Robin Graham’s Weigh Down Success Story in Her Own Words…
My name is Robin Graham. I am from Springfield, MO and was a thin eater during childhood and teenage years. I grew up in a family of excellent cooks, so food slowly started becoming an idol to me as I wanted to be a good cook too.
It wasn’t until I was pregnant with our first baby that I really started having a weight problem. It started with sayings like “you’re eating for 2” or just the morning sickness of my pregnancies let me feel sorry for myself and give me a license to eat. I gained 65-70 lbs with every pregnancy and could not lose the weight unless I used an extreme, unhealthy measure that was not permanent. I ALWAYS gained the weight back.
God had not made a mistake and I was not a failure!
In March of 1995 we had our 3rd child and I, once again, gained all the weight and now could not hardly get 1 lb to move. I blamed my age and it being my 3rd child, but was introduced to Weigh Down and led a class in the Summer of 1995. I was losing weight, but very slowly and didn’t understand since I was being so obedient. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but only lost all my weight using the principles taught by Weigh Down.
I was so grateful for Gwen Shamblin Lara and the Truth she taught from God’s Word! It was like a breath of fresh air that the Bible finally made sense! God had not made a mistake and I was not a failure!! He did expect me to obey and to lay down sin. Unfortunately, I did not fully lay down my greed for food and was just focused on my body.
I struggled over the years taking a class here and there and gaining and losing. I knew this was truth, but could not figure out why I couldn’t get it. I continually wanted to blame my hypothyroidism and did not take personal responsibility for the amount of food I was eating.
I Was 45lbs Overweight & At the End of My Rope
I spent years of wanting to do Weigh Down but chose to believe the lie, that it wasn’t me, that I just couldn’t help it. However, 3 years ago in January 2016, I was at the end of my rope. I was 45 lbs overweight, miserable, bankrupt and had just gone to a “naturalist” so she could tell me it was my thyroid and here was a magic pill! After $400 in tests and $400 on 14 supplements (money I did not have) 3 months later, I had not lost even one pound. I was even eating “healthy” by trying gluten-free and exercising 3 days a week!
I knew who had the truth and googled what Gwen Shamblin Lara was doing. They had just introduced All Access on a Facebook Rally two days before and I watched it 3 times and called and signed up immediately for All Access. I started over with the Weigh Down Basics Class and prayed that God would let me hear what I had been missing all these years and I lost 5 lbs in the first week and cried!!! It was a blessing from my obedience to God and to remind me of this connection he wants to have with me.
How Could I Say I Love God But Continue to Disobey Him?
It’s not a pill, its not a special food, its not the amount of exercise; it’s me obeying God and how he made my body to eat from growl to growl. What I started hearing Gwen say was that I must love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Now she read this straight from God’s Word. Being a Christian all my life, I had heard this scripture but always ignored it a bit because of course I loved God!!
However, what I slowly realized is that how could I truly love God and disobey Him? I didn’t feel loved from my own kids when they disobeyed, did I? I was absolutely crushed that I had missed this and came down on my knees in repentance! I began going down on my knees every day, many times a day in repentance for my greed and selfish behavior for all those years. I had hurt God so much!!
Listening to All Access Changed My Entire Life Around
I have to say that All Access was key for me to change what was in my mind and heart by listening to the truth many times a day. I turned it on while I cooked dinner because I did not trust myself to spend time with food any more. This helped change my heart over to one that wanted ALL my actions to be Spirit led. I started loving God with ALL my Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength.
Then I recognized that food had become an idol to me and more important than anything or anyone. I lived for food and not for God. This time I dedicated my time to God and His word and the truth about obedience and how the Bible says we must obey as Gwen has taught all these years. I have lost and kept off over 40 lbs and have stayed in a class since that day. I want to keep working on my heart and cleaning out all greed and anything that was there that was not pleasing to God.
The Dallas Weigh Down Tour was a Crossroads for Steve
Weigh Down Dallas Tour 2017
My husband Steve and I got to attend the Weigh Down Tour in Dallas one year later. He heard Gwen explain that sin is a Civil War – a battle within us. (A video of this talk is available in the Revolution Class Week 3).
Steve has lost 50 lbs! We made the decision to move almost a year ago to Franklin, TN to attend Remnant Fellowship Church. We wanted to be closer to the church to be more and more encouraged and refined by God. My life is full of joy, peace, love, patience, all the fruits of the spirit.
Nothing Feels as Good as Obedience!
Our marriage is 100 percent better as I no longer blame my husband for everything and take personal responsibility for what I say and do. I am so thankful to Gwen for obeying God and following his son, Jesus, by denying herself and teaching us how to do the same.
I never want to go back to my old ways of believing that I was doing all I could and was a good person. Nothing in this life feels as good as obedience does and I’m thankful for Weigh Down and the beautiful people at Remnant Fellowship who encourage me in obedience every day.
Watch Robin’s husband Steve on the You Can Overcome Show with David Martin, Lonzo Herron, Terrell Cohen and Tedd Anger. This episode is about “How Middle-Aged Men Lose Weight.”
