Welcome to Healthy Living in partnership with The 50 Million Pound Challenge created by Dr. Ian Smith.

This month, we’ll continue to feature a Challenger who has successfully joined the 50 Million Pound Challenge to not only lose weight and but maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Making healthy choices is important in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes which are all prevalent in the African-American community.  Join us as we work toward creating healthy individuals, communities and countries.

To learn more or to join The 50 Million Pound Challenge, visit www.50poundschallenge.com or look at the video by clicking here.

To read our story with Dr. Ian Smith, please click here.

Pounds Lost To Date: 5,254,446

For daily updates, please visit the website.

Challenger: Craig Nash Hometown: Chicago, IL Year Joined: 2007	Starting Weight: 390 lbs. Current Weight: 200 lbs. Weight Lost: 190 lbs.

His Story:

Craig Nash didn’t really realize just how serious his weight problem was until someone in the Los Angeles airport chased him down to charge him for an extra seat.  He was told that just by looking at him, he would have to pay for two seats, not one.  And for him, that was the last time he would be put in that type of embarrassing situation again.

Making the Change:

Being overweight most of his life, Nash says that poor eating habits were the main culprits to his unhealthy lifestyle.

After the incident in the airport, similar to Challenger Marilyn Winters, Nash first tried to lose the weight on his own.  He even auditioned for the show Biggest Loser and was rejected twice.

But one day while listen to the radio, he heard Dr. Ian Smith talking about the Challenge.  Immediately, he went to a State Farm agent to pick up his kit and begin making the necessary changes to become healthy.

Slowly but surely, he started making changes to his diet which includes staying away from sodium and eventually became a vegetarian.  Furthermore, he exchanged his car for a bike so that he could start exercising more.  He currently cycles 300 – 350 miles a week. In the winter, he walks to work in the snow and also takes stairs.  And to add to his dedication, in order to watch TV he has to do so on this stationary bike.

His ultimate goal… to cycle across the country.

He know shows off his size 42 suit (before the weight loss he was wearing a size 62) and is a shopaholic jazzing up this wardrobe with colors vs. the grays and blacks he once used to only wear.

Support and Inspiration:

Working for the Chicago Public School District, Nash noted that he had to “be a walking example” to students about setting your mind to something and achieving it.

On this journey, he suggests not doing it along and credits his success to Dr. Ian Smith and other Challengers.

“Challenge yourself, set a goal,” are words of inspiration that he shares when telling his story.  And we do know that if you can see it, you will achieve it.

Nash is featured in the national TV commercial for The 50 Million Pound Challenge.