2025 Bariatric

[00:00:02] Speaker A: Our workshop in Vienna delta and 7 and a half years ago glad to be here with other people had finished into a job accepted and trying to provide service jumble and I need a telephone like the whole thing work for rounds of interviews the first one and I like went and they're like okay we'll like call you now what do I do? I was like ah. She told me I have a job to live I needed to move located while I was in school. It wasn't time it wasn't just gonna go to the drive what do I do next? And so it had taken a long time to get to that food While she wasn't there we had bugs in the fluid listening to other things and I had just kind of had that thought moved I got this job that was other things that are drinking. So I thought things a person like I don't know drinking is start taking laughter about people who had their addiction an app that actually a big book And I was like oh it's really impactful to me. When I is a compulsive eater. How do I like I'm not 32 though there is no way of that. Early in our drinking 10 of 30 was doing a great deal. He was very nervous in the morning actually these bouts work any better. Even though I needed some sort of comfort or protection while I was in [00:01:17] Speaker B: that until he had been sick on [00:01:18] Speaker A: the end he remained bone dry for 25 years and retired and humiliated demonstrated again getting to stop drinking your musty got the idea like okay I comfort myself. I was like well you know it didn't work anymore. I didn't have to wait for it [00:01:31] Speaker C: to get like super fast to like [00:01:33] Speaker A: £230 at one point but for myself was that food in an emergency tastes as good as abstinence. I don't know how to be in the picnic and expect to be at hear the definition. Maybe I could lose five pounds. Not impossible. So then I thought about like some people in my family I did consider very spiritual. That seemed like the offer it was like you don't have to be spiritual. You're not going to get all the way to a healthy body. Reading that example from the it's a progressive disease and it's still working about different ways religious service One time someone like left after the religious service hey like yes find what you need leave. I was also told like I want us out there for you that freedom and money and like that there are those that would like I heard of things that I actually enjoy doing. Know that my body like likes to care about like my capacity. People on TV a lot because TV was like fun and I was like anonymity and like I don't need to be doing this. And I like, you know, really grateful to have that relationship. I'm grateful to have this woman at my job get older. So line at the front of the room. [00:02:48] Speaker B: Good morning. My name is Nancy H. I live island. [00:02:54] Speaker D: Hello everybody. [00:02:55] Speaker C: I'm so glad to be here. [00:02:56] Speaker B: And I am a compulsive leader, that's for sure. I started in OA in the 1980s but I wasn't one of those that just kept coming. I, you know, character defiance. So it was like, I'm done, I want to go eat what I want. And I would eat for years at a time. I've been abstinent now for about two years and 10 months. And I'm so grateful. It's. I want to say it's not me being abstinent, it's my higher power just taking control. And every day I do ask for the gift of abstinence most every day. Some days I forget try to remember to be grateful. My high weight was almost 300 pounds each. I've done all the paying wages. I've had a lap band put in in 2009. I had it taken out in 2015. And you know, I've gone other places too for support. It is a spiritual solution. The fact that, you know, I packed most of my meals for this conference. I weigh and measure. I have to say I just did an international trip a few weeks ago with actually another person in the program and we Paris. I never traveled when I was younger [00:04:27] Speaker E: because [00:04:30] Speaker B: so self conscious because of my food addiction. I had been fired from a number of jobs and I just didn't have one of the gifts of the program that I go internationally and be interested in. And that wasn't easy. I was in constant contact with my sponsor on WhatsApp telling her either what I ate or what I planned. I didn't always know what I was going to get. So anyway, I've maintained like a weight loss about 140lbs which I'm. It's just me sad because you know, when I pick up a nice box of cat litter, it's like, yeah, I have carrying about six of these and I'm grateful to see everybody. Part of me thinks why not get more people here the Rhode island area, you know, we talk a lot about and I'm sure a lot of meetings do about, you know, people and just want to share two things. Our PI PO Professional Public Information Professional Outreach Committee grant from Region 6. And we're taking ads actually in the. They call them ads right in the University of Rhode island they call it the good 5 cent cigar. But it's the student newspaper that comes out either every week or every two weeks. But we're running it for 10 weeks. And it's just a simple message. Food a problem for you? We have a solution that helps or something along those lines. And we have a QR code and our webmaster has been able to track that and seeing that it's getting some hits, it's gotten about 20 hits so far. So you know, second water dripping on the stone. You know, I think putting our message out somehow in a community and according to tradition, you know, we attract, we don't promote. So anyway, and the other thing I just want to say I'm grateful for is in one of our meetings that started last year by a longtime member who's very passionate about the Big Book. Of course we know that's where this will started, a big book meeting in person. We saw that there were probably over the course of the year seven or eight newcomers that never came back. And we had a business meeting the other night and we had a newcomer there and actually she said in her shia, you know, I don't quite get it why we're reading this book. Because it talks about alcohol. I don't have a problem with that. I have a problem with food. It's like, wow, okay, that's like a very direct message. And at the business meeting we decided to change the format of that meeting to use an OA literature reading out of the O, you know, step book and it's booked here. And because that's what we're going to do in this meeting, we decided, you know, in this long term member who loved the big book and of course we all do. You know, I just said, well if we want to just have this be a big book meeting, we can do that. But it's really for us. It's not to attract because that's the way it was looking. The evidence was showing, you know, these newcomers not coming back anyway. I'm so grateful to be friends and to be absent today that I'm not binging my brains out live. This program saves me. Thanks. [00:07:35] Speaker D: Hello everybody. I'm Jackie A. I'm from Connecticut. [00:07:39] Speaker B: Hello. [00:07:41] Speaker D: I'm. I had incredible experience. Going to be 40 soon. I'm going to be home and recovery. In the past thing I wasn't able to do, I'm Very very blessed I have been given the gift of being able to climb 4,000 foot plus mountains program and do so abstinently and challenged and to constantly be or just joyous I have a home meeting and often on Sunday I would come off a mountain going sign sometimes absolutely coming down in the dark coming down in the rain but I was able to do a Sunday night in ville and know that my fellows were there know that fellows that are my age range are in that meeting knowing that like sponsontes and folks of all felt like a safe homecoming moments of like am I going to make it I'm going to make it if it's God's will I'm going to make it it was I'm around people at least in my ears about and then that track I'm doing that came from Connecticut that grandma she might even be a great grandma for me I just have like a starts with a J and she'll text me and she'll say let me know when you're down the mountain or another ones and it's just find your family and program about you and as a young person off in 12 steps I feel like I'm growing know that I have folks I can look up to surgeon as I grow I'm like oh my God I'm not only older than your parents I'm bubby age according to some standards as a mom I'm like I could be old enough to be helps me know that I can live a life that challenges me but that also something I my youth more and I appreciate my relationship and I also am taking into consideration now I'm hoping that I become less edgy I heard a workshop podcast gentleman who's a long time hoping to grow out of and he called it 4D and I will say back in the day my body shape was different so I never had four Ds but I understand at least a couple of them I'm hoping that like recovery something's he talked about denial science and debate where am I doubting that my future can be not Jackie's will it's not this true am I denying the facts dishonoring my where am I I constantly am almost going days in buildings and can I be the rule breaker can this and such and such role in life do I dedicate Do I get a pass so I just debate I debate a lot of people's [00:10:12] Speaker B: own black and white thinking I'm learning [00:10:15] Speaker D: my fear of heights getting to do five kicking to climb I got hang on jungle gyms and ran the ground yesterday. Just saying. I went on one, I climbed one by the river. [00:10:26] Speaker C: I climbed. [00:10:27] Speaker E: My name is Cheryl and I'm a compulsive overeater from Weymouth, Massachusetts. I'm 42 years old and I've been in program now for 12 years. I haven't had recovery that years. I've had recovery for the last three years, maybe. But one thing that I stood out as a young person in a way, and in my geographic area, I was the only person in my 30s at the time. Since COVID we've had had an influx of people younger than myself. And it's nice. You have a documented learning disability on the autism spectrum. And I always had a hard young people my age. So being a young person in program, I know that our needs as a generation are very different from our parents. And yes, I am growing up in this program and I have been involved with our intergroup over the years. And one thing that just before COVID I was going to college and I had helped put flyers out at our university and that's how we attracted more people my age since then. Since COVID like we've had more and 30 something a little bit younger than me. But it's nice to see the fruits of what those early. Those early developments that I helped create. So connecting with people my age is really important to me. I didn't have, like I said, I didn't have that personal connection early on. And yes, I am having. Starting to have physical challenges that go along with being in my 40s. And I can relate to my friends that are going through similar things. I'm grateful for this program today that it teaches us that work together because everybody's needs are different, but are similar. And I'm grateful for the people that are older than me that taught me how to advocate for myself and for others. Elizabeth I'm a compulsive from Canada and [00:13:33] Speaker A: I am very lucky that I am from. I also am very lucky that they understand. And I was reminded that I don't got this. I will never again. Longer, longer. You know, I'm still. I guess that's one of the. [00:13:50] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:13:50] Speaker A: One of the interesting things being a young person, but seeing older who are living the program, exactly who to speak to, like, if there's other health crises, it is helpful to see other different ways of. [00:14:03] Speaker C: I think I'm blanking on everything else. [00:14:05] Speaker D: I use they. [00:14:05] Speaker C: Them pronouns. And I'm from New York City but grew up Berlin and I've been in program in both. Yeah, Cool to be at this workshop young adults and to still find myself really on the younger end. It's also inspiring because I going up to like. I feel like I'm. I for a while had felt frozen at 16, 17 till very recently. And I kind of like lost a couple years of my life and ways and kind of Woke up at 26. And I've been trying to kind of figure out basically find my age, how old I am in program. I came into recovery nine years ago, not through program. For me, it's a little backwards. I came in like through another channel. I do use multiple therapy. And one thing that's been great about program for me is, well, my teacher in a lot of places can be [00:14:59] Speaker B: a point of insecurity in a lot [00:15:00] Speaker C: of spaces where I am. Where I'm newer at something and, you know, I'm currently navigating that program I'm doing where I'm way on the young end. And I so insecure. And I actually have been feeling a little of that in program lately. But I'm remembering that when I first came in it, like I was punished by how equal I actually did feel and how I was connecting with people [00:15:23] Speaker A: that were in there. [00:15:24] Speaker C: So I felt like we were equal. And that's something I've been reflecting on. Just as I want to take one thing, I want to out or re refined again in my program. And then that knowing that like, that kind of dislike is equal. There's a responsibility, I think, on both ends of generational spectrum to less younger people and listen and look up. But I think there's also that that's offered. And I think the practice. I kind of left Brigham for a couple years, came back in fairly recently. The intention, not even my intention, like, I kind of felt like it was kind of mine, but just thinking very vividly to myself that I want to grow up in oa. I want to kind of break out for a while. I can already feel that happening. And [00:16:10] Speaker D: it's. [00:16:11] Speaker C: Yeah, it took me to kind of keep up with my agent. And it also gives me a lot of perspective on age and getting to see how long life is and how long recovery is. And I have been in recovery since I was 16, 17, but I still feel very. And it's awesome to know that, like, hopefully I'll have like a pretty long life and decades and decades. I think it's fun to kind of find common permission to be where I am. [00:16:45] Speaker B: And [00:16:49] Speaker C: right now I've been feeling a feeling, you know, not inadequate or incompetent. Because of fault or skills. But just because I simply for years of life experience and work experience and have permission to go appreciating being here. I'm actually starting to understand that I have have so much life ahead of me. And it's giving me like a lot of peace and gratitude. And through looking at people like it's great to really appreciate where I am now. [00:17:11] Speaker B: Knowing that I'm going to want to [00:17:12] Speaker C: remember these moments one day and feel what it feels like to be in this body someday. A lot lately and weight changes and it's my body a moment of time where I ordinarily yeah I think that is it for me. But really grateful to be here came to this workshop and that there even [00:17:27] Speaker A: is a really cool a thanks. [00:17:29] Speaker B: I'm Nancy. I'm a composer leader. [00:17:31] Speaker C: It's really great to hear. [00:17:34] Speaker B: In fact, I am in the upper range of the age range. I'm actually 76 in recovery and being abstinent but also being humility. And humility but yet loving myself go hand in hand is that I've never felt younger. Now I feel like, you know, I hear a lot of people or even younger talk about, oh, you know, don't feel that like accepting life on life's terms. And you know, the spiritual advisor, she we've. My spiritual advisor is actually my medical doctor. The woman who in Rhode island is one of us insurance people who have weight. Actually talks to a lot of people in program and other forms of. When I go talk to her, we check in. I do get weighed. I don't get weighed at home. And this is the thing about physical recovery. She said yes, it is important. It's just one of the forms. But the reason I like it is when my weight goes up and down. And you know, and probably maybe you've experienced this. And I know I have. It's like if it goes up £2, I don't know it's up and down. But I've seen over the past six years my little squiggle of my weight ranges just like that. And I am so grateful for that. Except when I had my hip replacement, it went up a little because I was trying to say it's this. I love having discussions with the spirit. And no matter what illness we have there is in our heart center. That's what's important. The heart center. Our soul is state never changes. We are always whole beings, whole souls. And that is never destroyed by any addiction illness, as painful as they may be. And I don't know why I want to say that today because. Wonderful message. No matter what happens at my soul level, this is what I believe sustains what goes on. And, you know, I've heard it said by other people that my body is just the vehicle I'm in while I'm on this planet, which I love that, you know, so, you know, I'm so grateful that my body has withstood so much abuse, you know, that my illness gave it so much abuse. And it's just medications anymore. High triglyceride medication, cholesterol, high cycles going on and on. I'm sorry for going on. But I just wanted to say that message that, you know, the soul is a thing that, you know, is feeding me. Know if I make that anyway,