mike-lamb

What People Ask Someone Who’s Won $1 Million

When people hear that I won a million dollars in Dr. Oz‘s Transformation Nation Million Dollar You Challenge, they often have questions—and maybe you do, too. Here are the ones I hear the most.

Q: Was it hard?

A: Yes, at first trying to lose weight was quite painful! I had to break old habits and replace them with new (often more time-consuming) ones. Eating a doughnut is easy. Cutting up enough fruits and vegetables to keep the equivalent of 30 10-pound rabbits happy every day is a lot of work!

Q: Are you tempted to take a breather from the whole weight-loss thing?

A: Honestly, no. My wife, Jody, has had to revamp her entire life to manage her lupus and control her kidney damage. Knowing that what I am doing (getting fit so that I can donate a kidney to her, if need be) could be the difference between our having a long, happy life and the alternative makes it a no-brainer.

Q: Do you have a goal for the summer?

A: I set four summer goals and have already accomplished three of them! First, I wanted to go rafting in North Georgia, so Jody and I booked a trip down the Olympic Course of the Ocoee River. (Go big, or go home!) Second, now that I’ve lost a good bit of weight, I wanted to do another zip-line course. (I had zip-lined in the British Virgin Islands last summer, but at 300 pounds, I came home totally bruised and sore.) Third, I wanted to commit to another health club membership. Rafting? Check. Zip-line? Check. Join a gym? Check. The only summer goal I have left to conquer is reaching that 75-pound weight-loss mark by late July—and Sharecare is helping me accomplish that with tools, trackers and a weekly workout.

Q: What have you splurged on now that you’re a millionaire?

A: Nothing. We promised Dr. Oz’s viewers that there would be no mansion, no fancy car, no fine jewelry or clothes—and we meant it. We are investing the money so it’ll be there to pay for Jody’s health care in the future, if we need it. We were given a great gift, and we promise to be good stewards of that money.

I’m also trying to be a good steward when it comes to my own health. So please help me meet my weight-loss goals!

  • Check out my weekly blogs each Thursday, where you can see my workouts with Sharecare fitness expert Wendy Batts—and try them yourself!
  • Share your weight-loss tips with me in the comment section below.
  • Friend me!

Please join me. I need all the support I can get!

Leave some love—a tip or any form of encouragement—for Mike in the comment section below.

 

File under: Lose It

Contributor

Michael Lamb

I am a 55-year-old male who started off my journey at 5' 11" and 300 pounds. I won Doctor Oz's Transformation Nation Million Dollar Contest by losing 48 pounds to bring attention to my wife's (Jody's) potential need for a kidney. Jody has Chronic Kidney Disease, Stage 3 caused by Lupus Nephritis. Jody was only diagnosed two years ago, and she was already at Stage 3 so we don't know how fast her kidneys are failing. (Was it a quick decline or have her kidneys been slowly failing over the past two decades?) Through a combination of diet (Weight Watchers) and exercise (membership at two fitness clubs) I have been losing 1-2 pounds each week. I have done this while managing to teach Architecture, Design, and Drafting at a career academy, care for my elderly parents, keep my three children on "the straight and narrow", and move 50 miles to spare my wife the agony of our daily teaching commute. I have since lost another 17 pounds but still have 35 more to go. Help me reach my 100 pound weight loss goal . . . I need all the support I can muster.

View my Sharecare profile

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Comments

  1. Wendy Trunz

    Hey Michael,
    My name is Wendy Trunz, I met you at the Transformation Nation Finale up in the hallway waiting for the show that morning. I was standing next to you as you inspired us all sharing your journey. I have shared your story about turning the “switch” on inside for yourself with so many people that I have been sharing my weight loss story and successes with… I was in the challenge and made it to the final 20. As of today, I have lost 66 pounds, so am excited to follow your progress as I know you will inspire me to hit 75 pounds also. We can do it!!! We have all come so far with this amazing challenge as our catalyst to gain our lives back!
    I was extremely blessed to sit next to your beautiful wife, Jody for the finale. During the taping, I was able to talk with her, share a bit about my story, and have her share a bit about hers and yours. I kept a journal and blog during my journey (wendyweighsin.com), and one of the most amazing moments I wrote about was realizing halfway through the show that I was sitting next to your wife. In fact, when she told me that it was National Lupus day that day, I told her that if she got the opportunity to tell America, she had to. That entire day was such a gift to me, especially being able to throw my arms around Jody when they announced you as the winner! I only wish that when the show aired, the world could have heard your entire speech and hers. I went home and wrote it all down in my blog so that I wouldn’t forget, and I promised everyone that after the show aired, I would put it up within the next few minutes. I’m so glad that I documented it all, because when the show aired, soooo much of what happened that day was cut out, including Jody’s amazing speech at the end. I wish all of America could have seen her speak, but it is forever written on my blog.
    Anyway, I am so excited to follow your progress and have you inspire me to keep going. It’s been an incredible journey so far. Thank you for all that you have done for your own health, all that you have shared with me, and for all the people you continue to inspire. There is no greater joy for me to share all that I have learned with others, along with learning new ideas from others continuing to transform their lives.
    This is the first summer of my life that I am working out, going to WW and getting stronger and thinner everyday. Every other summer I gave in and said I would start in September when the kids went back to school. Not this summer!! I’m in it with you! Stay strong, and I look forward to doing this along with you. Many thanks, Wendy Trunz
    PS If you have time, read all about our finale from a “behind the scenes view”. Tell Jody I said “Hi”.

    June 26th, 2012, 1:03 pm

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