We Don’t Eat No Matter What A History of



GreySheeters Anonymous As Shared by Longtime Members

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Dedication “To those who have provided assistance in preparing and providing approval of this book, we sincerely thank you. To those who were involved in some of the events described in this book, but were not mentioned, we offer our heartfelt apologies. To those who have so generously participated and given of themselves in the history and development of GreySheeters Anonymous and are no longer with us, you have our undying gratitude and your memories and contributions will remain forever with us. For those of you who hopefully will join GreySheeters Anonymous in the near or distant future, we joyfully welcome you and look forward to walking with you hand in hand on the road to recovery from compulsive overeating, One Day At A Time, No Matter What.” Sincerely Yours In Fellowship and Service, The Literature Committee 2

Table of Contents Forward Introduction – Twelve Step Genealogy Chapter 1: “Prologue”: A Brief History of Overeaters Anonymous Chapter 2: The Greysheet Food Plan - From Conception to Copyright Chapter 3:“Rebels With A Cause”-The Beginnings In Cambridge Ma. Chapter 4: “The Big Apple” NYC Becomes a Hub and Center of GSA History Chapter 5: The Establishment of GSA Intergroups Chapter 5: Carrying the Message GSA Message Chapter 6: Literature, Roundups, and Conferences Chapter 7: The Early Service Structure Chapter 8: GSA Grows from Country to Country Chapter 9: GSA Thrives During the COVID -19 Pandemic Chapter 10: GSA Moves Into the Future Chapter 11: The GreySheeters Anonymous Timeline Chapter 12: Long-Time Members Share Their Personal Stories Appendixes: Archival Documents, Photographs, Timeline & Resources 3

Forward: An Archival Journey Work on this book began as a sub-committee of the GSAWS Literature Committee in mid 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its primary purpose is to provide a written document that tells the story of the early history of Greysheeters Anonymous. Long time members who were first hand witnesses to its beginnings were interviewed and recorded as they recalled their personal experiences in how GSA started. Primary archival material such as written memoirs, photographs, and online research sources were used to tell how GreySheeters Anonymous evolved into a unique and independent 12 step fellowship. It will aim to answer questions such as: How and why was the GreySheet developed? What controversies surrounded its use in recovery from compulsive eating? Why did a separate fellowship emerge? Why is the food plan at the heart of the GSA fellowship? What challenges did the fellowship face in its early development? How did the GSA fellowship expand into a global community? 4

This is “a history” and not “The History” since, by the very nature of the source interviews, is subjective and personal in nature. Names, dates and places were checked for historical accuracy to the best ability of the writers so may be taken with a pinch of salt. The history of GSA was a bit difficult to find at first. Twelve Step groups are based on volunteerism and anonymity. There were very few exacting official historical records and much of what had been generated was not easily accessible. With the exception of a few confrence approved publications the GSA program still relies primarily on an oral tradition being passed on from sponsor to sponsee without question. As a consequence, a cloud of secrecy and misconception hangs over the history of GreySheeters Anonymous and its origins remains largely unknown, even to its own members. The OA book “Beyond Our Wildest Dreams-1996 ”was very informative in linking the relationship between the fellowships AA, OA ,and GSA. Hopefully other members will be inspired to dig deeper and do research of their own and enabling GSA to produce additional history books. History is more than just facts and data. It’s the 5

experience, strength and hope of those who lived it. It’s comprised of their personal stories. Hopefully this book will serve to inform present GSA members and preserve for future generations of GreySheeters Anonymous how it all began, developed, and why we continue to carry the GreySheet message. More importantly, it’s also hoped that the heritage and legacy of the founding members not be lost or forgotten, One Day At A Time.

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INTRODUCTION Twelve Step Genealogy In the years following the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935, multiple twelve-step fellowships emerged to address various addictions to other substances or problematic compulsive, obsessive behaviors, including food addiction. Al-Anon Family Groups was formed in 1951, Narcotics Anonymous in 1953, Alateen in 1957, and Gamblers Anonymous in 1957, just to name a few. The fellowship of Overeaters Anonymous started in 1960. A member of Overeaters Anonymous who had attended both A.A. and G.A. meetings realized that certain foods contained the same ingredients as alcohol—that certain individuals were allergic to those sugars and grains and that any amount would set off the phenomenon of craving and compulsive eating. OA members who followed the Grey Sheet food plan formed a special focus OA group in the early 1970’s, putting the Grey Sheet at its heart. That group and those members eventually developed into the new movement 7

commonly known as “ Cambridge GreySheet”, which eventually became the independent 12 Step fellowship of GreySheeters Anonymous in 1998.

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Chapter One Prologue A Brief History of Overeaters Anonymous In order to fully understand and appreciate the particular (and some may think peculiar) aspects of the culture and customs of GreySheeters Anonymous, it’s helpful to take a look at the history of one of the fellowships that gave rise to its formation. GSA can affectionately be called the “Love-Child” of OA and AA. By examining that history, one can clearly see how and why GSA does what it does without exception and does not do, no matter what. Overeaters Anonymous was formed in Los Angeles in 1960, as splinter group based on Alcoholics Anonymous. The group was the brainchild of Rozanne S. In November 1958, she saw a television program profiling a new Twelve Step program, Gamblers Anonymous. She and her husband Marvin took a friend-in-need to a GA meeting, not realizing it was she who would find salvation. As she listened to the gamblers' personal stories, She thought,“I’m just like that . . . Their compulsion is with 9

gambling and mine is with food, but now I know I’m not alone anymore!”

(Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition, p. 11). She found that she could identify with their struggle, only it was not gambling that she had a problem with, it was food. She realized she wasn’t “wicked or sinful.” She had a disease, and it had a name: compulsive overeating. Rozanne S. left the Gamblers Anonymous meeting hoping that she could find a similar group for those who had problems overeating, but she could not find one. No groups existed for compulsive overeaters. A year later, in desperation she returned to another Gamblers Anonymous meeting where the founder encouraged her to pursue her idea of starting a Twelve Step program for compulsive overeaters. With the support of the founder of Gamblers Anonymous, Jim W., Rozanne S., Rozanne and one of her neighbors,

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Jo S., and Bernice K., the overweight wife of a G.A. member convened the first meeting of Overeaters Anonymous on January 19, 1960. O.A. experienced phenomenal success in the first year. In November of 1960, Paul Coates on his syndicated television talk show interviewed Rozanne S. and some of the other original members. The show, which ran in six cities, brought the group, which at that point consisted of a handful of members, more than 500 letters. O.A. grew by leaps and bounds after its first key piece of publicity. In 1962, Overeaters Anonymous made its first major decision as a group. Rozanne S., who was a dietician's daughter, had previously subscribed to the belief that calories were the most important factor for weight loss and weight maintenance After attending an A.A. meeting that discussed the idea of abstinence, Rozanne decided that snacking between meals only reinforced her tendency to compulsively overeat. She abandoned her initial attempts to rewrite the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions for compulsive

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overeaters, relying instead on the universality of the original Steps and Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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Chapter Two The Greysheet Food Plan: From Conception to Copyright Overeaters Anonymous has always been wracked with controversy over its approach to recovery and its many different advocated food plans. The introduction of the first food plans sparked controversy that continues to roil the ranks of O.A. membership to this day. Rozanne S. introduced the idea of an O.A. sanctioned food plan consisting of an abstinence-three moderate meals with no snacking in between and only no- calorie beverages, such as black coffee and water. In 1963, the first so-called "Gold Sheet" was distributed among O.A. members. It was a food plan that recommended a diet for its members that included no refined carbohydrates; it was named after the color of paper on which it was printed. Initially it was distributed informally and was not officially recognized by Overeaters Anonymous. Then in 1964 the same plan with slight variations was distributed on green paper and was thus referred to as the "Green Sheet." In May of 1966, the group as a whole, at their national conference, approved 13

a pamphlet entitled, “To the Newcomer”. The pamphlet stated in part, “Abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous means abstinence from compulsive overeating. An eating plan is the method by which we abstain. The following is our suggested method of abstinence from compulsive overeating: (1) Three moderate meals a day with nothing in-between; and (2) Avoidance of all individual binge foods.” This was Overeaters Anonymous first officially sanctioned food plan, although many members lobbied the legislative body of O.A. to approve more stringent diet plans, like the ones found on the Gold and Green Sheets. In the late 1960s, the Gold and Green Sheets were superseded by a new plan on the cheapest color to print on at the time, grey. The Grey Sheet was released in the late 1960s and became one of the most popular and controversial of all food plans distributed in Overeaters Anonymous. The plan called for complete abstinence from refined sugars and starches and from any foods with more than a 10% carbohydrate content.

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In April of 1972, the founder of Overeaters Anonymous, Rozanne S., had gained back so much of the weight that she had lost in the program that she was fired from her position of O.A. National Secretary for not being a "physical example of recovery." The next month, O.A.'s National Conference approved three "disciplined" plans of eating-far stricter food plans than the previous threemeals-per-day plan. The first plan was the beloved "Grey Sheet," the no- refined-sugars, low-carbohydrates plan. It was once again printed on grey paper. Although each of the low-carbohydrate plans had slight variations, they were all variants of the original Gold Sheet published in 1963. The 1972 National Conference of Overeaters Anonymous also approved a low-carbohydrates maintenance plan, as well as a second plan based on the four food groups helped developed by Marilyn Moore, a licensed nutritionist in East Los Angeles, California. In 1977, Overeaters Anonymous dismissed all of the plans that had been distributed years earlier and released in their stead a blue sheet called "Suggested Abstinence Guide for Losing Weight." The Blue Sheet, as it came to be called, officially replaced the Grey Sheet, but many in the 15

group were not happy with this change. With each successive change in food plan, Overeaters Anonymous lost members to splinter groups. (CEHOW 1979, FAA 1987, FA 1998, and EDA 1999 ) By 1978, O.A. was starting to realize that the constant changes in food plans and lack of flexibility were costing it members. In 1979 the group released a pamphlet called “The Dignity of Choice” It was intended to bring the splinter groups back to the fold by including eight different food plans. The book did not succeed in its mission, however, and was discontinued. In 1986, not only did Overeaters Anonymous stop printing the book; the leadership requested that all groups return their unsold copies to the group's headquarters. Around this time, O.A.'s attorney also began sending cease and desist notices to groups that were distributing nonapproved food plans using quotations from O.A. literature or printing the text of the 12 steps. These notices were sent primarily in reference to the "GreySheet." At the same time that Overeaters Anonymous stopped using The Dignity of Choice, it decided as a body that to 16

endorse any specific food plan would go against the aims of the group and that O.A. should instead focus on the 12 steps of recovery. This was seen as a great step towards ending the controversies that had so bitterly divided the O.A. membership. It might be said however that, “The Baby had been thrown out with the bathwater!” In 1997 O.A. clarified its point when it released this statement: “The OA 1997 World Service Business Conference, after careful consideration, believes that although many individual OA members choose to follow a plan of eating for their personal plan of recovery, offering food plans at OA meetings is a violation of Tradition 10. While each OA member is free to choose a personal plan of eating to achieve abstinence, OA as a whole cannot print, endorse or distribute food plan information to members. Nutrition is a most controversial outside issue; the hiring of professionals to produce food plans for use at meetings also violates the Eighth Tradition, as we need always remain non-professional. Groups endorsing any food plans by distributing them at their meetings affect OA as a whole. We ask all groups, Intergroups and Regions of OA

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to adhere to the above policy statement and discontinue use of food plan information at meetings. We ought best concern ourselves with our suggested program of recovery - the Twelve Steps. Since that time OA has not endorsed any specific food plan or diet, instead urging its members to create their own with the advice of their doctor. But the group never seemed the find the unity that it was searching for. OA founder Rozanne S., who had originally believed that O.A. should never officially support any specific food plan or diet to encourage weight loss, eventually reversed her opinion and called for a re-publication of The Dignity of Choice pamphlet. She has stated that "apathy abounds" in O.A. and that membership is "faltering." She made her appeal for the renewal of the food plans in the hopes that this change in direction would allow Overeaters Anonymous to "survive and flourish." Alcoholics Anonymous advocates “sobriety” to its members and suggests “Don’t Drink, Go to Meetings, and work The Steps” as a program of recovery for achieving abstinence. Nothing has essentially changed in A.A. since 18

it began in 1939 except its astronomical growth, and its members unanimously approve of this. Overeaters Anonymous, on the other hand, seems to have had a difficult time in finding a party line to stick to. Even when the group had no sanctioned food plan, members were strongly divided on what "abstinence" means in their program. It has discontinued, replaced, and abolished food plans altogether on a fairly regular basis. With each change the group makes to its food plans, ostensibly to bring unity to the group, it loses many members to splinter groups that either find the old ideas more acceptable, or the new ones distasteful. Perhaps because their group members are unfamiliar with their own history, they are doomed to repeat it. It was out of OAs tumultuous “Colored Food Plans War” period of the early seventies that The GreySheet Food Plan emerged victorious and the program of GreySheeters Anonymous was born, strived and grew. Footnote: Overeaters Anonymous has since published a pamphlet entitled, “A New Plan of Eating” which combines their previous “Dignity of Choice” and “ A Plan of Eating” literature.A podcast of Rozanne S. https://overeatersanonymous.libsyn.com/reflections-a-visit-with-oas-

Tribute to Rozanne https://oa.org/app/uploads/2022/02/a-tribute-tooas-founder-rozanne-s.pdf founder

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Chapter Three Rebels With A Cause The Beginnings In Cambridge Massachusetts In the early 1970s husband and wife, George and Sally Anne D. were of members of OA in Cambridge Ma.. They came to realize that in order to find true recovery from compulsive overeating they needed to approach food addiction in the same manner that alcoholics addressed alcoholism and sobriety in AA. They had both attended AA meetings and identified with the concept of a disease of addiction, the powerlessness, unmanageability and the insanity caused by the substance certain food and the behavior of overeating. They adopted a very specific and clear definition of their abstinence and followed guidelines for attaining and maintaining it. They chose to follow the GreySheet food plan. They committed themselves to complete abstinence from foods that set up the phenomenon of craving by weighing and measuring only three meals a day from the GreySheet food plan without exception, and eating nothing in between these meals. 20

They wanted the support and fellowship of like-minded members and a meeting where could talk about and share their solution to their problem. They envisioned forming a meeting which would support people committed to recovering using the GreySheet food plan. Gary G. relates the story: “George and Sally viewed OA’s “Dignity of Choice” as an assault on the GreySheet. George was sick and tired of hearing about all of the nonsense in OA with various plans and with food. He knew what worked, and he weighed and measured his food off the GreySheet without exception, and he felt that’s what did it! He was quoted as saying “I am tired of these meetings that want to soft-sell abstinence! So what I’m going to do is I’m going to start a meeting across the river, in Cambridge, and anybody who is interested in abstinence can come with me, and we’re going to find a church in Cambridge and we’re going to set up a meeting!” And that’s exactly what he did”.. They created The Cambridge Saturday morning at 11 Garden Street meeting which became the heart of the budding GreySheet community, with hundreds of 21

compulsive eaters eventually venturing “to the other side of the Saint Charles River” to check out the “radicals” in Cambridge. They committed themselves to: 1. Complete abstinence from foods that set up the phenomenon of craving. 2.Weighing and measuring only three meals a day, eating only the foods listed on the GreySheet food plan, without exception and eating nothing in between. This is when and where the “GreySheet Group Purpose” was stated at the beginning of the meeting as part of the format. This is when and why “The Mantra” is recited by each attendee to declare and verify that “ I want what you have, so I do what you do!”. 3.A very specific definition of abstinence and guidelines for attaining and maintaining abstinence “No Matter What.” This group was seen by many in the “regular OA’ fellowship in Boston as radical, extreme, and harsh. Nonetheless, the “Cambridge GreySheet” message started to take hold as compulsive eaters found relief from food obsession and compulsion. New meetings sprouted and flourished in Cambridge and the surrounding areas as the community solidified its 22

definition of GreySheet abstinence and carried its message to suffering food addicts in and outside of the original fellowship. This group was seen by many in the original fellowship in Boston as radical, extreme, and harsh. Nonetheless, the Cambridge GreySheet message started to take hold as people found relief from food obsession and compulsion. The GreySheet community remained part of the original fellowship until that fellowship adopted a policy to drop all endorsement of specific food plans for its members in 1977. Negotiations ensued between the OA fellowship and the Cambridgefounded GreySheet community regarding the use of the GreySheet food plan. Ultimately, a solution was reached in 1998 when the GreySheet community founded a new Twelve Step program for compulsive eaters, GreySheeters Anonymous (GSA). In 2008, GSA legally obtained the copyright to the GreySheet food plan. In 2013, the first GreySheeters Anonymous World Service Conference was held. The conference quickly voted to officially adopt the copyrighted GreySheet food plan as its first piece of Conference Approved Literature. 23

Chapter Four “The Big Apple”New York City Becomes A Hub And Center of GSA History With the increase in the number of members with recovery, the GreySheet community expanded beyond Cambridge. Many moved to new cities, both nationally and internationally, and carried the message of food recovery by starting GreySheet meetings. One of the first and largest early NYC meetings started in 1980 and was held at Jan Has Presbyterian Church located at 1745 First Avenue in Manhattan. The NYC community upheld the GreySheet message of “No Matter What, without exception!” with the same fervent conviction as the founders in Cambridge. Their meetings similarly grew and flourished. The first New York City GreySheet RoundUp was held in 1991 at The Fourth Universalist Society located at 160 Central Park West and 176thh street. It was an all- day event of meetings and workshops addressing various topics in abstinence. 24

The New York group made a significant contribution to the community by eventually creating the first GreySheet literature beyond the written food plan; a newsletter called “Shades of Grey” was published in 2008. It was a compilation of quarterly newsletters of members' experience, strength and hope regarding GreySheet abstinence. GreySheeters throughout the world purchased subscriptions to “Shades” and eagerly awaited delivery of the message with every new issue received in the mail.

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Chapter Five The Establishment of Intergroups The New York City Metro Intergroup was established in 1998 by then chairperson of the GreySheeters Anonymous World Service Marvin A. , along with Ralph F. ,Norman T., and Craig S.. The meetings were held at Mother Cabrini Medical Center of New York City, located at 227 East 19th Street.

The following letters below document this event.

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Iceland, England, and Israel already had working intergroups. 28

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