The 50 Million Pound Blog

Alabama State University Band vs. Alabama A&M University Band
ASU Band Sting Team                       AAMU Dawg Pound

The ASU Sting Team is here to take the title at the 2008 Magic City Classic game.

AAMU Dawg Pound won in 2007 however, the ASU Sting Team says their victory is OVER! 

Yes! “The Marching Hornets (ASU)” is challenging “The Show Band of the South (AAMU) on the 50 Million Pound Challenge. The Band with the most registrants will receive a $2500 donation and recognition at the Magic City Classic Game.

Register and join your favorite band.  We are calling all students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members to support their favorite team.
• ASU Band Sting Team
• AAMU Dawg Pound

Good health is the name of the game! 

Keep this in mind. Don’t wait until the last minute or get too far behind.  The competition began October 1 and ends October 24 at 11:59 p.m. 

The 50 Million Pound Challenge booth will be at the Sheraton and Double Tree Hotel October 23-25 for additional registration and T-Shirt give-a-ways.  First come, first serve!  Be There!
• October 23, 2008 3pm-6pm (Sheraton only)
• October 24, 2008 12pm-6pm
• October 25, 2008 8am-11am

Hotel Information
Sheraton Hotel
2010 Richard Arrington Blvd. N, Birmingham

Double Tree Hotel
808 S. 20th St. at 8th Ave., Birmingham

The attendees of Thursday night's Cavs vs. Spurs pre-season game experienced more than a typical basketball game.

During halftime, LeBron James was recognized for his effort in helping the USA Men's Basketball Team win the Gold Medal. But, not only did LeBron thank the crowd, he spoke to them from the heart about The Challenge.

Dr. Ian and Tahira Davis joined LeBron at center court. In true Champion fashion, Tahira won the Cleveland promotion, and was awarded a prize package that included an autographed LeBron James jersey!

The amazing part of the halftime moment didn't come from what was said or awarded. The inspiring factor was found in the display of unity in this healthy cause.

The connection shared by a world-class athlete, a medical expert/bestselling author, and one of us -- a regular Challenge participant -- was evident to all present at The Q Arena on Thursday evening.

The Challenge is changing lives because of the powerful affect of our community... Thank you for making history with us!

The 50 Million Pound Challenge joins Lynn Richardson at the HBCU Health, Wealth n’ Real Estate Tour.  The first event will be held on October 8, 2008 at the campus of Delaware State University.  Lynn recently shared her story with the Challenge.

Lynn Richardson’s story
My struggle with weight began at an early age.  I remember being in sixth grade and being called a “brick house.” I can laugh a little now, but it wasn’t too long before I was in the “pleasantly plump” category and then, finally, well, at 263 pounds, I was morbidly obese.  Oh, my God!  Knowing that I was classified as morbidly obese was as devastating, if not more so, than actually carrying the weight around.  For a while, I’d just decided I would be a ‘big” girl forever.  So what, I was still cute, right?  Well the truth of the matter is I was carrying more than just weight.  I was carrying emotional, psychological, and spiritual weight that my five foot three frame was never designed to carry. 

And all the skinny people tell us to just stop eating.  Well it’s not quite that easy.  You see, once you get into the overweight category, your body becomes emphatically committed to staying that way.  I tried everything.  I lost 30 pounds in college and made in on the Northwestern Ladycats dance team.  When I was no longer on the team, I gained the weight back.  And then some.  When I got married, I lost 35 pounds and was the most beautiful bride ever.  I think I maintained my wedding day weight for exactly one day.  I gained it all back.  And then some.  Then I starting having children, becoming successful in my career, happily married, and 263 pounds later, I was morbidly obese.

I tried a host of diet plans, virtually all of them, I had a personal trainer, could jog 2 miles at 250 plus, but every time I reached a plateau and stay there for months, I would give up.

In 2006, I was blessed to meet Santita Jackson.  She told me about the Duodenal Switch procedure.  Instantly I knew this was the solution for ME.  Less than six months later, I had the procedure and I was on my way to a healthy lifestyle.

Today I am between 140 and 147 pounds and I wear a size 6. My twelve year old daughter wears my clothes!  I can’t believe it.  I eat lots of protein and vegetables and I take 7 different vitamins every day.  I am on the road quite a bit (so that is my version of exercise), but I can’t stress how good I feel when I get up at 5 am to take a walk at the gym or do a quick round of strength training in my bathroom. 

I love life and I have no regrets.  Ultimately, I made the choice that was best for me and I have no negative side effects.  I believed that the best way to show my daughters how to live and eat healthy was to become a walking example in their lives.  Although we are not complete health nuts, I rarely fry anything and we eat lots of grilled protein with salad and other vegetables.  Now don’t get me wrong, I still love a good soul food dinner and yes, I eat chitlins’ every Christmas and Thanksgiving, but for the most part I focus on moderation.  I encourage my daughters to push away from their plate before they are “full.”  It’s so much better to save some left-overs for later than to stuff it all in at one time.

Losing the weight has changed my perspective on life and given me a weightless sense of freedom.  Whatever path you choose, be sure it is a healthy one.  And don’t give up . . . . because when you do, what you DON’T want will surely take over.

Click here to join Lynn’s Challenge teams:
• Lynn’s Delaware State University Challenge team
• Lynn Richardson - Loan Originators
• Lynn Richardson - Wealth 'n Real Estate
• Lynn Richardson - Hampton University

Click here to post your comments!

Dr. Ian and The 50 Million Pound Challenge represented our community again at this year's Bud Billiken Parade!

Bud Billiken is the second largest parade in the nation, and the largest African-American parade.

It's estimated that 1.2 million people watched the parade this year -- they were either present, or saw it at home. 

Bud Billiken has always been a celebration of the people and families in the Chicago community, and the message of The Challenge resonated as Dr. Ian lead our float along the route.

We were joined by some of our Champions: Steve Harvey was a host for the Parade, The 100 Black Men proudly walked the route representing their support of The Challenge, and Craig Nash -- you remember, the guy who lost 198 pounds -- was there with us as well.

Likewise, dozens of area State Farm agents joined Dr. Ian in the parade to show their support to the community. 

It was a beautiful day, and the streets were lined with the beautiful faces from the community. 

It's amazing for us to think that so many people experienced what The Challenge is all about.

Thank you Chicago!

That's right - LeBron James is teaming up with Dr. Ian and The Challenge!

Live in Cleveland? The Challenge is coming to The Q Arena on Wednesday, June 18... click here for details to join us! 

King James, Dr. Ian, the Mayor's office, employees and residents are all coming together to let the nation know that Cleveland is serious about reversing negative health trends. So, they are taking the lead and committing to truly living by getting fit and losing weight.

We'll also be joined by Tahira Davis--one of our previous Featured Challengers. Click here to read her story.  

Join LeBron on Cleveland's Challenge Team:

The Challenge is about a community coming together to change and save lives from being claimed by being overweight or obese. So, LeBron has started a Challenge team for his community to give up the pounds, not the fight. It's called: Fit 4 Cleveland.

Click here to join Fit 4 Cleveland!

 Joining and being active on this team will pay off in terms of reaching your weight goals, and members of this team will be eligible to special prizes from Wednesday through October, 2008.

Stay close to the site for more details as the 18th approaches!

We want to hear your stories too!

Reporters are always looking for inspirational stories.

For example, Tahira's story has been picked up by a local newspaper.

Ebony and JET are also following some of our Challengers.

You could be next!

Click here to send us your story!

Dr. Ian was on the Steve Harvey Morning Show live last week, and joining him was one of our Featured Challengers: Lawanna Williams.

Much like Deborah Wright in New York, Lawanna did an extraordinary job representing our Challenge community.

One word sums up her involvement with The Challenge--inspired. Please take a moment to read her story and join her team!

Click here to Join Lawanna's Team: Sisters Inspiring Sisters.

Dr. Ian is bringing The Challenge back to Atlanta to team up with Bishop Long and the people at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church for their health fair and service this weekend!

Take some time to visit us if you're in the area!

Dr. Ian introduced The Challenge and hosted a walk in Tampa this past weekend.

We had a great turnout, despite the rain, and now more individuals have committed to fight the health risks posed by being overweight!

Welcome to the Challenge family! Please share your experience if you were there by commenting below...

Over the last past six years, I had given up on myself and losing weight.  The turning point came when my doctor informed me that I had gained an additional 15 pounds over the summer of 2007 and had now reached 234 pounds. 

I remember the drive home and how I cried at how I had allowed myself to get so out of control.  I couldn't fathom that I had put on exactly 100 pounds at 5'7" since graduating from college. Enough was enough! 

So I set forth in buying Dr. Ian Smith's book, Fat Smash Diet to get some helpful tips with what I needed to do nutritionally. Also, I started exercising and became more active.  There was no excuse to be so lazy at such a young age; therefore, I dusted off the kicks and got to walking everyday. 

My most prized memory in my journey came when I stepped on the scale and it read 199 pounds.  So far I have lost a total of 53 pounds and I have reached 181 pounds.  Now, I have so much more confidence and reassurance that I will continue to follow this healthy lifestyle. 

Thank you so much Dr. Ian Smith for saving me from obesity, high blood pressure, and sadness.

-----

Upcoming Event in Florida...

The Tampa Tribune contacted Femi to capture more of her story and announce the upcoming Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival. Dr. Ian will present at the festival on Saturday, January 19 and join the crowd in 2k walk. There will also be free health screenings available.

Femi demonstrates how one story can motivate an entire community. Join her and share your story today!

 YOU CAN WIN A $500 VISA GIFT CARD!

Here's what you need to do to enter the sweepstakes:

• Update your weight tracker daily between today (December 10) and Wednesday, December 19. You get one entry a day, so login and update your profile every day!
• Know anyone who hasn’t joined The Challenge yet? New registrants will also be entered in the sweepstakes. Tell your friends and family that they can get a great prize for joining this community!

Please note: The winner will be chosen on December 20th, and we’ll ship their gift card on December 21. So, be sure to update your profile daily, and increase your chances of winning.

Check out our Bayou Classic sweepstakes winners in New Orleans with Dr. Ian... 

Happy Holidays!

November 15, 2007 goes down as an historic day for The Challenge. 

A special 'thank you' to Patti LaBelle, Harry Carson, Hugh Fletcher and to those of you who withstood cold rain and wind as we celebrated our 1,000,000 pound milestone in Harlem this morning.

We'll post some video footage of the day on the site very soon, so everyone has a chance to experience the excitement.   

Because of your hard work and desire for healthier lives, The Challenge is boldly marching toward its next million, and right on until we reach 50. Every pound lost strengthens us, and proves that we can win the battle to take control of our lives.

Congratulations to many of you who have reached your goals. Please work with us to encourage more people to commit to making healthier decisions... we are making an incredible impact together.

Celebration day is here!

Dr. Ian and music icon, Patti LaBelle will be on the Today Show this morning at 10:30 Eastern time. Set your DVRs, or watch live if you can. The interview will be a great to launch our celebration!

After the interview, we'll have our party at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Building on 125th & 7th Ave in Harlem. Dr. Ian and The Challenge team will be joined by Patti LaBelle, NFL Hall of Fame NY Giant Harry Carson and an active Challenge participant from NYC, whose story we'll share with you soon!

This whole group will also light a candle to commemorate your hard work, congratulate this community in surpassing a great milestone, and to show our commitment to work for future success. We invite you to join us, wherever you are and however you can! And send us a picture of your party and/or your candle.

 As a reminder, here is your celebration checklist:

• Host a party at your home, dorm room, church, etc.
• Invite your friends, family and Challenge teammates to join you in celebrating our remarkable accomplishment.
• Light a candle, at any time that day, to celebrate and renew our commitment to the greater goal of becoming a healthier community.
• Visit 50millionpounds.com for detailed information about our party.
• Let us know how your party went! Send in the story and a picture of your party with the candle.

This is going to be a great day for The Challenge! Congratulations, and keep up the fight!

Mark your calendars for a Challenge party, celebrating losing our first one million pounds, on November 15th. Pay close attention because there are many ways for you to participate, and you could WIN some GREAT prizes! 

Dr. Ian will be in New York City telling our story and celebrating on the 15th. We’re planning a party and lighting a candle to celebrate, show our commitment and rally to continue striving towards are ultimate goal.  Dr. Ian will light a candle that morning… and we’re asking you to do the same at any point throughout the day.

We’re also going to post the party on our site, so you can watch how it all went in NYC.

Here is your celebration checklist:

• Update your weight-loss tracker account for daily chances to win an iPhone, or win a $1,000 Visa gift card on November 15th (see details below)!
• Spread the word – tell everyone to update their profiles and help us hit the one million mark.
• Plan a party on November 15th (see more details below).
• Light a candle.
• Visit 50millionpounds.com for updated information about our party.

This party is just the beginning of the many milestones we’ll reach—each one signifying the millions of lives changed or saved across the nation as a result of your commitment to The Challenge.

Hope you will join us on the 15th!

Update your profile for chances to win an iPhone or $1,000 gift card!

Remember to update your profile with your current weight to help us reach the one million mark. Do so between November 8 and November 14, and you’ll be entered to win either an iPhone or $1,000 gift card!

We will give away one iPhone, each day, for seven straight days! Then, on November 15, from all the entries, we’ll draw the name of a participant who’ll win a $1,000 gift card!

You automatically are entered into these sweepstakes by updating your profile between November 8 and November 14. 

So, set a reminder, and visit the site each day!

Here are some ideas for you to be part of the celebration on November 15:

• Host a party at your home, dorm room, church, etc. 
• Invite your friends, family and Challenge teammates to join you in celebrating our remarkable accomplishment. You can even download and use our flyers to help you spread the word!
• Light a candle at any time that day, to celebrate and renew our commitment to the greater goal of becoming a healthier community.
• And, send us the story of your celebration with a picture of yourself, your party and your lighted candle so we can post it on our Flickr photo album!

October 31st is the last day your name can be entered into the Bayou Classic sweepstakes! We're ready to celebrate the end of our kick-off tour, and hopefully crossing the 1 million pound mark, in New Orleans. And, you can win a trip for two to join us!

This is your last chance to enter the sweepstakes by:

• Updating your profile with your current weight, and
• Getting your friends, family and/or random strangers to join us!

We've been saying it since the sweepstakes began in September... we want to see you strut your stuff at the Bayou! Hope to see you there!

You were a great host this past weekend, Oakland! Thank you for taking on The Challenge. Please spread the message, keep your profile updated with your weight loss, and invite your friends and family to join us!

Dr. Ian and Baron Davis discuss health on stage in Oakland.

J. Anthony Brown gets the Oakland crowd going.

The soulful Kelly Price sharing her heart with the Oakland crowd.

Keep joining us Oakland!

• Continue to update your weight in your profiles, and
• Get people to join us by sending them an invitation.

Keep up the great work because it may be you and friend of your choice joining us in New Orleans!

The 13^th stop of our kick-off tour is heading to Oakland this weekend. Come out to Lake Merritt and join us if you’re in the area. The entire event is FREE to you… so be part of it and experience what we’re all about as we’re winding down the tour.

Whether it’s juice or whole fruit, it’s best to eat your foods as fresh as possible. Canned fruit and juices have a lot of additives and sweeteners that pack in unnecessary calories. With fresh fruit you save on some calories and benefit from all of the natural vitamins and other nutrients the food contains.

What food do you think of when you read about “fresh” food? I can’t imagine that images of combo meals from you local fast food restaurant enter your mind! Take the time to hit your local grocery store and pick up fresh food. The flavor is better, and your body will respond with the energy it needs to get you through your day. Make smarter choices to take care of your body and you’ll see the results.

Best - Dr. Ian

So many of you are hitting your goals and attributing your success, in part, to The Challenge… thank you! Your stories are the reason we’re growing, and the reason we’ll reach our ultimate goal. Let’s keep sharing the stories of our transformations… we don’t quite realize the power of our influence. This community’s commitment is making a difference in the lives of the people closest to us. Let’s keep up the fight, together! 

Please continue spread the word and have your friends sign up to join us.

Have you seen the videos we’ve been posting on the site?  

We’ve filmed and posted stories from celebrities and fellow Challenge participants alike. Taking the time to watch a couple of these clips is a great way to stay motivated and a reminder that we’re all in this together!

The one meal you should never skip is breakfast, yet this is the meal that most people omit. Eating something for breakfast is critical because it gives you the energy you need to start your day and it prevents you from snacking on fattening, unhealthy foods.  

Your body needs fuel first thing in the morning to handle the new challenges it will face. Skipping breakfast only increases your hunger and leads to the consumption of larger meals throughout the rest of you the day. Not fueling up in the morning can also slow down your metabolism.  

Remember the old proverb: Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. Commit to eating smarter, and you will hit your goals! 

Best - Dr. Ian 

* For more tips and healthy diet advice like this, also check out my new book, Extreme Fat Smash Diet, available online and in bookstores everywhere.

Support is critical for us attain our individual and collective goals. We rely on each other through so many other good and bad situations—now imagine a loving and supportive community focused on living healthier lives. 

 Check out and use the Teams feature on the site and learn how you can:

• Create a team and invite those close to you to join.
• Join as many teams as you like, search for one by zip code, name or category.

Become the hopeful and supportive community we all need, and keep up the fight… together!

Part of The 50 Million Pound Challenge is getting more churches involved.  To that end, I had the pleasure of visiting and speaking at Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City.  It was a Sunday I will not forget.  Rev. Bernadine Ladson was the guest speaker at 9 AM morning service. She took to the pulpit with authority and grace only God can provide.

New York City has more active Challenge participants than any other city or town in the nation. And, after this weekend, they have even more!

We had a remarkable and different experience in NYC than in other areas. This stop was different because we didn’t host a full-blown Challenge event; and remarkable because awareness of The Challenge spread throughout “the greatest city in the world”.  

We had an excellent time joining and encouraging the Circle of Sisters, Abyssinian Baptist Church and the Central Harlem Health Revival in their efforts to help the people of NYC make healthier decisions.  

Steve Harvey, Shirley Strawberry, Freddie Jackson and Biz Markie joined Dr. Ian in bringing the life altering message of The Challenge to the Circle of Sisters. Councilman Comrie shared a compelling personal story highlighting why he taking The Challenge seriously. As a matter of fact, he created and is leading a Challenge Team for citizens under his provision to make healthy lifestyle decisions throughout Queens. 

The Challenge also joined up with the 2^nd annual Central Harlem Health Revival to raise awareness and take action for healthier lifestyles in the heart of Black America—Harlem, NY.

Keep up the fight NYC and thank you for a fantastic weekend!

Welcome a couple more Challenge participants!

Freddie Jackson soothes the crowd

 
Councilman Comrie invites Circle of Sisters to join his Challenge Team

Shirley Strawberry and Steve Harvey sharing their Challenge stories  

The sweepstakes to WIN 2 tickets, thanks to Southwest Airlines®, to New Orleans and the full Bayou Classic experience are in full swing! This is how we’ll pass the million pound mark and keep marching our way to the big goal of 50 million pounds. You can win a package for two people that includes:

• Airfare,
• Hotel,
• Tickets to the game,
• Tickets to the battle of the bands competition,
• Spending money, and much more! 

Here’s what you need to do between September 13, 2007 and October 31, 2007 to have a chance to win one of our travel packages:

• Update your profile regularly – every time you update your progress by entering your weight into your Personal Weight Tracker on the site, you will receive ONE entry into the sweepstakes (limit one per day).  Check in every day of the sweepstakes duration and you can have up to 49 entries!!  Not only does that increase your chances to win, but your Challenge commitment will be top of mind and you'll be making the Challenge a good habit!

Another way to win the trip package:

• Invite all of your family, friends, and co-workers to join The Challenge – every person who joins from your referral (through the ’Tell a Friend’ feature), grants you ONE entry into the sweepstakes. There's no limit to how many friends you can get signed up or how many entries you can have in the sweepstakes.  Remember, the more people you get to sign up through the link, the greater your chance of winning one of the 2 trip packages. Get out your address book and spread the word.  It could by your ticket to the Bayou.  And it doesn’t cost you or your friends anything to join.  Remember, it’s all FREE!!

Check out more of the details in the ‘Win as You Lose’ section of the homepage.

The Challenge is headed to New York this weekend! We’re not hosting our typical event in NY, but the message of The Challenge will be alive throughout the city.

This visit is different from the rest in that we’re joining up with Circle of Sisters, Abyssinian Baptist Church and the Central Harlem Health Revival to share The Challenge with people and partner in some existing health efforts in NY.

We’re looking forward to a great weekend with these organizations. If you’re in NY, please check out the Web sites we linked to above to find out how you can join us!

You can celebrate the end of the kick-off tour with us at the historic State Farm Bayou Classic Thanksgiving weekend in New Orleans!

We’re serious about getting healthy, hitting the one million pound milestone and growing our community. So serious, in fact, that we’re presenting 2 opportunities to win tickets from Southwest Airlines® to fly you and a friend to the Bayou Classic in New Orleans!

You can win a package for two people that includes: airfare, hotel, tickets to the game, tickets to the battle of the bands competition, spending money, and much more! This is how we’ll pass the million pound mark and keep marching our way to the big goal of 50 million pounds.

Here’s what you need to do between September 13, 2007 and October 31, 2007 to have a chance to win one of our travel packages:

1. Update your profile regularly – every time you update your progress by entering your weight into your Personal Weight Tracker on the site, you will receive ONE entry into the sweepstakes (limit one per day). Check in every day of the sweepstakes' duration and you can have up to 49 entries!! Not only does that increase your chances to win, but your Challenge commitment will be top of mind and you'll be making the Challenge a good habit!

Another way to win the trip package:

2. Invite all of your family, friends, and co-workers to join The Challenge – every person who joins from your referral (through the ’Tell a Friend’ feature), grants you ONE entry into the sweepstakes. There's no limit to how many friends you can get signed up or how many entries you can have in the sweepstakes. Remember, the more people you get to sign up through the link, the greater your chance of winning one of the 2 trip packages. Get out your address book and spread the word. It could by your ticket to the Bayou. And it doesn’t cost you or your friends anything to join. Remember, it’s all FREE!!

You've put us where we are—more than 220,000 participants who’ve lost over 732,000 pounds in just 5 months! You can keep our momentum going and building. Tell everyone you know to join us, and remember to keep your profile up to date.

We hope you're the one who will be strutting your stuff at our final kick-off tour stop— the Bayou Classic!

You all responded quickly! We’ve passed the half-million mark and we have a prize winner. Please stay posted to the site and we’ll announce our winner with their story shortly.

Also, we had a great time in Milwaukee this past weekend. Thank you to those who came out to jam with us in the park!

Don't forget, you’re in the family now, WI!.  Remember to keep coming back to the site to update your profile and share The Challenge with your friends and family. We need each of you to commit and strive towards healthier lifestyles.

Milwaukee!

112 signing up for The Challenge

Biz Markie in Milwaukee

Thousands more came out to experience The Challenge event that afternoon in Washington Park, where Dr. Ian was joined by several artists and friends: Common, Musiq Soulchild, Harvey Walden IV, Slick Rick, Rob Base, Tom Joyner, J. Anthony Brown and Da Brat, just to name a few.

Common performing in Chicago

Just a reminder about the special opportunity for early registrants in