One Day at a Time Workshop

Starting Out

• Do you have a copy of the The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous or the Big Book?
• Have you opened the The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous or the Big Book and started reading it? If not, why?
• Do you have any other OA literature that you read?

Working the Program

• Do you read Program literature on a regular basis?
• Do you work the Steps each day? How?
• What step are you working on?
• Have you completed all the steps?
• Do you surrender your will and your life to your Higher Power each day?
• Do you maintain conscious contact with your Higher Power on a daily basis?
• Are you practicing the principles of the program in all of your affairs?

Starting Out

• Why should I sponsor?
• Am I ready to be a sponsor? If not, why?
• What is style of sponsorship?

Working the Program with a Sponsoree

• I have a new sponsoree – where do I start working the program with her / him?
• Do you sponsor the same way for all of your sponsees?
• What bottom lines do I have for my sponsorees? Eg number of meetings, regular phone calls, written assignments
• What boundaries / limits do I need to put in place with my sponsoree – eg routine phone calls during certain times only, emergency phone calls any time.
• How much contact do I want to have with a sponsoree?
• How do I take a sponsoree through the steps?
• Which step is my sponsoree on? How do I know?
• How many people am I comfortable sponsoring at one time?
• How important is God / Higher Power in the sponsor / sponsoree relationship?
• How do you make sure that your sponsorees program isn’t reliant on you as a sponsor?

Troubleshooting

• I am in relapse – what should I do – should I not tell my sponsorees, tell them or stop sponsoring?
• Am I carrying my sponsoree and trying to save them?
• How can a sponsor break through denial of a sponsoree in a loving manner?
• What do you do if your sponsoree doesn’t do any of the suggested writing assignments or step work that you suggest?
• What do you do if your sponsoree is suicidal?

Letting Go

• When and how should I end a relationship with a sponsoree?

Starting Out

• Why should I work with a sponsor?
• What do I expect from a sponsor?
• How do I work out who is the sponsor for me?
• How do I ask someone to sponsor me?
• What do I do if there are no sponsors in my area?
• Should I have only one sponsor for everything or should I have a food sponsor, steps sponsor, spiritual sponsor etc?
• How do I get over the fear of rejections when asking someone to sponsor me?

Working the Program with a Sponsor

• What sort of contact do I want with a sponsor? Eg daily, weekly, for step work, to commit food plan?
• Am I willing to do what my sponsor suggests?
• Do I work the steps when there is a crisis?
• Do I only call my sponsor when there is a crisis?

Troubleshooting

• Is my sponsor my Higher Power?
• When you have a problem with the advice that your sponsor is giving you, how do you handle it?
• What do I do if my sponsor is in relapse?

Letting Go

• When and how should I end a relationship with a sponsor?

Starting Out

• Are you aware of your binge or trigger foods?
• Do you have a plan of eating?
• Have you consulted a dietitian to develop your plan of eating? If not, are you willing to?
• Is your plan of eating balanced and nutritionally sound or is it a diet?
• What is your bottom line around your plan of eating? eg 3 meals a day and nothing in between; 3 weighed and measured meals and a snack; no sugar or flour.

Working the Program

• Do you write down or commit your plan of eating daily to yourself, to God or to your sponsor?

Troubleshooting

• Are you having difficulties with your plan of eating?
• Are you bored with your plan of eating? If so, is it too rigid? Do you have enough variety in your food?

Working the Program

• How many meetings a week do you regularly attend?
• Do you have a “home” meeting?
• Do you perform service at your home meeting eg secretary, treasurer, literature person, Intergroup rep, organizing tea and coffee or stacking chairs away each meeting.
• Do you share your experience, strength and hope at the meeting or do you use it to “dump” and vent?
• Are you welcoming to newcomers at the meeting?
• Do you follow up when members do not attend a meeting?
• Does your meeting have regular group consciences?
• When we share in meetings, are we careful not to imply an OA endorsement of outside enterprises, such as hospitals, eating disorder treatment programs, other twelve step groups, clubs, books, publications and therapies? Do we overemphasise these and underestimate our OA experiences?

Starting Out

• Have you made any phone calls to other OA members? If not, why not? Are you willing to start?

Working the Program

• Do you make regular phone calls to other OA members? To your sponsor?
• Do you always ring the same OA members?
• Do you call newcomers and make them welcome?
• Does your meeting have a phone card that is distributed to members?
• Do you call follow up with members who haven’t attended meetings for a while?
• Do we let people’s age, race, education, manner of dress, weight, religion (or lack of it), political beliefs, language or other such factors determine whether we will reach out to them on the phone?

Working the Program

• Do you have a journal that you regularly write in?
• Do you write daily?
• What do you write? Is it a daily vent or do you focus on program issues?
• Do you write a daily gratitude list?

Starting Out

• What does anonymity mean to you?

Working the Program

• Are you careful not to throw OA members’ names around, even within the Fellowship?
• Do you ever repeat anything personal we have heard in meetings or from other members?
• Do you value all OA members equally, or do you treat some individuals as stars or gurus?
• Are you ever tempted to look at OA success as a vehicle for personal stardom?

Working the Program

• Do you perform any service within OA? What? If not why not?
• Does your group send a representative to each intergroup meeting?
• Do some members of your group take on more OA service jobs than they can effectively handle at one time? Or is it encouraged that less active members become more involved?