50 Million Pound Capitol Kick Off
BV Chats With Celebs Who Joined the 50 Million Pound Cause
By Toni Clark, AOL Black Voices,
Posted: 2007-11-08 12:10:42
50 Million Pound Supporters
Peter Kramer, Getty Images
Based on the status report noted on Dr. Ian's website, and with 20,000 people who have signed up, we're well on our way to winning the battle of the bulge! Find out if the tour is coming to a city near you.
More on Black Voices Health
Ready to lose weight in a healthy, fun way? Join Dr. Ian Smith's 50 Million Pound Challenge now.
Vowing to "give up the pounds, not the fight," Dr. Ian K. Smith, dietician, New York Times best-selling author and in-house physician on VH-1's 'Celebrity Fit Club,' has teamed up with a remarkable group of African-American leaders and State Farm Insurance to launch The 50 Million Pound Challenge, a campaign to help the African- American community take control of its health.
The star-studded event kicked off on the mall in Washington, DC on April 7. Despite inclement weather, crowds continued to line up to register for the challenge, receiving free health screenings and concluding the day's fun by joining Dr. Ian and his celebrity guests on the campaign's first post-launch walk, marking the first steps of one of the largest African-American health initiatives ever undertaken.
Vowing to "give up the pounds, not the fight," Dr. Ian K. Smith, dietician, New York Times best-selling author and in-house physician on VH-1's 'Celebrity Fit Club,' has teamed up with a remarkable group of African-American leaders and State Farm Insurance to launch The 50 Million Pound Challenge, a campaign to help the African- American community take control of its health.
The star-studded event kicked off on the mall in Washington, DC on April 7. Despite inclement weather, crowds continued to line up to register for the challenge, receiving free health screenings and concluding the day's fun by joining Dr. Ian and his celebrity guests on the campaign's first post-launch walk, marking the first steps of one of the largest African-American health initiatives ever undertaken.
Dr. Ian's Top 3 Tips For Losing 10 Pounds
Besides following the 'Extreme Fat Smash Diet,' the good doctor recommends the following to lose 10 pounds:
1. Cardiovascular exercises 40 minutes a day for four days a week.
2. Eliminate all white foods from the diet -- white bread, white potatoes, white rice.
3. Consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A serving is the size of a fist.
"If you do just those three things, you won't lost 10 pounds in two weeks but you will lose 10 pounds in two months," says Smith.
The Challenge will travel across America to 13 more cities to spread the word and encourage more to join the fight, and to help make history for both their own benefit and to strengthen the entire community for generations to come.
Black Voices was there to chat with entertainers who personally know the weight loss struggle and those who were just there to support. Celebrities such as Jackee Harry, Omarion, DJ Biz Markie, Da Brat and Kimberley Locke of 'American Idol' fame came out to support the cause as well as other champions from national health and civic organizations.
JACKEE
BV: Jackee, we loved you on season two of Celebrity Fit Club. Was that challenge easy for you?
Jackee: No. It was like a gorilla on my back. It was hard! Any [sensible] diet takes about 2 weeks before you start losing weight. If you do lose before that it's just water, not fat. On Dr. Ian's diet I lost 39 lbs. I'm going to keep doing it for another four months and lose 10 more poungs. I'm sure I'll lose 8 but that's because I'm probably going to cheat. (laughs)
OMARION
BV: Omarion?! What brings you to the 50 Million Pound Challenge? You don't seem like you have a weight problem.
Omarion: Ha ha! Really, to support everyone that feels like they do need to lose weight. For me it's so inspiring to have people come out and support a cause. I think it's important to have exercise as part of your life -- period.
BV: Obviously you work out. What tips can you give us so that we too can get that diesel look such as yours?
Omarion: I thank God for my very high metabolism! (laughs) Eating healthy is very important. I have to stop myself from eating fast food and being on the road is hard but, I remind myself to eat protein. Salmon is really good, vegetables, fresh fruit. All of that good stuff is important.
BIZ MARKIE
BV: Biz Markie, it's good to see you. What brings you here today?
Biz: I was a person that had to lose weight myself, so I thought it would be good to represent our people. I'm always down for something like this.
BV: Great. Now, you were on the first season of 'Celebrity Fit Club.' You lost 40 lbs on the show! Has it been easy to keep up with the routine of diet and excercise?
Biz: Not really but, I'm getting ready to get back on it.
KIMBERLEY LOCKE
BV: You've just wrapped up 'Celebrity Fit Club 5' and you look absolutely amazing! What moved you to take the 'CFC' challenge?
Kimberley: Thank you. They approached me about it before and I said No. I loved my full figured, plump, voluptuous self. And I think it was important for me to get to that point before I started making changes to myself. For me it was about being comfortable in my own skin and about being healthy. I look at my family and I'm all about breaking those bad cycles and doing something different. Now I'm a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, I'm happy, healthy and I've motivated my mom and my brother. For THAT it was totally worth it.
BV: How difficult was it not to cheat, knowing that millions are watching you on TV?
Kimberley: You know what? I don't believe in deprivation. If I really felt like I had to have something, I'd have it. And that's real life. Dr. Ian and the panel told us that. They said, 'You're human, you're going to eat a cheeseburger, pizza every now and then.' And it's okay. You can't be perfect. I think that you have to give yourself some leeway.
DA BRAT
BV: So did you all from time to time sneak out and pick up a pizza?
Da Brat: Mr. Chow's! [an upscale Chinese restaurant in New York, London and Beverly Hills]
Kimberley: I was like girl, when this show is over we're going to Mr. Chow's!
Da Brat: And we did. We went there and pigged out! (Laughs)
DR. IAN K. SMITH
BV: This is really great Dr. Ian. I have to ask you, what motivated you to present such a challenge to the black community?
Dr. Ian: I've spent so many years as a medical journalist reporting on obesity and being overweight in the African-American community and us dying from diseases so early, so unnecessarily and I wanted to do something about it. So I thought, how can I get us to care about us and want to make the change in all of these bad trends? I decided this is a fun way to do it, it's a way to do it with the community and it's positive. It's all about being positive.
BV: What kind of things can we expect to take place as you continue the tour?
Dr. Ian: Oh my goodness! Each city is just going to get bigger and better. The idea is that the momentum should spread across the country, it's going to be viral and we're excited because this energy from here will then transmit to the rest of the country and then the challenge will be coming to a city near you, and that's the kind of spirit we want to engender.
BV: What can we look forward to at the close of the two years?
Dr. Ian: We want to lose 50 million pounds and we think we can do it in a year, NOT two years. When we lose the 50 million pounds, then we're going to go to phase two. Because we think there's more than just the weight, we're going to talk about bigger health issues.
BV: Well thank you for caring enough to give us this challenge, and giving us TWO years to reach our goal although you believe we can do it in one! I believe we can do it.
Dr. Ian: Yes. I believe so too and thank you. We need your support all the way. Thank you!
Join Dr. Ian Smith's 50 Million Pound Challenge now!
Black Voices was there to chat with entertainers who personally know the weight loss struggle and those who were just there to support. Celebrities such as Jackee Harry, Omarion, DJ Biz Markie, Da Brat and Kimberley Locke of 'American Idol' fame came out to support the cause as well as other champions from national health and civic organizations.
JACKEE
BV: Jackee, we loved you on season two of Celebrity Fit Club. Was that challenge easy for you?
Jackee: No. It was like a gorilla on my back. It was hard! Any [sensible] diet takes about 2 weeks before you start losing weight. If you do lose before that it's just water, not fat. On Dr. Ian's diet I lost 39 lbs. I'm going to keep doing it for another four months and lose 10 more poungs. I'm sure I'll lose 8 but that's because I'm probably going to cheat. (laughs)
OMARION
BV: Omarion?! What brings you to the 50 Million Pound Challenge? You don't seem like you have a weight problem.
Omarion: Ha ha! Really, to support everyone that feels like they do need to lose weight. For me it's so inspiring to have people come out and support a cause. I think it's important to have exercise as part of your life -- period.
BV: Obviously you work out. What tips can you give us so that we too can get that diesel look such as yours?
Omarion: I thank God for my very high metabolism! (laughs) Eating healthy is very important. I have to stop myself from eating fast food and being on the road is hard but, I remind myself to eat protein. Salmon is really good, vegetables, fresh fruit. All of that good stuff is important.
BIZ MARKIE
BV: Biz Markie, it's good to see you. What brings you here today?
Biz: I was a person that had to lose weight myself, so I thought it would be good to represent our people. I'm always down for something like this.
BV: Great. Now, you were on the first season of 'Celebrity Fit Club.' You lost 40 lbs on the show! Has it been easy to keep up with the routine of diet and excercise?
Biz: Not really but, I'm getting ready to get back on it.
KIMBERLEY LOCKE
BV: You've just wrapped up 'Celebrity Fit Club 5' and you look absolutely amazing! What moved you to take the 'CFC' challenge?
Kimberley: Thank you. They approached me about it before and I said No. I loved my full figured, plump, voluptuous self. And I think it was important for me to get to that point before I started making changes to myself. For me it was about being comfortable in my own skin and about being healthy. I look at my family and I'm all about breaking those bad cycles and doing something different. Now I'm a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, I'm happy, healthy and I've motivated my mom and my brother. For THAT it was totally worth it.
BV: How difficult was it not to cheat, knowing that millions are watching you on TV?
Kimberley: You know what? I don't believe in deprivation. If I really felt like I had to have something, I'd have it. And that's real life. Dr. Ian and the panel told us that. They said, 'You're human, you're going to eat a cheeseburger, pizza every now and then.' And it's okay. You can't be perfect. I think that you have to give yourself some leeway.
DA BRAT
BV: So did you all from time to time sneak out and pick up a pizza?
Da Brat: Mr. Chow's! [an upscale Chinese restaurant in New York, London and Beverly Hills]
Kimberley: I was like girl, when this show is over we're going to Mr. Chow's!
Da Brat: And we did. We went there and pigged out! (Laughs)
DR. IAN K. SMITH
BV: This is really great Dr. Ian. I have to ask you, what motivated you to present such a challenge to the black community?
Dr. Ian: I've spent so many years as a medical journalist reporting on obesity and being overweight in the African-American community and us dying from diseases so early, so unnecessarily and I wanted to do something about it. So I thought, how can I get us to care about us and want to make the change in all of these bad trends? I decided this is a fun way to do it, it's a way to do it with the community and it's positive. It's all about being positive.
BV: What kind of things can we expect to take place as you continue the tour?
Dr. Ian: Oh my goodness! Each city is just going to get bigger and better. The idea is that the momentum should spread across the country, it's going to be viral and we're excited because this energy from here will then transmit to the rest of the country and then the challenge will be coming to a city near you, and that's the kind of spirit we want to engender.
BV: What can we look forward to at the close of the two years?
Dr. Ian: We want to lose 50 million pounds and we think we can do it in a year, NOT two years. When we lose the 50 million pounds, then we're going to go to phase two. Because we think there's more than just the weight, we're going to talk about bigger health issues.
BV: Well thank you for caring enough to give us this challenge, and giving us TWO years to reach our goal although you believe we can do it in one! I believe we can do it.
Dr. Ian: Yes. I believe so too and thank you. We need your support all the way. Thank you!
Join Dr. Ian Smith's 50 Million Pound Challenge now!
2006-07-12 15:20:51
