Gwen Shamblin Lara 12: Gwen says something I can't understand.

[Blue]

5 hours ago, Marmion said:

It's what is known as doublethink   .   It's how they deal with cognitive dissonance .  

Definitely, but I'm curious how Gwen and her "Shepherds" specifically may influence this pattern of behavior.

[AmazonGrace]

9 hours ago, Hane said:

I’m constantly amazed that she puts absolutely no emphasis on positive ways to take care of your body, like eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and getting exercise. 

No, no, no, She puts a lot of emphasis on that. In the world according to Gwen those are all "man-made dieting rules" and they're going to make you fat. 

Nobody is allowed to blame you for not losing weight but Gwen.

Spoiler

Day 2: If you are hearing the lie that you are not “getting it” as fast as others or not losing weight as quickly, RUN from that thought! Remember - hunger and fullness is fast enough! Just focus on YOUR relationship with God!

Running from a thought counts as exercise, YES/NO?

[Marmion]

10 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

No, no, no, She puts a lot of emphasis on that. In the world according to Gwen those are all "man-made dieting rules" and they're going to make you fat

As I have mentioned before , this is what the Bible , King James Version , to be exact , says about fatness .  

Quote

All the fat is the Lord's. -- Leviticus 3:16  , The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. -- Proverbs 13:4  ,  He that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. -- Proverbs 28:25 , The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree ... they shall be fat and flourishing. -- Psalm 92:12-14 

 

[Marmion]

16 hours ago, Blue said:

Definitely, but I'm curious how Gwen and her "Shepherds" specifically may influence this pattern of behavior.

I suppose that would be in the same way that others brainwash their followers , in particular the ICOC , which Gwen had been part of  .  { http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1030659/posts  , http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/5/10/112924/148   ,https://freedomofmind.com/international-churches-of-christ-icoc/ }  But for a more specific , personal account , you'd have to ask those who'd been at one time involved with them , such as @RemnantSurvivor , for instance .  

[AmazonGrace]

Deadly epidemics, financial turmoil, missing your relatives? Just remember this one thing:

DON'T EAT!!!

Spoiler

Day 3: Whatever is going on around you, remember that it’s not too late to cut back and wait for the growl. It feels great!

For our sins, we get another devotional today (the last one was on the 12th), and today we learn that Gwen does not understand maths.
 

Spoiler

 

Ideal Body Weight

May 16, 2020

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

The body is amazingly made; you are amazingly made. God designed all of us in His image, but each body is quite unique. Again, what the ideal body weight is for one person is not the ideal body weight for another. But the percentage of fat is basically the same— Men average 18 to 24 percent and women average 25 to 31 percent. God designed our systems so efficiently that when you eat according to hunger and fullness, your body will naturally go to a slender size and remain there. Your body knows when its reserves have all been used up, and your hunger sensation either will come more often or will require more food before being satisfied. It is important not to focus on a specific weight. It is also important not to repeatedly skip hunger signs. Continually ignoring the signal that your body needs to eat is as harmful as overeating. It can lead to anorexia and trying to maintain a body weight that is too thin and not healthy. As long as you are obedient to hunger and fullness, your body will reach and maintain the weight that God intends for you.

 

The fact that we can calculate an average body fat percentage or estimate a recommended %  does not mean that everyone's percentage of fat is basically the same.  Some athletes are way lower than the average, and very obese people with little muscle mass may be way higher.

Everyone else  already knows this so you can stop reading. Gwen, if you're here please read on.

The average body fat % for a given group of people is calculated by calculating the sum of everyone's body fat % and dividing by the number of people. This does not mean that everyone's body fat % is essentially  the same as this average, nor does it mean that anyone's is exactly the same as the average. Also, the average % may be different from an ideal %, healthwise. And you have no idea what God intended.

 

[quiversR4hunting]

On 5/15/2020 at 9:37 PM, Hane said:

I’m constantly amazed that she puts absolutely no emphasis on positive ways to take care of your body, like eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and getting exercise. 

I don’t get it either because she teaches all food is the same, which of course isn’t true. She could teach eat as much veggies and fruit as you want (like weight watchers, right?). We, outside Remnant Fellowship, know that we can eat a lot of fruits and veggies and get full and not get faint. 

Gwen Shamblin Lara is so dangerous in her food teachings and she has zero theology knowledge.

[Blue]

18 hours ago, Marmion said:

I suppose that would be in the same way that others brainwash their followers , in particular the ICOC , which Gwen had been part of  .  { http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1030659/posts  , http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/5/10/112924/148   ,https://freedomofmind.com/international-churches-of-christ-icoc/ }  But for a more specific , personal account , you'd have to ask those who'd been at one time involved with them , such as @RemnantSurvivor , for instance .  

Yeah, I put it out there to see if any of the former members could explain from the specific perspective of RF.

[SuperNova]

5 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

She could teach eat as much veggies and fruit as you want (like weight watchers, right?). We, outside Remnant Fellowship, know that we can eat a lot of fruits and veggies and get full and not get faint.

I believe Gwen's personal eating disorder is about chewing and swallowing. It's not about the quality of the food, it's quantity. It's a topic that comes up again and again with her and I'm always struck by how strange it sounds to be focused on how much food you can "swallow", not eat.

[Marmion]

12 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Deadly epidemics, financial turmoil, missing your relatives? Just remember this one thing:

DON'T EAT!!!

  Hide contents

Day 3: Whatever is going on around you, remember that it’s not too late to cut back and wait for the growl. It feels great!

For our sins, we get another devotional today (the last one was on the 12th), and today we learn that Gwen does not understand maths.
 

  Hide contents

 

Ideal Body Weight

May 16, 2020

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

The body is amazingly made; you are amazingly made. God designed all of us in His image, but each body is quite unique. Again, what the ideal body weight is for one person is not the ideal body weight for another. But the percentage of fat is basically the same— Men average 18 to 24 percent and women average 25 to 31 percent. God designed our systems so efficiently that when you eat according to hunger and fullness, your body will naturally go to a slender size and remain there. Your body knows when its reserves have all been used up, and your hunger sensation either will come more often or will require more food before being satisfied. It is important not to focus on a specific weight. It is also important not to repeatedly skip hunger signs. Continually ignoring the signal that your body needs to eat is as harmful as overeating. It can lead to anorexia and trying to maintain a body weight that is too thin and not healthy. As long as you are obedient to hunger and fullness, your body will reach and maintain the weight that God intends for you.

 

The fact that we can calculate an average body fat percentage or estimate a recommended %  does not mean that everyone's percentage of fat is basically the same.  Some athletes are way lower than the average, and very obese people with little muscle mass may be way higher.

Everyone else  already knows this so you can stop reading. Gwen, if you're here please read on.

The average body fat % for a given group of people is calculated by calculating the sum of everyone's body fat % and dividing by the number of people. This does not mean that everyone's body fat % is essentially  the same as this average, nor does it mean that anyone's is exactly the same as the average. Also, the average % may be different from an ideal %, healthwise. And you have no idea what God intended.

 

Quote

The brain is 60% fat

So firstly, the brain is 60% fat. It’s built on fat, although it runs on glucose. If you hold a brain, it apparently feels soft, squidgy and squelchy (according to neurosurgeons!). Yuck.

This means that dietary fats are crucial for good mental health. Especially since fats are the train that transports fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) to the brain.

But fats have been demonised over recent decades and have therefore been removed from many people’s diets. The rise in mental health issues over this same time period is stark.

Fats also play other vital roles within the body. They are necessary for the normal everyday function of the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and immune system. They are important for healthy bones, cell walls, digestion, hair, skin and nails. And the body also utilises dietary fat for energy, so it helps keep us going throughout the day.

The inclusion of good fats in the diet is thought to promote several health benefits such as protection against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimers and depression. As well as reduced blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

http://angelasbryant.com/how-is-brain-fat-and-water/   

Quote

 A healthy amount of fat on your body has its benefits. Let us count four ways.

1. Stores energy

Fat serves an important role for storing energy. "Older people tend to lose weight in the later stages of life, so having those energy reserves is beneficial," says Dain LaRoche, a kinesiologist and associate professor at the University of New Hampshire. Eons ago when humans had to hunt for food, that fat storage helped us survive through the winters, he says. Having some fat reserves also aids cancer patients, who often lose weight and become frail during advanced stages of the disease.

2. Good for vitamins

Our fat-soluble vitamins — A, E, D and K — are absorbed in the body's fat tissue. "If people cut out all the fat in their diet, they would be deficient in those vitamins," LaRoche says. And it's less about having the fat, and more about consuming foods that have fat. By eliminating foods with fat, you miss out on nutrients that play a role in reducing inflammation, clotting blood, keeping your skin healthy and strengthening bones. You cannot find these important vitamins in doughnuts, but you can in fortified milk products, cold-water fish, carrots, avocados and a host of other foods.

3. Keeps us warm

In bone-chilling weather, the overweight dude has the advantage over the thin guy. Why? Fat is an insulator, so it's like wearing an extra layer of clothing. "When you're exposed to extreme cold weather, fat retards heat loss. It's an adaptive mechanism to help keep a core temperature," LaRoche says. Some studies have suggested that cold-water swimmers with a higher body mass index (BMI) have a lower risk of getting hypothermia.

So maybe, just maybe, adding a wee bit of winter weight isn't so horrible.

4. Protects the body from trauma

Visceral fat (fat located around your organs) provides padding and a source of energy for the kidneys, liver and heart.  Fat provides a layer of protection, almost like a barrier to physical trauma, LaRoche says. Think of the pounding athletes in contact sports take when competing and training. Fat comes in handy for them, and it has for you with the bumps and falls you've taken over the years.

https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2017/health-benefits-body-fat.html  

Edited May 17, 2020 by Marmion

[Blue]

5 hours ago, SuperNova said:

I believe Gwen's personal eating disorder is about chewing and swallowing. It's not about the quality of the food, it's quantity. It's a topic that comes up again and again with her and I'm always struck by how strange it sounds to be focused on how much food you can "swallow", not eat.

It reminds me of people who have a hand to mouth habit... their hands have to be busy when they're doing something and so some smoke, some munch, etc... It's like her problem is more that she struggles to stop once she starts eating, so that's the battle she focuses on... maybe she didn't used to be addicted to junk food, she was just addicted to eating period.

11 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

I don’t get it either because she teaches all food is the same, which of course isn’t true. She could teach eat as much veggies and fruit as you want (like weight watchers, right?). We, outside Remnant Fellowship, know that we can eat a lot of fruits and veggies and get full and not get faint. 

Gwen Shamblin Lara is so dangerous in her food teachings and she has zero theology knowledge.

I think I've heard her teach that your body will crave what it needs... so you can eat whatever you want because your body will naturally want what it needs (you know, if you're following Gwod properly). The problem is that it just isn't true. Yes, there are weird stories of people craving something random because it had a very specific nutrient they needed, but a lot of people who need to eat more veggies do not crave broccoli and cauliflower and cabbage... my body often craves food high in salt when it would probably be happier if I gave it carrots, haha!

[Jencendiary]

OH, HELL YEAH. It's on now. 

I don't know if y'all are podcast fans like me, but Zealot is a very funny Australian comedienne and her rotating cast of friends discussing cults. And they did Gwen Shamblin & the Remnant this week. I just started listening, and I recommend you come with me on this journey of "I can't even. . ."
 

 

(And please do look up the Facebook page for Jo's commentary on The Shamblin-Lara engagement video & a Gwen Shamblin lookbook.)

[Ozlsn]

4 hours ago, Jencendiary said:

OH, HELL YEAH. It's on now. 

I don't know if y'all are podcast fans like me, but Zealot is a very funny Australian comedienne and her rotating cast of friends discussing cults. And they did Gwen Shamblin & the Remnant this week. I just started listening, and I recommend you come with me on this journey of "I can't even. . ."
 

 

(And please do look up the Facebook page for Jo's commentary on The Shamblin-Lara engagement video & a Gwen Shamblin lookbook.)

OMG I read her book and forgot she had a podcast too!! Yay!!

[AmazonGrace]

Today's Daily Contradiction: 

Gwen: Don't worry about the scales, sometimes weight fluctuates and it's OK. 

Also Gwen: You have to obsessively weigh yourself every day and if your weight isn't lower than it was three weeks you are a sinner. 

Spoiler

 

How to Approach the Scales

May 17, 2020

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

The body is made of mainly water, and water can fluctuate. If you have been obedient to hunger and fullness, you will lose weight. Therefore, keep food records of hunger and fullness. Do not be surprised if your weight goes up if you are disobedient to the stomach.

Do not get depressed if one week your weight does not go down and you did everything right; you are being tested to see if you will be obedient to God even without immediate reward.

It is helpful to pick a time of day to weigh, and then know that if you have been obedient and you are finding hunger, there is no reason to be upset if the scale does not go down. Instead, use that energy to make sure that you are waiting for hunger and stopping when you are satisfied. One week you may lose four pounds, and the next week you may not lose anything. It may even go up a pound one week. Just look at the pattern over a three-week period. If there is no progress for three weeks, you are probably missing the boat and not telling yourself the truth.

Just keep focused on what you are supposed to be doing—use your conscience and talk to God; if the graph is not going down, then run to God more and eat less food! Get encouragement from the WeighDown office and the Regional Representatives, who are invaluable for success. The body of Christ cannot do without each other; a foot cannot say to a hand, “I have no need of you.” (I Corinthians 12:21)  We need the accountability, the prayers of the Saints, the fellowship, and the encouragement. The Weigh- Down Facebook Group offers wonderful help and encouragement as well!

You can depend on numbers on a scale to a fault. How sad to think of the millions of people in this country focusing on the body weight more than the weight of their heart. However, you cannot throw the scales out, for they are the truth. You need to weigh no more than once per day. You will want to record your weight. See Weigh Down Works! for a weight chart.

 

No one is ever ideal weight for Gwen.

[throwaway9988]

11 hours ago, Jencendiary said:

OH, HELL YEAH. It's on now. 

I don't know if y'all are podcast fans like me, but Zealot is a very funny Australian comedienne and her rotating cast of friends discussing cults. And they did Gwen Shamblin & the Remnant this week. I just started listening, and I recommend you come with me on this journey of "I can't even. . ."
 

 

(And please do look up the Facebook page for Jo's commentary on The Shamblin-Lara engagement video & a Gwen Shamblin lookbook.)

This was hysterical!
 

 

“All the fat people burning in hell would smell delicious...fat’s where the flavor is.”

”You don’t have to tell me that!”

”I would be creating my own crackling. And I’m not above eating my own skin in Hell.”

 

”She considers homosexuality to be a sin.”

”Shocking! Have you seen how thin they are? You’d think she’d be on their side.”

 

“Gwen’s not big on answering questions. She considers them disrespectful. ‘God is speaking through my tiny frame that looks a bit like a condom stretched over a fork.’”

 

They did get a few things wrong, like always wearing all white or all black clothes (usually that’s only a few special events per year), which Im sure Remnant members will seize on in order to ignore the whole thing. But I always think it’s good for people living in the bubble of the Bible Belt to hear normal people making fun of them. Get a reality check.

 

also, I had no idea this was a website, so thank you to this podcast for opening my eyes: http://gwenshamblinshair.com/about/

 

The comments on the podcast’s facebook page about this episode are hilarious too:

”...like a B-grade Dolly Parton”

”...like an unshorn sheep”

”...like a Shih tzu”

Edited May 18, 2020 by throwaway9988

[SuperNova]

9 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

No one is ever ideal weight for Gwen.

Gwen is not the ideal weight for Gwen. 

[Marmion]

I found this video , which lays out comprehensively, and concisely , what Remnant Fellowship is all about . I suspect that the content creator might also post here , though I am not sure which of us she'd be .  

Spoiler

 

 

[AmazonGrace]

Gwen is forced to admit that exercise may have health benefits and may possibly not even be a sin but she is very reluctant. 

I would expect a dietician to know that people with disabilities, who are injured or use wheelchairs can exercise (in some way or another), but Gwen doesn't. 

Spoiler

 

What about Exercise?

May 18, 2020

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Just as dieting does not help your heart desire less food, neither does exercise. Appropriately motivated exercise can be a help for physical training. There is no substitute for exercise when it comes to muscle toning, cardiovascular conditioning, and bone strengthening. It can also help with digestion and with healthy functioning of your organs. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” I Timothy 4:8

However, exercise does not retrain your overchewing. Exercise could even work against you in terms of weight loss. Our goal is getting you to chew less food. But it is very tempting to continue to overeat and then compensate by walking around the block. Do not misinterpret—we are all for exercise. However, our goal is to focus all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength on eating less food. We are going to be concentrating on the spiritual training. The only exercises we insist on are getting down on your knees to pray and getting the muscle of your will to surrender the extra food you have been eating. That is a whole new exercise of the spiritual heart muscle that is valuable for this life and the life to come. Many may be too large to get on their knees right now. That is okay—just get on your knees in your heart.
Just know that no one who traveled this journey and lost weight permanently had to increase their energy expenditure through exercise. Not everyone can exercise. What about people with disabilities? What about the person who loves to exercise but has been injured? Are these people doomed to gain weight? Not at all. WeighDown has so many testimonies from people in wheel chairs and from those who could not exercise due to physical restrictions.

 

 

Spoiler

Day 5:  Do you not see that this is right to have the purpose of living hour by hour for God’s permission to eat.  Do not listen to Satan’s permission to eat. Look for God alone because His permission is perfect for perfect weight loss!!!!!!

Satan made you eat!!!!!!

The purpose of life is to think every hour whether God thinks you've starved yourself enough for now.

If the problem is overchewing, eating ice cream should be OK.

[Xan]

Permission??  She thinks you need permission from God to eat?  And all the Remnants just nod their heads at this?  

This is so messed up.  To believe that you need permission from a deity to get enough nourishment to sustain your body is the height of insanity.  I personally wouldn't want anything to do with a controlling deity who made me do this.  What's next?  Is Gwen going to get everyone to start asking God for permission to breathe?

Edited May 19, 2020 by Xan

[throwaway9988]

14 hours ago, Marmion said:

  Hide contents

 

 

I had never watched Gwen’s weird re-engagement video because I’m not a sadist, so one thing that struck me while watching the clip this woman shows was Elizabeth’s fake smile watching her mom get divorced and quickly remarried. To everyone outside the Remnant, it is so obvious that this whole gross spectacle is just abuse and control where Gwen gets whatever she wants by telling people that’s what God wants.  Just like the quote from Brideshead Revisited:

Spoiler

Lady Marchmain:
I act only as God directs.

Charles Ryder:
Rubbish. God's your best invention. Whatever you want, he does.

But what’s particularly sick and twisted about the Remnant cult is the additional layer of mind control tactics. Everyone watching this spectacle has been brainwashed into accepting that whatever their authority figures do and say, no matter how obviously wrong/unfair/sinful/senseless, is the Will Of God and is therefore, by definition,  right/just/holy/sensible. Gwen doesn’t even have to gaslight them any more; they have been conditioned to gaslight themselves. Everyone watching Gwen go further and further off the deep end has been trained to control their own thoughts: “Gwen isnt just saying things are God’s Will to get her own way; if God didn’t want Gwen to get her way then He wouldnt have put her in charge, so Gwen’s will must be God’s Will, so these critical thoughts I’m having are just spiritual warfare and Satan trying to win over my soul, so I need to stay quiet and plaster a smile on my face and do what Gwen says to do.” Remnant has a mind control exercise for everything, and you can just see those exercises running through people’s minds, trying to keep smiling for the cameras while watching Gwen debase herself. 

[Xan]

There's a new-ish Life with Gwen and Joe up.  I'm adding the link in the spoiler and anyone is welcome to watch.  I honestly just couldn't today -- not even for the stupid, funny comments.  Lately, her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Spoiler

 

I did run through the video for a few screencaps.  They're at the beach.  One photo is of Gwen with children.  If that was my grandma, I'd have nightmares.  She's also gotten Joe a Jeep without doors.  I'm not sure I understand why that's a good thing.  I've lived in Florida before.  It rains.  There were brief storms on summer afternoons that we called monsoons.  You couldn't see the car in front of you.  Also - bugs.  Also - not safe.  WTH?  And the last picture shows Gwen's ridiculous make-up.  What's going on with her eyebrows?

[SuperNova]

6 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

...exercise does not retrain your overchewing. Exercise could even work against you in terms of weight loss. Our goal is getting you to chew less food.

Gah! There it is again. This grates on me every single time she uses it. She is more concerned with chewing and swallowing. The food itself is secondary to the act. 

[Marmion]

11 hours ago, Xan said:

Permission??  She thinks you need permission from God to eat?  And all the Remnants just nod their heads at this?  

This is so messed up.  To believe that you need permission from a deity to get enough nourishment to sustain your body is the height of insanity.  I personally wouldn't want anything to do with a controlling deity who made me do this.  What's next?  Is Gwen going to get everyone to start asking God for permission to breathe?

This , controlled breathing , has already been put to use in certain cults .  Really , about anything you can conceive of potentially happening has already taken place in some capacity , somewhere in the world .  

Spoiler

 

https://freedomofmind.com/meditation-yes-but-please-be-careful-and-do-your-homework-regarding-transcendental-meditation-tm/ 

[AmazonGrace]

Gwen thinks exercise is bad because you drink more water. 

Spoiler

 

Exercise and Weight Loss

May 19, 2020

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Exercise will not increase the speed of your weight loss, because, when using hunger and fullness, the body already knows how much energy you spent and it will ask for more food. Notice in exercise, your body needs more oxygen, so immediately and automatically, you breathe harder. Exercise will also make you thirstier; the body requires more water to satisfy its needs, so you will automatically drink more water until those needs are met. Likewise, even though hunger is deferred temporarily, within 24 hours, your body’s hunger increases automatically to cover the body’s extra caloric needs. So if you want to exercise, fine, but exercise will not help you to lose weight faster. It will allow you to eat more food, just as it allows you to drink more water. The goal of WeighDown is to become accustomed to the decreased volumes of food. If you are less active because of an inability to exercise, your hunger will decrease to meet your fuel needs. You never have to fear missing an aerobics class or workout again. If you do choose to exercise, use this time to listen to your WeighDown audios. Also remember, be moderate in everything, including exercise, and know that some of the best aerobics are cleaning the house and doing yard work. Scrubbing, vacuuming, pulling weeds, and organizing closets benefits the whole family and still benefits you.

 

 

Housework is allowed

[AmazonGrace]

If you're not a loser what's wrong?

Spoiler

Day 7: Not losing? You are choosing your own time and amount to eat or drink. Afraid of following the growl because it is not what you want? Then experiment today and follow for 24 hours and just see if it is not better. Change Fear to Focus and it will be Fascinatingly Fantastic!

Allow Anorexia and it will be Amazingly Annoying!

[AmazonGrace]

Gwen's going to cure your eating disorder by teaching you another eating disorder. 

Spoiler

 

Weigh Down and Eating Disorders

May 20, 2020

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Weigh Down has helped many anorexics and bulimics to let go of control and become at peace with their bodies. The anorexic person who responds to physical hunger as taught through Weigh Down will gain the appropriate weight their body needs for good health. It is important for the anorexic not to skip hunger signs. Ignoring the signal that your body needs to eat is as disobedient as overeating. Bulimics will also learn to eat within hunger and fullness and learn to end the cycle of bingeing and purging. As long as you are obedient to hunger and fullness, your body will reach and maintain the weight that God intends for you. By applying these principles, those with eating disorders have improved their health and changed their focus on food and their obsession for thinness, over to a focus on and devotion to God. While individuals with anorexia or bulimia can certainly benefit from this program, they should remain under the care of their physicians.

 

It's not so long ago that Gwen said medicine doesn't work but now she says anorexics should still see a real doctor. So I guess that's something.

This woman is dangerous.