The Weigh Down Diet
 

Hey everyone. I am currently reading "The Weigh Down Diet" by Gwen Shamblin and what she is saying makes a lot of sense. I was just wonderin gif anyone here has read this book. If you have, do you have this...style of eating? How did you go about changing your eating habits? and will i really lose weight eating this way? I am really struggling with my weight right now, and i think i want to try and follow what this book is saying.

Thanx

tried it, liked it!
 

Hey! I'm new to these boards, and like most people, have tried about every diet out there and then some! About seven years ago I got up the nerve to go (by myself!) to a church in a nearby city for a Weigh Down meeting. The ladies were all very nice and all different weights and not just members of that particular church. We watched a video each week to go along with the reading materials and I really tried to apply myself to the things they were teaching.

The leader weighed us in and I started at 324 pounds and that second week the scale showed I had dropped 19 pounds! I was incredulous, but they said the heavier you are the faster it comes off at first when you actually stop snacking all day!

Well, I went a few more weeks, but with a toddler and a job and the trip being 50 miles one way, I quit attending and quit losing weight. I obviously need the help of God and a support group!

But in answer to your question, yes, this program does work and the hardest part is learning to know what "full" feels like! It was so hard to realize that I was full after just half a sandwich, or an apple, etc. They also teach you to save your favorites for the next meal if you don't get to finish it at the first one.

That's all I remember it's been so long, but if there was one close to home, I'd go in a minute! Now I'm back to trying these concepts along with my Overeaters Anonymous 12-Step program.

Good Luck!

Lisette

Hello, I am new to the site too. I wanted to comment on Weigh Down. I discovered the program 10 years ago when a friend of mine was going to the meetings and started losing weight. I read over her material from the class and then later bought the book. Several years later I also joined a group, but I don't do very well with that sort of thing so I didn't go for very long.

Anyway, I have been totally sold out to Weigh Down since I first read the material. It makes so much sense. Why are we eating all of this low fat, less enjoyable stuff? Is it just so we can eat more and continue our focus/ obsession with food? I absolutely think so. Bottom line: eating when your stomach growls and stopping when you are pleasantly full DOES WORK. I lost weight when I was doing that consistently and kept it off for years.

Unfortunately, I have not practiced this regularly for a while, thus the weight gain. Keep reading the book and feel free to bring up any questions you might have about it. I feel pretty sure of the basics, because I have been around the program for so long.

The only caution I would give you is that there has been a lot of issues in the media around Gwen herself, because she has stated that she does not believe in the Trinity. I have to throw that out there so you can take everything she says and be discerning. I do believe in the Trinity and that did turn me off for a while. However, if you can get past her, the concepts are truly worthwhile. God is the only answer to all of our sins, right??

I too, read this book, and found it's concepts very helpful, and even lost weight doing it. I did find another book Thin Within that has the same hunger/fullness guidelines without the questionable stuff that Gwen Shamblin talks about. Also, not so much condemnation either.

I have been on Weigh down in the past... learned some important things like listening to my body and stop eating before I am stuffed.... I did find it wasn't biblical in all areas... I've been part of First Place much longer.... I think it is better.

Reba

As much as i hate to admit it, this has shown me what a HUGE overeater i really am. I am hardly ever hungry, but i eat all the time. Im working really really hard to stop focusing so much on food, but its so hard. Just getting myself NOT to focus on calories has been really difficult (i am a MASTER at eating low cal foods so that i can stuff my face). I fail the most when i am downstairs watching tv, the kithen is right there!
I do better with each passing day.
If you could keep me in your prayers i would really apreciate it.
God bless.

p.s. i want to look up stuff about the other book you gals are talking about. Could anyone tell me a little more about it??

Just ordered the book
 

Hi I just ordered the book and soon maybe we can share and support each other as we go along. I have been doing well with my diet but hit a stand still the last week or so. I am hoping the book will help me get going again!!!

Hi, I am new to the site and was very interested in your conversation about Weigh Down. I too have been on that plan in the past. Yes, it did work for me and it makes a lot of sense. I too have problems with Gwyn's ideas and I feel she has varied off from Truth. I will see if I can find this book you girls are speaking of and join in on looking through it together with you, if you don't mind.
I have been on weight Watcher's and just dropped out today (boo hoo!) because I was just playing around with the program for a month now. And as you know, it is to expensive to pay and not play by their rules. Anyway, my husband suggested that we take that money that I was paying to the organization and put it up and then at the end of the month if I have lost a certain amount (an amount we both agree on) then the money is mine. If I don't, then it stays in the pot another month. -Or something like that - We really didn't work out details yet. So, I know me and I know I need a support group, so girls, when I found 3 chicks and found a faith based group, I felt it was the Lord's way of helping me.
I have lost 32 pounds and only have 32 + 32 +maybe another 5 pounds to go (ha, ha, a long way yet). Well, at least one third in done. Hopefully never to find me again! Thanks for listening and I will be looking forward to reading your thoughts and lifting you in prayer. I know the Lord wants us to be successful in this challenge in our lives.

Hello Ladies, Being a Christian, I have always thought that a book or program about weight loss from a Christian perspective was the best choice for me. As a result, I have purchased a few :) They were all good and had great things to teach me, but in the end, it's still the choices I make moment by moment that make it work or not. So.....I have some titles and authors to share that have been helpful.
This original thread began about Weigh Down and I believe there are basically 2 important things to get from that program. First, eat only when you are physically hungry and stop when you feel satisfied, but not stuffed. Second, no foods are "good or evil". As one person already posted on this thread, she knows how to eat all low fat foods and still be constantly eating and focused on food. So, all foods are acceptable, but moderation is the key.
Next is "The Diet Alternative" by Diane Hampton. With this author, I felt she was very spiritually mature and was biblically accurate. I got my copy on Amazon. If you have the option, get the "Revised Version" because it is updated and comes with a study guide at the end that you could do alone or in a group.
Next, as previously mentioned, "Thin Within" and also "Thin Again", both by Arthur Halliday and Judy Halliday. These books, while also being biblically based, focus more on the "Why" of our overeating. Very helpful information, but I felt it was a bit more complicated than "Diet Alternative" because it asks for daily observations and journal type stuff and I know that some people need that, but I am not the type to EVER keep up with something like that.
Finally, I have "Scale Down" by Danna Demetre. This is my least favorite of the ones mentioned, but different messages get through to different people. This book dealt with changing our "self talk". Those messages we repeat to ourselves all day that sometimes keep us "stuck". It's not a bad book at all and honestly I should probably reread it since I feel I may have changed since my first time through.
So, look them up on Amazon and read all of the customer comments and see if any strike a cord with you.
Hope this gives some direction.

P.R Thanks for the run down on some of the other material out there. I will probably head out in a little while and stop by Books-A-Million. I love to browse around in that store with a cup of Joe Mugs, coffee of the day. (Now that sounds like a laid-back time out, uh?).
I loved seeing you are working toward the 180 mark. I came from 132 and am working toward the 190 mark, but 180 will be my next goal. Keep up the good work and know I'm right behind you! Ha,ha- I am as slow as Christmas in losing this weight. However, my boys aired up my bike tires this past weekend and put my bike at the end of the line, so it would be easy for me to get to. I think they are great encourager's. Of course, they ride miles and miles and I am just planning to peddle around the neighborhood. Well, speaking of that, I guess it's time to get going. (Ugh - what am I doing? No, this comes before the bookstore treat.- Ha, ha - just thinking out loud)
Have a great day in all that you do!

Hi, I just wanted to encourage you to read pantry raider's comments of some diets out there. She has it right in that we need to see what the best information from each diet offers and be discerning who/what we follow. I know I will lose on most anything I try, simply because I am cutting back on "extras" and being limited in amounts and choices of foods. I have learned to be sure the diet I choose is healthy and that it makes sense to me. These are absolute keys to staying on it.
A new week, a new day, a new start! Have a great one!

I happened upon this thread and wanted to add my 2 cents. The weigh down diet sounds like intuitve eating, but with a biblical aspect. Intuitive eating it eating when you're hungry, stopping when your satisfied (not full) and no foods are off limits.

I've lost 28lbs since Jan and it has been working for me.

There is an intuitive eating thread, please PM if you're interested. We're a nice bunch.

I think the first Weigh Down book has some really good points. But then Gwen's 3rd book was rejected because of her doctrine. That doesn't come out in the first book.

I did the first two sessions including meetings. Lost 29 lbs. and then quit because her doctrine got so weird. It wasn't just the trinity issue, however, her first two programs do bring you in line with tuning to listening to your body and what God wants for you. I would like to find a group again that only did session one and two. I really enjoyed those.

I had to be careful though because it can also become very comdemning.

Hi Ladies, I'm new to 3 fat Chicks and am so happy to have found it! I, too, am reading the Weigh Down Diet. Fortunately, I checked it out online and read a lot about the author. This way I am now able to read the book and keep it in perspective. I don't agree with all she says, but I know that God will use what He wants me to get from it to help me. I want to check out the other books that have been mentioned here also.
This idea of eating whatever I really want (wisely), when I'm actually hungry and stopping when I'm comfortably full has given me a fresh feeling of freedom! No more constantly thinking of food, worrying that I won't ever get to enjoy the things I want, thus craving them. I know there will always be another opportunity to eat whatever the item is at another time. No more 'gotta have it now or never'!!
I did 1 1/2 sessions of First Place and loved the ladies and the bible study, but felt imprisoned by the effort to keep track of every fat, veg, fruit, etc that I ate every day. It was getting me down and I know that's not what God wants me to feel in this effort. So with high respect for those involved, I have left the group.
I just started this new adventure this past week so pray for me! I'll pray for this group too. Thanks!

I have been trying really hard to eat like this over the past couple weeks, eating when im hungry, stop eating when im "full". Who knew it was going to be so hard!?!?
The biggest thing i am trying to overcome is my "all or nothing" point of view. I was raised that if you are going to take another helping then you have to eat it. The outcome was that if i was still a little bit hungry i would eat a ton more because either you take it and eat it or you dont eat it at all. Like if u want an apple, i have the mentality that if i take the apple i have to eat the whole thing, if i take the granola bar, i have to eat the whole thing, ect...so lately i have been trying to throw away, or put away the rest of the food when i am no longer hungry to eat it. But its difficult!!!

Hi 100percentMe! I know what you mean. It's extremely hard for me not to finish whatever is on my plate or to eat the whole candy bar, not throwing half of it away. But that's what I'm working on, too. Today at lunch I cut the chicken patty in half and only put half of it on my little plate. The other half went back in the fridge. That way it wasn't there for me to be tempted by. I know that's no big deal, a half a chicken patty, but it's a start for me. I had some squash and a salad and was full and was very glad that I had put the other half away. I need to start doing this sort of thing every meal now. One thing I'm NOT doing from the book is waiting for my hunger. I'm still eating at regular meal times only cutting portions knowing that if I TRULY feel that I need a little more I can have it.
We are going out tonight for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. I'm trying to decide what to order. And thinking maybe we should just eat at home and go out for a splurge on dessert!? I'll let you know how it went.
I'm so glad I finally found the Weigh Down Diet book! I'm excited about it!

Hi girls,
I read the Weigh Down Diet several years ago and lost 27 lbs. Unfortunately, I lost focus and gained that back and more. I have tried several things since then, and nothing has proved workable for me. I think I'm ready to try again eating the way God wants me to eat. I definately replace God with food, and I need to relearn how to put Him first. Not as easy for me as it sounds. I really need to lose 10 pounds before June 9th (my b-day and the start of a family vacation) - pray for me?

Babsy

Peachtea, It sounds like you are off to a great start! Give yourself credit for cutting your portions. That is such a hard thing to do!
As for the earlier posts, I absolutely agree that Gwen pours on the condemnation heavily and it never really felt like what I was doing would ever measure up to the expectations she sets out in Weigh Down.

Pantry Raider, I'm having that other half of the chicken patty for lunch today, along with lots of steamed broc., caul., and carrots. I'm am so pleased with myself that I am starting to pay attention to my tummy hunger, not my taste buds' greediness! My appetite will always get me into trouble, so now I am checking the tummy fullness and telling my taste buds, 'sorry, maybe later'! With His help, I'll do it. He is a big God, bigger than any trouble I can hand Him, so I'm trusting Him.
I just got a new devotional called [I]Jesus Calling[I]. It's just a short paragraph or two each morning that really hits home. It's helping me too.
Last night DH and I ended up eating chicken, a little noodle side dish and lots of veggies for dinner at home THEN went out for dessert which was only a small Frosty at Wendy's. It was great and more than I needed! I know I'm off to a good start and am thanking God that He will always be there through out this adventure!

Babsy, You're in my prayers. You'll be lookin' great by June!

Thank you, Peachtea!
I'm getting ready to go to church today, and I am going to make Him my focus. Knowing that I have people on my side and praying for me is a big help. Hope your day is blessed!

Babsy

I am glad I found this thread, because along with following the Volumetrics food plan, I know I need to work on my emotional issues as well.

My husband and I too attended Weigh Down classes years ago, but stopped after we learned she was a false teacher about the trinity. A more gentler book with a similar message is Thin Within, which I own, have skimmed through, but honestly have not really read thoroughly.

But I'm glad this thread was started and if I recall, Gwen had a lot of good advice in her first book. Actually I'm sorry I don't own it anymore, because a lot of her messages were excellent, but her Trinity rejection was a real disappointment to me because that's what my faith is based on.

Hi Joycelyn, I agree the author has beliefs I don't agree with but I'm trusting the Lord to show me what he wants me to see in this book and I'll lose the rest. I want to check out Thi Within also.
Well, got on the scales thios morning and lost another 2 pounds! So it's 208 now!!!! Yea for me!
Have a great day everyone! God bless you all!

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar064...2/150/208/.png

I'm surprised this thread is still going. I have been searching for a support group that uses these principles without all of Gwen's strange doctrine. I thought her first book was great. I think you can still get it on Amazon for 1 cent with $3.49 shipping. I know the Lord is the answer to the problem and I am glad to find others who share that concept.

Joycelyn, I meant to ask in my last post what the Volumetrics plan is. I never heard of it.
Carolr, I'm really happy to find this thread too. I got the book from the library after reading a lot about Gwen online. I know God will show me what he wants me to see and I'll let the reat go by. I haven't seen her second book.
Someone mentioned Thin Within. I want to get it when I take this one back to the library.
God bless you all. I hope your day is going great!

Hi,
I was looking around the boards here and saw your support group. I posted in a couple other threads but they don't look very active. I really need some support to just get me started! I think I can consider myself to be the great procrastinator and because of my weight I feel like losing weight is something too hard to obtain. Shame on me for hanging on to thoughts like that, but that's how it is. :( I saw all your positive feedback and hope it's ok if I jump in here and make myself a part of this group. SOS I really would like to lose weight... Oh.. and btw, I purchased the Weigh Down tapes and workbook off of ebay a couple of months ago. We moved recently and my hubby pulled the tapes out of the garage today. I don't know what to do but I know I need to do something!!! Thanks for posting the info about it. I'll take in consideration the pros and the cons about her program.

Peachtree, I think Thin Within is a good program but I found the book to be rather cumbersome........a little more detailed than I needed. I think they did a lot of delving into your past and that wasn't what I was looking for. I once even talked with the author and she was sweet but didn't really have an answer for my question (what to do when taking prednisone). My hardest problem is dealing with hunger. For example, today I had a small breakfast and then went shopping with my daughter. We were starving when we finally ate and 2 hr. later I was still hungry. That's the kind of problems that I don't know what to do with.

Sugarbaby... I know how you feel when you say you think losing weight is too hard to obtain, but it's NOT! I don't have the Weigh Down tapes, but I'll bet they're good. Get your tapes going and read the book. I'll bet you'll get that jump start you need.
Carolr...The book was a great help to me. I'm almost done with it. It has made me start checking my hunger level when I'm tempted to eat instead of following my appetite. My appetite is my problem. I'm seldom ever hungry. I use to think it was hunger but one day realized it was just appetite, not hunger. Hunger I feel in the gut, appetite I feel in the taste buds. This has been a real eye opener for me. Of course, I thank God for that!
I've never been on Prednisone and don't know how it affects hunger so I can't help you there. Maybe you aren't eating enough at mealtimes and maybe you could keep a small snack with you like packages of peanut butter and crackers or something. My co-worker had gastric bypass surgery so she can't eat much at each meal so she has crackers and little bags of dry cereal in her desk always. She eats every couple of hours. She was 250 and is now 126.
God bless all! Have a great day!

There is a girl on here who nearly died from bypass surgery. Sounds like it worked out for your coworker. There is a neat prayer on pg 55 of Weigh Down and I am going to copy it and carry it with me to remind myself of the lessons we need to learn in the Lord. I had a friend who did both the class and Weigh Down at Home. She lost some but never finished the journey. I think she was a little put off by the trouble Gwen was in. That's why I stuck to the first book. I post on another Christian site and the moderator has just recently lost about 30lb with what she describes as inspired eating. She eats between hunger and fullness and this is really a breakthrough for her because she has managed a diet site for probably 5 yr and is just now losing the weight.

peachtea, what a great way to read that book - the Lord will let you take from it what you need - that is terrific.

Volumetrics is a way of eating without counting anything. You eat foods based on their energy density - an easy way of putting it is that some foods are very low in calories so you eat a lot of them, some foods need some restraint, and some foods really need to be limited. Nothing is forbidden. There are two books out on this subject - The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan, and also The Volumetrics Eating Plan.

But I really need help in other areas. I eat when I'm hungry, full, bored, upset - any excuse. So I need to learn how to deal with this. Another good book I just bought is called The Beck Solution. It's not Christian - it's based on cognitive therapy, but is just a good common sense book. You can find it on amazon and the author also has a website. I heard she was on the Today show yesterday with her diet group, but I missed that.

I agree Thin Within can be cumbersome. Maybe that's why it's hard getting through it - I'm really stuck. Also, to be honest, I love Jesus with all my heart and soul - He saved my life, really - but I'm not stuck on what I called "churchese"...certain phrases and sayings and slogans you hear over and over again in the church. Unfortunately, Thin Within is full of these. But still, it's message is truly of God's grace.

Well, hope we can keep this link going.

Volumetrics sounds like good old common sense. I think I'll look online for some info about it and also the Beck Solution. Thanks
"....but I'm not stuck on what I called "churchese"...certain phrases and sayings and slogans you hear over and over again in the church." Oh yeah, I know what you mean! It can turn me off to what probably would be a great message sometimes.
My heart goes out to you about how you can eat for ANY reason and no matter how full you are. I seem to be coming out of a long period of that same thing. It didn't matter how uncomfortably full I was I was still wanting to eat! I felt disgusted with myyself about it too. Couldn't figure out why I was so undisciplined. I don't really know what happened, but I was looking online for weightloss and came across the Weigh Down diet. I got the book from the library and started in on it. Things clicked in my head and I'v been doing pretty good since. I cannot in any way explain why it's working except for it's God's timing maybe. I just don't know. I've done well and lost easily 3 times before. Lost 50 pounds twice with more yet to lose and both times as soon as I hit that 50 pound mark I got pregnant. (These are our last 2 children of 4 and they are 12 yrs apart!) Then 2 yrs ago I lost 40 pounds easily when the dr put me on bp meds and I started thinking about my health. But then I fell off the wagon so to speak and put 10 back on. So even now...I'm worried that no matter how much I may end up losing...I'll just end up putting it all back on.
Another thing is that since I've been overweight for most of my 55 yrs, if I DO lose a lot of weight I'll have ugly skin hanging every where which could be even uglier than the fat! I guess I'm just expecting to fail and I know that's not what God wants from me. I need to trust and have confidence.
Oh gosh, sorry I'm rambling! You're in my prayers, Joycelyn, well all of you are!
God bless, Alice

You know...i was really really craving some of the chocolate eggs sitting on the table downstairs (dont you just love easter) but reading some of you posts i started thinking about if im hungry or not, and im not....not even a little...im stuffed! I already ate several little eggs, im an emotional eater and im having a bad week, but thinking back, they are kind of gross. The chocolate is really cheap, and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth....
So thats just my little revelation of the day.

Anyways, thank you soo much for continueing on this thread. I have tried so many diets, and i seem to gain weight on all of them. I am a master at eating a ton of low calorie foods. Well, i came across my mom's Weigh Down book sitting on the book shelf gathering dust so i decided that i may as well read it and see. What did i have to lose? (lol, other than a ton of weight, which i wont mind losing) I read it and it really made sense, but my mind was going "no, its too simple, there has to be something more, this cant work." So, i figured i may as well ask here, if no one had anything good to say, then i would just forget about it. Well, needless to say ya'll responded.
I wasn't sure if i would have anyone to help me and support me if i decided to follow this way of eating. I know my mom wont, she is constantly my food police, telling me to eat a salad for dinner, and not eat carbs, and glaring at me if i am in the kitchen. And even on this site, though i love this site, everyone is on some type of "diet" plan; low cal, low fat, low carb, ect.
So thank you for responding. You gals make me feel like this will work and i can do this.:hug:

I've lost 10lb this year and having had 10 pregnancies and a chronic disease since I was 28 (I'm 58 on Sat. and have taken prednisone 3 times and on it right now) I've had a lot of excuses for being overweight. I don't think I should use these excuses because there is a gal on here who lost almost 100lb while taking prednisone. She used Atkins but I have kidney trouble so that's not for me. And the Lord is able to bring us out of any trouble if that is His will. I, too, am rereading WW and sifting out anything I know is not Biblical. There's a lot of help in that book.

Instead of WW that should have been WD.

Hi 100percentMe, You most certainly CAN do it! I hope I can be a support person for you. And thru encouraging you maybe I will keep myself 'up there' too. I'm doing good so far. I usually weighed myself every morning but I'm doing it only on MOnday mornings now. I can't wait for next Monday. I think I'll have a decent loss. As a Mom I kinda hate to say this, but when your Mom gets on you, just smile and let it go in one ear and out the other. Only YOU know what's going to work for YOU. If this is feeling right for you go for it!
Carolr, Good for you on the 10 pounds this year. At that rate you could have 40 off by Christmas! I hope I can!
You've certainly been thru the wringer haven't you?! God's brought you thru it all and will see you succeed now. Oh, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
I pray today that all of you will see success in every little thing you do. Have a wonderful day!
Hugs, Alice

Oh and I forgot to say, I got Thin Within in the mail yesterday and then got a call from the library that they had Volumetrics for me so I went up and got it and figured I better start on it so I can get it back on time. I have found some good recipes in it.
Carolr...what was the prayer on pg 55 of WD? I meant to go back and look but forgot and now it's been taken back to the library. Is it short enough to put in a post?
The other morning (early hours when I couldn't go back to sleep) I asked the Lord for a 'thought' to lift myself with and within a few minutes the phrase 'stay the course' came to my mind and seems to be perfect for my adventure here. But He also gave me the phrase 'stand beyond' and I haven't really figured out what it means yet. I'm sure He'll show me though. I just need to keep my mind on Him.
Hugs

Here is the prayer.

Lord, Thou hast made my body and set within me the amounts of fuel that are requited to live. I pray the Thou would hep me today to be sensitive to those amounts and not to go beyond what is needed. Lord, help me to let go of my focus on food so I will not lust for more than that. Fill my thoughts, instead, with Thy love and compassion so I do not feel yearning or greed, but contentment.

Sorry about the spelling.......should have been required and help. Thanks.