Weight Loss & Diet Plans

Diet Review: The Weigh Down

Losing weight on The Weigh Down Diet may be as easy as falling to your knees and praying for divine intervention. From church basements to online seminars and dieting books, the latest trend in diets is the faith-based hallelujah programs that incorporate religion with weight loss.

Forget about calories, exercise, and whether the foods you eat are healthy -- all you need to do is pray and wait until your stomach growls to be successful on the Weigh Down program.

Not a Diet

The Weigh Down Diet is not a diet book. It's about getting in touch with hunger, fullness, and reaching out to God to help you control how much you eat.

“Stomach growling is God’s green light to eat without guilt," says author Gwen Shamblin. Her approach: Eat only when your stomach growls and you will eat less overall and lose weight.

You don’t have to follow any particular religion to achieve weight loss success on the plan. Shamblin says believing in a higher power is all you need.

As a registered dietitian, Shamblin wants dieters to escape the slavery of dieting, end the fixated relationship with food, and eat healthier meals by following her inspirational teachings and turning to God instead of food.

The Weigh Down Diet program was founded more than 20 years ago and goes beyond the book. It is also available online and in workshops, videos, and CDs. Testimonials abound from people claiming to have lost lots of weight.

The Weigh Down Diet: What You Can Eat

No special or forbidden foods, no menu plans, no counting calories, no weighing foods – eat whatever you like.

Shamblin leaves food choices in your hands, encouraging dieters to seek divine intervention to help them trust their instincts and make good choices.

More important than the food on your plate is the size of your plate and the emptiness of your stomach on the Weigh Down plan.

The program recommends eating small volumes of food, like a saucer full or half of what you usually eat, and only when your stomach is growling. Then push away from the table and turn to God -- transfer your love of food to your love of God.

“Eating small volumes is the way to improve your health," says Shamblin. She says followers can stop eating right in the middle of a candy bar without desiring the other half.

The Weigh Down suggests eating your favorite foods first and leaving the least favorite foods on your plate.

To help master satisfaction on less food, the program recommends behavioral tricks like sipping no-calorie beverages and putting utensils down between bites of food.

The Weigh Down Diet: How It Works

"Turn to God instead of food" is Shamblin’s mantra to help people who use food to cope with emotional hunger, emptiness, depression, and cravings.