Interviewing Fellew Eden-Dieters

Dr. Hancock: "This month, I'm honored to interview my friend and co-Eden Dieter Debbie C. Debbie runs the online Eden Diet Yahoo support group from her home in Florida. Hi Debbie, welcome, and thanks for agreeing to share your weight loss experience to help your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Debbie C: "I am humbled that you have asked that I share my journey with your readers. I hope that some of my journey will shed some light for others that struggle with weight and the issues that are behind it as I do".

Dr. H: Tell me a little about your history and the issue of your weight.

Debbie C: Through my childhood and teen years I remember always being on a "diet." On two separate occasions, I lost over 100 pounds by doing protein-supplemented fasts (liquid diets). In 2005, I had gastric banding, which was useful in putting a cap on my weight gain, but it didn't help me to lose weight. Finally, a few years ago, I found a wonderful therapist and began to deal with the underlying emotional issues that led to my weight gain. I also found The Eden Diet and learned to use hunger pangs to help guide my eating. Those latter things allowed me to go to the next level in my quest to become healthy and whole in mind, body and spirit.

Dr. H: What is your opinion about regular, restrictive diets?

Debbie C: Diets don't work because it's not about the food; it's about the deep-down reasons why we eat when we're not hungry. We eat to mask pain, hurt, and to stay in denial. We try to suppress childhood abuse, abandonment, loss of a loved one, depression, anxiety, boredom, family dysfunction, divorce, etc. For me, growing up, there were a lot of painful issues. I couldn't control my environment. I couldn't control getting the human comfort and love I needed. But I could try to control the food. It brought me a sense of comfort at the time, and, yes, I will admit also defiance at everyone else that was judging me.

Dr. H: What types of treatment and/or counseling have you explored to help you address the underlying reasons why you ate?

Debbie C: I've undergone various kinds of counseling, but the most effective type has dealt with clearing Satan's lies that kept me in bondage and replacing those lies with God's truth. In addition, through continued Bible study, I've learned how to extend forgiveness to those who hurt me. The type of therapy I underwent is a protocol using EMDR ("Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing"), which is useful for people who have undergone serious shock and trauma. The therapist who treated me was a Christian and modified EMDR so that God was in the middle of the treatment. That wasn't exactly the "standard" EMDR, but being Christian, it's what I wanted. This is the way it works: if you were hurt by certain people in the past, those hurts and those people might seem to continue to have power over you. As a result of your hurt, you might believe that you are unlovable, and that lie might lead you to eat. When you clear the lie and realize that you are totally loved by God, it helps to decrease your desire to eat and gives you an overall sense of peace. My therapist treats people of all different religious backgrounds, however, she is a Christian and our EMDR counseling sessions are Christ-centered. When she treats others who aren't Christian, she sticks to the standard EMDR because she tries to meet people where they are. Hopefully, they come around to knowing the Lord, eventually. You just can't push those things too hard.

Dr. H: Why did addressing those underlying issues help the pounds begin to come off more easily?

Debbie C: I am no longer looking to food for comfort or control. I no longer beat myself up over making a poor food choice or turning to food, and that leads to less guilt and shame. When I realize what I am doing, I ask the Lord for forgiveness and for Him to reveal the true reason (or event) as to why I have turned to food. Thank Goodness His grace is new every morning.

Dr. H: How does a person know if he or she needs counseling?

Debbie C: I truly believe that deep down inside, you know. I knew it early on. If you are overweight, there is a reason. When you are missing something inside, you use food to fill a void, a hole, a gap in your heart. You may be stuffing down a memory, a pain, a trauma, deep inside. But then, those things continue to surface (exploding in anger, feeling of worthlessness, crying, etc.) in some way in your life, until finally one day you realize you need help and can't do it alone. I know people that think all you need is God to heal. That is true; however, God put godly counselors on this earth for a reason. That is to help His children get healed so that they can serve Him here on earth more abundantly.

Dr. H: In your counseling sessions, did you uncover any lies in your perceptions about being overweight?

Debbie: My weight was many things to me. It was a wall to keep me safe. It was a way for me to say to my family, "okay, try to ignore me now". Like the elephant in the middle of the room....

Dr. H: How do you find a good Christian counselor?

Debbie C: First, ask around! Call your church and ask them about their counselors and their qualifications. Many churches are now doing healing bible studies. Also, I would highly recommend EMDR therapists as a starting point. I have found that this has been the most incredible therapy that I have ever done. If you go to yahoo or Google and put in a search for Christian counselors in your city and state it should pop up a bunch of them in the search engine.

Dr. H: Any advice for people who are afraid to go down that road?

Debbie C:
1. Don't be afraid! Before I started the journey, I was afraid, but that, too was a lie. Remember fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real! Face your fear and the truth shall set you free! I can't express how wonderful it feels to be released from those lies that led to my emotional eating.
2. Be patient! It is not going to be an overnight fix or a 100 lb weight loss in 3 months. Stay realistic and take it one day at a time.
3. Remember that God loves us. He wants us out of bondage more than anything. It brings Him so much pain to see us in bondage when He had Jesus die on that cross to set us Free. Reach out and take His hand and receive the gift that He longs to give you: freedom from shame, guilt, and condemnation about your weight and all the other pain you carry around needlessly.

Dr. H: Thank you so much, Debbie, for sharing your experience with others. May God continue to bless you with continued spiritual, emotional, and physical healing.

Debbie C: You too! It was my pleasure.