What Is GreySheeters Anonymous?
GreySheeters Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from compulsive eating. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for GSA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. GSA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay abstinent and help other compulsive eaters to achieve abstinence.*
About the Fellowship
GreySheeters Anonymous has its roots in a small group of meetings of the original Twelve Step fellowship for compulsive eating. These meetings were held in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The “GreySheet” was one of a number of food plans offered by the original food fellowship (aptly named for the grey sheet of paper on which the plan was printed.) In the 1970s, a few members of the original fellowship in Cambridge who had been following the GreySheet food plan realized that in order to find true recovery, they needed to approach food addiction in the same manner that alcoholics addressed alcoholism. They committed themselves to:
- Complete abstinence from foods that set up the phenomenon of craving
- Weighing and measuring only three meals a day without exception, eating only the foods listed on the GreySheet food plan**, and eating nothing in between
- A very specific definition of abstinence and guidelines for attaining and maintaining abstinence
The GreySheet Group Purpose
This group has been founded and designed to discuss the fundamentals or basics of attaining and maintaining GreySheet abstinence. For that purpose, we explore together the utilization of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous in arresting compulsive eating. We strongly support GreySheet. We require that our meeting leaders be abstinent for at least 3 months on the GreySheet. We support a vigorous and positive attitude toward GreySheet abstinence—which we define as 3 weighed and measured meals a day from the GreySheet with nothing in between, but black coffee, tea, or diet soda.
References
*The A.A. Preamble is adapted with the permission (2020) of the A.A. Grapevine, Inc. Permission to adapt the Preamble does not in any way imply affiliation or endorsement of this organization.
** For more information about the GreySheet food plan within the program of GreySheeters Anonymous, see Why We Don't Change the GreySheet.