This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Nazareth Local, 'Donate My Weight' Founder Joins Patch Blogging Team!

Ben Miller, lifelong Nazareth local, author and founder of the international Donate My Weight campaign (www.IAmDonateMyWeight.com) joins the Patch blogging team.

Hi everyone! Some of you many know me, Nazareth is a small community and I've lived her almost all my life. I was raised in Lower Nazareth, graduated from Nazareth Area Senior High School in 1993 and I now live in Upper Nazareth with my wife and four children.

You might also recognize me from those giant posters that hung in the local grocery stores back in 2008, when I created my Donate My Weight campaign to raise donations for food banks across America. I created the concept of pairing weight loss, my own, with raising donations for the food banks in the end of 2007. In the years since, many others have taken the idea and ran with it, including NBC's hit reality show, "The Biggest Loser."

I couldn't be happier with all the food and money that's been donated through my efforts and those of others who followed my lead in recent years. To know that millions of hungry men, women and children have been fed is a gratifying and humbling feeling. At the same time, I was unable to lose my own weight and after a ton of international media exposure capped by an appearance on the Rachael Ray Show, I was forced to shut down Donate My Weight.

Find out what's happening in Nazarethwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It was utterly humiliating to fail like that in front of the world and I felt defeated. In the meantime, I saw my first book get published by Exit Zero Publishing and became a bestseller, along with a second book that is being released this summer. Still, it was all bittersweet, because I couldn't erase or forget my failure with Donate My Weight. That's when professional wrestling legend and three-time Heavyweight Champion of the World "Diamond" Dallas Page (DDP) entered my life.

He talked with me about my issues, including my disabilities and other medical problems (oh yeah, I'm a disabled veteran of Naval Intelligence), and DDP gave me the encouragement to restart Donate My Weight and finish what I started. He told me my story isn't over yet and I could still write the ending. DDP told me it was time for me to stage a comeback, for myself, my family and for all those food banks. And he pledged to help me as I did it.

Find out what's happening in Nazarethwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In January of 2013, I restarted Donate My Weight and I restarted my dieting regime. I'm using DDP's yoga program, DDP Yoga, and losing weight like a champ. I am determined to finish this and reclaim my life. I talk with DDP a couple times a week and he has been a constant source of encouragement and support. DDP Yoga has been a Godsend for me, allowing me to get a solid workout in the privacy of my home. Just like before, I am donating one pound of food to my local food bank, the Nazareth Area Food Bank, for every pound of weight I lose.

To learn more about me, my Donate My Weight project and to watch my progress, visit www.IAmDonateMyWeight.com.

I'll also be blogging weekly about my progress on here, for all my friends, family and neighbors!

 

*** Disclaimer ***

100 percent of all food and money donated through Donate My Weight goes directly to food banks around the world. I do not benefit from Donate My Weight in any way, other than to know I'm helping others.

I do not work for Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) and am not compensated by him for talking about DDP Yoga. I talk about it because it has worked well for me, it's as simple as that.

I am no longer able to hold a full-time job due to my disabilities and I write as a means of therapy. I am officially a disabled veteran with the Department of Veterans Affairs and compensated at the 100 percent level. I'm also an active member of the American Legion and a life member of the Disabled American Veterans.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?