AFTER NEARLY 4 YEARS OF ABSTINENCE
Below is an interview with Lisa who has nearly 4 years of abstinence and has experienced tremendous success with the program. In this interview, Lisa shares her journey, including her routine for maintaining for her abstinence and how she discovered a new way of living.
Q: How long have you been abstaining from sugar?
A: I have been abstinent since August 7, 2013.
Q: How much weight did you lose?
A: To date I have released about 200 pounds from my top weight.
Q: Have you maintained your weight loss?
A: Yes, it has been over a year.
Q: To what do you attribute your success in recovery after leaving COR?
A: I attribute my success to my willingness to give this spiritual program a shot, taking an honest look at my past behaviors around food and how I “showed up” in this gift of life, and being open to allow a power greater than myself to direct my life one day at a time.
Q: What are the daily actions you take as “insurance” against a relapse?
A: I pray for the willingness to do this one more day. I follow a food plan written by a nutritionist. I stay connected with people who share my disease. I read spiritual literature. And although not a daily action, I give back to COR through service.
Q: How much time does it take compared to the time you spent (before recovery) on abnormal food behaviors?
A: There is really no comparison. My old life was consumed by what I can eat next, how much I can have, how can I control the food so I could control the weight.
Q: Do you feel deprived of food?
A: Absolutely not! Even on “tough days” I am reminded that my food plan is enough.
Q: Why didn’t you just go straight into the 12 step recovery rooms for compulsive overeating instead of attending a COR Retreat?
A: I walked into one of those rooms years ago and made a quick, false judgment that “I wasn’t one of those people”. The reality was I too far in my disease to even know that I had an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind. I obviously didn’t hit my bottom.
Q: Did you believe that you would have this kind of success when you signed up for a COR Retreat?
A: No, I had no idea that my life would be like it is today. Not only can I physically move better in this body, I actually can show up conscious, present and honest on a daily basis.
Q: What were your fears about attending COR?
A: I feared that I would be judged, that I wasn’t good enough, and that I would be told that either I was a hopeless case or that I all I needed was will power to lose the weight.
Q: When did you realize that this was the solution you had been searching for?
A: It wasn’t until I left COR and made a commitment to work the program. I was gifted with a quick release of a chunk of my excess weight as I dove into an honest look at how I showed up for life. Once I felt the freedom of my bondage, I knew this was the solution.
Q: How do you feel about COR now?
A: Without a doubt, COR saved and is saving my life! I honestly feel that I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t attend COR. I am so grateful that Burt (founder of COR Retreat) followed his heart and started COR.
Q: What kind of service do you do for COR? Why are you still involved with COR?
A: I greet newcomers, share my story, attend the Open Saturday night meeting, provide EnCOR support and financially support COR through my company’s non-profit community giving campaign.
Q: Why are you still involved with COR?
A: I believe in it! Doing service at COR is a very small payback to what COR so lovingly introduced to me. I come back to greet the newcomers because my COR brothers and sisters were there for me when I walked through those doors scared, lonely and desperate. I want to pass on that same unconditional love, acceptance and hope to someone else.
Q: If you could send a message to someone considering attending a COR Retreat, what would it be?
A: I would tell them that COR is a safe place, they are not alone and COR understands their deepest fears. I would tell them that there is hope, recovery is possible, and they are worth the investment.
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