The 50 Million Pound Blog

Not many people know what is being shared here. Thanks for sharing it with us.

i have been losing weight every since i got my mind right. if your mind not right your body will come together. i weight 330. i use to weight 372. i do not want my children to be heavy. i only have 1 child that is heavy and she's 18. i changing her eating habits the she's going into ywca.

javon from winston-salem nc

I have been planing to get started on some kind of diet. But not putting any thing into action.after attending 50 million pounds event in det. mi july 14,2007 Ive decided today is the big day Ive also been thinking about the fact that as a mother of an 8 year old boy that loves me very much it;s NOT FAIR to keep putting it off I was once told love is an action word not just emotion. today iam going into action.Thank you for the jump start Iwill be riding a bike with my son next summer Just like proimsed know more reasons to wait signed soon to be slim.

I have been 80 lbs overweight for at least 5 years. I have been losing weight at a slow but steady pace since March (15 pounds). Each pound is a victory. My motto is "one pound at a time"... time will pass whether I CHOSE to take control of my health or not. It is a challenge but I believe that I can be the pilot of my destiny. I believe that God gives me free will, He will HELP me but it is my decision to look to Him for strength. HE did not make me overweight and it's not up to Him to make me Un-overweight. His grace is so powerful that I CHOOSE to draw strength from His greatness. He is always there. With that said, I am glad I found a website that is dedicated to African Americans and I believe it will motivate me even more to stick with it and meet the 50 million pound challenge... one pound at a time. Thank you for being here.

I am so glad that I joined the challenge. In a little over one month I have lost 16 pounds. It has definitely been a process but I am so grateful for the transition that I am making, which I attribute first to God's grace and then to Dr. Ian and his forward thinking. I have tried on many occasions to lose weight. I once lost about 20 pounds but eventually gained it all back. The difference this time is my mind set. I am not out to achieve instant results. I am making lifestyle changes that I can live with forever. I am not looking for instant gratification. I am taking it one step, one moment, one day at a time. This time I started small. Only doing what I could and leaving the rest in the hands of God. I can see the progress that I have made in terms of energy, stamina, determination, and focus. I am encouraging everyone that I know to join the challenge.

There are two practical applications that have worked well for me. First, recording my weight loss progress on the website. My weight fluctuates a pound or two on a daily basis so I won't record a new weight until I am satisfied that I have conclusively surpassed my previous record. This helps me to establish mini-goals for myself. The second tool that has helped is writing down what I eat and recording the fat and caloric content of the foods. When I see it in writing, it motivates me to make adjustments to what I am putting in my mouth that ends up on my thighs, stomach, and everywhere I don't want it to be. We lead by example and I want my children to be more health conscious than I was at an earlier age.

Looking forward to the Detroit Event on Saturday!

Hi! I have been trying to lose weight since I got out of college. I am very athletic but somehow the pounds just kept creeping up. I have 2 kids and I needed to make a change. I have begun to eat healthier and exercise regularly. I have lost 3lbs. since I started the 50 Million Pound Challenge on 6/27/07. We can all do it if we stay focused and believe in ourselves. God bless all of you! Thanks Dr. Ian for your care and concern.

I am a 48 year old teacher, and I am extremely over weight. As a child I was always small. I grew up in the south so I ate things like fat back, bacon, collard greens with fatback in them or a ham hock, but I was small and so was my family members. Though many of my family members were not obese they did have diabetes. I have a great aunt that was obese, she was blind and only had one leg when I was about 5-6. They use to say she had sugar. I had another Great aunt who lost a foot and then her leg and they both died from complications due to diabetes. As a teenager I was always very active, I danced, played sports, ran track and always stayed busy. When I became pregnant I was 125lbs. When I gave birth to my first child I weighed 188lbs. After having her I lost weight and went back down to 135 when I had my second child I went from 135 to 190. After having her I only went down to 165 that was 16 years ago. I am now 260lbs, I have diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apenea and arthritus. These are primarily due to my obesesity. I am tried of suffering, there are times when I don't want to get out of bed, but that attitude is yesterdays attitude. Today I plan to make a change. I want to live. I am tired of sleeping on a machine, I'm tried of taking medication. I am tried of being obese. Today I choose life and I plan to live it. I join this challenge and say I will succeed Thankyou, Dr. Ian and every 50MillionPound Chanllenger we can do it!!!

Paula A.
From New York

I am only 30, and I say 'only' because 30 is not old!! I have been dealing with type 2 diabetes for 2 1/2 yrs now. And since I have been on the pills to control my sugar levels, I have put on extra weight I can not afford to have.

Growing up all my cousins would call me "Olive Oil" I would cry because that hurt me so!! I will admit, I was a stick!! All of my cousins, Aunts even my Mom was healthy looking. You know, "Big Bone". I wanted to be too.
I use to pray as a child and younger adult, Lord please let me gain some weight!!! It seemed it would never happen.

I have four children, and even after the birth of my youngest, who is now 9, I still was skinny. At 5'8, I was barely wearing a 10/12. I became ok with it at this point!!

In 2002 my body went through a emotional tornado, the weight started pilling up; I lost it and control!! I had a I DONT CARE attitude. And my body showed it.
But now I do care. And I realize that I need help. And more help than I alone can provide. Jesus sent my ram in the bush in the way of Dr. Ian. I received the Houston Event post card in my mail box. I hadn't signed up for it, but it was there. Now I know my CHANGE IS NOW!! Like Kelly Price said, There is destiny for me and I need to be here to enjoy it!! Guess what, I WILL!!! I am well on my way to living MY LIFE with a new attitude of becoming healthy, strong and even more beautiful than before!!
Thank you Dr. Ian, Staff, & 50milion Pound Challengers!! WE CAN & WILL DO IT!!

Until we meet again, stay D-Term-N!!

Anika D. Silva - Houston, TX

Losing weight is so much more than a physical battle. It is one of the soul, which consists of the mind, will and emotions. Obesity is a problem in my family as well. Most of my life I've been obese and if not, overweight. As of last October I made the decision that I was not only going to try and lose weight, I was going to conquer this issue in it's entirety. No more being overweight. No more low self esteem, depression, self-hatred. I was going to love me, spirit, soul, and body. I'm working to establish a healthy life style because I'm worth it. Since then I've lost 40lbs, without suppliments and/or surgery. It's unfortunately taboo in our community to be health conscious. However, I've learned that everyone is attracted to an overcomer. By conquering my issues I've become a change agent in my sphere of influence. My victories are not just for me, but for anyone who's hurting and wants to be free. Sometimes when I'm working out I literally have to push myself to the point of tears. And with each one I tell myself I can do ALL things through Christ who is my strength!

Be encouraged friends. We're not alone in this :)

MY MOM DIED FIVE AND ONE HALF YEARS AGO OF OBESITY, I DONT WANT TO DIE BEFORE MY TIME. I NEED HELP

OBESITY KILLED MY MOTHER FIVE AND ONE HALF YEARS AGO. I DONT WANT TO DIE BEFORE IM SUPPOSED TO.

I come from a family of obese people. Both of my mother's parents were overwight and all of her siblings were overwight. My uncle once weighed in at over 600 pounds before he had gastric bypass surgery. His sister, my aunt, once weghed over 400 pounds before she had gastric bypass surgery also.

I was always considered the oddball in the family because I never really had a probably with my weight. When I began to have children my weight started to go up. I am only 5 foot, 3 inches tall so you can tell when my weight goes up.

I am now at my heaviest, which is 160 pounds. My self esteem is very low now. My goal weight is 125 pounds. Through the 50 million pound challange I know that I can get there with GOD's grace and some self discipline.