The 50 Million Pound Blog

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I first heard Dr. Ian speak of The Challenge on the Steve Harvey Morning Show and although I was motivated, I was also my own worst enemy. 

The more I motivated myself to do this, the more I convinced myself that I would fail.  I kept looking at the big picture and the ton of weight I needed to lose.  After going to the doctor and being told that I am now a diabetic, I started to focus on many smaller goals instead of one large goal. 

I soon realized that it was the very little goals that I started to achieve that kept me motivated to continue.  Like being able to step on the scale and see a number instead of the letter E!  LOL (okay, its funny now, but it used to discourage me). 

It was also the comments that started coming from my family, my staff and my church family that finally made me realize that I really was starting to make progress.  Who knew something simple as eating 6 small meals a day instead of skipping breakfast or dinner would truly help you to lose weight?!?!?! 

Just the fact that I have now come down from a size 28 to a size 24 has me convinced that these small milestones over time will truly help me get to that one large goal! 

My schedule is so hectic and chaotic, working/commuting 60-70 plus hours a week, but I'm still able to find time to exercise daily (like walking to the train station instead of taking a cab) and REST at night. 

Thank you, Dr. Ian and staff, for the motivation, emails, updates and tips... One small step today... one large goal tomorrow!

Click here to submit your story and be featured on our site!

Inspired by leadership and community

I’d like to take this moment expose you to something deeper that captivated me during our visit to New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia.

My team and I spent forty-eight hours with the fittest minister in America, Bishop Eddie L. Long, and his enormous congregation of 18,000+ people. I’ve never seen this many people in a church before! The church I attended growing up could fit on the stage at New Birth—I kid you not!

Although, I have to admit the size of the congregation and the facilities weren’t as inspiring as the commitment and example of health exhibited by the leadership of this church… gentlemen like the Bishop and Mr. Leo Smith absolutely floored me.

The resounding element that sparks a motivation for healthy living at New Birth begins with a leader who talks the talk, and walks the walk. It’s then reinforced by brothers and sisters who are focused and by each other’s side.

Not every congregation is fortunate enough to have a fitness complex attached to their church building, like Samson’s Health and Fitness Center is attached to New Birth. However, what I found inside can happen across this nation.

What’s inside is activity, energy, and community.

I walked into the Samson Center and played ball with the kids and talked to a few of the many brothers and sisters working out and walking on treadmills…together.

When I took a step back from what I was seeing to think about the loving atmosphere and motivation behind it, I simply smiled because I was reminded of what’s unique and beautiful about The Challenge.

Stepping into the healthy environment at New Birth was like stepping into a movement, and each person owned its message—striving for a healthy mind, soul, and body. What’s more is that my team and I witnessed a congregation who is not just looking to survive, but to live.

I want you to believe that the same motivation that dwells inside the people of New Birth dwells inside you. It does not allow you to quit, and it is fueled by a hope to live. 

This is the weekend I experienced at New Birth. I had to share it with you because you are the leaders in your family and in your community. You can spark the motivation in others who desire more than survival. You can show them how to live.

Take a moment to spread the message of The Challenge, and get others to join us. Carrying the message will motivate you to keep up the fight as well. Thank you for your commitment and motivation.

Together, we can teach America how to live.

Yours in the fight.
~Dr. Ian

Post your comments here!

More photos from our visit on Flikr and below:

Join the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Inc Team!

Dr. Ian and The Challenge team were honored to spend a weekend with Bishop T.D. Jakes and the congregation at The Potter’s House.

Our visit began on Saturday, March 8, with a stop at Manifest, a for-men-only conference, where nearly 1,000 men joined The Challenge! The event itself was nothing short of inspirational as we witnessed over 2,000 men take a stand and commit to their faith, family, and wellbeing.  

Then, on Sunday, Dr. Ian addressed those in attendance for the service at The Potter’s House. The Dallas membership responded tremendously with nearly another 1,000 registrants and an energized Challenge team -- Team Potter’s House!

One of the many highlights from the weekend came from Bishop Jakes. He heard about our visit to New Birth and decided to call-out Bishop Eddie Long and the New Birth team to a healthy, Church weight-loss competition!

 (Are you a member of either of these congregations and/or teams? If so, comment below to let us know who you think is going to win!)

It's amazing to experience how The Challenge is embraced at every stop we make.

This Challenge is yours and it's about us taking a stand to live healhier... together.

Take courage in knowing that we're not in this fight alone. Our community continues to grow--we are currently over 400,000 participants strong!

Please help us keep our momentum alive as we all strive to reach our goals.

Take a moment to invite your friends and family to join us.  

More photos from our visit to Dallas this past weekend, you can also check out our Flickr site:

Thank you to Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter's House for giving The Challenge such a warm welcoming.

It helps having the right foods available on a moment's notice. Always keep a healthy snack at your desk or in your bag so that when the urge hits you don’t go to the vending machine and load up on sugary snacks that are high in calories and low in nutritional value. Healthy snacks include baby carrots, apples, yogurt, etc.

Eating healthy does not mean that we need to starve ourselves. Our bodies need the nutrients food provides to help get us through our day. The important thing is that we give our bodies the right kinds of food. Be prepared with healthy snacks and you’ll notice a difference in your energy levels.

Best ~ Dr. Ian

What's been working for you? Share your tips--you can post them here.

Just like you've heard on The Tom Joyner Morning Show, you can become a Challenge star and influence thousands with your story!

We're looking for Challengers who've either:

• Made the biggest change to their lives, or
• Lost the most weight.

You never know how influential your story can be.

Please submit your story today!

It’s our anniversary!!

I’ve got great news! You might’ve heard me mention celebrating our one-year anniversary on the Steve Harvey Morning Show or other radio programs. Well now I’m happy to report that my team and I have worked out the details, and I want to share the news with you first! 

In staying true to our celebration style, there are some incredible prizes that you are eligible for just by updating your account with your new weight. 

Each time you update your weight on the site, your name will be entered in a drawing for one of the following 3 prizes:  

• An iPhone
• A $500 VISA® Gift Card
• A $1,000 VISA® Gift Card

So each time you update your profile you increase your chances of winning one of these great prizes.

We will draw the winners’ names on our anniversary day – April 7. So, increase your chances to win by updating your account everyday! 

I get so excited when I run into many of you whether I’m in your town, same hotel, or the airport. Few things compare to how proud I am to hear you say that you are signed up for The Challenge, have lost weight, and are feeling better than you ever imagined. There’s just one problem—when I ask if you’ve updated your account with your new weight, many of you say that you’ve forgotten or haven’t had the time.  Well, unless you update your weight, your hard work won’t count toward our big goal of 50 million pounds.  The computer can only count those lost pounds that you actualIy record in your account.  So I’m asking you to please come back to the site and login to update your account with your new weight!  

You can become part of America’s most successful and influential weight-loss story. Please share your accomplishments with the nation by donating the weight you’ve lost to our running total. 

 Yours in the fight,

~Dr. Ian   

 Click here to read the official rules and regulations.

Tools to help you reach your goal.

Many of you have sent me e-mails over the last several months specifically asking me to suggest a diet plan that will help you lose weight. We have provided diet guidelines at 50millionpounds.com that give you an idea of what types of food are healthy and promote weight loss and what types of foods you should avoid.  We plan on updating the site in the near future and providing a more detailed 30-day plan that you can follow from breakfast to dinner and everything in between.

If you’re looking for a plan right now let me first say that there are several good programs out there that might work for you.  Because I don’t personally know your medical history, dieting history, allergies, preferences, etc., I can’t say which specific program is best.  However, I can advise you on what you should look for in any program you ultimately choose.  The 3 important criteria that a diet program should meet are as follows: (1) safe, (2) effective, and (3) sustainable.  These are three of the characteristics I considered when creating my diets, The Fat Smash Diet and The Extreme Fat Smash Diet.

My programs that I use on the TV show Celebrity Fit Club are like other good programs—they’re based on solid health and medical principles.  They are simple, easy to follow, and realistic.  If you want to lose weight more gradually, then you would benefit from The Fat Smash Diet which starts out with a 9-day cleansing detox.  Most people lose 6-8 pounds during detox.  However, if you’re someone who wants to lose weight quicker, but in a healthy way and be able to keep the weight off, then you’re likely to benefit from The Extreme Fat Smash Diet.

Physical activity is an important component to long-term weight loss and good health.  That’s why 50millionpounds.com is such a great site.  It gives you so many useful tools for your weight-loss journey.  It also gives you the opportunity to win great prizes.  We currently are giving away a $1000 gift card, $500 gift card, and iPhone to those who win our 1 year anniversary sweepstakes.  It’s so easy to enter.  All you have to do is log in to your account and enter your new weight.  Each time you do this your name is entered into the drawing.  Click here for details.  It’s as simple as that.

We are closing in on that 2 million pound mark as we near our April 7th anniversary.  Winning one of these great prizes as your record your new weight is a great way to celebrate the wonderful year we’ve all had on The Challenge!  Keep losing and sharing your stories with us.  Together we’re going to save lives and make history!

Yours in the Challenge,
~Dr. Ian

Did you hear Dr. Ian on The Tom Joyner Morning Show last week?

He took a few minutes to directly dispel health myths we’ve all heard in regards to body image and self esteem in African-American women.

It’s a strong message shared in love for each of us, and you can listen to it by clicking here.