Weigh Down is a faith-based approach to weight management. It emphasizes addressing the spiritual and emotional roots of overeating, rather than focusing solely on dieting rules and restrictions. Founded by Gwen Shamblin Lara, a registered dietician with a master's degree in food nutrition, Weigh Down encourages individuals to eat when hungry and stop when full, redirecting their emotional dependence from food to God.
The Core Principles of Weigh Down
Faith-Based Approach
The core concept of Weigh Down is to fill the void in one's heart with God rather than physical food. The program aims to help individuals transfer their love for food into a deeper love for God, leading to self-control and weight loss.
Hunger and Fullness
Weigh Down emphasizes listening to the body's natural cues of hunger and fullness. Participants are encouraged to recognize and respect these cues, eating only when hungry and stopping when satisfied.
No Dieting Rules
Weigh Down is not a diet. It does away with calorie counting, food exchanges, and strict meal plans. The program promotes eating regular foods in appropriate amounts, guided by hunger and fullness.
Addressing Emotional and Spiritual Needs
The program acknowledges that overeating is often linked to emotional and spiritual needs. Weigh Down seeks to address these underlying issues by encouraging participants to turn to God for comfort and fulfillment.
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The Weigh Down Workshop
History and Development
Gwen Shamblin Lara founded The Weigh Down Workshop in 1986. She dedicated over thirty years to helping others address the emotional and spiritual aspects of health and nutrition. The program grew to include classes, videos, testimonies, and accountability measures.
Key Components
The Weigh Down Workshop includes various resources designed to support participants in their weight loss journey:
- Classes and Videos: Educational materials that explain the principles of Weigh Down and provide guidance on how to apply them.
- Testimonies: Personal stories from individuals who have successfully lost weight and overcome eating disorders through Weigh Down.
- Accountability: Support and encouragement from other participants and leaders within the Weigh Down community.
Transformation
Weigh Down aims for a permanent transformation that affects the heart, soul, mind, and body. By addressing the root causes of overeating and fostering a deeper connection with God, participants can achieve lasting weight loss and improved overall well-being.
Weigh Down and Eating Disorders
Anorexia and Bulimia
Weigh Down has been reported to help individuals with anorexia and bulimia by shifting their focus from food and thinness to a devotion to God. The program encourages them to let go of control and find peace with their bodies.
Exercise and Weigh Down
A Refreshing Approach
Weigh Down offers a refreshing approach to health and weight loss by not requiring a specific exercise plan. Instead, it focuses on achieving peace with food and approaching regular foods without losing control.
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Enjoyable Activity
With Weigh Down, exercise is no longer connected to burning calories. It can be an enjoyable activity.
Criticism and Controversy
"The Way Down" Documentary
The HBO Max documentary "The Way Down" explores the darker side of Gwen Shamblin and her Christian weight-loss program. The documentary suggests that Shamblin's program led to damaged relationships, financial strain, and even a child's death.
Control and Scrutiny
The documentary portrays Shamblin as a charismatic leader who exerted control over her followers and their families. Members of Remnant Fellowship, the church she founded, were reportedly subjected to intense scrutiny of their weight, behaviors, and lifestyles.
Aesthetics and Religion
"The Way Down" highlights the role of aesthetics in religious movements. Shamblin's focus on looks was seen as a way to make the church look good and promote the products and materials sold with her program.
Child Abuse Allegations
The documentary also delves into allegations of child abuse within Remnant Fellowship. The case of Josef Smith, an 8-year-old who was murdered by his parents, is examined in detail. The parents, who were members of Remnant Fellowship, were reportedly told to discipline Josef by beating him with glue sticks.
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Cult-Like Environment
Critics have compared Remnant Fellowship to a cult, citing Shamblin's control over her followers and the church's strict rules and regulations. Former members have shared stories of excessive discipline and surveillance.
Gwen Shamblin Lara
Early Life and Career
Gwen Shamblin Lara (nee Henley; February 18, 1955 - May 29, 2021) was an American church leader known for the Weigh Down Workshop, her Christian dieting program. Shamblin founded the Weigh Down Workshop in 1986 as a registered dietitian in Memphis. She taught at the University of Memphis and worked as a nutritionist for the Tennessee Department of Health.
Weigh Down Workshop
The program grew to 30,000 participating churches in fifteen years and expanded into product sales and Shamblin's 1997 book, The Weigh Down Diet.
Remnant Fellowship
The success of the “The Weigh Down” program led her to start Remnant Fellowship, her own church, in Brentwood, Tenn, at what she said was God's urging. Led by Shamblin and a group of male elders, it looked like any other church on the outside, but it was a façade for the intense scrutiny of its members’ weight, behaviors and lifestyles. Remnant Fellowship has been compared to a cult and has been criticized by other Christian groups for denying the doctrine of the Trinity.
Controversies
Shamblin has been accused of promoting corporal punishment. She and other Remnant Fellowship members paid for the legal defense of adherents Joseph and Sonya Smith, who were ultimately convicted of child abuse and murder of their eight-year-old son Josef.
Death
Shamblin’s untimely death in a May 2021 plane crash that also killed her husband Joe Lara, her son-in-law and other members of the church is the opening scene for this three-part story on weight loss, Jesus and control.
Life After Gwen Shamblin Lara
Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah
Gwen Shamblin Lara's daughter Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah took over as the leader of The Remnant Fellowship Church following her mother's death and she remains in the post today. She leads the fellowship alongside her brother, Michael Shamblin.
Continuing the Dream
In a statement released at the time, Michael and Elizabeth said they "intend to continue the dream that Gwen Shamblin Lara had of helping people find a relationship with God."
Michael Shamblin's Perspective
Leaving Remnant Fellowship
Michael Shamblin, son of Gwen Shamblin, is the highest-level defector to ever leave and blow the whistle on the controversial Brentwood church. Michael Shamblin, who was once listed among Remnant's leaders, now calls it "a cult."
Monitoring Activities
What Remnant members do not know, Michael confided, is about the church's "guidance information, its guidance system" that is utilized to monitor their activities. Every single member that joins gets a file started on them, and they start collecting video footage. They start collecting photos," he explained.
The Remnant Bubble
When you are in that bubble, that Remnant bubble, with Gwen, it was - and I'm not kidding about this - it was we are the only ones who are holy. And everyone on the face of the Earth is evil.
Weigh Down Today
Freedom from Strongholds
Weigh Down continues to offer resources and support for individuals seeking to overcome strongholds and dependencies. The Freedom from Strongholds series teaches participants how to be set free from any habit or dependency that has made them feel trapped and alone.
Focusing on God
Ultimately, Weigh Down encourages individuals to focus on their relationship with God as the key to permanent weight loss and overall well-being. By addressing the emotional and spiritual roots of overeating, participants can find lasting freedom from food obsession and live a more fulfilling life.