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Teamwork Helps Take Off Pounds

Photos courtesy of FEMI MARTIN

Femi Martin was motivated by an online national weight-loss campaign that encourages blacks to collectively lose 50 million pounds.

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By CLOE CABRERA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 20, 2008

63 pounds to be exact.

Every time Femi Martin signed on to www.50millionpoundchallenge.com, a national weight-loss campaign that encourages blacks to collectively lose 50 million pounds, she was motivated by the words of others trying to lose weight.

"50millionpoundchallenge.com has the tools and resources I need to lose weight," says Martin, 32, of Brandon. "I correspond with people who are facing the same weight-loss issues as I am. We're doing it together; it's very inspiring."

Martin chronicles her weight loss with a blog on the site and encourages others to achieve their weight-loss goals. Her story could net her a $1,000 cash prize as the Web site's first "Challenger of the Year." The winner will be chosen with an online vote at the site. Another $1,000 winner will be chosen randomly from those who cast a vote.

Launched in 2007, the free Web site provides an individual weight-loss tracker, diet and nutrition tips, and recipes. The site also offers forums where people can chat about their weight-loss struggles. The campaign was launched by Ian Smith, a physician best known for his participation in VH-1 reality TV show "Celebrity Fit Club."

Everyone is welcome to join the challenge, but Smith targeted the black community because nearly 80 percent of adult black women and 67 percent of adult black men are overweight, according to the challenge's Web site.

Martin says she has struggled with weight most of her life. She finally was driven to do something about it when an aunt died in February from complications of diabetes and high blood pressure.

"She was obese and she wouldn't follow doctors' orders," Martin says. "She refused to eat right and she smoked. I just felt enough is enough. We both weighed around 250 pounds."

Martin began reading Smith's book "Fat Smash Diet" and joined The 50 Million Pound Challenge. She started a team called Teachers Inspiring Teachers 2 B Fit with some colleagues. She began cutting back on carbs, started eating breakfast and vegetables, and got a dog, Daisy, so she would be inspired to walk.

In six months, Martin was down 63 pounds.

"I was easily consuming about 2,500 to 3,000 calories a day," she says. "Now, I eat about 1,200 to 1,500 calories. And I have a vegetable at every single meal. I can't even believe I'm eating vegetables."

She says the thing that helped her most is hearing from other members of the Challenge.

"There is always someone there with positive words to keep me motivated and keep me moving forward."

Martin says she wants to lose 20 more pounds to reach a "comfortable and happy" weight.

"I always look at the small weight that I lost," she says. "I didn't look at the big picture: 50, 80 pounds; it was too much to grasp. To me, the small numbers count more. Every pound you lose gets you closer to your goal. I'm not finished yet."

Cloe Cabrera can be reached at (813) 259-7656.

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