Tag: recovery

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Event: FA Information Session in March 2025

Image of bathroom scale, body measuring tape, sad person

What is this?

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is hosting an online information session on March 1 (for North American times) or March 2 (for Asia / Australian times). This free event is designed to introduce people struggling with food addiction to the FA program, which is based on Alcoholics Anonymous. Attendees will learn about FA’s approach to recovery, including the concept of abstinence, the importance of meetings, and the tools used to overcome food obsession, overeating, and under-eating.

FREE ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION

Do you or someone you know struggle with food obsession, overeating or undereating? This free online information session aims to answer questions and provide a possible, long-lasting, healthy solution.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a free, international, non-profit recovery program modelled on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

At this free online information session you, can hear how FA works and ask questions. Anyone is welcome.

To find other FA meetings or more information about FA or this online information session, visit www.foodaddicts.org or call 1-800-717-446.

Food addicts have a relationship with food that parallels an alcoholic’s relationship with alcohol. Food addiction can manifest in a variety of ways, including overeating, under-eating, purging, over-exercise, abuse of laxatives, or painful obsession with body image. No amount of willpower can lead the food addict to normal eating or sane attitudes around food and weight.

How can this help me?

This event can provide hope and a potential solution for those battling food addiction. Attendees will hear personal stories of recovery, learn about FA’s program, and discover how it has helped members achieve long-term weight management and improved physical health. The session offers an opportunity to connect with others facing similar challenges and gain insight into a program that has helped many find freedom from food obsession, develop healthier relationships with food, and experience personal growth.

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Video: A Food Addict’s Lesson

What is this?

This is a TEDx Talk by Michelle Petties, a self-described food addict in recovery. In her talk, Petties shares her personal journey with food addiction, highlighting her struggles with emotional overeating and yo-yo dieting over 40 years. She discusses the confusion she experienced around food and its purpose, which led to her food addiction. Petties also recounts a pivotal story about her uncle and a watermelon that gave her clarity about the connection between food and feelings. She emphasizes that food is just fuel, not a source of happiness or comfort.

How can this help me?

Michelle’s talk can help a suffering food addict by offering hope and clarity. Her story shows that it is possible to find peace with food and overcome addiction. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the emotional connection to food and how this impacts eating habits. She also shares key questions that she asks herself before eating, such as “Why am I eating this now? and “Am I hungry or am I something else?”. The talk promotes the idea that it’s possible to access feelings without using food as a crutch.

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Podcast Episode: Not Alone Anymore

What is this?

This is an episode of the Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) podcast (https://foodaddicts.podbean.com/e/not-alone-anymore/). Here is the synopsis of this episode.

Always feeling she wasn’t enough, this food addict struggled, ate, covered up her eating, tried to exercise it off…and repeat. When she heard people in Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) talk about food the way she thought about it, she knew she was home.

How can this help me?

Podcasts by food addicts in recovery offer a powerful resource for those struggling with food addiction. These audio experiences provide hope, education, and support by sharing personal recovery journeys, discussing addiction mechanisms, and exploring effective treatment strategies. Listeners benefit from hearing authentic stories of overcoming food addiction, learning coping mechanisms, and gaining insights from recovered individuals. By creating a sense of community and demonstrating that recovery is possible, these podcasts can motivate suffering food addicts to seek help, understand their condition, and take positive steps towards healing and transformation.

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Story: Just in Case

How was it then?

I was always worrying that I *might* be hungry later, so I had to have food around me at all times. If I went somewhere in my car, I would have to stop at a store to buy some food for the trip. I would usually buy junk food like chocolate or potato chips, or something I could easily eat while driving. If I was going for a longer trip, like a flight, then I would go crazy at the airport buying big bags of junk food. I said to myself, “If I’m going to die in a plane crash, at least I will have eaten chocolate.”

~ A Food Addict

How is it now?

I have a set schedule for eating my meals, so I know at any given time what time I will eat, and how much time there is until I will eat again, so there is no little voice in my head saying “what if you get hungry???”. If I get hungry, it’s probably because it is time to eat, so I will eat then. End of discussion.

I also know that my meal will be enough when the time comes to eat it, so I don’t need to come up with any “just in case” scenarios in my head that will lead me to buying and eating junk food.

~ A Recovering Food Addict
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Story: MORE!

How was it then?

I always wanted MORE. I could never feel satisfied with what I had. If something was good or enjoyable, I wanted more of it. I wanted it to never end. There is no amount that could be considered “enough”.

One more bite. Okay, just one more. Well, might as well make it an even three. Wait, three is an odd number. Better make it four. Oh, four is unlucky, so it pretty much has to be five. Okay, I have probably had enough now. But there are still some left in the bag. I should probably just finish these up.

This happened with food, but also with time (just a few more minutes) or activities that I was doing (just one more game). Whatever I was doing, I just wanted to do that thing and never stop.

~ A Food Addict

How is it now?

When I started on my program of recovery, this feeling was still very much there, so I struggled with eating just what I had committed to eating and no more. It didn’t seem like it would be enough. But after a few days of “ordered eating” (instead of disordered eating), I started to recognize what “enough” looked like and felt like. Now, I feel satisfied after my meals, and I know that there is another one coming, so that keeps the “MORE!” monster at bay.

This has carried over to the rest of my life, and now I am able to look objectively at what I am doing and come to a more rational decision about what is “enough” of any one thing. The most remarkable place that this has had an impact is with my bedtime. Because I was always chasing “more”, I always ended up staying up too late, and well past reasonable hours. Now that my food is in its right place, I can keep other things in my life in their right place too, which means that when it is time for bed, I can just get myself to go to bed without arguments. The child inside me doesn’t scream for a later bedtime every night!

~ A Recovering Food Addict