#greysheet

PAGE ONE OF OA PAMPHLET

PLAN "A" -- LOW-CARBOHYDRATE

(Suggested for losing weight)

SAMPLE MENU

BREAKFAST

1 Protein

1 Fruit

Coffee

LUNCH

1 Protein

1 Vegetable

Finger Salad

(no dressing)

(1 serving good fat)

DINNER

1 Protein

1 Vegetable

Salad

(1 serving good fat)

For carbohydrate sensitive people, man-made sugars and starches create a craving for more of the same. Therefore these foods cannot be eater at all! This plan provides for complete abstinence from man-made sugars and starches and from any foods with more than 10% carbohydrate content.

We suggest three measured meals a day with nothing in between but black coffee, tea or no-calorie soft drinks.

Overeaters Anonymous offers a choice of three disciplined eating plans:

For losing weight ... Plan "A", low-carbohydrate (this pamphlet) or Plan "B", basic-four food groups. For maintaining normal weight ... low-carbohydrate maintenance plan. Before you choose any plan, see your doctor. If you have a medical problem, follow your doctor's plan. You will still be abstaining from compulsive overeating.

REMEMBER .... OURS IS A THREE-FOLD ILLNESS. THESE SUGGESTED EATING PLANS CAN GUIDE US ON THE PHYSICAL LEVEL BUT WE NEED THE 12 STEPS TO REMEMBER OUR RECOVERY ON THE SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL LEVEL AS WELL.

PAGE TWO OF OA PAMPHLET

SUGGESTED GUIDES FOR PLAN "A" ABSTINENCE

Proteins may be mixed (i.e., chef's salad). Vegetables may be mixed. If a ½ cup vegetable is included, the whole portion may not exceed ½ cup.

Sugar must be listed 5th or below on ingredient labels: not among the first 4 items (Ex. Veg Oil, water, salt, spices, sugar.)

Check labels for sugar content: packaged meats, low-cal and regular dressings, mixed spices, vegetables in cans and jars.

Dextrose, lactose and corn syrup are forms of sugar. Must be listed 5th or below on labels.

Mix family salads, then measure two 8 ounce cups for your own, using up to 2 tbs dressing without sugar.

A finger salad is three small, raw vegetables or green salad without dressing.

When eating out, if cooked vegetable in not available have a 4th raw vegetable.

If fresh fruits are unavailable, use fresh frozen not packed in sugar or syrup, fruits packed in water, or their own juice, not sugar added. Mixing of fruits except the ½ cup fruits to total 1 cup.

Use real mayonnaise only, not whipped dressing.

Watch out for high carbohydrate artificial sweeteners. If you are concerned about artificial sweeteners, see your doctor.

1. Use diet catsup and regular mustards on your meats and fish.

2. 3-tsp. lemon juice daily may be used in tea or finger salad. If milk is used as a protein, some of that milk may be used ...

PAGE THREE OF OA PAMPHLET

FOOD PORTIONS SHEET

PROTEIN

Beef - 4 oz.

Cheese - 2 oz.

Chicken - 2 pieces

Clams - 4 oz.

Crab - ½ cup.

Cold Cuts - 2 slices.

Cottage Cheese - ½ cup.

Eggs - 2.

Fish - 4 oz.

Frankfurters - 2

Ham - 4 oz.

Heart - 4 oz.

Kidney - 4 oz.

Lamb - 4 oz.

Liver - 4 oz.

Lobster - 4 oz.

Oysters - 4 oz.

Pork - 4 oz.

Salmon - ½ cup

Sardines - ½ cup

Shrimp - 4 oz.

Soyburger - 4 oz.

(soy proteins, ham & sausage links)

Steak - 4 oz.

Tongue - 4 oz.

Tuna - ½ cup

Turkey - 4 oz.

Veal - 4 oz.

Milk - 8 oz = ½ protein

Buttermilk, 1 cup = ½ protein

Yogurt, low fat plain 1 cup = 1 protein

COOKED VEG. - 1 CUP

Artichoke

Asparagus

Bean Sprouts

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Celery

Chard

Cucumber

Eggplant

Greens : Mustard, Collard,Beet, Spinach, Turnip

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Okra

Peppers - green, red

Radishes

Parsley

Pickles - sour, dill

Sauerkraut

String Beans

Summer Squash

Tomatoes

Turnip

Zucchini

COOKED VEG. 1/2 C.

Beets

Carrots

Onions

Pumpkin

Rutabagas

Winter Squash

Wheat Germ - 1/8 cup

THE FOLLOWING MAY BE USED FOR COOKING ONLY

All spices, Onion Soup, Horseradish, Soy Sauce and Paste, Worcestershire Sauce.

PAGE FOUR OF OA PAMPHLET

FRESH FRUITS

Apricots - 3 medium

Apple - 1 medium

Blackberries - ½ cup

Blueberries - ½ cup

Boysenberries - 1 cup

Cantaloupe - ½

Casaba Melon - ¼

Cranberries - 1 cup

Gooseberries - 1 cup

Grapefruit - ½

Honeydew Melon - ¼

Lemons & Limes - 2

Orange - 1 (3" diam.)

Pineapple - 1 cup

Peach - 1 medium

Plum - 2 medium

Raspberries - ½ cup

Rhubarb - 1 cup

Strawberries - 1 cup

Tangerine - 2 large

This is the food plan. It will get rid of the outer manifestation, fat. It is only a part of our program. The 12 Steps will take care of our living problems.

You may ask, "Can I do it?"

Yes, the key is within yourself. All you need is honesty, willingness and an open mind.

Many of the things you hear will sound strange at first. Just listen to the new ideas. Let them flow over you. Give these concepts time to settle.

A choice is open to you. You can choose to become responsible to yourself, for yourself. Learn, one day at a time, to like and love yourself.

Recovery begins here. The choice is yours.

Keep coming back!

PAGE FIVE OF OA PAMPHLET

The 12 Steps of Overeaters Anonymous

Here are the steps which are suggested as a program of recovery.

1. We admitted we were powerless over food-that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

PAGE 6 AND FINAL PAGE OF THE PAMPHLET

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS

WEIGHING AND MEASURING FOOD

We use an 8-ounce measuring cup (level) and a postal or kitchen scale. Foods are measured and weighed after cooking.

FOOD PREPARATION

Meats may be broiled, baked, boiled, roasted, pan-fried, or grilled. Eggs may be fried. Salad dressing without sugar once a day; a pat of butter or margarine may be used in cooking vegetables.

FOODS WE AVOID

Cake, candy, candy coated gum, catsup, cookies, honey, jam, jelly, nuts, pastries, peanut butter, pie, sugar, sugared soft drinks, syrups, Creamed, fried or scalloped foods. Cereals, noodles and spaghetti, Beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages. Condensed milk, cream cheese, sour cream and whipped cream. Crackers and all bread products.

WE ALSO SUGGEST . . .

1. Write your food plan daily; call it in to your food sponsor for one month.

2. Eat slowly, taking small bites.

3. Eat your meals sitting down.

4. No second helpings at meals.

5. Do not skip any meals.

6. Weigh yourself only once a month.

7. Avoid your individual binge foods.

8. Call before you take that first bite.

DO NOT EAT DIET SWEETS OR FOODS NOT ON THE FOOD PORTIONS SHEET

WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT.

Appendix

The Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon OA unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority-a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

3. The only requirement for OA membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or OA as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose-to carry its message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers.

6. An OA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the OA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

7. Every OA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. Overeaters Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. OA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the OA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television and other public media of communication.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all these Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

This is posted more than a week late, not sure what’s the delay means. As before I feel that I pretend that the internet will be here forever, maybe as long as a monument or tomb stone would last and hence these entries are my mark on t his place, for the time that I am nothing but a memory. Not that I think my nonsense here is valuable.

On Friday whet to the beach to watch 4th of July fireworks.The wife and kids picked a food truck and were happy eating their food.

On Saturday evening Went to Brooklyn museum, it was free Saturday plus went to see the David Bowie show.  The boys did not care much for David, though fro me who grow up on this music, Thank you Ayelet T for exposing me to Ziggy Stardust and for the endless games of rummy cube and backgammon. Everything that I know about Ziggy and backgammon comes from those long sessions. I love the Brooklyn Museum, it is fresh and fun, really well worth it.

On Sunday went with wife and friends to ride bikes on the boardwalk. It was an 18 miles ride, very nice with a stop on one of the cafes on the walk.

No one can stop time - 

How do you feel about that? If you are having fun, or calm, you want to be able to stop time. if you are going through a rough patch you want to roll that clock on fast forward. 

During my Army service - “No one can stop time” was a way of saying, “Even this shell pass”. Basic training, long patrol assignments, marching with full gear for 40 kms, standing in an outpost on a boarder, sleeping with your shoes on while on stand-by, “no one will stop time” if you hold long enough you will see the end of the hardest tests of life.

Last week was when my mom flow back home, before we spent a few days in the city, talking, touring, my mom made a cake with one of the boys it was fun to watch.

On Friday we met, parents and kids of one boy’s after school youth group for a dinner and Kidush, one last time as the boys have graduated from HS, and are going on to the next station in their lives.

On Saturday, went to the Brooklyn Aquarium, they opened a new Shark exhibit and wife wanted us to see. Long lines, heat, it was not so much fun, to the point that we decided to skip the sharks part (another line inside the aquarium) they need to have timed admission. Also for the first time, I just couldn't stand inside the halls of the aquarium, so many people, it felt like there is no oxygen in  the room, I felt like I’m going to throw up.

On Sunday, did something that I said I will do for a long time, I joined a community garden, and for two hours was helping in the garden. One of the old timers also taught us how to plant and pick some vegetables. It was good, especially going with the older boy who met some kids he knows from the HS.

Wow, I am the father a high school graduate. The fact that the boy finished HS is not that unique, I kind of expected that to happen. What is crazy that I think about how I felt about my parents when i was 18, and they looked so old and irrelevant; shockingly (or by evolutionary design) I feel very relevant and vital right now.

On Tuesday was Prom, never participated in prom before I was not aware of the pre-prom and pre-pre-prom festivities. But got the hang of it quite fast, and even enjoyed meeting the parents and kids that I know and seeing everyone at their nice outfits, the boys all spiffed up and the girls glamorous. 

Wednesday was graduation and it was great. Again meeting many that I have been trudging along the trenches of raising kids, it is a constant struggle and the worst part is that many times you are not sure if you are helping or hurting ( and if there ever will be a definite answer to any of that).

What is amazing is that I thought that one day there will be a moment when I will get the keys to my life back. A moment that I will know that I am “done” here. I thought 18 will be that day. Now it feels that a whole new horizon of unknwon future just opened. I am still responsible for that kid. I still need to keep my cool as he is heading to his future and I am expected to guide him into education, profession, marriage? and kids?? oy vey.

Over the weekend drove upstate, stayed at a nice ABB, and participate at a bike ride, a long, painful and painful/painful/whaaaaaat?

I somehow done it, all with mom and famm in tow.

Great busy weekend.

On Wednesday my mom came for a visit, so I had the joy of waiting in the airport for her arrival.

On Saturday we had a temple celebration and went with my mom to participate, she is always very emotional to be there and participate in prayer.

Later went to see the Cirque de Soliel show by Nassau Coliseum, these shows are great, but you need to wait a few years in between shows to really enjoy them.

The acrobats are top notch and the the show has the intention to be visually over the top.

Wooowowwo, almost missed posting.

On Wednesday went to see Depeche Mode at the Barclays Center. Since I got to BKLYN first and was waiting for wife to join, had more than an hour to do a bit of a bar tour and have a drink in each. Also stopped an a wine store and got wine in a can. 

Once wife joined, we walked in and on the line for a pre-show drink met a couple that we know from the kids activities, we decided to meet for a post-show meal.

This is the second time that I see the Depeche Mode and I am still enjoying it. For me this is the sound track of my late teens early twenties, and I really got to like them because of my best friend Dan V, who used to call them Gods.

Many a Friday nights we would aimlessly drive in his dad’s Alfa Romeo 75, blasting DM and really enjoy the quality of the speakers and EQ (equalizer, gulp), did I mention we were listening to mix tapes?

So for me DM is a sound track of exploration, confusion, and excitement, 

Not much had happen during the weekend.

Finished binge watching “Dear White People” on Netflix. I get it but at the same don’t get it.

Friday was interesting, we bought a sofa, and I was assigned on schlepping it home. Best part - having two sons to do this kind of chores with.

Over the weekend was Gov Ball and the boys went, we dropped them on Randell's Island early in the day, and drove to the NYC. Wife had a long wish to take the Roosevelt Island Tram, so we did that, walked all around the island and later drove home. The new university is what still in my mind falls under my “AmeriKa!” (says in an Italian accent, on an immigrant ship as they enter New York harbor at the turn of the 20th century) wonder. 

“AmeriKa! wonders” for me are the quick and efficient way things are being built in this country, examples? plenty, the new world trade center, the new Tappan Zee Bridge, the JFK Air Rail, buildings in NYC that seem to come up almost over night. Just like the new university on Roosevelt Island. It feels as if they built it in less than a year.

We also bought a huge screen TV, we bought it on a whim. We have only one TV at home and it has quite a small screen. I felt quite bad for buying a TV, while our current one is still in perfectly working condition, and it served us well for at least 10 years. I think the main reason I wanted a new screen is so I can play Overwatch on it.

Hanging that TV, and reconnecting the cables and inputs, is always a challenge.

This one is also related to the NYC subway system.

It was in the 50th street and 5th Ave station. Sometimes in the late 90s. I was in college and had an internship in the area. For a whole summer that was my station and this station had these long escalators. Between these escalators there was a homeless (I think he was homeless) that was there everyday, for long hours. He seemed to treat the station as his place and the commuters as his audience. He would from time to time stand between the stairs and make “announcements”, many times he would start with bell-like “binnnnggg boooongg”.

One of the announcements I remember goes like this:

“Binnnnnggg booooonnnngg!, if you support the death penalty, you must REALLY trust your government”