CEA HOW CAME TO BELIEVE MEETING FORMAT
Welcome to the ____________Meeting of Compulsive Eaters Anonymous – H.O.W. My name is _________,
and I am a compulsive eater and the leader for this meeting.
Will you please join me in the Serenity Prayer? “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot
change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Is there anyone here for the first time or a returning member? Please give us your first name only, so that
we may get to know you.
Compulsive Eaters Anonymous-HOW is a Group of individuals, who, through shared experience and mutual
support, are recovering from compulsive eating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating
compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions,
neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. CEA-HOW is not affiliated with any public or private
organization, political movement, ideology, or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our
primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and to carry the message of recovery to those who still
suffer.
May I have a volunteer to read from Chapter 5 in the Big Book (pages 58 & 59)
Will someone please read the 12 Steps of Recovery
May I have a volunteer to read the 12 Traditions
Will someone please read The CEAHOW Concept?
Will someone with 30 days of CEA-HOW abstinence please read the Seven Tools
This is a “Came to Believe” meeting.
We will start off reading a paragraph or two from “Came to Believe”. At any time after the reading, all those
who choose to, will be offered a chance to share, provided they have seven days of continuous CEAHOW
abstinence as outlined in the CEAHOW tools.
We ask that no one give advice and please no cross talk. “Cross talk“ during a meeting refers to expressing a
compliment, commenting on someone’s share, any form of disruption, advice giving, speaking directly to
another person rather than to the group. Sharing our own experience, strength and hope and avoiding cross
talk frees us from worry about negative or positive judgment.
We further ask that those who share keep to the subject at hand and remain positive by offering experience,
strength and hope. Please limit your share to 3 minutes, in consideration of all those who may want a chance
to share. And, please, hold second shares until all have had an opportunity for a first share.
Please remember to mute your background noise after sharing by pressing the *6 key on your phone or your
own mute button. To un-mute in order to read or share, press *6 as well or your own mute button. Also note
that there is no abstinence requirement to read.
For those of you here who are newcomers and returnees to CEA-HOW we have volunteers who will stay
after the meeting to answer your questions and help you get a sponsor, and continue the exchange of phone
numbers. You must have a sponsor to receive the food plan. May I have a volunteer to stay and assist
newcomers and returnees?
SEVENTH TRADITION TELLS US THAT EVERY GROUP OUGHT TO BE FULLY SELF-SUPPORTING
DECLINING OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTIONS. THE MONEY COLLECTED GOES TO SUPPORT THIS MEETING
AND ITS EXPENSES AS WELL AS REACHING OUT TO OTHER MEETINGS, MEMBERS AND LEVELS OF
THE CEA-HOW ORGANIZATION TO HELP SPREAD THE MESSAGE THAT THERE IS RECOVERY FROM
COMPULSIVE EATING . WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY.
PLEASE SEND YOUR 7TH TRADITION PAYABLE TO:
CEA-HOW BRIDGE MEETINGS
P.O. BOX 29048
MSC (MAIL SORT CODE) 250
PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85038
THE INSTRUCTIONSTO USE PAYPAL FOR 7TH TRADITION CONTRIBUTIONS:
1) Go to www.ceahow.org
2) Click on Phone Bridge Meetings.
3) Scroll down to the instructions on how to use PAYPAL and follow the prompts..
Any CEAHOW related announcements? Is our Intergroup Rep on the line?
To hear the messages you can also call the Announcement Line #605-475-4849 (605134)
Are there any step-ups or anniversaries?
You must have a sponsor to receive the Food Plan. Sponsors in need of literature or food plans please email
phonebridgeliterature@gmail.com.
If you are experiencing any difficulty accessing the conference line, please contact
phonebridgecoordinator@gmail.com.
For a list of callers numbers for outreach please contact phonebridgeoutreach@gmail.com.
For information about becoming a Phone Bridge meeting leader contact
phonebridgemeetingcoordinator@gmail.com.
If you need further information, check the website at www.ceahow.org .
A sponsor is a CEA-HOW member who has 30 days of continuous CEA-HOW abstinence, has completed 30
days of questions and has taken the first three steps. A sponsor will help you work through the 12 steps. Will
all available sponsors please tell us who you are, your abstinence date, weight loss and if you are available
for Food, Inventory, Step and or Maintenance sponsoring and your phone number for outreach.
If you become an available sponsor or need a sponsor, you may email
phonebridgesponsorcoordinator@gmail.com. When contacting, please leave your name, safe phone number,
time zone, and level of sponsor needed or the level that you can provide.
I wish to thank all of the members who shared today. Please remember our cherished 12th Tradition which
states: “Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before
personalities”.
The requirements of CEA-HOW are what this particular group has found to be effective in working this
program, and do not represent any other organization or meeting except this one. The opinions expressed
here today by those that shared are their own and not necessarily those of CEAHOW as a whole.
We invite any and all members to stay on the line after the Serenity Prayer at the close of the meeting, to
answer questions, continue the exchange of phone numbers and share Experience, Strength and Hope with
one another.
Thank you for allowing me to be your leader for this meeting.
Will someone please read their choice of “A Vision for You” (p.164 in the BB), “The Promises”
(p. 82-83 in the BB.), or Just For Today or the Acceptance Reading (p. 417 in 4th ed. BB)?
After a moment of quiet meditation, will all those of you who wish to, please join me in the “Serenity Prayer”:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and
the wisdom to know the difference.”
************
How It Works (Ch. 5 in the BB, pgs. 58-59)
RARELY HAVE we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who
cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally
incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born
that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty.
Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many
of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.
Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have
decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it -- then you are ready to take certain steps
At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at
our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old
ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.
Remember that we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who
has all power that One is God. May you find Him now!
Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.
Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery: