Sponsorship
A sponsor is someone who has found a way out of compulsive eating — and who freely shares that path with someone else. Sponsorship is the backbone of CEA-HOW.
No one recovers from compulsive eating alone. The sponsor-sponsee relationship is the single most important connection in CEA-HOW — more personal than any meeting, more specific than any book. A sponsor has been where you are and has found a way through.
A guide who has walked this path
A sponsor in CEA-HOW is a member with at least 30 days of continuous abstinence who agrees to guide a newer member through the 12 Steps. The sponsor has personal experience with the program — they have worked the Steps themselves, maintained their food plan, and found a measure of freedom from compulsive eating.
A sponsor is not a professional therapist, a nutritionist, or an authority figure. They are a fellow compulsive eater who has found a solution and is willing to share it freely. The relationship is built on honesty, trust, and mutual commitment.
Sponsors give their time, their experience, and their support — without charge, without judgment, and without expectation of return. They do it because their own recovery depends on giving away what was given to them.
Daily guidance through the program
A CEA-HOW sponsor does several things: they receive the sponsee's daily food commitment before the first meal of the day, they guide the sponsee through the 12 Steps with assigned writing and reading, and they are available by phone for support and accountability.
Sponsors answer the phone when their sponsees call — and they make calls themselves. They ask hard questions, share honestly from their own experience, and hold their sponsees accountable to the program while remaining compassionate and non-judgmental.
The sponsor helps the sponsee set up their food plan, navigate difficult situations, and understand what the Steps are asking of them. They are the person who can say "I've been there" — and mean it.
Intimate, honest, and spiritually grounded
The sponsor-sponsee relationship is unlike most relationships in modern life. It is built on radical honesty. The sponsee shares things with their sponsor they may have never shared with anyone — about their eating, their past, their fears, their resentments. And the sponsor receives all of it without judgment.
This kind of honest relationship is itself healing. Many compulsive eaters have spent years hiding their behavior — from family, from friends, from themselves. The sponsor relationship is a place where there is nothing to hide.
The relationship typically involves daily contact, at least during the early months of recovery. As the sponsee grows in the program, the nature of the relationship may evolve — but the connection and the accountability remain.
Sponsor Qualifications
30+ Days Continuous Abstinence
A sponsor must have at least 30 days of uninterrupted abstinence from compulsive eating. This is the minimum — many sponsees seek sponsors with much longer abstinence.
Working the Steps
A sponsor should be actively working their own program — ideally having completed the Steps themselves and currently working with a sponsor of their own.
Has What You Want
The traditional advice is to find a sponsor who "has what you want" — serenity, freedom from food obsession, a quality of life you aspire to.
Willing to Commit
A good sponsor is willing to make the time — to answer the phone, to receive food commitments, to guide you through the Steps honestly and consistently.
A Sponsor Is Not a Therapist
It's important to understand what a sponsor is not. A sponsor is not a licensed mental health professional, a medical provider, or a nutritionist. They cannot diagnose, prescribe, or provide clinical care. They share experience, not expertise.
Many CEA-HOW members also work with therapists, doctors, or dietitians — and the program supports this. A sponsor and a therapist serve different and complementary roles. If you are dealing with serious mental health concerns, please seek qualified professional support in addition to your program work.
How to Find a Sponsor
Finding a sponsor doesn't require filling out a form or signing up for anything. It happens at meetings — person to person.
Attend meetings regularly
The best place to find a sponsor is at a CEA-HOW meeting. Attend three or more meetings per week and begin to listen. You will hear people share about their experience with the program, their abstinence, and their recovery.
Listen for someone who has what you want
Pay attention to who speaks with serenity and honesty about their recovery. Notice who seems free from the obsession with food. You don't need to know the person — you just need to recognize that they seem to have something you want.
Approach them and ask
At the end of a meeting, approach the person and introduce yourself. You might say: "I'm new to CEA-HOW and I'm looking for a sponsor. Would you be willing to sponsor me?" Most members who are asked will either say yes or help you find someone who can.
Start immediately
Once you have a sponsor, start working together right away. Begin committing your food, making your calls, and working the Steps. Early abstinence is fragile — the sooner you are connected to a sponsor, the better.
The right fit matters — and can change
It's okay if your first sponsor isn't the right fit long-term. People change sponsors for many reasons. What matters is that you have one. A temporary sponsor while you find the right match is always better than no sponsor at all.
Sponsor Resources
Tools and guides for sponsors — whether you are sponsoring for the first time or have been guiding others for years.
Sponsor Checklist
A comprehensive checklist to help sponsors stay organized and consistent in guiding their sponsees through the program.
Download PDFNew Sponsee Checklist
Items a new sponsee should obtain when starting the program:
- Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous)
- CEA-HOW Concept pamphlet
- Food scale and measuring cups
- Notebook for Step writing
- Phone list from meetings
Available at store.ceahow.org
WSO Policy on Food Questions
Sponsors guide sponsees on the food plan but do not act as nutritionists or dietitians. Food questions beyond the basic plan should be directed to the sponsee's healthcare provider. The WSO periodically issues guidance on food plan matters — contact gso@ceahow.org for the latest policy information.
Sponsoring Members with Special Needs
Guidance for sponsoring members with physical, sensory, or cognitive challenges. Includes accommodation ideas and communication strategies.
Literature for Sponsors
The following literature is available through the CEA-HOW Literature Store:
- Sponsor Guidelines (book — purchased through your sponsor)
- Sponsoring in CEA-HOW (Item #856)
- Broaden Your Experience in Sponsoring (Item #804)
- Weights & Measures pamphlet (Item #828)
Sponsor Stories
Read personal stories from CEA-HOW members about the joys and challenges of sponsoring others in recovery.
Read StoriesReady to Find a Sponsor?
Sponsors are found at meetings. Find a CEA-HOW meeting near you — in person, online, or by phone — and start listening for someone who has what you want.