Call it divine intervention.

If Shayla Hudson-Williams, 27, had not danced her way onto 'Dance Your Ass Off' (DYAO) , this summer's popular reality show and weight loss competition on the Oxygen network, she was well on her way to living a life as a pre-diabetic and among the morbidly obese, she told Black Voices.

Of medium height, she weighed in at 206 pounds, frequently dining on hamburgers, pizza, Chinese food, soda, fruit juice, junk food and no fresh fruit or vegetables. But being on the show taught her to eat healthy foods and to exercise, she says.

"I used to be like the reason I'm shaking right now is because I have low sugar, let me drink a big soda,'' said the Tampa, Fla., native, who grew up in Southern California. "The doctors on the show told me if I had gone another three months like that I would have become a full-on diabetic,'' which causes a litany of health complications.

As a marketing executive involved with the 50 Million Pound Challenge, a national weight-loss initiative, Pam El has spent the past few years traveling the country to help Americans who are struggling with obesity. Until a year and a half ago, El was one of the very same people she was trying to help. In fact, during her first year touring the country for the challenge, she gained 20 pounds. Her life changed when she saw herself -- at 5-foot-2 and 217 pounds -- on a promotional video.

"The moment for me was when I saw myself on one of the videos, standing there on the stage telling people to get healthy," she told Black Voices, "and I realized I looked like the poster child for obesity. From that point in my journey, a year and a half ago, I'm down from that 217 to 147."

El joined the 50 Million Pound Challenge in earnest, journaling her exercise and diet habits, getting a workout partner and finding inspiration in the stories of other challengers on the Web site. Fast-forward to today and El, along with 50 Million Pound Challenge founder Dr. Ian Smith, is celebrating a milestone -- more than 1 million people have signed up for the challenge at 50millionpounds.com.

Smith, who was inspired to create the challenge after working on the VH1 show 'Celebrity Fit Club,' told the Black Voices community -- like the million plus challengers on his Web site -- why it's important for people trying to lose weight.

Q: I don't have time for a lengthy workout during the week. How can I maintain a healthy but short workout regime that works as well as a longer one?

A: Here is a guaranteed formula to minimize the time you spend exercising to get maximum results!

Time management is the name of the game when it comes to long workdays, family duties and a busy social calendar. To ensure the best results, you must increase your level of intensity and frequency. This simply means that you need to train harder and rest less. You can maximize results with a strategic use of time, environment, routine and mental readiness.

1. TIME: Set a time to workout when you are the least distracted. My suggestion is very early in the morning or late in the evening. Attempting to work out when the world is at its peak makes for a distraction-filled session. I always recommend working out a minimum of three times per week for 30 minutes a day if time permits.

2. ENVIRONMENT: Pick a comfortable location that is a perfect place for you to work out efficiently and effectively. Avoid working out with gym buddies who only want to talk, and never stop your workout to check e-mail, voicemail and text messages. Become selfish during your exercise time! Make it all about you and your body. Trust me, the small sacrifice will turn into big results in the long term.