Finding Balance

Well, as of 17 May I've got something new in my schedule.  It is official that I am leading a "Finding Balance with Food" group on base that will be sponsored through the chapel.  "Finding Balance" is an INCREDIBLE ministry that I learned about this last year.  It was founded by Constance Rhodes.  She has incredible testimony about finally finding balance in her own life after years of food issues.  I love the program because it's not just about clinical eating disorders.  It really focused on the huge segment of the population of women that have food issues but don't necessarily meet any kind of diagnosis threshhold (think about it, when was the last time you went to any kind of gathering and someone didn't mention being on a diet/needing to be on a diet or say something like "oh, I really shouldn't have this - it's so bad for me" --- our culture has TRASHED our relationship w/ food and body image).

Things moved really quick with having the PWOC (protestant women of the chapel --- a military base ministry) approving and funding it.  We finalized last night.  I was actually able to email back and forth with Constance (which has been SO cool for me!!!!) and she's been super helpful in aiding me in getting promo stuff ready on short order.    It'll be a 12 week course, so it'll bring me up to the time when Philip comes back.

Constance explains the curriculum very well on her site:

What It Is

FbWF is a twelve-week guided journey toward greater health and freedom for anyone who thinks frequently about food and/or the size of their bodies. It is a chance to breathe deeply and consider our relationship with food, how it developed, and how to be healthier in the future. The structured study format provides a safe environment for personal reflection and growth, as well as an opportunity to foster relationship with other women walking a similar road. With Biblically-based content, it is ideal for those seeking to incorporate faith into their overall wellness pursuits.

What It Isn’t

FbWF is not a diet. It is not a weight loss program. It is not a treatment program for eating disorders and should not replace one-on-one counseling or nutrition therapy currently in progress. That said, it IS a guided journey toward understanding the why’s beneath our issues with food and our bodies, and can be a wonderful complement to any recovery process. With most disordered eaters experiencing fluctuating eating patterns, the primary goal of the study is to stabilize eating and weight so that deeper issues can be addressed. As healthier ways of managing food and emotions are embraced, however, healthy weight loss/weight gain (depending on what’s needed) has been a natural result for some participants.

Who it’s For

FbWF is designed for use with adult   women ages 18 and up who struggle with food in any way, including chronic dieters, obsessive exercisers, emotional eaters, binge eaters, health food junkies, and those with more clinical types of eating issues  including anorexia and bulimia. Please note: participants must be medically stable for the group experience to be safe and effective for all. 

 I expect it to be an interesting journey for myself, but am especially excited to watch other women grow in then next couple of months.    I wasn't sure if I should do it.  I wasn't sure if I could do it (which is silly since leading groups is my job. . . but it's definitely different in a non-work, American context for the first time for me!!!!!)  But the Lord has paved the way and I want to be faithful.  We will see how it goes.  Maybe it's something I can carry on doing in churches wherever we land next.  If you don't mind adding the FBwF group  under ASSIGNMENT/DC!!!!!!!!!!!   to your "prayer for the Leres" list I would greatly appreciate it.  

Check out finding balance online at www.findingbalance.com   Maybe it's something that your community or church would benefit from!  Think about it!   You don't need to be a counselor to facilitate the groups. . .