Stories of Recovery


These stories were originally published in the Connection, FA's monthly magazine written by food addicts, for food addicts. Each post shares a different author's perspective. Visit this page often to read more experience, strength, and hope about recovery in FA. To get the newest issue of Connection Magazine sent directly to your mailbox or inbox, click here to subscribe to the Connection.

Smooth Moves

Joy  and  happiness  were  not  part  of  any  move  before  I  came  into  FA.  When  my  family  moved  when  I  was  a  teenager,  the  only  thing  I  looked  forward  to  was  my  excitement  about  our  refrigerator  being  outside  while  the  kitchen  was  being  remodeled.  This  allowed  me  to  keep  my  sneaking  food  more  anonymous.  I  also  thought  that  I  wouldn’t  eat  as  much  because  it  would  be  more  “work”  to  go  out  in  the  cold  to  get  my  binge  foods,  but  the  weather  didn’t  stop  me.                 I  was  a  horrible  roommate  before  Program  took  over  my  heart  and  my  life.    I  stole  my  roommates’  food  and  took  up  an  unequal  amount  of  fridge  space.  I  binged  on  large  quantities  of  food,  over-exercised,  and  purged  into  the  toilet.  I  was  inconsiderate  and  didn’t  clean  up  after  myself.  I  judged  my  college  roommates  for  eating  what  I  thought  was  more  than ... Continue Reading

 


 

90 Days Of Miracles

I  cannot  believe  how  healthy  I  am  today.  I  am  34  pounds  (over  15  kilos)  lighter  and  am  healthy  beyond  imagination.  I  found  out  about  Food  Addicts  in  Recovery  Anonymous  (FA)   after  talking  to  a  psychologist  friend  of  mine  about  my  eating  habits.  I  used  to  beat  myself  up  in  front  of  the  mirror,  be  disgusted  with  my  body  and,  most  importantly,  feel  disgusted  with  the  man  I  had  turned  into.           I  told  my  friend  that  I  didn’t  have  breakfast,  only  ate  lunch  if  I  went  out  with  my  coworkers,  and  then  went  home  to  raid  the  fridge  and  pantry  as  if  it  was  my  last  day  on  earth.  Then  I  topped  it  off  with  sugar  products  and  watched  TV  until  it  was  time  to  go  to  bed.  I  told  myself  I  would  start  fresh  the  next  day,  but  I  never  did.  I  told  him  that  I  didn’t  understand  why ... Continue Reading

 


 

Slowing Down

Recently,  I  shared  with  my  sponsor  that  I  had  experienced  intense  emotional  and  physical  breakdowns.    She  connected  the  dots  for  me  and  suggested  that  I  needed  to  slow  down.  After  listening  to  her  suggestions,  I  have  been  carefully  examining  how  I’m  living  my  life,  both  in  the  big  picture  and  moment  to  moment.  I  realized  that  her  observation  that  I  had  too  much  going  on  was  certainly  true.  I  am  now  looking  for  things  to  let  go  of  to  ensure  that  I  am  living  a  manageable  life.    If  I  don’t,  I  know  I  am  at  risk  of  returning  to  addictive  eating.  I  need  to  treat  myself  like  a  newcomer  each  day.  I  must  make  sure  my  recovery  comes  first,  and  that  I  don’t  get  so  busy  that  I  feel  hectic  and  worn  out.  In  trying  to  downshift  into  a  new,  slower  gear,  I  was  going  in  and  out ... Continue Reading

 


 

Gone But Not Forgotten

Mom and dad are gone now; nevertheless my parents have been the most impactful presence in my life. Growing up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio with mom, dad and my younger brother David, food was always a strong presence in the house. Mom and dad were overweight, mom more so than dad, and every occasion, birthday or holiday, was cause for a food celebration. Either a specialty sculpted birthday flour product or standard ethnic dishes appeared at the appropriate moment. Looking back at pictures, I see that I wasn’t actually that overweight as a youngster, although I always thought I was. But after college when I was no longer cocooned by classmates, teachers and parents, and when life got tougher, I packed on the pounds. I also learned to drink in college, which also added weight. I was easily 160 to 170 pounds (72.5 to 77 kilos) when I... Continue Reading

 


 

No Matter What

One statistic I heard on the radio recently is that 95 percent of human thoughts are useless, and that humans have between 12,000-60,000 thoughts per day. That’s a lot of thoughts for this food addict with a sensitive nervous system. I have a very active brain. Apparently, I think. A lot. Some might call it obsessive thinking. When the mental component of this disease of addiction kicks in, it seems that there’s no stopping the freight train of obsession.  When I had my first boyfriend in FA, I spent countless hours analyzing whether he was right for me. “Stop thinking and relax,” my sponsor said, but that was easier said than done. Sometimes I wished I had something to take the edge off, a way to escape the ticker tape of thoughts parading through my mind. Thank you, God, I picked up neither food, nor alcohol, nor caffeine, nicotine, or... Continue Reading