Rating: 
Summary: Spiritually nourishing, but nutritional junk food
Review: I agree with those people who have commented favorably on much of the wisdom of Ms. Shamblin's spiritual advice and her writings on the psychological and spiritual reasons why some people overeat, however I find Ms. Shamblin's nutritional information suspect. The foods she mentions in this book tend to be high in fat (particularly saturated fat), cholesterol and sodium, and she seems to disparage foods such as broccoli that have proven health benefits. In my opinion, this book is best read in conjunction with a book such as _Eating by the Book_ by David Meinz, that addresses nutrition in a biblical context and includes both biblical teaching and information derived from recent medical and dietary research. I am taking the spiritual stuff from Ms. Shamblin and the nutritional stuff from Mr. Meinz, and my eating habits have improved considerably.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE
Review: I am forever indebted to Gwen Shamblin. My life and my family's life has changed dramatically since reading this book and joining the church formed out of the teachings in this book, Remnant Fellowship. I have laid down greed, depression, anxiety, selfish-ambition, praise of man, laziness, pride and many other sins. Gwen tells the TRUTH - by quoting the Bible like Ephesians 5:5 "For of this you can be SURE: No immoral, impure or greedy person - such a man is an idolater-has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." My former church family did not help me identify or smash idols that were in my life. The Weigh Down Diet book and Rise Above book unveiled my idols and the members of Remnant Fellowship keep me accountable to never go back to those idols. Those agaist Gwen's teaching are actually against God and the Bible. This book is mere Christianity - DIE TO SELF AND LIVE ONLY FOR THE WILL OF GOD - that is why Jesus came, so we could stop the deliberate sin in our lives and OBEY GOD all the time.
Rating:
Summary: THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE
Review: I am forever indebted to Gwen Shamblin. My life and my family's life has changed dramatically since reading this book and joining the church formed out of the teachings in this book, Remnant Fellowship. I have laid down greed, depression, anxiety, selfish-ambition, praise of man, laziness, pride and many other sins. Gwen tells the TRUTH - by quoting the Bible like Ephesians 5:5 "For of this you can be SURE: No immoral, impure or greedy person - such a man is an idolater-has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." My former church family did not help me identify or smash idols that were in my life. The Weigh Down Diet book and Rise Above book unveiled my idols and the members of Remnant Fellowship keep me accountable to never go back to those idols. Those agaist Gwen's teaching are actually against God and the Bible. This book is mere Christianity - DIE TO SELF AND LIVE ONLY FOR THE WILL OF GOD - that is why Jesus came, so we could stop the deliberate sin in our lives and OBEY GOD all the time.
Rating: 
Summary: RUN...RUN....RUN AWAY FROM THIS PROGRAM!
Review: I became involved in weigh down 4 years ago at my church. And, at the time I thought the program was great. I lost 44 pounds, my husband lost 35 and we both grew closer to the Lord. The whole time though things didn't seem right...like scriptures were being taken out of context...like I had to do all these works for the Lord to love me etc etc etc. Then, Gwen's views on the trinity became public and I backed off from the program. Unfortunately, I picked the book up again not too long ago and things still weren't sitting right with me. I decided to do some research on the web and let me tell you it was SCARY! Praise God the Lord opened my eyes to this woman's warped views and beliefs. If you are considering becoming involved in this program I want to encourage you to research it in great detail. You can even go to the weigh down website and click on the link to The Remnant Fellowship Church Gwen and her husband started and read some pretty scary stuff there. Procede with caution!
Rating:
Summary: RUN...RUN....RUN AWAY FROM THIS PROGRAM!
Review: I became involved in weigh down 4 years ago at my church. And, at the time I thought the program was great. I lost 44 pounds, my husband lost 35 and we both grew closer to the Lord. The whole time though things didn't seem right...like scriptures were being taken out of context...like I had to do all these works for the Lord to love me etc etc etc. Then, Gwen's views on the trinity became public and I backed off from the program. Unfortunately, I picked the book up again not too long ago and things still weren't sitting right with me. I decided to do some research on the web and let me tell you it was SCARY! Praise God the Lord opened my eyes to this woman's warped views and beliefs. If you are considering becoming involved in this program I want to encourage you to research it in great detail. You can even go to the weigh down website and click on the link to The Remnant Fellowship Church Gwen and her husband started and read some pretty scary stuff there. Procede with caution!
Rating: 
Summary: Same thing--and not as good as WEIGH DOWN.
Review: I do love this program. I think Gwen Shamblin has the right approach, and it works for me. I have read and reread the original book The Weigh Down Diet and have many times watched program videos and these are still very helpful to me. But this new book doesn't really say anything new--it actually repeats a lot of what I've already heard and read before. So to those of you who are interested in the program, I say go with it. It works for me. But try either working through a group at church, or get the original book or audios.
Rating:
Summary: Did not even finish the book
Review: I don't know why I bought the book as I was having some misgivings after reading the first Weigh Down book, but hope springs eternal, I guess. I started reading the book and just didn't, couldn't finish it. It doesn't happen very often, but I had a bad feeling about the tone and message of what Ms. Shamblin was saying. I did not know the whole broohaha about her views on the Trinity or her church affiliation, etc... at the time. Mine was a totally gut feeling that there was something wrong with the book and I tossed it.
Rating:
Summary: Did not even finish the book
Review: I don't know why I bought the book as I was having some misgivings after reading the first Weigh Down book, but hope springs eternal, I guess. I started reading the book and just didn't, couldn't finish it. It doesn't happen very often, but I had a bad feeling about the tone and message of what Ms. Shamblin was saying. I did not know the whole broohaha about her views on the Trinity or her church affiliation, etc... at the time. Mine was a totally gut feeling that there was something wrong with the book and I tossed it.
Rating:
Summary: I Have Only One Master!
Review: I have just completed this wonderful book and feel that I have been released from a prison of my own making.Being overweight for the first time in my life, I have tried many approaches to weight loss and have been absolutely obsessed with food--it's contents, portions and constant planning along with the guilt and pain associated with this endeavor. Being a perfectionist, I would throw in the towel after a simple "mistake" and cease to diet for the day (week, etc.) I would restart my diet on a negative note and found that this played havoc with my emotions and self-esteem. After reading "Rise Above", I gave this problem to God asking that He keep me ever mindful of where my loyalty lies and because He created me to live in a thin and healthy body, I have claimed this promise and I eat now only when truly hungry. I have eliminated no foods but am drawn more to the foods that promote health as God and I create the temple that houses His sweet spirit! My life has changed in many ways since what, when and how much I eat no longer figures prominately in my "plans for the day." My creative energy is released as I devote myself to other tasks and pleasures. I feel successful simply because I continue to lose weight almost effortlessly and mainly because I have given God control of my life and see that with him, nothing is impossible!
Rating:
Summary: Some reasonable advice, but Romans out of context!
Review: I have lost a great deal of weight on the Weigh Down Diet, and I felt that the first book, "The Weigh Down Diet," was excellent, as is the workshop and corresponding tapes. However, I am deeply concerned by some of the assertions in this current book. Gwen's reinterpretation of Romans 7 and 8 deeply disturb me, as she seems to indicate that Christians who sin are under judgement. Christians who sin are not under judgement, but under grace, even though they may not escape the consequences of sin. The "Heaven's Kiss" chapter was terrible! In it, Shamblin claims that using her free will to buy a specific jacket and to take a vacation placed her under the judgement of God. I was deeply disturbed by this teaching! As Christians, we do not fall in and out of God's favor, but we are His children saved not through anything that we do or fail to do. Salvation is God's gift; even when a Christian sins (and I hesitate to call buying a jacket or taking a vacation 'sin'), we are forgiven by the blood of Christ which He shed for us on Calvary. This is not to say that we should remain in sin, but the whole point of Paul's letter to the Romans is that we should respond to the love of God by resisting temptation which leads to sin. If we could work our way to perfection, we would not need a Savior! The ideas on how to eat between hunger and fullness become legalistic in this book, and I was not at all pleased with it. Some of the information is reasonable, but a great deal of it is poor teaching! Hopefully, the theology will be reviewed and revised in the next printing. I pray that Gwen can take a good look at these materials and think about how the teaching may impact the lives of potential seekers.
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