The 50 Million Pound Blog

Congratulations Joshua!

Well, thank you KImberLee Fryerson! Inspiration can come from many different places...sometimes even weird ones. The point is to find that inspiration. I wish you all the best in your journey!

Thank you to all who had voted for me! I got the email yesterday; I'm the New Year's Resolution Solution WINNER! THANK YOU so much to The 50 MPC, State Farm, Dr. Ian, Ms. Bailey, and especially all of you who have wrote me over the past few weeks notes of encouragement. I hope everyone is doing well, and I wish you all the best.

Thank you again!

I am totally inspired by this challenge hopefully you will give me inspiration. Keep up the good work

Teresa...PORTION CONTROL!!! I know, it has been one of my biggest struggles. I have done pretty good though since I have started this diet. I have trained myself not to eat soooo much. Although I don't feel full, I know it'll take a few minutes before my brain realizes I've had enough. Just got to have a little patients...

Peggy...I have thought about going to one of those feet stores. Are they really that much better than the store bought ones? I have gotten a set of those and wear them all the time. However, I am still feeling the pain. Not as bad, but it is still there. It has been so bad, I haven't been able to do the one thing I love most-playing basketball. I will definitely look into one of those stores now. Thank you so much for the suggestion. I won't be afraid to spend the money now that I know it is worth it!

Tina...It is hard, but like you, I have adjusted. It sounds like you and I have tried to do the same thing with adjusting meals around our work/sleep habits...So, just wondering, what do you do for a living?

...and for the rest of you,

KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!!!

Hey Josh,

You look like you are doing great. I was so sorry to hear about all of you being sick and especially your little babe. There is no feeling worse than your child being ill and especially when they are so little that you can't explain to them what is going on, that they will feel better, etc. I hope everyone is feeling great again and it's fantastic that you were able to keep up with eating properly and losing weight during such stressful time.

I've been losing since I joined the 50MPC on January 1st but finally got Dr. Ian's book (4 Day Diet) and will start the first 4 days of that Monday. I'm really looking foward to moving forward with my life and just wanted you to know that keeping up with your blog and your progress is a great help. Thanks.

Hi josh,
I understand what your going through with the challenge and working nights. I started the challenge three weeks ago and like you I have two jobs I work nights from 12.00 am to 8:00 am, and part time days from 8:30 am to 1:30pm. At first it was difficult to plan a schedule time for my meals because of the hours that I work and lack of sleep. What I started doing is scheduling my meals according to my working hours at night, this way I do not miss a meal and so far it has been helping me to stay on schedule.
Congratulations with the new baby and good luck with your challenger.

Hey Josh, just a little helpful tip for the plantar faciitis. I too, suffered from that a few years back and it stayed with me for a good 1 1/2 - 2 years. I finally went to a store called "The Good Feet Store" and bought inserts that have a life time warranty. They are pricey......but it is soooo worth it. I could stand and walk again without being in excruciating pain! Even though it doesn't seem to bother me as much now, I wear the arch supports everyday. It's a big difference from the store bought arch supports. It's worth just going to a store and talking to them about them. You'll be surprised when they do a demonstration on you for how they work. And nooo, I don't have stock in that store. I can just relate. Good luck in your weight loss journey. I'm right there with ya!

Peggy
13 lbs lost, 167 to go!!!!

I know that if you get caught eating out where there are no good choices the best thing to do is go for portion control. We are all so used to super size portions it is hard. Hope that helps

Hey everyone! Once again, thank you so much for all the kind words and tips...

Cathy...you keep it up! Luckily, I don't have Arthritis. I can't imagine how painful that must be. But just think how much easier it's going to be on you when you reach your goal weight. Keep it up girl!

Yolonda...That is what I have always been scared of-my daughter picking up my bad habits. The fact that you are noticing it, and know you need to change is the first step. I know she's a bit older, but you should get her in that "good eating" habit now. She will thank you for it later. I wish my parents would have done that for me and been more conscious about what I ate. She should be proud to have you as a mother.

Thank you to all for the prayers. It's never easy losing someone. It just goes to show how short and fragile life is. We need to be able to understand this in the most basic way and know that we must try our bests to live life to the fullest...and to do that, we need to be proud of ourselves. We need to be able to say, "I did the best I could." Are you doing the best you can?...Keep up the good work everybody. Be proud of yourselves for what you are all doing and KEEP ON KEEPIN ON!!!

Hey Josh... Sorry to hear about your great grandmother - your family is in my prayers.

Regarding the eating on the go thing - There are some tricks that you can try to help you even in situations where you feel like you have no choice but to eat the stuff.

1 - While I know that the coating/skin is the best part about fried chicken, DON'T EAT IT! That's where ALL the calories are. What I do is take a small piece of the skin/coating, eating, and throw the rest of the skin away or give it to the people who don't care about what they eat (LOL). I also only eat chicken breast when I eat fried chicken - it automatically has less fat than thighs, legs, and wings. Not sure what type of "side orders" they offered, but veggies are usually your best bet to cut back on calories but still feel satisfied.

2 - At the chinese buffet, the chicken & broccoli and beef & broccoli choices are not that bad for you. What I do is scoop from the top of the pan where the chicken/beef looks "dryer" instead of scooping from the bottom where all the juices/fat are. I also have NO PROBLEM picking through it to take as much broccoli as i can! LOL I also always make sure that I eat the veggies FIRST and possibly some soup if they have it before I move on to anything else! This fills you up before you even get a chance to touch the other stuff.

3 - At the mom & pop cafe/breakfast joint, egg whites and bacon are your friend!!! You can have like 4 egg whites for less calories than 1 one egg!!! Bacon, while it appears to be bad, is actually okay if you only eat like 2 pieces of it, but if you are going to have more than 2 slices, make sure you only have scrambled egg whites - not whole eggs. Ask for whole wheat toast w/o the butter (because they often put the butter on there for you).

One of the biggest challenges I had to overcome was being comfortable "special ordering" food at restaurants. If you aren't sure about something, ask how it's prepared. I did that recently and was surprised at how helpful the people were. They want you to eat there and will usually accommodate your needs!

Either way, these changes don't happen overnight. At least you got back on track when you got back! You should definitely be proud of yourself for that!!!

I hope this helps next time you are out with folks who aren't as concerned about their health as you are!!! :o)

Keep on keepin on!!!

Josh, I am a beginner. Our story and motivation is similar. However, my daughter is 8 and I can already see some negative eating habits that she has tried to pick up. I've not yet started on anything. BUT NO MORE EXCUSES FOR ME!!

Any tips, encouraging words, I'm ready but also scared, and sometimes discouraged.

Good luck to you

Keep up the good work. It will be worth it when you can run and play with her. I know it hard to watch the weight come off slowly it is for me to. I been doing for just 2 weeks and Ive lost 5 lbs. I have a long way to go. I have Rhuemitoid Arthritis so I do understand the pain. With an extra 150 lbs on me it is miserable. Be thankful for a supportive wife and a beautiful baby. You will do it.

Hi Joshua,

Sorry to hear about your great grandmother. I know the feeling. I also know how it is so hard to go out of town and actually stay on track. But now that your back shake it off and keep on keeping on :-)

Hey Josh! I finally got an account and voted for you. I'm so excited for you and Katie to lose weight together. I think it's awesome that the both of you decided to take on this challenge and work together shedding the pounds for yourselves and Bella-boo. Good luck! xoxo

Lauren...does what work??? the diet??? YES IT WORKS!!! Dr Ian is a very wise man who knows what he is talking about. Just look at him, he's so tiny!

and Boria_22...Glad you found the humor in that, haha. I especially like the quote.

Thank you to all your well wishes, as I wish you the same!

Good luck to you all in this new (and extremely cold so far) year,

-Joshua

I WAS READING YOUR BLOG THE PART ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF CALORIES IN BEER. YOU SAID YOU WISH THEY HAD A FAT FREE BEER I WAS IN TEARS LAUGHING. ME TOO!

Does it really work???

Hello josh good luck becasue its not easy i join today.have a long way to go but am working on it.you just keep in mind that litttle one need you in her life so been health and fit is what you need to keep up with her and give her all the love she need's and teach her how to be health and eat health and give your wife so pray's also she play a big part in your life also. GOOD LUCK JOSH

I'm very proud of you. Keep up the good work. Maybe this time you can be my inspiration to loose weight.
DJW

Hi Joshua,

You have chosen great reasons for wanting to make permanent healthy lifestyle changes.Your love for yourself,your wife and your daughter.

Please keep in mind these reasons should be partners with the need to improve your health if you are at risks for certain types of diseses,like diabetes,etc, and to have goals that are tried, true and never negotiable

Hi Josh-
Good luck to you. I think this is a great tool for achieving your goal. All the best to you & your family.

Hey Josh!
Way to go! You are looking good!! Keep up the good work, it will pay off!
I too am on the weight-loss journey. I love reading your blog. Your daughter is absolutely B-E-A-Utiful! I am looking forward to shedding the pounds so I can be active with my 5yr old and 2yr old....this is our year buddy!

Best Wishes,
Kristi

Josh,

May you have continued success with your weight loss goals. Losing weight is not easy, but becoming healthier and stronger just seems to be so much worth it. I just started a weight loss journey of my own and it feels so good to be able to follow your blog and be able to relate to what you are going through. Once again good luck, keep fighting, and remember that in your daughters eyes, you will always be her hero.

Hey, I'm glad I read your blog. It has motivated me to keep my head up and keep pushing towards my goal.Keep up the good work!

Hey everybody! Thank you so much for all the kind words and tips. I appreciate all of you taking the time and writing me. I wish you all the best, because we are all in this together!

hello,This is a new year and i ,m personality going to loose weight.Keep up the goood work i will be keeping up with your success.And your daugher is beautiful.

Hi Joshua,

I've read your story and challenge. I know you can do this (as I will) and when it gets really difficult, just look at that darling baby girl of yours (what a litte sweetheart). She will make it all worthwhile. I also work the night shift (though only one job), so I know how difficult it is to schedule meals, etc. But it can be done. Keep up the great work!

Judi

hey josh... your daughter is beautiful - definitely can see the source of motivation... God bless her!!

Hey Josh! You have my vote! I too work WAY too many hours. And that messes up my dieting too. I have a partner at work that is doing the challenge with me. He is my support. I plan ahead and bring a cooler with my food and snacks. It helps.

But here is my suggestion. I know it is hard with the money, but try not to work ALL the time. I find when I have reasonable time off, I do much better on my diet. When I have to work too much I somehow feel I am "entitled" to TREAT myself to junk food. I guess so I can tolerate the torture of working all the time.

You may not like to hear this, but perhaps your wife can work 10 or 15 hours a week during the day while you are home with your daughter. The less you get to rest and sleep, the harder it is to lose weight.

I know stay-at-home moms work hard, but not as hard as working moms and dads. I know that my not be politically correct, but too bad. It is the truth. So, maybe you and your wife can trade up the staying at home and the working so you can be successful.

HEY JOSHUA!!!!

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THIS IS NOT EASY BUT WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. KEEP ON KEEPING ON AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE OUTCOME FROM US ALL.

PEACE & BLESSINGS

Hey Joshua!!!! Good luck, keep up the good work. Its not easy but keep on keeping on and never give up. We are all in this together.

Peace and Blessings

good luck i just signed up today

Hey Josh;
Regardless if you meet your goal or not, you show Bella-button everyday that you love her.
She's one lucky little girl to have parents like you and your wife.

Well thank you Toot. I've been lazy, and I'm sooooo sorry for that. I'm sorry I've gained so much weight. But I promise you this change. I love you and Bella with all my heart!

Hey baby! I'm so proud of you!!!! I've been so shocked by all your new changes! I know I've been bugging you about losing weight for about a year now and I really do believe you can do it now! Keep up the good work babe!

hey josh... i read your entry about your struggle with beer! don't deprive yourself, because it'll make sticking to your plan that much harder! it's okay if you have one every now and then, it just doesn't have to be all the time (which i know you don't do with all that working and family!)... be sure to make changes that you know you can live with! i know i love me a cosmopolitan martini or flirtini every now and then too! especially when i go out with my girls... so keep your head up and keep on pushin!

I wish you the best at reaching your goal!