I answered in Gemeni's journal but I'll answer here also maybe it will revive the thread.
That statement has to be false because the Greysheet was taken from what was once the Goldsheet and changed to Greysheet due to the paper it was printed on. The goldsheet was created by a lady by the name of Irene B.

The Greysheet is a very hardcore abstinence program. It does work and I lost about 70 lbs in 6 months when I did it. But they are very hardcore on weighing and measuring and you cannot have anything or anymore than you commit for that day, that also goes for days when you don't feel like eating, you MUST eat everything you committed.

I have decided to go to OA again and and take Atkins with me. It is my understanding that they [OA] now have brought back something called the "Dignity to Choose" which has various food plans, but I am going to a meeting tonight and will find out what they entail. I definitely needed something, my eating had gotten so out of control again.

I am a former OA'er who did very well while in the program. The food plan I chose was the same one thatmy sponsor was on FAA=Food Addicts Anonymous, which is No sugar, No flour, No wheat. I checked out greysheet plan and meeting and it was way too restrictive for me.

Thanks Ms Twacky! for explaining the derivation of greysheet. Thats an interesting story.

I did gain all the weight I lost back when I dropped out of meetings and left my sponsor. I was giving way too much power away to my sponsor and the program. I did not feel good working the steps either as I honestly felt the only person I needed to make amends to was myself as I was the only person the I hurt. Not wokring the steps led me to leave.

BUT...I did learn an awful lot about my compulsive eating and the things that I eat over. I spent several years in therapy dealing with the issues I eat over.

I use my journal to turn my food over after I've eaten. I chose South Beach because I can see eating this way for the rest of my life. I've lost just about 70 lbs in 8 months. I use this fabulous forum for support. Maybe someday I will go back to a meeting but I am not in need of them now. I read others struggles daily as it helps to keep me focused and I share my experience with others as much as possible too.

You know..it's about whatever works for you. I wasn't ready to give up certain foods years ago, and when I thought I was ready recently, I couldn't do it for any length of time.

Out of sheer desperation and pain I went to my first meeting. I'm so glad I did. But it's funny, because although I was in NA and AA I still couldn't apply the steps to the food!!! It was soooo damn hard!! Years ago I went through all 12 and was very active in AA but could not let go of the food, despite the weight I was gaining. That was pure insanity and chaos for me.

I have never been to FAA but Greysheet is HARDCORE. I am following the greysheet now but they wouldn't think so because I have a snack in the evening, I definite no-no in Greysheet but ok with my OA sponsor.

Twacky, I agree with you, to each his/her own. Finding what works and what I can stick to is the toughest part, but I don't think that both of those often go hand in hand. What I want and what I need to be healthy are often not in agreement.

The tricky thing about OA for me was that the point was to help you with the insanity and obsession and addiction with food. But, I found that the constant working the steps everyday, calling your sponsor everyday, going to meetings, talking about food, listening to others talking about food, measuring your food..............it felt to me like I was becoming more obsessed and addicted to food. Always thinking of it, talking about it.........it just got to be too much and I felt like it had an opposite effect on me when it comes to obsession. NOW, here's the other tricky thing.....obviously I worked it and lost weight, so it was successful. I'm not sure when my change in mentality happened. I'm not sure if that change was an excuse to step away from it, which eventually led me to gain the weight back. I haven't decided. Maybe I thought I had the control back.......when really I was still powerless. Girl, when I find the answer, I will let you know for sure!

I'm glad you are back with it!!! You will be successful again!

How much of OA can you pick and choose?

For instance, I like the idea of in-person support with people who have the same experiences as me and the same struggles as me. But I may or may not want a sponsor, and what I *do* eat is my business unless I choose to share. The actual 12 steps hold little appeal for me for several reasons, including the fact that I am agnostic.

Sould I just go to the meetings and listen if I choose? Is there alot of pressure to do things a certain way?

CheesyPoof,

There is no pressure and if you don't want a sponsor you don't have to get one. You choose your own way of eating. There are many people who come into program that are agnostics. As a matter of fact there is a chapter in the big book devoted entirely to them.

But there is never any pressure, yet I think it helps soooo much!! At least for me. It's not for everyone.

One thing you'll hear repeatedly in 12-step meetings is, "Take what you need and let the rest go by." Or put another way, when the student is ready the information will appear.

Some people go to 12-step meetings and never say a word.

Meetings have different formats and it's a good idea to go to different ones until you find a format you like, or like what you're hearing.

Karen

I wonder if there are any others on the board who are in OA?

I just love it!! I went to a meeting last night!!

ME TOO, ME TOO. I am totally an OA'er. I got started in a wonderful place called Milestones, located in south florida. MILESTONESINRECOVERY.COM
I lived there for about 4-5 months. I loved the support from the fellow people that lived there. They also have a message board, but i haven;t been posting there latley. I haven't been to an OA meeting in so long. Now that i really need it and want to go, i can't find one in my area. I looked up on the OA website and every contact person i call, doesn't call me back. I have been following an Atkins approach, with a milestones food plan. They had an onsite nutritionist who is wonderful. All the therapy i got there really helped me. Struggling right now with the eating disordered thoughts, though. THat is why i want to find a meeting to start going to . Plus i have moved to a very small town and would like to feel like i am not the only one with this problem.

Went to my first meeting today in a long time. It was really nice. Quite a drive though. Mostly older people. I am 21 and they had to be all over 60.

HI Everyone - I am new to the board and an OA/HOW/ 'er adn whatever else we all try - It's so flippin' hard at times but I am going to meetings online and on the phone which are helpful in many ways. OA Greysheet has phone meetings that are pretty impressive. People calling in from other countries. And I listen to them with my earpiece while I am "doing my day". HOW has a website www.ceahow.org and they have online meetings throughout the day and that can be good (usually - sometimes they are silly). So even though I am totally having a hard time and see no solution in sight (though I am not eating sug. or wht. flr. I am just going to keep hearing the message. There must be a reason people are grateful for it. I have been sober and clean for a long time but my life CLEARLY isn't working with this food addiction. I need to get "food sober". thanks -

Melik!!

Welcome!!

I also love the Greysheet website, they have speakers you can click on and sit and listen to them online as well!!!!

So glad to have more OA's here!!

Thanks for welcoming me - I have a question about low carbing - it seems that life always comes back to protein and vegetables. Today it's cold and dreary and I find on days like this (all winter) I just don't want to eat salad and veggie burgers!!! I need snuggly food. I mostly drink milk with splenda and cocoa so I am not super low carbing - I am just not eating vats of cookie dough. Any ideas on snuggly food? Low carb - ofcourse

Hi melik!!

I think that one of THE most important things to remember is that no matter what diet or eating plan you decide to subcribe to - there ARE no 'tests'. In other words - you don't have to prove to ME [or anyone else] that you are 'doing it right'. It's all about YOU and YOUR decision to do something positive in your life. If following a diet or eating plan is just too much for YOU - then don't do it. OR [better yet] do it but allow yourself some elbow room. With something like Atkins - however - allowing yourself some 'elbow room' will defeat you. [especially at first] Tell yourself that you'll stick to it like glue - but only for a week - and THEN decide how you FEEL. Are you calmer? Do you find it easier to resist tempting foods? Have you lost any weight? [which is no where near as important to how you actually FEEL - INSIDE] The whole point of Atkins is to change WHERE your body gets its energy from. THAT is the reason the carbs are so restricted. [during the induction phase - especially] What may seem totally impossible NOW [like not having that chocolate milk] may very well seem silly to you a week after you've been on Atkins. But you'll never know unless you try. And besides - whether or not we TRY to do something - 'next week' is going to happen anyways. So we might as well have fun with it and find out for ourselves. Before you know it - right now will soon become 'back then'.

For someone like ME - a genuine sugar addict - I can't have 'just a little'. Like an alcoholic [exactly like an alcoholic] I must abstain from MY 'drug of choice'. Sugar.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do for you!!

Craig!!

Hi Everyone!!

Many years ago [the mid to late 1980's] I went to a LOT of O.A. meetings. At first I was terrified. Every time the 'book or promises' [or whatever it was called] was passed to me - I'd pass on IT. I never said a word [basically] for the first 6 month. One year later - I was LEADING meetings. For that - I will always be grateful to O.A. I also went to a lot of CODA meetings. [Co-dependent's Anonymous] I even co-created one. I was even interviewed once by a reporter for the Vancouver Province Newspaper. A whole page was dedicated to CODA meetings and I was a guy named 'Alex' spilling his guts. [well - as best I could - back then] Never really lost weight on O.A. But that was because of my fear of anyone finding out that I was gay. And as some gay or lesbian people know [or anyone else - for that matter - who is afraid that they will lose everything IF their 'secret' gets out] the FEAR of blurting out THE 'secret' makes us feel safer if we keep ALL things 'secret'. [lest anyone put our pieces of a puzzle together and discover our 'secret' all by themselves!!]

I've gone to a few O.A. meetings since those days. One just a year ago. But I was upset by THAT meetings willingness to TALK about their favourite foods. In MY O.A. days - specific mention of foods was a no - no. [lest the food we were talking about was someone else's 'trigger' food] I haven't gone back since.

[this IS somewhat on topic - isn't it? I've forgotten where I am!! lol]

Take care of yourselves.

Craig!!