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 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. 

Dealing with Quantities

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.

Please note:

OA takes no position on specific food plans. It is between you and your health care professional to determine whether your plan of eating provides the nutrition your body requires. We urge OA members with diagnosed medical problems—for example, obesity, bulimia, anorexia, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, hypoglycemia, kidney disease, or thyroid disease—to seek and follow the advice of a health care professional before adopting any plan of eating.

Sample Plans of Eating

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.

Plans of Eating

Sample Plan #1

¹ 14 to 16 grams total

Sample Plan #2

¹ 14 to 16 grams total

Sample Plan #3
(High Carbohydrate)²

¹ 14 to 16 grams total
² Keep in mind that some OA members are sensitive to carbohydrates and struggle with volume of food as well.

Sample Plan #4
(High Protein/Low Carbohydrate)³

³ Calcium supplementation may be required with this plan. You may substitute 4 ounces low-fat cottage, ricotta, or mozzarella cheese or 2 ounces hard cheese for the milk serving. Milks need to be calcium fortified. Use variety; do not eat the same foods more than once a day.
⁴ 28 to 32 grams total

Before choosing any of these plans, we urge you to consult with your sponsor and a health care professional.

What is a serving?

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 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.

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