Food Addicts Anonymous is a 12-step fellowship program, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, but it helps food addicts rather than alcohol addicts. FAA branched off from Overeaters Anonymous, the original food 12-step program. OA does not promote any particular food plan, but rather suggests that a food plan be followed that works for each individual. According to the FAA website, the group believes that "food addiction is a bio-chemical disease." To recover from food addiction, members follow a specific food plan and work on emotional eating issues in the program. The food program is designed as a tool to go along with the fellowship program.
12 Steps
There are 12 steps in the FAA program, designed to relieve a person's food addiction. The steps are studied in group literature and discussed in meetings. Step one is admitting a powerless over food, and that your life has become unmanageable. Step two is believing that a power greater than yourself could restore you to sanity. Step three is making a decision to turn your will and your life over to God. Step four is to make a searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself. Step five is admitting to God, yourself, and to another human being the exact nature of your wrongs. Step six is being entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Step seven is humbly asking God to remove your shortcomings. Step eight is making a list of all persons you have harmed and to become willing to make amends to them all. Step nine is making direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Step 10 is to continue to take personal inventory and when you are wrong promptly admit it. Step eleven is seeing through prayer and meditation to improve your conscious contact with God as you understand God. Step 12 is to have a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, and to carry this message to food addicts, and to practice these principles in all your affairs.
Abstinence
Abstinence from addictive substances is important in 12-step programs. An alcoholic can abstain completely from alcohol, but humans need food to live. Members of FAA abstain from foods they believe trigger food binges and other out of control food behavior, like secretive eating. These addictive substances include sugar, flour and wheat. Members of FAA also identify other trigger foods like caffeine, certain fats and processed foods, and recommend abstinence from them as well.
Meal Planning
FAA meals are carefully planned and prepared. FAA recommends writing down a food plan for the next day each night, so there will be no last-minute mishaps. Weighing and measuring food is encouraged to keep honest about proportion size. The timing of FAA meals is four to five hours apart to avoid getting too hungry and overeating. The food plan may seem rigid, but it is designed to be a clear and straightforward eating plan to help a food addict live a normal life.
Breakfast
Breakfast on the FAA food plan includes one protein, one fruit, one dairy, and one starchy vegetable or grain. FAA has a list of acceptable foods for each food group, and measurements. With these regulations in mind, an acceptable breakfast would be two medium-sized eggs, one large orange, 1 cup of skim milk, and 1 cup of cooked oatmeal.
Lunch
A lunch for members of FAA includes one protein, 1 cup of raw salad, one cooked vegetable, and 1 tbsp. of dressing. A typical lunch might be 4 oz. of chicken or beef, 1 cup of salad with the dressing that is wheat- and sugar-free, and 1 cup of cooked broccoli.
Dinner
An FAA dinner consists of one protein, one cooked vegetable, one cup salad, 1 tbsp. salad dressing, and one starchy vegetable or grain. A sample dinner could be 4 oz. pork or shellfish, 1 cup of kale, 1 cup of salad with sugar-free, wheat-free dressing, and 1 cup of brown rice.
Metabolic Adjustment
A metabolic adjustment is part of the FAA food plan. This will be eaten before bed, and is one fruit with either one dairy or 2 oz. protein. One cup of berries with 1 cup plain, sugar-free yogurt would be an acceptable metabolic adjustment.
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