Story
<p>I love food. I love cooking. Problem is, I've loved it too much and I have been giving the Michelin man a run for his money in the spare tyre department.</p>
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<p>It was getting bad. To borrow from that secular saint Terry Pratchett, when I turned around, it took some time for the outlying areas to come to rest. </p>
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<p>And I was ashamed. Nobody knew how much I weighed, not even my partner Robert. So I've decided to do something about it. In fact I've already started and to help me on my way, I'd be deeply grateful for sponsorship which will go to my chosen charity, the Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind.</p>
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<p>I started out at the very end of June, when my weight topped out at 21 stone (294lbs, 133kg). My target weight loss is at least 6 stone (84lbs, 38kg), which will bring me down to 15 stone (210lbs, 95kg).</p>
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<p>Working with my local GP practice nurse (the lovely Debbie) I started on a low-fat calorie-controlled diet, aided by a prescription of Orlistat, a lipase inhibitor that stops me from absorbing about a third of the fat I do eat (you might have heard of the over-the-counter version Alli). It's working!</p>
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<p>I'm now at the half-way point: as of 1st November, my weight is now 18 stone (252lbs, 114kg).</p>
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<p>I'd like raise at least £100 for every stone (14lbs, about 6.3kg) I lose. It's not like a sponsored walk, all over and done with in one fell swoop: it's a long term process that suffers the occasional blip, but the trend is ever downward!</p>
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<p>I can reach my sponsorship target if 100 people pledge me £1 for each stone that drops off - a commitment of £6 in total (but I'm always happy to accept more!). Half-way seems like a good point at which to ask: to prove that I can do it and also to help with the next, probably harder bit. </p>
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<p>So please could I ask you to support my charity and me with a donation of at least £3 for the weight I've already lost. I'll come back to you when I reach my target for another contribution. </p>
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<p>(If you need it, proof of both my starting weight and new weight is available in the form of a letter from the nurse.)</p>
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<p>Now let me just tell you about my charity, the Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind. This remarkable organisation arose after the national charity Sense decided to close its Coventry branch. Two impressive women, Rosie Brady and Tricia Griffiths, decided to set up a new charity in its place and take on the lease of the premises located on Earlsdon Avenue South.</p>
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<p>The Resource Centre provides a wide range of services for people with a visual impairment in Coventry, including support, information, resources, training and social activities. Have a look at their website for more information: <a href="http://www.coventryblind.org.uk">www.coventryblind.org.uk</a>.</p>
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<p>It is entirely supported by donations. In the space of 18 months, Rosie and Tricia have brought in impressive streams of revenue from fundraisers all over the city in order to support and expand the services the charity offers. </p>
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<p>So please, of your goodness, please help the charity and me by donating now!</p>
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<p>Thank you in advance.</p>
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<p>Hugh</p>
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<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p>
<p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p>
<p>So please dig deep and donate now.</p>