What Program Helped With Your Food Addiction Recovery?
Ever since I shared this post in January about my experience with food addiction, I’ve been responding to emails and DM’s asking for the program that helped with my recovery. Each time I talk about it, I receive even more questions. So I knew it was time for a blog post!
The good news is, there are several programs out there and most are available worldwide.
5 Programs for Food Addiction Recovery
The following programs for food addiction recovery are free, with the exception of number 5. The first 4 are 12-step* programs modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous (AA):
- Overeaters Anonymous (OA) – The largest and most widely available with meetings across the globe.
- Food Addicts Anonymous (FAA) – Meal plan is available online, but is not the same meal plan I follow.
- Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) – This is the program I joined. I received my meal plan (shared here) from my sponsor while in the program.
- GreySheeters Anonymous (GSA) – Allows for coffee, tea and diet soda in between meals and offers virtual meetings.
- Bright Line Eating (BLE) – Paid program founded by neuroscientist, Susan Peirce Thompson, who was a long-standing member of a 12-step food addiction program. She uses my same meal plan—outlined in her book (highly recommend!). Her approach provides scientific research findings to explain why the brain responds so addictively to sugar and flour. This is a science-based, not faith-based program.
*In most 12-step programs you attend regular meetings with others who struggle with addiction, work with a sponsor who keeps you accountable, and focus on building/strengthening your relationship with your Higher Power.
Why I Don’t Talk Publicly About My 12-Step Program
Most 12-step programs have a non-promotional policy to protect the anonymity of members.
Principles, not personalities, govern these programs, meaning that no individual member may act as a spokesperson for the program.
My only intention is to help carry the message of hope and recovery from food addiction. I do NOT intend to act as a spokesperson or personality.
You should also know I am not currently in a 12-step program. I left my program in January and continue to live this lifestyle with guidance from my Heavenly Father.
Additional Help and Resources for Addiction Recovery
- I know of several individuals who attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings until a 12-step program for food addiction was available in their area.
- My church offers a free 12-step addiction recovery program. I haven’t attended, but I’ve been working through its accompanying guide (free PDF download) with a close friend who struggles with food addiction. We’re both loving it!
- Lastly, you may find additional recovery resources in this article.
Please Note
I am not a nutritionist or mental health professional. I’m also not an affiliate of any recovery program.
My knowledge comes only from my personal experience with a 12-step program and years of struggle in diet-culture mentality.
I truly believe without God my meal plan is just another meal plan. He is the only reason this lifestyle works for me when so many others in the past did not.
I say this knowing that we each have our own challenges and paths. And I pray you’ll seek His guidance as you search for the right solution for you.
As always, let me know what questions you have in the comments. Thanks for reading!
In your no flour no sugar lifestyle, are non-wheat flours permitted? And is stevia? I haven’t seen you mention dairy directly, but what about dairy? Is it only added sugars you aviod?
Thanks!
When I was in the FA program, no flour or sugar of any kind was permitted. Once I hit my goal weight and started on the maintenance plan, I started having corn tortillas (made with corn flour) on occasion. Stevia is in my yogurt that I’ve had every morning since day one so I’ve always felt that was okay. Dairy counts as protein (yogurt, cheese, milk) and I eat those regularly! The meal plan is so focused on real whole foods that when I follow it, there isn’t room for anything processed, which is mainly where you find added sugars.
Hope this helps! Happy to answer more Q’s. XO
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing. Do you anything special to track your meals/food intake?
Just a food scale! This one is my favorite: https://cleansimpleeats.com/collections/buy/products/scale?ref=ty-8zjfumcc
And the measurements for what/how much I eat are in this post: https://littlemissfearless.com/i-gave-up-sugar-and-flour-heres-what-i-eat-instead/
Would love to hear more about what anonymity means for people suffering.
It’s essentially the principle that whatever you share with a fellow or sponsor in the program is kept anonymous and not shared with others or talked about even generally. Each person retains the right to share their own story if/when they decide. Hope this helps!