Pounds for Poverty

Is the glass half full or half empty?

2005-12-26T09:30:00.000Z

Well here it is. The last post. Although, the lack of a bugler rather spoils that impression...

It's been a tough year. Even tougher than I imagined it would be at the beginning of it, when I ran through all the horrible things which could happen and wondered if I had the strength to diet through them. I thought I might, but the truth turned out to be that I succumbed when the stress mounted - just as I always do. How else do you imagine I got to be the size I was last year?

Just to recap, I started this off weighing 18 stone back on 6 January 2005. The first stone came off by 2 February and the second bit the dust on 12 March, during a vicious bout of gastroenteritis. It all got a bit boring after that, and the third didn't disappear until mid-August. At which point I ground to a halt, causing perturbation to my small band of constant supporters.

Since then, the weight has crept back on as I failed catastrophically to resist the temptations of the season. I finish this challenge weighing in at 15 stone 5. That's 2 stone 9 pounds less than when I started, but a whole 3 stone 5 pounds more than I hoped to be today.

For those of my less charming supporters who may clamour to know if I'm going to be paying the sponsorship back, the answer is No! It went to a good cause! But on the basis that payments to date equal approximately £30 per pound, I am paying £150 into the pot as a forfeit for the 5 pounds I regained.

I'm sorry to have let down my sponsors who demonstrated they believed in me and what I was trying to do by pledging such generous support. I'm even more sorry to have let down those who benefit from the work of ActionAid in some of the poorest countries of the world, especially on today's anniversary of the Tsunami which so tragically called attention to the fragility of human existence.

So I could look on this experience as nothing more than a failure - and I frequently do - but I'm going to choose not to do so. Given the events of my year, with the loss of a dearly loved pet, four illnesses, flood and temporary homelessness, I could easily have put all the weight back on. It really is only this challenge and your support which stopped me doing that. So I will start 2006 succeeding at weighing less than I did the year before, and I have every intention of starting 2007 in the same fashion. I will attempt to lose a further 4 stone in the coming year - but I'll be doing it in private. This blog ends here.

Goodbye.

Time Out

2005-12-01T11:42:00.000Z

Sorry folks. I'm suspending the blog until 26 December when I'll post a final update.

I hope that the inhabitants of Devon, Switzerland and Winchester find something else interesting to read in the meantime.

Update

2005-11-26T16:03:00.000Z

Sorry for the delay. Lost a pound last week. No snow here yet - thank god. Found a Major Pratt in the 1861 census today - that gave me a giggle. Can't think of anything else to report. Over and out...

Another Thursday

2005-11-17T14:44:00.000Z

I'm not really sure what happened to the last two posts which you (i.e. my one avid reader and the two or three others who drop by now and then) have obviously been expecting. I can only assume I ate them... along with everything else. Apologies for the silence which, as you will have guessed, indicates no weight loss at all - and indeed one pound gained this last week. Actually, it's a bit of a surprise I haven't put on more than I have - but that's not much help to one and all.

On the positive front, building work has finally started on my flat - and I should be home in 2006! I suspect I'll have an easier time dieting once all of this is over - but I'm afraid that'll be too late for this challenge.

Weak week whatever...

2005-10-27T21:43:00.000+01:00

I didn't try harder...
I didn't try harder...
I didn't try harder...

Another pound on after a week of self-indulgence. I'd like to blame the constant stress caused by having to choose exactly the right shade of magnolia for my walls, but I think most of you are savvy enough to realise there are better excuses out there.

The only bright spot on the horizon is that I woke this morning craving an apple and have managed to stick to my diet today. Long may it continue!

The Games

2005-10-20T14:24:00.000+01:00

Sorry folks. I've been labouring under a misapprehension. This diet is neither a marathon nor a sprint. It's the hurdles. About 26 miles of them. And I never could cope with hurdles. At school I had to push each one over with my hand before jumping over the fallen obstacle in the most cissy style imaginable.

This time, I attempted to jump and have now got a bloodied nose and grazed knees - metaphorically speaking of course (just in case you were getting so involved with my vivid prose that you envisaged me in A&E battered and bruised...) In reality, what I'm getting at is that I've put 2lbs on and I'm just too damn stressed and tired to cope with being hungry as well.

I will try harder...
I will try harder...
I will try harder...

Postcard from Auckland, Wellington, Picton, Blenheim, Christchurch, Greymouth, Napier, Taupo, Rotorua…

2005-10-13T12:45:00.000+01:00

The jet lag has receded and I am now able to ponder on my excellent holiday, which was one of contrasts – cities versus unpopulated landscapes; people versus sheep; night-loving kiwis versus sun-loving kiwis versus green hairy kiwis; wind chill of –1 degrees versus sunburn in 24 degrees; sauvignon blanc versus more sauvignon blanc… I had an excellent time and am delighted to say I gave my diet and soggy flat hardly a thought.

With the purchase of a winter coat and the free bathrobe from my final night’s hotel deal, my suitcase expanded to a hefty 22.5kg on the return from New Zealand. I was hardly able to lift it and am eternally grateful to the inventor of wheeled cases. It occurred to me to convert these mysterious kilos to pounds using the ever helpful Google calculator. Just under 50lbs – only 4lbs more than I’ve lost since January. It was a salutary thought – I’d been carrying that around with me everywhere I went!

So there we have it – with 4lbs off this week (easy on easy off) only two thirds of a suitcase to go…

Round the World in 19 Days

2005-10-06T09:00:00.000+01:00

Well I'm back! Most of me is anyway. I suspect my brain can be found floating somewhere over Mongolia and I left a bit of my heart in New Zealand. Unfortunately my stomach has remained with me steadfastly throughout my trip and has resulted in a 4lb weight gain. Chasing sheep was insufficient exercise to cope with the effects of lashings of good food and excellent wine consumed in superb company.

Back to work tomorrow - may be interesting as I've been awake since 3.30am today and am likely to be asleep by dusk. Body clocks are a bizarre phenomenon. Especially as mine is making me crave evil carbohydrates at unusual times of the day and night.

One wise friend pointed out when I started this diet that I should view it as a marathon (perhaps even an ironman?) rather than a sprint. Well that's no longer the case. I've got to pull out all the stops from now on - there's only 81 days to go until Boxing Day and 42 pounds to lose. Almost impossible but I'll give it my best shot!

Pray silence for The Return of the Graph... (Is it just me or does it look like a pair of sugar tongs?)

Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake.
Anon

Stress, Streeesss, STRESS! (Week 35)

2005-09-08T07:00:00.000+01:00

Which is my way of explaining why I haven't lost anything this week... Sorry!

I'm off to New Zealand next week so there's going to to be a gap before I update you again on the weight fluctuations. I'll be back on this blog on 6 October. In the meantime, try and cope without the thrills and spills of me cocking up my diet once more...

I have gained and lost the same ten pounds so many times over and over again, my cellulite must have deja vu.
Jane Wagner

The Penalty for Complacency (Week 34)

2005-09-01T08:21:00.000+01:00

Complacency - and a trip to the pub the night before weigh-in - have resulted in two pounds on. Oh dear, floods are obviously not as good for my waistline as I thought...

Large, naked raw carrots are acceptable as food only to those who lie in hutches eagerly awaiting Easter.
Fran Lebowitz

Dieting Schmieting (Week 33)

2005-08-25T19:31:00.000+01:00

Sorry this is rather late - been rushing hither and thither today as the great clean-up gets into its 3rd week.

Well all I can say to any budding dieters out there is, have a flood and move in with a parent - the weight will just fall off! Actually the main thing I put it down to is the limited opportunity to slob out in front of the telly and the fact that more than one person has an interest in the contents of the fridge. As a result, and despite a reduction in dedicated exercise, I've lost FOUR POUNDS this week. Hip hip hip hip hooray!!

I'm beginning to fit into clothes I haven't worn for several years. Picked up a pair of jeans yesterday, looked at them and thought "they'll never fit", and they do - perfectly! They're still a size 20 - but they have a waist and are a distinct improvement on the size 26-defiantly-squeezing-into-a-size-24 that I was 8 months ago.

Isn't it horrible to find out that you're not unique? It's only recently that I have discovered that I am far from being the solitary diet blogger that I thought I was. For those of you who are gluttons for more than just punishment, there's a groaning sideboard of reading matter for you out on the web. The best place to start is with The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl, the author of which is featured in a new book - Tales from the Scale. There are a lot of us out of there!

According to diet lore, "indulging" or "giving in to temptation" is a "sin". Strangling a few people is a sin. Invading East Timor is a sin. Ethnic cleansing is a sin. Testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific is a sin. I'm sorry, but eating doesn't quite make the grade.
Kaz Cooke

A Refugee Writes (Week 32)

2005-08-18T08:10:00.000+01:00

It's been another exhausting week, dealing with insurers who change their stories every time I speak to them, and visiting my flat - the rain forest - periodically to check on the dehumidifiers and rescue more of my stuff. On the positive front, some times I've been too tired to bother to eat so, despite not having counted a calorie for two weeks now, I have managed to lose another pound.

I didn't ask people to pay up their sponsorship last week because I feared the stress of my domestic crisis might push me back in the direction of those well-beloved cheese and ham sandwiches. But I'm remaining fairly strong so have now called in people's pledges.

My present to myself for losing the third stone last week, was Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons: Enchanting dishes from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa. Enchanting indeed - once I dragged myself from the prospect of Ottoman Lamb with Sultan's Pleasure, Flower Scented Truffles and Ladies' Navels with Cardamom and Rose Syrup and Berries, there are many healthy and scrumptious recipes for me to experiment with. Date Stuffed Mackerel with Spicy Broth and Couscous is definitely worth a try, as is Arab-Andalusian Monkfish with Saffron, Honey and Vinegar - yum!

I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon.
Ellen DeGeneres

Ruth’s Recipe for 3lbs Weight Loss (Week 31)

2005-08-11T08:20:00.000+01:00

Ingredients:

1 Ruth
1 exuberant Labrador
2 tumbling children
Multiple cute guinea piglets and ostrich-like hens
Good friends, good food, good wine
20 gallons of water
2 policemen
Sweat and tears

Remove Ruth from store cupboard and place her on a freshly oiled train for 4 hours. On arrival in Devon, ferry her to rural idyll for relaxing weekend.
Send her on gentle 3 mile walk with dog and friends. Apply sprinkling of rain water as required.
Feed and water her and place in a dark room for seven hours. Then awaken with the chirrup of a mookoo clock and relish the string of swear words that ensue.
Expose to tree planting ceremony, persuade tumbling children that Ruth really will break if placed on trampoline, then take on extended walk ending with a faceful of holly and a field full of ankle-wrenching tussocks and cows with a wild glint in their eyes.
Return Ruth to store cupboard, placing her on slightly less well oiled train for another 4 hours.
Meanwhile, liberally apply water to store cupboard through bathroom and bedroom ceiling, ensuring that walls and floors are all evenly soaked. Check that laptop, books, papers and furniture are also properly drenched. Avoid wetting already traumatised cat.
Apply policemen forceably to front door of neighbour’s flat upstairs to cut off water supply once sufficient damage has been experienced.
Relocate Ruth plus cat to temporary store cupboard for 2-4 months enriched by maternal care.
Garnish with sweat, tears and exhaustion in equal measure and serve.

And that means the 3rd stone has finally left this mortal coil - certainly took it long enough! Graphs and pictures will return when hard drive recovered (keep your fingers crossed) and new digital camera USB cable acquired.

Week 30

2005-08-04T07:00:00.000+01:00

Morning everybody.

The petits fours and canapes have done their worst - my stay at this gorgeous hotel at the weekend has resulted in 1 pound on (or to be precise 4 pounds on / 3 pounds off). My sojourn in Devon this coming weekend will not have such a devastating impact. e has ~~threatened~~ promised a weekend of ~~deprivation~~ healthy living and I have a dreadful feeling I'll be expected to jog for my breakfast...

Supposing you have tried and failed again and again. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Mary Pickford

Week 29

2005-07-28T07:49:00.000+01:00

Would somebody please explain to me where exactly these weeks are going?! Whizz - and there goes another one...

It's been a good one from the diet perspective. Everyone's support has got me back on track. I know that, without the pressure to maintain this blog and confess my transgressions, this diet would have gone the way of previous ones by now and I'd probably have put back on the 2.5 stones I'd lost for good measure.

This week I have fallen in love - with rose harissa. Some smells are just better than sex - freshly torn basil, the richest most intense tomatoey sauce, and, now, rose harissa. Its pungent aroma certainly provides the only sunshine apparently available in this particular English "summer".

Pickled lemons are also rather wonderful - another substance I've encountered in a mission to add flavour to my diet. It seems you just use the peel, which is salty and intensely lemony - lovely.

But I believe the secret to this week's diet success is a highly nutritious, yummy dish of intense puy lentils which I have adorned with various griddled fishes - it's really helped fill me up and made me feel indulged rather than deprived.

All this busyness in the kitchen, renewed walking and determination has resulted in another 5lbs loss this week. The next challenge is keeping on track during two weekends away - I will, of course, let you know how I get on.

Whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Not lifting weights doesn't kill me. Therefore, not lifting weights makes me stronger.
John Alejandro King

Week 28

2005-07-21T07:56:00.000+01:00

Hi! Remember me? Sorry about the missing post last week. As you'll probably have guessed, I'd failed yet again (3lbs on) and couldn't face having to admit it once more. I've redressed the balance this week though by losing 5lbs, but need another good week to get me out of this endless yo-yoing phase.

I'm trying out some changes in my diet which should help. I'm attempting to use many more fresh basic foods - fish, tofu, eggs, nuts, brown rice, fruit, veg etc. - rather than processed gunk. By concentrating more on eating healthily I'm reminding myself of the importance of good nutrition and revitalising my tastebuds. Will it last? Who knows...?

All this should help with my latest in a string of medical diagnoses - something called Gilbert's syndrome. Nothing to worry about, apart from the prospect of turning a fetching shade of yellow and a jolly good excuse for being tired all the time. It's given me the spur to try to detox my life a bit though. Now to find a toxin-free bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and I'll be a happy Ruth...

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
Douglas Adams

Week 26

2005-07-07T08:01:00.000+01:00

Two pounds off. Two pounds on. Maybe I'm just meant to be fat...

Week 25

2005-06-30T07:07:00.000+01:00

This week I feel the urge to rant about cup sizes. And, before you blokes turn away from your computer screens with a maidenly blush upon your freshly shaven cheeks, that's not the sort of cup size I mean.

I've given up with the Weight Loss Resources website which I've been using to track my calorie consumption so far. Since April I've been unable to access it properly at work - something to do with temporary cacheing or some such technobabble. This has reduced my motivation as I cannot record the calories I've "earned" from my walk to work or track the latest expensive Count on Us product I've bought from M&S for lunch.

So I've moved onto a new online service, called MyFoodDiary.com, which is much more attractive to use. It has all sorts of tricks to help motivation - from a series of enlightening quotations (and you all know I like my quotes) to little smiley faces telling me "Saturated fats only accounted for 5.5% of your calories. Good job staying below the 9% limit!"

But there's a catch. It's American. And the Americans not only have very different foods to us (what is a corn grit anyway!?), but they also measure it differently. Hence the cup size rant. I can't have 75g of blueberries - or even 3oz - I have to have them by the cup. And a quick survey of my kitchen cupboard (or board of cups, if you will) supplies me with quite a variety of such vessels, ranging from espresso size to latte grande with all the trimmings. Once I've decided upon the cup, the possibilities for creative calorie accountancy still seem to be legion. You can fit a whole lot more blueberries in a cup if you pulverise them first. Similarly, cereal soaked in water can be squelched into the measure, enabling the cunning dieter to eliminate all that irritating air which previously took up valuable room. Melted chocolate must also be given very serious consideration - yes, very serious consideration indeed.....

Anyway, I'm sure you'll all be thrilled to know that my new motivation has held firm (well at least for the last 4 or 5 days) and I have shifted another pound this week. I've been so good that I expected it to be more, but let's hope the weight loss speeds up from now so my cup size can be a cappuccino before I know it!

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there
Will Rogers

Week 24

2005-06-23T09:15:00.000+01:00

Well, dear readers, I really think the motivation may be back with me as of two days ago. Unfortunately I'd put on some more weight before then but I've taken that off again and one more pound so I'm heading back in the right direction.

My generous mother offered a bottle of bubbly for the best suggestion for revitalising my motivation. There are a number of suggestions which warrant commendation:

Peter's list of great ideas which include the purchase of some really expensive and desirous garment in a smaller size, a shiny medal, and the fact that I can't let Mr friskypockets win
e's threat of enforced jogging and belief in the power of nagging
Philip's gleeful offer of horrible violence if I fail
Karen's proposal that the rhythm method might be effective - at least I think that's what she said
Billy's diversionary rant about popular music - presumably designed to make me lose weight as fast as possible so I can close this blog down...

But the winner is antipodean Suzanne, who put a spring in my step with her suggestion:
Rest assured, we have the perfect solution. A trip to NZ. Honestly, a bit of fresh air and the pounds will fall off. Failing that, we'll have a da*m good time and drink to excess. Has to be done. That is all.

I will be presenting Suzanne with her reward in late September and, if she asks particularly nicely, I may even help her consume it.

It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.
President Abraham Lincoln

Week 23

2005-06-16T07:09:00.000+01:00

3lbs on...

Week 22

2005-06-09T07:27:00.000+01:00

The graph's beginning to look like a rather indecisive snake, pondering on whether to go and eat a particularly fat grasshopper or to bask in the sun avoiding temptations which would affect its waistline (and at least I don't have to worry about having a waistline which stretches from my neck to my toes...) - left, right, left, right - up, down! Nevertheless, I have lost 2lbs since I resumed this ~~torture~~ healthy way of life, so let's hope I'm back on track. The clock's ticking so I've got to get on with it!

The Right Hon. was a tubby little chap who looked as if he had been poured into his clothes and had forgotten to say 'When!'
P.G. Wodehouse

Week 21

2005-06-05T14:00:00.000+01:00

Hi. Remember me? Sorry for disappearing for a little while. I needed to lick my wounds and be allowed to try and fill the emptiness with overly calorific foodstuffs.

Needless to say, that didn't work, and today I have resumed my diet with fresh determination to succeed in reducing your bank balances as well as my waistline. In the interim I've gained a further 3lbs - but I'm sure I'll shed those quickly.

I started my new job a week and a half ago and have been transformed into someone who gets to work at 8.30am instead of 9.59am. Perhaps this is the beginning of a whole new energised me who will scoff in the face of chocolate eclairs and say pshaw to bags of chips drenched in vinegar.

Perhaps...

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall
Confucius

My beautiful boy

2005-05-29T10:40:00.000+01:00

Henry
11 May 1995 - 26 May 2005

May you be munching flowers and purring like a drill in a happy and peaceful place - I miss you more than I can say

Hiatus

2005-05-24T22:09:00.000+01:00

I'm putting the diet/blog on hold for a couple of weeks. I'll be back though.

Week 19

2005-05-19T13:13:00.000+01:00

This week Google decided in its infinite wisdom to start indexing this blog. I would therefore like to welcome the trickle of complete strangers who have stumbled upon these pages over the last few days. Take a seat, put your feet up and, most importantly, get out your cheque book. My total pledge amount hasn't budged for weeks!

Two people have arrived by asking Google "how to lose 8 pounds in a week". One fantasist wanted to increase that to 10 pounds - I can tell you now the only way to do that is to get gastroenteritis or to cut off a non-essential limb.

This week I expect an influx of those searching on "how to gain a pound in a week and feel really pissed off about it". When you arrive, I'll have the chocolate hobnobs out and waiting for you...

Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.
Buddha

Week 18

2005-05-12T10:13:00.000+01:00

I've been pondering long and hard about what to write this week. What pearls of wisdom and sparks of humourous genius would have my readers riveted to this, my latest blog entry?

Well I've drawn a blank - nothing remotely amusing occurs to me. The sun is in the sky, the swans are on the lake, but Ruth's brain is empty of inspiration.

So, I bring to you instead, an interesting and useful fact which will help you as you traverse through this interminable daily toil. Inspiration weighs 3 pounds. I can prove it scientifically, ladies and germs. This week I have lost 3 pounds (hoorah!) and this week I have lost my inspiration (boo!). QED!

Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there.
Josh Billings

As old as the person you feel

2005-05-05T12:30:00.000+01:00

I like this quiz. Frankly I'd like anyone who told me I was 31 - although I'd prefer it if they told me I was 27. Now to find one that'll tell me I'm a size 12...

You Are 31 Years Old

31

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Week 17

2005-05-05T11:15:00.000+01:00

I can't believe it's Thursday again! Time disappears while the pounds stay steadfastly put. By which I mean I've lost nothing, niente, zilch this week. I think I need a cunning plan.

This cunning plan was sent to me by Billy and Debbie who obviously both have my interests at heart. I'm not sure it would convince my generous sponsors in the long run however - a sudden weight loss of some 15 stone followed by a static weight week in and week out is bound to cause a little suspicion...

One piece of good news is that the inches have started to budge. I've lost 4" round my bust and waist and 3.5" round my hips. Means I at least have a reasonably clear view of my feet so it's all been worthwhile to date.

Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
Mary Kay Ash

Week 16

2005-04-28T07:48:00.000+01:00

It took me 4 weeks to lose the first stone and 6 for the second to be history. Another 6 weeks has seen me up, down and roundabout - there's nothing wrong with my metabolism, just something amiss with my willpower. Dropping a dress size (or two) has made me feel fitter and more comfortable and I wonder if I'm being hampered by failing to believe I actually can be slim. So, you've heard it here first, I WILL BE SLIM! (So there, Mr Frisky Pockets... :op)

This week has been another of ups and downs. It started off with further indulgences (well it was my birthday!) which even a lengthy and beautiful walk round Wakehurst Place failed to mitigate. A totally delicious Sunday lunch ended this period of aberration and I am delighted to say that I'm now back on the brussel sprouts. However, I would like to point out to the commenter who suggested that I should eat masses of raw veg, that it will take everyone at least doubling their sponsorship for me to undergo such torture...!

I've lost the 5 pounds that I put on last week, so I'm back on track. I've upped my exercise again and that always seems to make a huge difference.

Billy has proposed some colour therapy, suggesting that my previous graph may have been holding me back. So you see below his suggestion for a graph which will generate the right karma. Next thing we'll know he'll be appearing on the front cover of Heat magazine - "Diet Counsellor to the Stars - Posh loses 3 stone on Billy's Colour Diet and falls down a crack in the pavement"!!

Forget love... I'd rather fall in chocolate!
Anon

How to dispose of overly calorific birthday cake

2005-04-25T07:19:00.000+01:00

Week 15

2005-04-21T13:00:00.000+01:00

Bad news this week. I am now resembling this object (only nowhere near as streamlined)...

I have gained a staggering 5 pounds in the last week. I'm afraid I have reverted to my old habit of treating food as a comfort blanket. A distinctly stressful week at work has resulted in "treatment" being applied in the form of cheese and ham sandwiches, meatballs, cheese and bacon grills and cordon bleu chicken - all accompanied by lashings of creamy mash... I have steered clear of sweet stuff, however, which is a small mercy.

The good news is that I have just been offered a new job (still with my current employers) which I really, really want! So an excellent reason to have a fresh start with the diet as well.

I've been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I've lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.
Erma Bombeck

Another good cause

2005-04-15T14:11:00.000+01:00

If any of you would like to witness real suffering, please pop over to Pete's fundraising page and sponsor him to complete this Sunday's London Marathon. He's running in aid of the MS Trust and your sponsorship will really urge him on - almost as much as the prospect of winning a medal!

Disclaimer

2005-04-15T09:03:00.000+01:00

We would like to assure readers that no animals were harmed (or starved) during the making of this blog. Ruth is following a fruit and vegetable-rich regime, with good quality protein, fat and carbohydrates. She is partaking in at least three meals a day and is also attempting to walk over 5 miles each day.

Any comments made about "suffering" during the course of this blog have been inserted purely for art's sake and should not be taken literally. Unless you want to.

The Management

Week 14

2005-04-14T10:00:00.000+01:00

What a rollercoaster this week has been. First I'm ashamed to admit I put on another 3 pounds over the weekend!

Then came the revelation that dear sweet billy is in fact one and the same as the ass-kicking Harvey from Celebrity Fit Club! Just shows you can never trust what you read on the internet.

Next my formerly well-built friend J appeared looking svelte and sexy with the hint of a well-toned pec or two rippling under his shirt. If he can do it, surely so can I!

And then marathon-runner P made it quite clear that he, and no doubt my other sponsors, were only supporting me in the belief that I would suffer while achieving my goal. And he knows a lot about suffering with Sunday approaching...

So I've buckled down and gone to bed hungry two nights running - suffering is back on the agenda. And in doing so, I've lost 7 pounds - giving a net loss for this week of 4 pounds (yes you were right F).

Yee - hah!

Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands- and then eat just one of the pieces.
Judith Viorst

Week 13

2005-04-07T08:45:00.000+01:00

It had to happen. I stand before you with head hung low. I've put on a pound this week.

I have to admit I've become rather lax about counting calories. I managed to lose weight last week without doing so, so thought I could continue. Anyway, I vow here and now to get back on the straight and narrow and do better next week... if only to make sure that a certain friend and colleague who keeps on suggesting I indulge in cream cakes and cornish pasties is made to pay out his sponsorship in full!

I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is two weeks.
Totie Fields

Week 12

2005-03-31T10:23:00.000+01:00

This week the friend and commenter affectionately known as Deranged of Dublin has suggested that I am, in fact, a womble.

Little did he know what a procession of disaster his innocent observation would cause.

After a full scientific analysis it turns out that I don't need to lose any weight at all! I am a perfect shape for a womble. However, I do need to lose 5 feet in height. I'm hardly going to lose those by cutting out chocolate, so now I need an entirely new strategy. Non-gory ideas on a postcard (or in the comments box) please...

Anyway, prior to this complete change of tack I would have been very happy to mention that I've lost another 2 pounds, meaning there would have been just 3 stone 11 pounds to go - doesn't that sound better than 6?

Time for another movie methinks.

I'm in shape. Round is a shape... isn't it?
Anon

Week 11

2005-03-24T07:49:00.000Z

An entirely undeserved one pound off this week. Bizarre given how many times I've broken my diet! But never look a gift pound in the mouth...

But it's official. Slimming is bad for my health. Chest infection this time - there goes my Easter break. See you all next week.

I Was Perfectly Fine (Hommage à Dorothy Parker)

2005-03-23T09:00:00.000Z

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

A convivial evening with friends in a wine bar
A small white wine spritzer - so far so good
A large white wine spritzer - not quite so good
A large white wine spritzer - without the spritzer
Another one - to keep it company
Quarter pounder with cheese - isn't it fortunate McD's is still open at 10 to 11?
Fries
OK, OK, I mean large fries
Packet of roast turkey slices - shouldn't have opened the fridge
One lonely looking Green & Black's choc ice

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

"Didn't I eat any dinner?" he said.
"Oh, not a thing," she said. "Every time the waiter would offer you something, you'd give it right back to him because you said that he was your long-lost brother, changed in the cradle by a gypsy band, and that anything you had was his. You had him simply roaring at you."
Dorothy Parker: "You Were Perfectly Fine"

Week 10

2005-03-17T08:09:00.000Z

Well there's a turn up for the books! Another 3 pounds off - so many of you owe me, or rather owe ActionAid, some more money. Go on, trust me - it actually feels rather good to shed those pounds!

Bye bye second stone - may I never, ever see you again.

In honour of this special occasion, I present a particular treat for members of GLADYS. Here's another (secret) graph - so keep it under your hat, won't you? This one tracks my weightloss on a daily basis - and shows that things are far more up and down than the weekly total suggests. It demonstrates why everyone says you shouldn't weigh yourself daily - the rollercoaster ride is far too disheartening. But what can I say - I'm a sucker for statistics...

The thick pink line is my target weight for this challenge. The thick black line is my actual rate of loss/gain. The yellow line is what my weight would look like if I lost a steady 2 pounds per week. And the thinner dotted line is the "trend" - what my loss will look like if I carry on at the same rate I have done over the last ten weeks. So all looks well. Until, of course, the next hiccup...

Oh, and nearly forgot - today's proof for the doubters amongst you...

I don't jog, it makes the ice jump right out of my vodka tonic.
Anon.

Week 9

2005-03-10T11:17:00.000Z

Not much to say this week. I'm still not well and, to be honest, am feeling as blue as blue can be. I've had the munchies for days now and have done practically no exercise so the diet is not going well. However, I do weigh one pound less than my "official" weigh-in last week so things are still going in the right direction.

Rich, fatty foods are like destiny: they too, shape our ends.
Anon

Week 8

2005-03-03T08:38:00.000Z

Now, some of you will be aware that the Queen has both an actual birthday and an official birthday each year. It appears to me that this is a rather uncrafty attempt to get double helpings of birthday cake but perhaps there is a more profound reason lurking around the place. I wonder if she ages twice as fast as the rest of us...?

Anyway, "get to the point, Ruth!" I hear you cajoling your PCs... (sorry e - and your Macs). This week I'm proud to announce both an official weigh-in and an actual weigh-in. The profound reason will become clear any moment now.

First for the official weigh-in.

I'm happy to tell you that this week I've made up for a bad week last week and have lost a further 3 pounds. Cue huzzahs from loyal subjects waving their hats in the air.

Now for the actual weigh-in.

As a temporary result of the gastroenteritis the scales actually show that I have lost 9 pounds. Cue dear husband requesting the Tupperware container of Rice Crispies whilst Batman stares in at the window.

I don't want to claim this week's full weightloss because I'm expecting much of this weight to return once I cease being dehydrated. I'd hate to get you to pay up for the second stone only to have to pay you back the next week... I had already lost 3 pounds before I got ill so I think I'm safe sticking with that amount.

So watch this space for a wondrous weightloss this time next week and get your credit cards ready for action.

What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn't much better than tedious disease.
Alexander Pope

Swings and roundabouts

2005-03-01T21:16:00.000Z

Yesterday morning I was on top of the world. The health benefits of losing all this weight were beginning to make themselves felt and my motivation was at an all time high.

So of course I have to succumb to gastroenteritis yesterday evening. And I feel just terrible - no end in sight yet. IT'S NOT FAIR!!

And I was really looking forward to going to see the ballet Highland Fling this evening with my gorgeous mother on her birthday (she's actually getting younger every day). But it wasn't to be. Sob.

End of rant...

Week 7

2005-02-24T08:00:00.000Z

Hello again. Come to check up on me?

I have to say that this (self-imposed) requirement on me to report my progress every Thursday, if not keeping me on the straight and narrow, is at least keeping me on the slightly-bendy and soon-to-be-slender. This week has been really tough, not least because of eating (and drinking) out twice. I think I've also established - blokes look away now - that the third week out of every four is likely to be particularly disrupted. Although, as one friend enquired, Hormones can't weigh that much can they?

But the knowledge that you, dear reader, would be calling by today spurred me on to face my demons (and turn my back on the choc ices in the freezer). And so I really am happy to say that this week I've lost one pound. It might not be as much as I wanted but it is half a bag of sugar and it does mean I've now got a quarter of my way towards my target, having lost 1½ stone.

Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.
Ogden Nash

The end to all dilemmas

2005-02-21T13:19:00.000Z

Now I know that many of you will have spent hours pondering on the vexed issue of how many calories you would burn off if attacked by a shark while skin diving. Well ponder no more! This site will tell you. Similarly, should you find yourself harvesting wild rice from a canoe and, say, are of a similar build to myself, I can inform you that you would burn a significant 347 calories in an hour.

Now I know where I went wrong. Instead of learning to play the flute as a child, the trombone should have been my instrument of choice. It burns off 75% more calories!

But there again, the site informs me that I can burn 2,273 calories merely by sleeping for 24 hours. And I can’t eat while asleep. I think I see a niche in the market for a new diet book. A very short diet book – but bound to be profitable I’m sure you’ll agree.

Unfortunately there is no entry for calories burned whilst brilliantly solving the Independent on Sunday’s cryptic crossword. I’ll just have to use “Reclining – reading, writing or talking” as a guide.

And of course, skin diving while being attacked by a shark is a wonderful way to lose weight in more ways than one….

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.
Mark Twain

Week 6

2005-02-17T07:43:00.000Z

Good morning one and all. Yet another seven days have passed and I'm happy to announce that I've lost a further 2 lbs, meaning that in the last six weeks I have shed 1 stone 6 lbs in total.

As a new treat for the Pounds for Poverty Graph Fan Club (known as GLADYS for short), I present Ruth's Weekly Weight Loss, The Movie...

I fully expect a last minute Oscar nomination and would welcome any support that you, my reader, can give me in attaining such a just reward.

Now you may be wondering why my weight loss hasn't been greater this week, given my significant success in earlier weeks. Please believe me when I say I don't want to blame anyone. It is irrelevant that my boss generously treated me to a delicious three course calorie-laden lunch in a local French restaurant late last week in celebration(?) of the 3rd anniversary of me taking up my current post. I acknowledge that I was entirely responsible for my own actions and that I didn't need to eat the hollandaise sauce, the French bread or the cheese. So I don't for one moment blame him for scuppering any chance I had of losing a full 3 lbs this week. He may, however, feel it appropriate to examine his own conscience and I merely mention that sabotage is a very ugly word...

P.S. Graph Lovers Anonymous Do Yt Scientifically...

No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat. Without a brain, you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office.
George Bernard Shaw

Week 5

2005-02-10T09:00:00.000Z

And the weight continues to come off - surprisingly fast this week even though I've been eating loads. But I've also been walking a lot, not only to and from work, but also some longer trips at the weekend. I recommend Walking London by Andrew Duncan for some free weekend entertainment. I'm going to see how many of the 30 walks I can do this year.

Does anyone recognise this landmark from my walk a couple of weeks ago?

Oh - you want to know how much I've lost? Are you sure? It's rather a lot actually... another FOUR POUNDS! Woo hoo!

I exercise every morning without fail. One eyelid goes up and the other follows.
Pete Postlethwaite

Week 4

2005-02-03T08:12:00.000Z

It's that time again and haven't I felt anxious over the last 18 hours in anticipation?! Well, to put you out of my misery, I can announce that loads of you now owe me money. Hoorah! Another 3 lbs weight off means my first stone has gone. Only 5 to go...

I'm particularly impressed with myself (oh come on, I'm allowed to be...) as I've been unwell since the weekend and unable to exercise. On Monday, I ate my exercise calories anyway - so went over. But the last two days I've diligently stuck to this week's allocation of 1,493 calories. And those of you suggesting that that might be because I'm cooped up at home with no access to tasty morsels, shame on you!

And not to forget, the weekly graphical evidence. And contrary to e's suggestion, no I can't stop just because the blue line has passed the goal line...

Famous for Fifteen Minutes

2005-02-02T17:10:00.000Z

This is getting scarey. I was busy girding my loins - or whatever you're supposed to do at such a time - in preparation for the publication of our staff newsletter next Monday.

This was going to feature my little adventure in calorie control, bringing it to the attention of the c.450 staff who were yet to be nobbled by me for sponsorship.

But then a charming young man - with whom I will be having words - went and published it this morning! With me all unprepared...

And now they all know the dreadful secret! I wonder if I'll be able to show my face at work again, with everyone but everyone looking at me and whispering to their neighbours:

"See her. The one over there waving her pedometer in the air. I don't know how to tell you this, but... she actually likes Brussels sprouts!!!"

The shame of it...

If I had been around when Rubens was painting, I would have been revered as a fabulous model. Kate Moss? Well, she would have been the paintbrush.
Dawn French

Back by popular request

2005-01-28T08:10:00.000Z

A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing.
Dr Samuel Johnson

Week 3

2005-01-27T08:06:00.000Z

This is getting boring - and it's only week 3! I've lost another 2lbs - which again is less than I hoped. I have, however, tightened up on the diet in the last couple of days. I realised I was picking and choosing the bits of the rules I liked - a high daily calorie intake, plus being allowed to eat the calories I "earn" in exercise, wasn't working. So I've reduced my basic calorie allowance to about 1500 calories and anything I eat over that I have to work for.

I do hope though, what with walking 15 miles more than usual and cycling 7 or 8, that perhaps I'm replacing fat with heavier but denser muscle. I don't think I'll be starring in any circus troupes as Elvira, the Muscle Lady, any time soon though...

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!
Anon

Recipe request

2005-01-25T19:17:00.000Z

OK - I know I said I don't cook, but I'm keen to stimulate my tastebuds as part of this diet. I don't want to exist on "diet food" which is not only divorced from calories and fat but also from all flavour. I remember having an amazing black-eyed bean curry in a restaurant many years ago - full of earthy flavour and comforting on a cold day like today. Can anyone provide me with a good recipe for such a dish?

And here is (perhaps) the start of a series of appropriate quotations sought out to entertain or inspire you, my reader:

She fitted into my biggest armchair as if it had been built round her by someone who knew they were wearing armchairs tight about the hips that season
P.G. Wodehouse

Now there's a thought...

2005-01-22T12:18:00.000Z

The things I do for you

2005-01-20T21:49:00.000Z

Major challenge today - my first meal out on this diet. I went to the Wallace Collection this morning - a lovely collection of works of art hidden behind Oxford Street. (My favourite painting, curiously enough, was on the subject of food - but all healthy stuff.)

I then had lunch in the Café Bagatelle in the glazed courtyard of the museum, where I was challenged by a delicious sounding menu. Oooh the sea bass sounded delicious - but the butter-ridden cherry tomato tarte tatin which accompanied it was a no no. Then there was stuffed chicken - its potato dauphinoise ruled that one out - cream, cream and more cream. The pasta had walnuts with it - urgh. The chorizo and crab risotto could have been a safe bet - but could also have been calories on legs. You'd have been proud of me though. I spotted a starter which could also be served as a main course. Sounded promising - gravadlax with a fennel, orange and mint salad. So I ordered it. And although presenting an interesting combination of flavours, it certainly failed to score high on calories - being 90% fennel and offering just 3 strips of salmon! My did I feel deprived...

Needless to say, I had a second lunch on my way home. I can, however, report that I've stuck to my calories today - I have a whole 22 left. And I'm going to go to bed now, before I succumb to the urge to raid the food cupboard.

Week 2

2005-01-20T06:56:00.000Z

This week's weight loss - 2 lbs. I should be happy because this is what I'm aiming for on a weekly basis. But I'm not. Because I do what they say you shouldn't do and weigh myself every day. And I'd lost more than that 2 days ago. Grrr....! But weight fluctuates for all sorts of reasons, so I'll grin and bear it. I think.

It's certainly more of a Celebrity Fit Club than a You Are What You Eat sort of moment as I'm yet to experience a significant increase in energy and zest. But I'm sure that's on its way...

And in case you missed it, here's a handbag of women vicars on why they want to make poverty history. Do you suppose they haven't noticed that the Vicar of Dibley is a tiny bit fictional?

ActionAid

2005-01-16T18:10:00.000Z

Warning - serious post follows. For those of an unfailingly humourous disposition, please look away now...

Many of you will already know of the wonderful work carried out by ActionAid, but I thought I'd explain why it's the charity I've chosen to support.

I first came across ActionAid when I was about 8. My parents committed to sponsor a little boy in Kenya - named Chelimo - who was of a similar age to me. ActionAid had decided to personalise charitable support, encouraging people to commit to providing a steady stream of funding over a number of years by identifying the child who would benefit from that commitment.

Chelimo sent me letters illustrated with pictures of mud huts and elephants. I, no doubt, sent ones bedecked with cats and ballet shoes. I think we carried on the sponsorship until he was about 13 or 14 - he went out to work from that age on. I have no knowledge of what happened to him after that, but I am sure that the access to education, clean water and healthcare, provided to him and his fellow villagers by ActionAid, gave him a better start in life than he might otherwise have expected. Certainly, the contact I had with someone living in such different circumstances from myself helped broaden my perspective on life.

When I was about 10, ActionAid set up a children's branch to build upon the contacts already being made between children who were being sponsored and the children of their sponsors. I was an early member of this branch which resulted in a trip to Broadcasting House for an interview on BBC radio to extol its merits. Unfortunately for posterity the interview was never broadcast and so is unlikely to exist in the archives. As I recall it went something like:

Jeremy Paxman (or suchlike): So why has ActionAid set up this branch for children?
Ruth: Er...
Jeremy: And what made you join?
Ruth: Er...
Jeremy: What would you say to other children listening to help them understand what makes ActionAid such an important organisation?
Ruth: Um...

I really can't imagine why they cut it...

I've spent the intervening years being relatively parsimonious with charitable donations, looking out for my own needs first of all. But recently I've come back to ActionAid and recognised how vital its work is with some of the poorest people in the world. I am now sponsoring a 4-year-old boy in Nigeria and I feel privileged to be able to help even in such a small way.

If you don't want to sponsor me - perhaps your principles prevent you from funding deliberate deprivation! - please consider funding a child through ActionAid instead. Take a look at the details - it costs just 50p a day to change a life.

ActionAid is working in over 40 countries, including India, the Andamans, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand - it will be helping children made destitute by the Tsunami Disaster as part of the sponsorship programme. See here for some of the other work they are doing for the victims of this most recent horror.

Alternatively, for a shorter term commitment, take a look at ActionAid's LottoAid. For £1 a week you have the chance of winning a lump sum of up to c.£1,300 while benefiting charity. Can't be bad (and I bet the odds are much much better than with that other lottery)!

Week 1

2005-01-13T07:00:00.000Z

Well, seven days have passed and I've eaten 11,626 calories (averaging 1,660 each day). I've gone from having about 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a week to munching on over 60. I've walked 11 miles and cycled 7 miles over and above what I would have covered prior to the New Year. And, I've had no alcohol!!

As a result - holy moly - I've lost 7 lbs - yes, 7 lbs! Woo hoo!!!

So you better start putting those pennies to one side 'cos I'll be coming to collect them pretty soon! Thanks for the support you've all offered me during this first week. It's really made a difference.

And here, especially for Adrian, is my current graph of lbs lost/£s gained. A long way to go...

Conundrum

2005-01-11T07:12:00.000Z

While we are waiting (weighting?) in eager anticipation for the weigh-in on Thursday, I wonder if anyone can resolve something which has puzzled me for some time. Does one weigh more having breathed in - or less? Air has a weight, but does it add buoyancy to someone standing on the scales - or just increase the reading? Answers by Thursday morning please, so I know whether to breathe in or out...

By popular demand

2005-01-09T17:20:00.000Z

I see my public is demanding an update - all one of her. And so, despite my promise not to go all Bridget Jones, we have:

Friday - 1465 calories, walked 2 miles to work, v.good
Saturday - tough day, v.many attacks of munchies, 1842 calories, partially offset by 3 miles on the exercise bike after supper because of guilt...
Sunday - v.good so far, little hunger, brisk walk through Kew Gardens from Kew Bridge to Richmond has resulted in even rosier cheeks than usual.

For ye of little faith

2005-01-09T11:07:00.000Z

A number of you have asked for proof that I weigh the amount that I stated earlier (and which is now unmentionable). So for you doubters here it is...

I took the photo at my first weigh-in on Thursday morning in response to the demands of one of my dearly beloved sponsors. I'm afraid you will have to take my word for it that I didn't have a cat under either arm and a knapsack full of potatoes on my back. And if I'd known this photo would be subject to such exposure I would have painted my toenails...

In response to other queries, the pledge total is now running at a massive £2,212 and yes, I have already lost some weight, but you'll have to wait until the weekly weigh-in on Thursday morning to find out how much...

First day

2005-01-07T07:42:00.000Z

Well that feels better. One day down - only 352 to go... For those of you bothered by the prospect of me existing on lettuce leaves, a few facts and figures. Please don't worry - I don't intend this to turn into a Bridget Jones type inventory on a daily basis. This is just to give you an idea.

Yesterday I ate 1583 calories. I'm aiming to eat between 1500 and 1750 each day. That's the recommended amount for someone with more than 3 stone to lose. My 1583 calories consisted of:

Mesa Sunrise cereal with blueberries and soya milk

Chicken and mushroom risotto and peas

Chicken in tomato sauce, basil mash, brussels sprouts

Strawberries

2 sea vegetable rice cakes (yes Faith!)

Strawberry cereal bar

Broccoli and cauliflower slim a soup

It's only with writing it down that I realise I had chicken twice! Easily done as most diet meals are based on it as it's low fat. I will try and introduce more variety immediately. I should mention that I'm a ready meal queen - "can cook won't cook" is my motto.

I haven't started walking to work yet but my beady-eyed colleagues won't be letting me get away with that for long. I did establish a baseline yesterday by wearing a pedometer. My normal daily activity amounts to c.8,335 paces. So now I've got to increase that bit by bit. I did however manage a fairly pitiful 2 miles on the exercise bike last night. A small effort - but mine own.

Anyway, that's the end of the report to my investors.

Onwards and Up/Downwards

2005-01-06T16:21:00.000Z

The pledges are going up and my weight is going down! I'm sure I've lost a couple of ounces since this morning... Just wanted to announce that 20 extremely generous people have now pledged between them

£2,038

towards my crusade! That's just fabulous - far, far more than I expected.

And thanks to Billy and e for pointing people towards my site. Every bit helps.

D Day

2005-01-06T07:50:00.000Z

Right. This is it. The moment of humiliation. The moment I admit to weighing as much as two (slender) well-nourished women, never mind how many times more than a person living in extreme poverty.

A well-built friend of mine was horrified when he heard I was going to post my weight on the internet. "For a fat person, that's like publishing a photograph of your genitals!", he gasped. Well, perhaps for him... But it's just a number, isn't it? So I'm going to say it very quickly and I'm going to say it only once - 18 stone exactly - because it's going down from now on, with the help of your generous support.

And - as promised - here's a photo of me now. In all my glory...

Wow!

2005-01-05T20:14:00.000Z

I'm reeling from today. I knew that I knew masses of generous people, but I certainly didn't expect the level of commitment you've made to my endeavour. I'm thrilled to announce that, as of now I have received pledges of

£1,522

Obviously this depends upon me achieving my goal, but I can't think of a greater incentive. This money will make a great deal of difference to many lives - and mine will be one of those.

Thank you.

Now what?

2005-01-05T08:47:00.000Z

The diet starts tomorrow - 6 January. I shall post my starting weight tomorrow morning (and a "before" photo as soon as I work out how to do so). I think I owe this information to those of you who are prepared to pay out - despite the embarrassment involved! I shall be counting calories using the Weight Loss Resources site and shall also increase my exercise - walking and using an exercise bike. I expect to lose the first stone in a few weeks but thereafter anticipate losing half a stone each month - a safe rate of weight loss. Wish me luck!

How to sponsor me

2005-01-04T21:15:00.000Z

There are two aspects to sponsoring me over the coming months - pledges and payments.

Pledges: Your pledges will be invaluable to me as they will give me the willpower to commit to this diet. Please pledge an amount either per pound or per stone. You can make your pledge in the comments boxes on this site (see the link at the bottom of each post) - please leave your email address so I can alert you as each stone is lost. Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous to all but me, please email me at poundsforpoverty at gmail.com (replacing the "at" with the @ sign).

Payments: If you are agreeable, please make a payment each time I lose a stone. This will keep the pressure on me, ensure ActionAid receives contributions throughout the year and will spread your payments to lessen the impact on your purse. If you would prefer, you can of course make just one payment - once I've lost all 6 stone.

The easiest way to donate by credit or debit card is to use the link to Pay your Pledge in the sidebar of this page. Your donation can be anonymous or named. This online service makes it easy for charities to reclaim the tax that has been paid on donations by UK tax payers - just tick the box for UK Gift Aid if you are eligible and 28% will be added to your donation. Nice to know the UK Government will also be contributing to this appeal!

Alternatively, you can hand cash or a cheque over to me if you see me regularly, or send a cheque straight to ActionAid. See their donation page for details. If you do send a cheque, please let me know, so that I can keep track of donations.

If you need any help making sure your donation gets to ActionAid, please let me know.

Reason for being

2005-01-04T21:00:00.000Z

Hello and welcome to my new blog.

This site has two simple purposes - one is to remind my friends, colleagues and relatives that the immense generosity they have already displayed in reaction to the Tsunami Disaster is only a starting point.

Not only will the victims of this terrible event need our help for many years to come, but there are also many hundreds of thousands of people across the world who already exist in states of extreme poverty. Long before Boxing Day, 2005 had already been identified as the year in which we must Make Poverty History.

The events of 26 December have added to the already huge number of people living in desperate need. In the meantime, others of us are living in relative luxury - and many, including myself, have increasingly taken this for granted. The widespread media coverage of such a dreadful event has jolted many of us back to real recognition of the state of humankind and its vulnerability.

This blog post by Dan is a stark reminder of the dramatic split between rich and poor. And this link (courtesy of Billy) also brings home what we already know - most of us who are in a position to be sitting in comfort at a computer are just so lucky!

The second purpose of this blog is far, far more prosaic! I desperately need to lose some weight - and I'm always rubbish at doing so, it comes off and then it goes on. So I'm going to put myself in the spotlight this year and do it not just for myself, but also for charity. I hope that your support will not only boost my willpower by a factor of several thousand but that, in offering that support, you will also contribute to ActionAid and its valuable work throughout the world.

I'm therefore asking each of you to sponsor me - either with an amount for each pound I lose or for each stone (14 pounds). My aim is to lose 6 stone (84 pounds) by the anniversary of the Tsunami Disaster on 26 December 2005. For those of you who can afford to, I urge you to sponsor me with a pound per pound. The more you pledge the more impossible you'll make it for me to fail! But any amount would be brilliant - perhaps £5 a stone, or 10p a pound. Please just give what you can. What you do give can be spread out across the next 12 months and so many of you will hardly notice it.

There is a fear that the public will forget about the victims of the Tsunami Disaster once the media spotlight is directed elsewhere. Another concern is that the huge public generosity demonstrated over the last few days will divert charitable donations from other, equally necessary, causes. By sticking with me for the next 12 months, you will help push this broad-ranging charitable commitment from the short into the medium term.

I don't intend to post often - a blog about someone's slimming efforts is unlikely to draw in the crowds. But I will, at least, post once a month to update you on my progress.