Replace Overeating

Overeating is a coping method. We use overeating to compensate for feelings of various kinds, or as sedation to not deal with something, or to fill time. We use overeating as a social distraction, or an activity to socialize around. When we end overeating, we need a replacement methods to replace that "reward" that we were obtaining from overeating. It took me many years for me to see the "reward". I do not like the handle "reward". The coping effect is the desired effect, a unconscious need fulfilment, not a "reward". It is the unconscious driver of the disorder, and we need to find a replacement, if we are going to be successful in overcoming overeating.

OA can provide a replacement for a period of time, as it does take time to learn the program. It can expand to fill the available time, but it gets old fast. Many people come to the program, and get scared off because of the god word, or because it requires work, effort, study, concentration, mindfulness. It requires decisions, perseverance, discomfort, rigorous honesty. It requires following the "rules", giving up of personal freedom to follow the rules. It required change. Change is the only thing this program offers, and you need to do all the work. 

We need to find a god concept that works for us. Many of us " ignosics" ( that is i not a, look it up) or non-thesis's need to define a real god or concept, "the sum of the forces", and/or reason, logic, or what ever works. It is not what is but what we think or beleive that drives us. We may need to spend a bit of time in the study our god, and his rules, or learn the rules of nature. We may need to spend a bit of time studying ethics, or traffic law so that we may live by rigorous honesty. But then what? We need something to replace that desired effect that we were getting from the food. Therein lies the successful people in OA. There life becomes full of healthy activities, at least not harmful activities.

We learn to avoid / deal with food pushers, perhaps, or we learn to say no repeatedly. We learn to live normal in an obeseogenic environment, an essentially unfriendly dangerous environment. The Stoic learned to live in ancient Rome, also a dangerous environment, but not as nasty as today's environment. We have much more rip-off people, gougers, fraud artists, grinders, cross culture dishonesty, lack of ethics, and the like to deal with.

But what do I know. Be happy, smile easily, eat real food, and enjoy what life has to offer. Daoish.