Rev. Jawane Hilton
By Cora Jackson-Fossett
Contributing Writer
He was young, confident, and on fire for Christ. But, this time last year, the Rev. Jawane Hilton, pastor of City on the Hill Church in Carson, was also 100 pounds overweight.
At the time, Hilton was comfortable with his size. “I love to eat and never considered myself a real, big guy. Then, I stepped on the scale, and, surprisingly to me, I was a big guy.”
When his friend lost 60 pounds, Hilton asked him how he did it. “He said he joined the Cookie Congregation. So, I decided I would try it too, and it has definitely changed my life.”
The Cookie Congregation is part of the Cookie Nation Diet System, a weight management program that operates in churches and retail facilities across the nation, said Rev. Dr. Clyde W. Oden, co-founder and CEO of Cookie Nation and pastor of Bryant Temple A.M.E. Church.
“The overwhelming majority of Cookie Congregation participants have experienced significant loss in weight, inches, and body fat. Also, many diabetic, hypertensive, and high-cholesterol patrons have received great reports from their doctors after being on the cookie plan and getting healthier through prayer, education, exercise and diet,” explained Dr. Oden.
Hilton recalled, “Before I lost weight, my clothes were tailor-made and that gets to be expensive. But because I was so big, I had no other choice. Now, I can go to the store and buy clothing off-the-rack which puts a smile on my face. Plus, it has boosted my confidence even more to know that I’m healthy.
“Overall, this is the easiest diet I have been on. My biggest challenge was getting used to drinking lots of water, but now it’s not hard to do at all. This diet system helped me to use prayer and exercise to change my lifestyle,” said Hilton.
“Prayer really helped me resist tempting foods. As a pastor, people will invite you to dinner, and frequently, fried chicken is on the menu. So, my prayer would be, ‘Lord, help me not to eat this fried chicken.’ Now, I’m encouraging my congregation to change their eating habits and try baked or grilled food instead of fried,” he said.
Clearly, Hilton’s advice has worked because his church has 15 members on the cookie diet. “One congregant, Michael Magee, joined the Cookie Congregation two weeks ago and he’s already lost 20 pounds. We invite everyone to come see us get fit at City on the Hill Church.”
As for lessons learned, Hilton said, “Your diet is important to your life and is a reflection of your overall health. I sleep better, feel better, and even look better since I tried this diet system. This program is phenomenal! I recommend the Cookie Congregation to anyone who would like to lose 10 pounds or more.”
For information about the Cookie Nation Diet System, call 877-355-DIET, visit www.cookiecongregation.com., or visit their two locations: 4908 W. Slauson Ave.,(Fairfax and Slauson in Ladera Heights) Los Angeles, 90056 or their new location in Carson at the Southbay Plaza, 20930 Bonita Street (Dominguez at Bonita across from the 24 Hour Fitness Center), 310-329-2929.
