I'm glad it helped you & hopefully it can help others. I'm just going by the statistics and my personal experience. I know they (OA) doesn't publish statistics, but you can find them if you look hard enough. But you're 100% correct, you need to find SOMETHING to address the 'why' of your actions (ie the emotional reasons for eating ...etc). There's a lot of different ways to do that (including OA), but none are easy. Just keep trying until you find something works for you.

I know exactly what you're talking about. And yes, food is very much an addiction. The difference is you can't just quit eating (unlike smoking or drugs). I'm not saying that quiting other addictions is easy, but at least once you quit, you never need them again. It's obviously different with food. You have to eat. I think that why things like Overeaters Anonymous and such don't work all that well for people addicted to food & eating. I think the only that works (over the long haul) is a genuine change in attitude/brain chemistry. I think we constantly need to remind ourselves every day that what we eat is a choice (with consequences). The only thing that has worked for me is to focus on what I want (in the long term), which is to be thin, healthy, attractive, vibrant, ...etc. When I focus on what I want in the short term (to eat everything in front of me), that's trouble. It still happens but I don't beat myself up over it. I just start over & try to focus what I REALLY want out of life (and to not be afraid to get it)

Hi all, I' m realizing a big problem with me is that I give myself too much wiggle room to allow small little cheats that probably don't look like big cheats. Case in point, I want to eat more, so I eat an apple saying its healthy, but I really eat too much off it or it just isn't on my plan. In general, I never like to deprive myself. Dieting is a form of depriving myself.Help! I can't seem to get my head around this one. Also another example, if a co-worker brings in a little treat, I cheat and then cheat some more when people aren't looking. What the hell is wrong with me?! I think I'm just an addict, like a drug addict. Does Betty Ford have a clinic for me? The funny thing is I am not weak-willed, just ask my friends. I can be very bossy when I want to be, believe me! So why do I let myself be pushed around by a cupcake? aye-yae-yae. anyone with any ideas of support please reply . thanks --martie