Developing a Plan of Eating

As we individualize our plan of eating, we review eating patterns in order to learn which foods and/or eating behaviors create cravings. Discussing our eating history with a sponsor and health care professional gives us objectivity and insight. When we seek help in developing a plan of eating, we practice the willingness to review our behaviors in a way we would not be able to do on our own. We have learned that a suggestion made by a sponsor or health care professional should not be automatically rejected just because it makes us feel uncomfortable.

As we reach a healthy body weight or as our bodies change, we sometimes need to modify our choices. We might consider whether we need to change the portions or the kinds of foods we eat. No matter what our body size, age, or gender, in addition to refraining from compulsive eating behaviors, we still need to commit to a nourishing plan of eating.

If we are not making reasonable progress toward a healthy body weight, we need to examine our plan of eating and question whether we are being honest with ourselves about our food. A healthy body weight is not necessarily what is fashionable or what we think we’d like to be. What is healthy for us is a matter we discuss with our health care professionals and share with our sponsors.

We believe that the body and mind of a compulsive eater react differently to food than the body and mind of a normal eater. We find it best to list all the foods, ingredients, and behaviors that cause problems for us and then remove them from our food plan. We urge you to be honest and not continue eating certain foods or practicing certain behaviors simply because you can’t imagine ever living without them. Those may be precisely the things that should be on your list.

Below are examples of foods and eating behaviors that some members have identified as causing intense cravings or lack of control.

Trigger or binge foods are foods we eat in excessive quantities or to the exclusion of other foods; foods we hoard or hide from others; foods we eat secretly; foods we turn to in times of celebration, sorrow, or boredom; foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value; or foods we simply cannot stop eating once we start. In addition, we look to see whether there are any common ingredients among these foods—such as sugar, white flour, or excess fat—that may create the “phenomenon of craving” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. xxviii) in our bodies and, thus, are a trigger for us.

Each of us may have problems with different foods or ingredients. If a food has been our binge food in the past or if it contains ingredients that have been in our binge foods, we remove it from our plan. For example, if pasta is a trigger food, then other foods made with flour (breads, muffins, crackers) could cause problems. Even extra servings of a non-trigger food might create cravings. If we are unsure whether a food causes problems for us, we leave it out at first. Later, with abstinence, we find that the correct answer becomes clear to us. The practice of the Twelve Steps will, with time, relieve us of the desire to eat those foods or to repeat those eating behaviors. When we think of this process not as deprivation but as a positive act and an ongoing spiritual discipline, we begin to find freedom.

Here are some examples of potentially problematic foods:

• comfort foods or junk foods (such as chocolate, name-brand fast foods, cookies, potato chips)
• foods containing sugar or sugar substitutes (such as desserts, sweetened drink products, cereals, many processed meats, many condiments)
• foods containing fats (such as butter and other high-fat dairy or non-dairy foods, deep-fried foods and snacks, many desserts)
• foods containing wheat, flour, or refined carbohydrates in general (such as pastries, certain pastas, breads)
• foods containing mixtures of sugar and fat or sugar, flour, and fat (such as ice cream, doughnuts, cakes, pies)
• foods we eat in large quantities even though they aren’t our trigger foods
• foods labeled “diet,” “sugar free,” “no sugar added,” “low-fat,” and/or “low calorie”
• ethnic or cultural foods
• foods with specific textures and/or flavors (such as creamy, crunchy, chewy, juicy, sticky, oily, salty, doughy)

When we identify the foods and food ingredients that cause us to crave more food, we stop eating them.

Many people in OA say they could overeat anything, even if it isn’t a binge food, so we also look at eating patterns that normal eaters would find abnormal—whether we eat all the time, eat at specific times even though we aren’t really hungry, or have specific habits or excuses that give us “permission” to overeat or under-eat. Although sometimes those behaviors are linked to certain foods, we may also sometimes have those behaviors even with foods we don’t especially like.

Here are some examples:

• eating until we’re completely stuffed
• rigidly restricting calories until we are weak
• having to finish whatever is on our plate (or even someone else’s plate!)
• devouring our food rapidly, often finishing before everyone else
• hiding our eating, or hoarding or hiding food, in order to eat extra amounts
• searching magazines and online for the latest weight-loss scheme or following unrealistic diets or regimens
• eating because it’s free or we don’t want to waste food
• eating because we feel obligated or don’t want to displease someone
• eating to celebrate or for comfort during times of stress or unhappiness
• needing to keep our mouths busy by chewing
• eating at particular times or in particular situations, whether we need to eat or not
• purging excess food with restrictive 12 dieting, laxatives, vomiting, or extra exercise
• obsessively weighing ourselves daily or several times a day
• eating out of containers or while standing up
• eating while driving, watching television, or reading
• having distorted thinking that leads us to believe more and more foods will cause us problems—this can lead to dangerous under-eating
• grazing mindlessly throughout the day

When we identify the behaviors that apply to us, we surrender them to our Higher Power and discuss them with our sponsor.

Most of us have a hard time recognizing how much food to eat, so we use some objective means to tell us when we have had enough. Some of us eat only one plate’s worth and don’t go back for seconds. Some of us leave something on our plates or stop when we feel full. Others of us find it important to weigh and measure our food.

Weighing and measuring food at home, either on occasion or at all times, may help us honestly assess our needs and progress. If we find it difficult to determine appropriate serving sizes, we may choose to weigh and measure for a period of time or when we make changes to our plan of eating, just to be sure we are eating the right amounts. Some of us choose to weigh and measure to free ourselves from having to struggle with daily decisions about how much food to eat. OA takes no position on weighing and measuring; we find it more helpful to discuss these matters individually with our sponsors or health care professionals.

In addition to the 3-0-1 Plan—three moderate, nutritious meals per day, with nothing in between, one day at a time—what follows are samples of what some OA members have chosen as plans of eating. They may help you as they are written, or as guides for developing your own plan. We suggest you talk to your sponsor and health care professional about how to tailor any of these plans to your personal needs. For example, if you have specific dietary requirements (vegetarian, lactose intolerant, carbohydrate sensitive, etc.), you may need help selecting and implementing a plan. In addition, if you need to modify your plan to suit your schedule or health conditions, you might change the servings to greater or fewer than the number of meals suggested.

Some plans set out the number of servings of each food; see “What Is a Serving?” for choices and serving sizes. OA is a global Fellowship, and foods common to your area that are not included in this section can certainly be part of your plan. Also, depending on your height, weight, age, and activity level, you may need 8 to 12 cups (1,920 to 2,880 milliliters) of fluid a day, depending on medical advice.

Again, before developing a new food plan, we urge you to consult your health care professional and share with your sponsor.

The serving sizes suggested below are general nutritional guidelines.

Measurements: The relationship between volume measures and weight measures varies depending on the food, and the conversion to metric units is sometimes imprecise. In general, however, the following measurements are acceptable as equivalents.

If measuring by volume, in general:

• 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 30 grams
• 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 8 ounces = 240 grams
• 1 quart = 4 cups = 32 ounces = 960 grams

If measuring by weight, in general:

• 1 ounce = 30 grams

Proteins: One protein serving equals:

• 1 ounce (30 grams) of all meats, poultry, and fish; 1.5 ounces (45 grams) white fish
• 1 egg
• 2 ounces (60 grams) of cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup or 2 ounces (60 grams) of cooked beans
• 1 ounce (30 grams) of regular tofu or 2 ounces (60 grams) of soft/silken tofu
• 1 tablespoon (30 grams) peanut butter
• ½ ounce (15 grams) of nuts (peanuts, pistachios, soy, almonds, or other nut butters)

Starches/Grains: One starch/grain serving equals:

• 1 ounce (30 grams) of uncooked cereal
• 1 slice of whole grain bread
• ½ cup or 4 ounces (120 grams) of cooked potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, winter squash, or other starchy vegetables
• ½ cup or 3 ounces (90 grams) cooked of other starches (rice, peas, corn, barley, millet, or quinoa)
• ½ cup or 4 ounces (120 grams) cooked beans

Fruits: One fruit serving equals:

• 1 moderate-size piece of fruit (6 to 7 ounces or 180 to 210 grams)
• 1 cup or 6 ounces (180 grams) of cut-up fresh fruit
• ½ cup (4 ounces or 120 grams) canned fruit packed in its own juice
• ¾ cup or 6 ounces (180 grams) frozen, unsweetened fruit (measured after thawing)

Vegetables: Only low-starch vegetables are usually used as vegetable servings. Starchy vegetables (corn, peas, winter squash, potatoes, etc.) are usually considered starch/grain servings. Vegetable servings may vary by weight. One vegetable serving equals:

• 1 cup measured by volume (4 ounces or 120 grams measured by weight) raw vegetables
• ½ cup measured by volume (3 ounces or 90 grams measured by weight) cooked vegetables

Milk/Milk Substitutes: One milk/milk substitute serving equals:

• 1 cup (8 ounces or 240 grams) of low-fat, unsweetened milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces or 240 grams) soy milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces or 240 grams) yogurt

Fats: One fat serving equals:

• 1 teaspoon of oil (5 milliliters) or butter (5 grams) that contains 5 grams of fat
• 1 ounce (30 grams by weight) of avocado
• fourteen medium-size black olives or ten medium-size green olives. Check label as serving sizes vary.
• 5 grams fat for mixed foods, such as salad dressing, mayonnaise, sour cream, or cream cheese. Check label as serving sizes vary.

Note on reading labels: We carefully read labels or ask about the ingredients to make sure the foods on our exclusion list are not in what we are eating. Some ingredients, such as sugar, are harder to 18 exclude because there are many different names for sugar (for example, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, glucose, etc.), and it is found in so many foods. Some of us eliminate any item that contains our trigger foods, while others eliminate only the items in which the triggers are listed in the first four ingredients.

True admission of powerlessness means putting down the foods over which we are powerless. Those foods may be different for each of us. We need to be completely honest with ourselves, our sponsors, and our health care professionals about what foods, ingredients, and eating behaviors cause cravings, compulsive eating, or other problems for us.

Often, the idea of never again eating certain foods seems terrifying and impossible. Be assured that with adequate support and the Twelve Step recovery program, you can do the things that used to seem totally impossible. We have learned that as we work the Twelve Steps abstinently, a miracle occurs; our sanity returns. We no longer want to have those foods or behaviors in our lives.

When we find a plan that works for us, we are often so happy that we want to share it with others. There is a difference between sharing our plan and imposing it on others. We accept the views and needs of others, always retaining our own plan of eating as our commitment and priority. World Service Business Conference Policy 2000a (amended 2005) states, “No OA members shall be prevented from attending, sharing, leading, and/ or serving as a speaker at an OA meeting due to choice of food plan. Groups sharing food plan information must adhere to OA’s policies on outside literature, as well as copyright law.”

Spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery is the result of living the Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Step program on a daily basis. A plan of eating—our individual guide to nourishing foods in appropriate portions—is a Tool that helps us 19 begin the process of recovery from compulsive eating. This pamphlet encourages respect for individual needs and differences by allowing us to determine what is right and nutritionally sound for ourselves. Remember that the Twelve Step program of Overeaters Anonymous, and not any particular plan of eating, is the key to long-term recovery from compulsive eating.