The 50 Million Pound Blog

Goal setting is a like a sharp and emotionally divisive double-edged sword. In one corner of your mind is a strong and unbreakable hope that envisions nothing but success. Then, the other corner is possessed by a chilled, doubtful cynicism that pessimistically scoffs at your goal.

Regardless of why you’ve set a goal, whether it’s success in your career or trying to get back into those size 8 dresses, the battle between hope and doubt exists in each of us.

I had a recent interview with Carl Bialik, “The Numbers Guy”, a blogger from Wall Street Journal (WSJ.com) that brought the reality of this tension to light. The story he wrote is insightful as he examines the 50-million-pound goal of our Challenge.

His story is posted and I’d you to take a look at it. Just click on the title, Trying to Lose 50 Million Pounds, to bring it up on your computer.

There’s always been a problem with the numbers in goal setting, and our Challenge is no different. But reviving our commitment to this cause of health and spreading the word proves, yet again, that hope and hard work crowns a champion.

I’m realistic enough to know the loftiness of our goal. Like you, I put on my gloves daily to beat down the doubt and cynicism in my mind that says we can’t achieve success.

And, I still believe the real “wow-factor” of this large number makes a profound statement. Each time you update your progress on our site, we grow closer defeating the pessimist in the dark corner of our minds.

Trust that you’re never alone on this journey. And believe that we’re making history together.

Yours in the Fight.
Dr. Ian ~

The Challenge is Growing!
JET/Ebony Magazines

Dear Challenger,

I wanted to personally share another accomplishment that we have all hit together!  This week go to your local newsstand and pick up the new issues of JET and Ebony magazines.  Both magazines feature great stories about The Challenge. 

In JET, Patti LaBelle—a true Challenge champion—and I talk about The Challenge and what it takes to make healthier choices. 

In Ebony, there are 5 families/individuals who are part of The Challenge and who we’ll be following in the magazine and online for the next 6 months.  We are going to share their stories with you through updates and their blogs and future articles. 

This is a great way for us to showcase the hard work and dedication that all of us are putting forth to successfully lose weight and become healthier. 

Tell all of your family and friends to pick up a copy of both magazines.  By doing this we will show the decision makers that health and wellness are important to African Americans.  This is critical. 

The more we demonstrate the importance of the issue, the more others will listen and help champion our cause. 

I’m so proud of all of you.  Remember to get family members, friends, and co-workers to sign up at 50millionpounds.com. 

And if you haven’t been back in a while to update your weight loss, please click here to sign in and do so as we can only count the weight loss that has been logged in. 

We are almost at 2.2 million pounds and we’re going strong.  Also, keep sending us your stories so that we can feature you on the homepage or maybe in a future issue of JET. 

We can do it!  CHALLENGE YOURSELF NOW!

Yours in The Challenge,
Dr. Ian-

Congratulations to Mia Carre-Long, Miss Fisk University, for winning The 50 Million Pound Challenge HBCU competition during Nashville, Get Fit Day!

As a result of Mia’s effort, Fisk University received a $5000 State Farm Grant for generating the highest percentage of registrants (based on their student population).  

The queens from Fisk University, Tennessee State University, and Meharry Medical College all worked hard to register their friends, colleagues, faculty, staff, alumni and community.  In total, they encouraged nearly 500 people to join the 50 Million Pound Challenge!

Together, the queens are setting a great example for us by promoting healthy lifestyles and helping to change the lives of those they love.

Now, The Challenge continues! It's been said that "the greatest challenge in life is to challenge one’s self".  So, let's commit to toning up and trimming down unwanted pounds. It's time to incorporate exercise in our everyday activities to live a healthier and longer life.

Please follow the lead of Nashville's HBCU Queens:

• Invite a friend to join us,
• Start your own team, and
• Be proactive when it comes to your health.

Continue logging in to track your weight and enter into a variety of sweepstakes throughout your journey.

As a nation we can reach our goals and lose the weight together!

For the next 11 weeks, Detroit is challenging residents to start losing weight and lead healthier lives. Click here to check out an article with more details.

We're calling on all Motor City residents: Please take a moment to join The Detroit City Challengers team and tell everyone you know to do the same! As our past year has proven, the best way to have a successful weight-loss challenge is to team-up.

Your leadership can help set a tone that will change and save lives throughout Detroit.

Your response was huge when we came to visit you last year. Over 10,000 people came out to party with us as we kicked-off The Challenge (you can re-live the event by viewing the photos on our flickr™ site).

Please remember to login and report the pounds you lose on the site.

Also, every time a Detroit City Challengers team member updates their weight tracker, they get an entry into a drawing for a trip for two from Detroit to anywhere in the continental U.S., hotel accommodations and a $500 State Farm Bank VISA gift card to spend any way they like. The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the Detroit City Challenge on June 21.

Thank you for being part of America’s most successful and influential weight-loss story.

We had a great time in NYC on Monday.

Please click here and take a moment to watch our video from yesterday's celebration!

Stay close to the site for more on our anniversary. 

Also, click here to learn how you can be eligible to win an iPhone!

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. 

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.

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!

Please tune in and listen to the Steve Harvey Morning Show tomorrow and listen as Dr. Ian calls in at 8:45 EST.

It'll be a great conversation, and you never know what'll be said!

Have you seen the January/February issue of Urban Influence Magazine (below)? Dr. Ian was interviewed, made the cover, and the story is all about our efforts in The Challenge!

Click on the image below to read the story. Also, please share your thoughts on the article with us!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:

The 50 Million Pound website is getting a brand new look for 2008!
Beginning Tuesday morning Jan. 8th, we'll be temporarily unavailable for a few hours as our new site comes to life. 

Remember to visit us later during the day to see our bold new look!

Be sure to check out our latest video interview... this one features Da Brat! Watch and listen as she discusses her commitment to The Challenge.

Click here if you're looking to join Team Philly and give up the pounds... together!

A special opportunity for the folks around Philadelphia, PA... you can receive a $10 online gift card for joining Team Philly. 

The teams feature is a great way to take advantage of the benefits of getting healthy as a group.  You get support, motivation and are more likely to reach your goals.  It's time for the "city of brotherly love" to band together and start making a difference!

The first 200 people to join Team Philly will get an email with a special code they can redeem on line for $10 worth of merchandise from hundreds of online retailers. 

Here's how you can join: Click on this link to go to Team Philly's page, then click on 'Join Now'.  It's as simple as that. The first 200 people to join Team Philly get a $10 gift card.

 Check out the rules and regs for details.

Did you hear Dr. Ian on the Steve Harvey show this morning?!  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:

•  Update your profile regularly – every time you update your progress by entering the weight you’ve lost into your Personal Weight Tracker on the site, you will receive ONE entry into the sweepstakes (limit one per day).  Check in every day 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!!

You've put us where we are—more than 217,000 participants who’ve lost over 716,000 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!  

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

I have to take a moment to share what happened this weekend at a small, spirit-filled church in South Central LA… 

Reverend Daniel Williams and his wife, First Lady Toni Williams, have been leading their 150 member congregation through the Fat Smash Diet over the past 3 months. They invited my team and me out because they were falling off the program and they wanted to re-start their commitment to health—collectively—by joining The 50 Million Pound Challenge.

The Rev. and First Lady Williams, along with a few members of the congregation, had already picked-up some Challenge kits which is exactly what you and anyone else can do by visiting www.50millionpounds.com.  So they were getting ready for our visit. But, no one was ready for the powerful love, spirit and emotion present in Divinity Christian Church yesterday! 

I wish there was a way for me to share with each of you the warmth and spirituality of the church members. We experienced a sense of what our journey together is all about…and that is hope.  

I need each of you reading this, and each of you involved in this movement, to believe something… you are a precious and unique creation. Each day we are given an incredibly powerful opportunity to change our lives and the lives of the people we love in our own, unique ways. 

The decision to live healthier is, without exaggeration, a matter of life and death.  

You are creating habits to eat properly and exercise. You are changing a culture. You are generating a spirit like the one my team and I experienced yesterday in South Central LA. And, I hope you realize the power of your influence.

You’re not just making the change to eat right and exercise for yourself… your friends and your families are influenced by the example you set. Commit, on a daily basis, to your decision and fight to be a healthy example to those around you. 

We are a strong community, and we’re growing every day. Together we will reverse the deadly trends of obesity. We don’t have to wait our turn to live with type II diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. We are making a change and a choice to live. 

Little did anyone know, but I needed to be re- energized along with the congregation yesterday. The Spirit and people in Divinity Christian Church helped revive me, and they are renewed as well.  I share this with you because I read your comments, and I know that The Challenge is a battle. I know you hope for better lives. And, I know that your will is fighting every moment to choose between the lives we’re used to and a healthier life.  Believe in a strength that supports you when you feel weak... and take courage. Trust that this entire community supports you.

I pray that each of you understands that we’re involved in something greater than ourselves… this movement saves lives. Your involvement keeps me going, keeps your friends and your families going. 

I learned this weekend that you can only keep up the fight when you keep your hope. 

Best.

Dr. Ian-

We’ve lost more than 377,000 pounds, and it was only 4 days ago that we hit the 350,000 milestone! Also, yesterday marked a record day—13,600 pounds recorded… keep this momentum moving!

One way the site can help...
We’ve heard your requests for a support system and we are testing a new feature on the site—Challenge Teams. Feel free to check it out and start your own team. Once you're on the Challenge Teams page, choose 'Start a Team' from the side menu and follow the instructions it provides. Then, invite a group of family members or friends who are participating in The Challenge to join your team. Some of you are already teaming up, this addition gives you a convenient way to organize, encourage and communicate with your team through the site. We're excited about what this tool can do as we grow and stick with the fight...together. Hope you enjoy it!

Continue inviting people to join us and help reach our goal of 50 million pounds. And, don't forget to log in to register your own weight loss... every pound counts! 

Breaking news from the Steve Harvey show this morning. Dr. Ian is offering a promotion—the first 300 people to join The Challenge (for the first time) will receive a $10 gift certificate (they can choose from hundreds of participating retailers).  Join the Challenge now… and spread the word!
 

Dr. Ian will be calling in to Steve Harvey's radio program on Thursday, May 31 at 8:30 a.m. EST.

To reach our 50 million pound goal, we need a LOT of people to join the challenge and lose weight.

Tell a friend about the challenge - we can use your help in growing our community!

Planning to comment on our blog or join a Challenge Team?  Please be sure to read our Community Guidelines.  Thanks!

50 Million Pound Blog Admin