CT OA ONLINE NEWSLETTER
Winter 2007
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Intergroup meets at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Manchester
on 41 Park Rd. the Third Monday of every month at 6:15 pm.
Every O.A. group is encouraged to send at least one representative.

CT Intergroup Board Members & Committees for 2007

Service is what keeps OA going and growing. It takes time and dedication by individuals to assure that the hand of OA reaches as many people as possible. The following people will be performing important service for us all in the coming year-give them a big thank you when you see them:

Here are Some of the Services that Connecticut Intergroup provides its members

• Maintains Connecticut Overeaters Anonymous Web Site.
• Publishes this quarterly newsletter.
• Provides liability insurance for meetings.
• Coordinates, prints, and distributes CT Intergroup meeting lists.
• Subscribes to an answering service and post office box for the CT area.
• Sponsors special events (marathons, workshops, etc.)
• Distributes CT Intergroup meeting minutes and regional or national event information.
• Maintains a list of O.A. speakers for member groups.
• Responds to mail and phone inquiries about Overeaters Anonymous.
• Provides representation for CT Overeaters Anonymous groups at the regional and national level where policy is set and literature developed.
• Provides information about CT Overeaters Anonymous meetings to our members when they travel and to visiting members.

   
Holidays with the family are wonderful, but they can be a chal­lenge. I know that even if I am in a good "head", the sight and smell of food that is not mine will set me up. Rather than get into a battle with my disease or risk feelings of self-pity, I get busy. One of the credit card companies says in its commercial, "Don't leave home without it." That's how I feel about my OA telephone numbers and literature.

When the dessert is served, I disappear into another room, take out my literature and phone an OA person. If I do not feel com­fortable using the phone in someone else’s house,  I offer to wash the dishes (note: I did not say clean up the leftovers)  or play with the children. I am safe if I acknowledge my limits. I do not need to play the martyr or the saint by sitting at a table full of food that is not mine.

I also need to avoid confrontation during family dinners. I try to al­ways agree or, at best, agree to disagree. Rather than judging my rela­tives, I prefer to think of their good qualities and remember how blessed I am to have family around me. It may be boring, but I. have discovered that boring is a good thing because it helps me attain an inner peace that is more valuable to me than all the excitement that a good fight used to bring.

~anonymous~

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Tips for Getting Through the Holidays Abstinently

1. Focus on the true meaning of the holiday rather than the food.
2. Keep expectations realistic ... about ourselves, other people and the holiday.
3. Build up arecovery bank account before and during the holidays by attending lots of meetings, staying in constant contact with a sponsor, working extra hard on Steps and using all the tools, especially service.
4. Keep OA phone numbers at all times ... and use them.
5. Know the limits of recovery. When in doubt, avoid people, places and things that have triggered overeating in the past. Remember that abstinence is the most important thing in our lives - without exception
6. Write frequent gratitude lists focusing on what we have rather than what we have not.
7. Give service, any service, to Program or the community. Do something that maybe difficult but will make us feel good about ourselves later.
8. Prepare! Call the host ahead of time and find out what food is being served. Even people without our disease have food restrictions. Volunteer to bring something that is good for us.
9. Plan! Plan! Plan! Rehearse exactly what; where and when we will eat.
10. Plan something special when other people are eating items that we choose not to include in our food plan. Flavorful teas, hot water with lemon or anything that is a little special ... as long as it is on our plan.
11. Focus on the people rather than the food. Engage in "real" conversation. Ask them about themselves, their ­life, their work ... and really listen.
12. Set an extra place (in our mind or for real) at the table beside us for HP
13. Remember Step Two. Pray before eating. Call on HP to help stay sane, one day at a time, one meal at a time.
14. Just before the meal, whether in a home or restaurant, go to a private room and call your sponsor, recommit­ting what you will eat and what you choose not to eat.
15. Remember that we are responsible for what we eat. It is easy to slip into childish roles where we feel we must eat whatever is given but we are adults and responsible for our own choices. It is up to us to take care of ourselves and set boundaries.
16. Write a note to each person at the dinner table telling them why you are grateful to know them. Leave it at their dinner place and see the focus shift.
17. Plan to go to a meeting the day after the holiday. Often the most dangerous period is after successfully going through a difficult occasion. The insanity of the disease subconsciously or consciously tells us to reward ourselves with food because we did so well the day before. Or, we suffer a let down because the holiday did not meet our expectation. Or, perhaps we feel an emptiness that we used to fill with food. Stay in touch with feelings ... and reach out to the program.
18. Work program. Holidays are simply calendar times set aside to honor certain things. Honor ourselves and stay abstinent. We can do it!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW MEETING TIME FOR CT INTERGROUP Everyone is invited to Intergroup meetings which take place on the 3rd Monday of every month at St. Mary’s Church, Manchester from 6:15 - 7:30 p.m.

Overeaters Anonymous WMI Annual Marathon 2008 Saturday, January 5, 2008, 8:30 am  to 3:00 pm (snow date: 1/12/08) St. David’s Episcopal Church, 699 Springfield Street Feeding Hills, MA 01030 For more information please contact Martin at 413-732-0802 or visit the Western Mass web site www.oawmass.org/

JUNE 20-22, 2008 SUMMER WEEKEND RETREAT II Sponsored by South Eastern CT Intergroup of OA Cost: $160.00 (This includes lodging for Friday and Saturday, all meetings, use of hiking trails and lake plus three meals Saturday/Breakfast Sunday) Download flyer & registration form from connecticutoa.org/events. For more info Email: SEC~Intergroup@sbcglobal.net

CT Intergroup Retreat 2008 (Formerly the Immaculata Retreat) To get involved with the planning of this retreat, targeted for late January or early February 2008, come to Intergroup.

BEFORE YOU TAKE THAT FIRST COMPULSIVE……. REMEMBER

Your commitment to abstinence from compulsive overeating is the most important thing in your life without exception! You may believe other things may come first, but if you do not abstain from compulsive overeating and practice moderation at meals, you may destroy your chances of finding health, happiness, self understanding and peace of mind. If you are convinced that everything in life depends upon your practice of abstinence, you almost certainly will achieve these goals. If you are confronted with the urge to eat, consider the following points before you take that first compulsive bite.

1. Cultivate continued acceptance of the fact that your choice is between unhappy eating binges and doing without just one small compulsive bite.
2. Remember, each time you face a situation without compulsively over eating will make it easier for you the next time.
3. Don't permit yourself to think a bite or two would make a bad situation better.
4. Remind yourself “one bite will make it worse-one bite may lead to a binge.”

Read the OA flyer “BEFORE YOU TAKE THAT FIRST COMPULSIVE BITE, REMEMBER…” for more good information on staying away from that first bite.

WRITERS WANTED If you would like to make submissions to the newsletter at any time, please e-mail them to Tina at: tinalee9@yahoo.com

Please keep the focus on your experience, strength, and hope found in Overeaters Anonymous. We are looking for 1 to 4 paragraphs, and the topic is your choice. Do not allow your imperfect writing skills to deter you from sending in a submission; we edit for grammar, spelling, and content. We would love to hear from you.

Possible topics: your thoughts on the steps, promises, traditions, or a favorite topic.

CALLING ALL SPEAKERS - Speaker List

Give service by adding your name to the OA Speaker List. If you would like to be added to the speaker list or need a copy, click here and email the following information;

• your name [first and last initial]
• phone number
• email address
• town you are from

Click here to download a copy of the speaker list. The speaker list gets changed every month so you should download a new copy every couple of months.

NOTE: Remember, you can't keep it unless you give it away!

SERVICE OPPROTUNITIES -- GET INVOLVED!!!

Spread the word about CT OA

Please print the and distribute the following flyer, which contains the Connecticut OA website address and info-line phone number. This flyer can be distributed to your local area bulletin boards; ex. schools, hospitals, clinics, or anywhere that will get the word out about Connecticut OA.

NOTE: REMEMBER all that OA has done for you and
giving service is part of the recovery process.

Click Here to download the flyer.
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Do twelve-step work and join the Public Information Committee. To find out what YOU can do contact Yvette @ 860.232.1759