The 50 Million Pound Blog

I AM 240LBS. DIABETIC, DEGENERATIVE BONE DISEASE, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, FRACTURE KNEES AFTER FALLING ON THEM TWICE IN LESS THAN A MONTH, AND I AM ELPLESY ON LOTS OF MEDICATION. I AM PRAYING THAT GOD WILL HEAL ME OF DIABETIC IF NOTHING ELSE BECAUSE I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO EXERCISE THE OTHER WEIGHT AWAY. I GAINED THE WEIGHT DOING THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEGENEARTIVE BONE DISEASE. UNTIL THEN I NEVER WEIGHTED MORE THAN 140LBS. 124 WITH FOUR CHILDREN. I AM 55 YEARS OF AGE.

Hi my name is Charon but as a child my family called me PIG not to hurt me it was just my nickname a name that I've grown a custom to. my mom was very over weight . She died over weight ,I promised myself that I wouldn't die like that . But I'm head down the same path my mother traveled. I don't know how to get off this path, I'm dome . Ive tried so many diets. Ive giving up !! I'm recently divorce, And since my ugly divorced I've gained so much that I'm so ashamed to even step on the scale. I'm tried of this fat body I have to lug around. My poor boys I can't play with them like I want to. They ask me mom why do you stay in the house all the time. I cant tell them cause I don't have cloths to fit me . I know I can buy clothes but cloths in my size cost so much I just cant afford them. You know whats sad my oldest boy is over weight and hes following my footsteps. LORD HELP ME I MUST BREAK THIS CHAIN THAT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN TO ME FROM GENTERATIONS FAT WILL NOT TAKE ME OR MY SON OR GRANDCHILDERN TO COME!

I am 51 and am at the heaviest I have ever been. I am miserable and depressed. My weight is like a yo-yo. Of course more up and down. I have tried several different diets as well as diet pills. Because of a car accident, I am limited to exercising. I wish the lap band was not for just people 100 lbs overweight. I am about 60 - 70 lbs. overweight. Any suggestions anyone? I do try go drink plenty of water and munch on fruits but I have a sweet tooth too which I struggle to curb. I need help. Any suggestions?

Today will be my first day starting my diet. I now weigh 212. I would like to weigh 155. So I would have to loose 57 pounds. Wish me good luck.Coming from Pensacola,Florida

I joined 50mc in oct.2007 I started out well,lost 18lbs in two months.Then came Xmas, yes I strayed,and I had a very hard time getting back on track. I gained 6lbs back. I started back in feb.and has lost the 6lbs I gained.I started at 253lbs now at 235lbs Helpful tips wt. watchers meals called smart ones fruits, and water.
Debra Ross Chicago Ill.

Hi Dr. Smith and ALL the people who has join in the 50millionpounds weight loss program. I love the NEW LOOK.
My weight has been going up and down for the past year. I'm in Buenos Aires Argentina by way of Clifton, VA with my husband on a work assignment in a country where as they say back home "you don't need no teeth to eat my beef" to a hold nother level.
I like the challege you presented and I'm sticking to it while I'm here and will share the program with my fellow expats who are here on an assignment also.
I join a club and work out weekly. The women stare at me really hard. First, because I'm black, second, I'm tall, third I'm solid as a rock and very thick. (The Argentine women are very thin.) My trainer tries to work with me on some of the equipments but the seats are to small for my butt. So Dr. Smith I really appreciate opening my email to your site and seeing my fellow CHALLENGERS and there accomplishments and it gives me inspriation to keep on and that I'm not alone. (Only in Argentina) I have couple of months and I will be at my target weight.
Blessings to you, your sponsors, staff and everyone that is apart of your CHALLENGE PROGRAM. We will make OURSELVES proud.
Marjorie

Thank you Dr. Ian for comming to Savannah Ga. on Feburary 9th for our Black Heritage Festival. Since joing 50millionpoundschallenge in October 07, I've lost 55 pounds and Iam still dieting,jogging, and going to the gym. When I herd you was comming to town was a blessing to me to keep me motovited to keep up the good work, I've been a fan of yours seening you on BET,and Celeberity fit club. Thank You for your autograph.

In October 2007 I had finally had enough! At 51 years old, I was tired of my health getting worse, tired of being dissatisfied with myself and how I looked and felt. I started looking into ways to loose weight for once and for all. After a lot of searching, I decided on the "Lapband." I had my surgery in early December 2007 and I am happy to say, I have lost 52 pounds so far.

This surgery has helped me with the lifestyle change I needed. It is a tool that is working for me; I'm not always hungary, I've learned to really watch what I eat. I watch my fat grams, drink a lot more water than I ever have before and I've had to cut out bread and rice which were truly a problem for me, [I loved them]. I've noticed that since they are not a part of my diet, I no longer have a craving for sweets.

I feel better than I have in years. I have another 80 pounds to loose and now I feel I will be successful with determination and hardwork.

Dr. Ian, thank you for this site, it is another tool for me to use to help stay focused and a great place to find a little encouragement when I need it!

Looking for success stories from women in their 50s. Each year since my 20s I've gain around 5-10 pounds without losing more than a couple at a time.
Menopause
stress
giving up
the list goes on an on. All of my friends who have lost weight have used diet pills or gimmack diets that didn't work for long. I want to lose fast too--but natually/healthy.

For the last 4 years i have been trying to lose weight after my daughter was born and until now i would always hit a brick wall. I listen to Steve Harvey morning show and I am glad I heard about this challange I pray to God that this will be the turnin gpoint in my bad eating habits.Thank you and God bless.

I just saw an advertisement on TV for the 50 Million Pound Challenge and thought to myself, why not take this step and do something for yourself. I've been overweight all my life but right now I'm at an all time high. I know with the health issues that I have this is not good for me. I've lost several little people in my lifetime, but until now I've always managed to put the weight back on. I have an underactive thyroid due to two thyroid radiation treatments 1997 and 1998, then diagnosed with diabetes 01/03/2000. Since the diagnosis of thyroid disease, I've gain 50 plus pounds, I lose 5 one week and gain them back the next week. I need the support of the team and the challenge. I'm a junk food "junkie". I pray that I've been directed by God to sign up for the challenge. Thanks for being here.

For the last 10 years, I have tried to make myself believe that my weight was not a big problem. During Christmas, I took a picture with my 5 year old son and it wasn't until I saw that picture that it really hit home. I am extremely overweight. It hurts because I have never been that big.

The day after christmas, I decided enough was enough. I started making some changes in my life. I joined the 50 million pound challenge. When I joined, I weighed in at 255 pounds. I am happy to say that as of today, I have lost 9 pounds. The blogs and the tips from Dr. Ian really keep me going. Now, I know that I don't have to do it alone.

Dr Ian thank you for taking the time to care about people like myself who have struggled with this issue for along time. I have always read blogs on diffrent web site about weight loss but never cared to write anything but for the first time I said to myself that I want to do this. I am 29 years old with 4 kids and I am so depressed because I want to lose weight I don't have support from anyone that I know so this is why I writing to you guys because everyone will start with me but them fall off. But this something I want to do even if I have to do it myself. I can't stop crying now because I want to lose this weight so bad when
I had my son I was 263 pounds 7 months later which is now I have been able to keep aleast 25 pounds off but I want to be able to look in the mirror and smile at myslef my fiancee says he loves me regardless. I thank God for him but I want this so bad to lose 68 pounds. I am plannig to start the diet tomm 1/21/08 I wish myself luck and everyone else who has started the challange. I plan to stick with it no matter what. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope that the next time I write to you guys you hear me say I made it.

I am 238 pound and I have 4 kids in which I just had a baby 7 months ago. I am so tired of being over weight for once in my life I want to be able to put on something sexy and be able to look in the mirror and b happy. When I am at the mall trying on clothes and have to take my clothes off and to see all that fat behind me makes me want to cry my fiancee tells me that he loves regardless. I thank God for him but that doesn't change how I feel. I joined the challange because I want to lose aleast 65 pounds. After I had my child I went on a diet at that time I was 263 pounds and lost 32 which brought me to 231 I was excited but the holidays came around and here I am. I am 29 years old and have never been super thin the smallest I have ever been was 170 pounds but thiswas in high school but just to be able to be in shape will make me happy. The dr told me that I don't weigh enough for a gastric bypass. So here I am everyone Tomm will be my first day wish me luck..

Although I joined 50MC in June, I have not really explored the web site in depth. Since June I've lost 26 pounds (could have been more but I gained 6 between Oct 19 and Dec 26). I'm in mhy 50's and have gained and lost more weight than I care to remember. However, I want to lose and keep it off for myself and b/c I do not want to be a part of the alarming statitistics re: obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and all the other myriad health problems black people suffer in large part b/c of our eating habits. Anyway, it occurred to me today that this could be another tool to help keep me on track so I'll be logging in more often and reading the posts b/c they mirror my struggle and also give me inspiration. Cheer everyone!

One thing for sure, reading about this challenge has has really motivated me to re-evaluating the way I live my life. I was active as a child but when I became a teenager I gained the weight from stresses at home. After high school I was able to lose the weight. But after having my son and I became very ill and had to have at least three more surgeries on my stomach in a period of 7 years. Now I'm in my thirties and I have to get back control of my life. So I went out today and purchased a scale, and my Billy Blanks DVD arrived in the mail today. It's a start and I'm hoping to stay motivated and meet my goal which is to lose 120 pounds off my 285 pound body. Although I am very solid in size it's the trouble parts of my body where I want to lose the weight...the behind, stomach and thighs.

I have always been a "big" girl but was proportioned well so I never accepted how fat I truly am. I've always tried unsuccessfully to loose weight and have continued to ignore the urgency I should bring to this issue. My Mom recently died from Diabetes which she had from when she was a young girl. This disease is already in my family, I guess I'm waiting to get the disease before reacting!

I recently had my first and only child which contributed to more weight gain. Now I am trying to play with my child and finding lots of activities too difficult for me to do and feel embarrassed and ashamed of myself as a person and a Mom.

I joined the challenge on 1/4 and in one week with little changes I lost 2 pounds. It wasn't much but if I loose 2 lbs each week I CAN reach my goal of 100 lbs. This blog helps reassure me that I'm not alone in this battle. Thank you all for participating.

YESTERDAY I WENT TO SLEEP FEELING THERE WASN'T NOTHING I COULD DO TO TAKE THIS WEIGHT OFF OF ME SEE I HAVE BEEN GAINING WEIGHT SLOWLY FOR YEARS SO BUSY TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE BUT MYSLF I FOUND MYSELF 300POUNDS AND UNABLE TO DO ALOT OF THINGS I USED TO. SO I PRAYED I ASKED MY HEAVENLY FATHER TO HEAL ME TO MAKE ME HEALTHY TO TAKE THIS FAT OFF MY BODY WELL I AWAKEND THIS MORNING GETTING ON THE COMPUTER JOINING 50MILLION AND BELIEVING GOD IS GOING TO HEAL ME ... SO HERE I AM WITH THE HELP OF GOD THE SUPORT OF50 MILLION IM ON A MISSION

To Dr. Ian and everyone involved in the challenge I just first of all want to say thanks for having the vision to do what you are doing. I have been hearing about the challenge everywhere and visited the sight a few times without joining. I made the choice to join on New Year's Eve and I'm feeling really confident and encouraged that I will succeed in getting back and keeping the me God intended. When I logged on today to update my weight (I've lost 5 pounds so far!) I noticed the site looks different. I love it! I'm looking forward to checking in each day and sharing this experience with you and everyone else in the struggle with me. I know it won't be easy or happen overnight but I know that with the tips, encouragement and fellowship the challenge offers, we can all succeed. Thanks again and God bless.

L.Renee Hampton, South Jersey