea to keep a pad of paper handy in the kitchen; you can grab a pencil instead of food.

Often the process of writing down exactly how you are feeling will reveal the hidden emotions which are masquerading as hunger and a desire to eat. You may discover that you are angry, or fearful, or lonely. Write the feelings and write the consequences of eating because of them.

Grant me insight, Lord, and self-understanding.

From Food for Thought: Daily Meditations for Overeaters by Elisabeth L. ©1980, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation.

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Many times when I feel 'hungry' and in the mood to eat off schedule, I am not sure WHAT emotion I'm feeling that I'm trying to stuff down with food.  At 55 years old, I'm still getting to know myself.

I find writing to be a very cathartic tool of recovery. When I am writing, or posting online, or dealing with others who suffer, I am far less likely to get 'hungry'. While I stay occupied in doing God's work of giving back, I do not feel the pull of my disease.

It's only when I'm too immersed in ME that I want to eat. When my EGO is at work is when I want to eat.

For today, I pray to take the focus off of ME and to put it onto someone who is suffering.