The 50 Million Pound Blog

I quit smoking exactly one month ago (yay!). The problem is, I think I may have some sort of eating disorder. I eat all the time. I eat for no reason, I eat for every reason, I eat when I'm bored (at work), I eat when I'm excited, happy, sad, depressed, etc. Does anyone have any suggestions? I think I'm in real trouble here. I understand that when you quit smoking, sometimes you gain weight, but in the last month, I gained 5lbs. That's enough for me! HELP.

Hi! Yours is a very cool blog.
I came by it when a friend was looking for a proverb to mean "Breakfast is more important than lunch which is more important than dinner." She is writing a book to encourage young Japanese to eat breakfast as fewer and fewer of them are eating breakfast. She believes rice is still one of the healthiest staples in the world. But to me, wholemeal bread seems more nutricious than rice. What do you think? Also, will please somebody satisfy my curiosity (not appetite!) by telling me where the proverb "Breakfast like a king ..." originates from? How long have human beings had the wisdom about BIG HOT breakfasts? I would love to know. Thanks.
from Tak, Kobe, Japan (unemployed and slightly, ever so slightly, overweight)

Hello to everyone and I would like to first of all start off with,I am very happy to have taken back control over my body. I am 5'9 and started out at 249 and now I am happy to say that I weigh 215.It has been a challenge but we all are worth it. I am a dispatcher for a police dept and I hear of so many people dying at a young age from not taking care of themselves. Heart disease,high blood pressure, and diabetes is the number one cause of so many of our black people leaving this world. I thank God for Dr Ian, showing us that it can be done.Thanks

I am a single mother of three who for most of my life has been over weight and asmatic. I at one time used my asthma as an excuse as to why I could not work out and was over weight. I lost weight about 7 years ago however I at that time was go through a very tramatic time in my life. My children's father and I were finally call things a quit. My highest weight was 260 lbs. This year I was turning 40 and my oldest child was going to grauate from High School. I decided that this was truely going to be the year of change for me. I started watching what I was eating in January and then in March I got a family membership to the community center here in Bowling Green so that my children and I could do this together. I decided to go to the gym and do a little bit everyday. Since joining the gym and joining the challenge my weight loss has been 50 lbs. I started off at 205 and now am weighing 155. I work out every day and now my asmatic self is able to run 4 miles. Praise the Lord. Being able to run and enjoy running is a blessing. I truely look forward to what life has to offer. I am a new person and a better person who is able to do more than what I ever thought I could. I hope that my sharing a little bit of my story will be able to assist someone to make their own story come true.

I am a 36 y.o single mother to a very active 4 yo boy. I am also a nurse. I have been overweight my whole life. Back in 1999, I lost 95 lbs thru diet & exercise. Unfortunately, after the birth of my son, I suffered from postpartum depression and gained back all the weight that I lost and then some. I have finally decided to do something about it because I want to be here for my son as he grows up. I am determined to do this. I am tired of my clothes not fitting. I am also scared in regards to all my pains and tiredness that I feel. Thank You Dr Ian for this, hopefully thisis the wake up call that the community needs.

Hey Charlie, yours is a story of courage sister. Don't stop what you are doing.You are about to experience a turn around. I am offering to purchase you a copy of Dr. Ian's latest book. All I need from you is your city, and I could pay for it in New York, and you can pick it up from wherever you are.
Please contact me via my website, please go to the contact section, and shoot me an email with your full name and I'll get it situated with Borders or Barnes and Noble.

Blessings,
Eric Odera
www.ericodera.com

Dr. Ian, this is the best thing EVER that you (and State Farm) have created and sponsored. WE, as a community, thank you so very much for your efforts to make us live longer, healthier lives. You are teaching us to feel GOOD about ourselves by losing weight. And, most importantly, keeping it off - the healthy way. Ive never seen so many committed celebrities and so many smiling happy faces on your website. The stories are incredible and attainable. It makes one think, if she did it, I can do it too. EVERYONE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAKE PRE & POST WEIGHT Pics SO YOU CAN SEE YOUR SUCCESS AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS. Good luck to you all!! A supportor for the cause (and, yes, I am registered :))

I remember when I first signed up for the challenge. The first two weeks I continued to eat as I did before. I would keep telling myself that I would start to diet and exercise tomorrow. Trying to convince myself that signing up was enough. When I met my husband I weighed 120lbs. Now four years and two kids later I ballooned up to 186lbs (I'm only 4'11"). After five weeks of solid commitment to diet and exercise I have lost 21lbs. and now I'm weighing in at 165lbs. I am so thankful for Dr. Ian and the commitment he has made to the African American community. This Challenge gives us just the motivation we need to keep moving forward. Especially knowing how excepting we as a people are to being over weight. Thank you Dr. Ian, because of you I feel like I can overcome anything I set my mind too!

I've just recently started eating breakfast like a queen. It has really been helping me to obtain my weight goal and my keep focus at work. since I started the challenge I have lost 36 pounds and already I feel what other people see, the difference. when people say what are you doing gurl!! I be like "eatin' breakfast."

I FEEL REAL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF IM NOT THE SIZE I SHOULD BE , BUT IM 11 POUNDS LESS THEN WHAT I USE TO BE. I THANK GOD FOR BECAUSE YOU COULD BE TALKING BAD ABOUT US BUT INSTEAD YOUR GIVING US THE TOOLS AND SUPPORT WE BLACK WOMEN NEED, AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT. IF YOUR EVER IN LAKE CHARLES, LA. AND WANT A HEALTH HOME COOK MEAL IM HERE HA HA. HATS OFF TO YOU DOC. WITH MUCH LOVE BLACKGAL41

I heard about this on the radio this morning and I have been in a vicious cycle of beginning diets only to end up overeating and gaining more weight. I want to be healthy for my daughter and in creating good eating and exercise habits for myself I want to be a good role model for her, so that she doesn't have to waste time struggling with this as she grows. I sit all day at work and sometimes by the time I get home I am so emotionally exhausted I can't even force myself to jump on the treadmill. That is when I turn to food for comfort (food and a good movie). I don't have a low self esteem but I have always throughout my life been a good athlete and now I am feeling the aches and pains of the added weight. I am only 31 but feel about ten years older, I don't enjoy getting dressed up nice which has always in the past something I loved to do. And clothes for heavier people are more expensive....so I have joined this challenge and I am hoping that this will be the point in my life that I finish something that I have begun for myself.

I do enjoy my breakfast and on the weekend I actually get to enjoy it with my 16-month old son. So far I have lost 19 lbs, but I continually feel unhappy with myself. If I had a bad weekend and eat a little too much I feel guilty for days and it throws me off. Even my own customers give me compliments about having lost weight and I am appreciative. But when I am by myself, depressed or bummed out, the weight I have lost doesn't seem to encourage or motivate me emotionally. I've obviously had good days in my quest to a healthier living, but lately feel like I've hit a wall Sorry but I guess I just had to vent today.

This has really been hard for me.I'm a single mother of 2 I've always worked and at times 2 jobs.Since Hurricane Katrina I've put on 43lbs.Was laid off from my job after working 14 months after the storm.And I started diets but to be honest I just did not stick to them.But this time I'm so proud that I've been able to loose 12lbs in little over 4 weeks. I've decided to just do it. I started off walking really fast and now I can run at a really good paste. When I ran my first mile I COULDN'T STOP CRYING.I guess the people at the park thought I was crazy. But I've never done that before I run 6 days every morning starting at 5:30 am. I can't afford to purchase Dr.Ian's second book but I go on line and read what I can and can't have and it's been working for me. I was a meat and potatoes girl I still eat meat although I've changed it to turkey and lots of salmon.I now eat a sweet potato instead. Many, Many Thanks to you Dr.Ian for thinking about us.

This has really been a hard for me.I'm a single mother of 2 I've always worked and at times 2 jobs.Since Hurricane Katrina I've put on 43lbs.Was laid off from my job after working 14 months after the storm.And I started diets but to be honest I just did not stick to them.But this time I'm so proud that I've been able to loose 12lbs in little over 4 weeks. I've decided to just do it. I started off walking really fast and now I can run at a really good paste. When I ran my first mile I COULDN'T STOP CRYING.I guess the people at the park thought I was crazy. But I've NEVER done that before I run 6 days every morning starting at 5:30 am. I can't afford to purchase Dr. Ian's book but I go on line and read what I can and can't have and it's been working for me. Many thanks to you Dr.Ian for thinking about us.

While serving in Operation Enduring Freedom, I was able to lose weight because of the type of food offered and the almost forced physcial training. Once I was stateside (United States), I begin to gain weight eating at all of the places I dreamed about so many nights while in Afghanistan. I am 62 inches tall and weighed 140 lbs. Now, I am 189. Something has to be done, thinking to myself, while I try to squeezed in my not so comfortable clothes. Listening to the TJMS, I first heard about the 50 million pounds challenge. I gladly accepted knowing I would have the support of concern and caring people all over the United States. Thank you for the window of opportunity...now I will face it, acknowledge it, and conquer it.

gramblinite

This is a fight that I plan to win. Late one night, while at work, i registered for the challenge. I also joined a team. If anyone could contact me, I would appreciate it. I work 12 hour shifts at night. Do the regimen still applies if I sleep during the day and work at night.

wanting to be successful
gramblinite

I thank god for a program like this. so far this program has help me deal with my weight in a very special way. I have lost 4lbs and is looking forward to losing more. I tell people about the program because alot of African Americans are over weight. Once again thank you for helping take control over by body.

It is so difficult for me to remember breakfast, my day starts early and I become busy right away. By the time I remember breakfast, it is usually well past lunchtime. As a active duty member of the military, the day was so regimented that did my exercises at a certain time, I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at a certain time. Since serious leg injuries have caused me to leave active duty service several months ago,( I will ultimately be allowed to retire from the reserves with 20 years this December) I have gained a considerable amount of weight. I began advanced swimming instruction five weeks ago, will begin to play tennis and golf and have chosen to walk the long way around to get from the train to my seminary school building in Manhattan during the week. This will help solve my exercise problems. What can I do to make breakfast and regular meals a part of my routine. My new schedule as a full time pastor and seminarian, seem to make regular meals an impossibility.