A quick note from Hannah to those who've been directed to this page from the article in the Telegraph...

Thanks so much for getting this far. Below is the original letter that Lizzie wrote to begin the challenge back in late November, Once you've read it, PLEASE visit the blog site which contains all of the diary entries, sponsorship updates and weekly weigh-in results. You can find it at www.pounds4pounds.blogspot.com. Please leave your comments after the most recent posts so that Lizzie doesn't miss them.

If you would like to be added to the mailing list which will keep you posted of when new posts appear on the blog, please contact me at hannah@hannahshergold.com or call me on 07729 219590. And if you would like to show your support by donating money PLEASE remember that we are trying to do it on a Pounds for Pounds basis. Max. expected weight gain in one year is 21 lbs, so let me know how much you would like to sponsor per pound of weight gained by dropping me an e-mail.

The current amount to be raised per pound of weight gained is an enormous

 Let's hope it works. Now I'll let you read what it's all about!

Hannah Shergold

Pounds (lbs) for Pounds (£s) - Lizzie Grimaldi's sponsored weight-gain challenge

For those of you who know me well this webpage may come as a surprise as I am not usually one to draw attention to myself. Most of you will know, or will have guessed, that I have been suffering from anorexia for nearly 20 years and in the last two years the condition has spiralled out of control. I now weigh 37 kilograms (or 5 stone 11 pounds in old money) and on Monday 19th November it was confirmed that a hospital bed has been reserved for me. Triggered by the fear of entering a hospital (again) for what is likely to be several months this news has spurred me to a last resort - a sponsored weight gain!

Sponsored Weight Gain
The method to this madness lies in the fact that I have not been successful in achieving significant or lasting weight gain for myself. I need another incentive and so I will be raising money for charity. I believe that this way I will have the motivation needed, (and also a little guilt), to complete small tasks, These things combined will, I hope, encourage me to complete the challenge on a day to day basis.

The Hospice of St. Francis
I have chosen to support the Hospice of St. Francis in Berkhamsted, Buckinghamshire. This is a charity that is very dear to me as the staff there provided such wonderful support to my father. Although it is difficult for me to talk in great detail about my experiences there, I feel I would like to help in some way to repay them for their kindness.

lbs -for- £s
I would be so grateful if you would sponsor me to complete this weight gain challenge. Not only will all proceeds go towards supporting such a fantastic and worthy charity, but the motivation for me to help them may just be the trigger I need to get myself back to a healthy weight. All sponsorship will be on a lbs-for-£s basis for a period of one year. Whatever you feel you can give for each pound in weight that I put on would be greatly appreciated.

To give you an idea of the maximum I would expect to gain in one year, I would anticipate that 1.5 stone (21 lbs or 9.5 kg) will be as much as I would realistically put on. That would take me to 7 stone 4 pounds (46.5 kg), a weight which I have not been for many years. Each pound that I reach must be maintained for a period of one week before I can say that I have achieved it.

Please do not send me or promise me a lump sum of money. The responsibility is mine to earn this money for the hospice. Whatever you feel you might be able to give must be broken down to ensure that each pound in weight is rewarded. I am hoping to be able to collect any sponsorship money every three months, mainly so that I have a donation to give to the charity in the near future provided all goes well between now and February. I think this regular reminder of who I’m working for will be very beneficial. Through the justgiving.com website you will also be able to donate directly to the charity but PLEASE ensure that if you do, the amount is in direct proportion to the amount of weight I have gained.

The ‘Diary’
In order to document my progress throughout the challenge I shall be keeping a diary which will be a combination of calm thoughts, angry outbursts, general comments for the day or week, and quotes etc. It will also contain information about my weekly challenges (more information will follow in due course). These challenges will seem easy to most people, but for me they will be individual battles that I must overcome within a limited time frame.

The book may even contain other records of my progress, such as receipts for certain meals that I have eaten or food that I’ve bought, hopefully achieving a scrapbook-type effect. The main purpose of it is so that in 3 months, 6 months, a year, or 10 years, I can look back on this experience and remind myself of where (and who!) I don’t want to be. As you can imagine, half of the battle is to maintain a healthy weight once I have reached it, so any further incentives will hopefully help in this respect.

Monthly Updates
In order to keep all of my sponsors updated I shall be writing monthly updates. These will contain a short report with perhaps a few snippets from ‘the diary’ (minus the bad language!). And, of course, they will have the results of the latest weigh-in and therefore how much money has been raised. The challenge begins on Monday 26th November from a starting weight of 5 stone 11 pounds and so I would really appreciated it if you would get back to me as soon as possible.

There will be times when things are not going well, and so I have enlisted the help of a friend to act as reporter. She is removing some of the procrastination process for me as I have found that the more I think about strategies or methods, the more I am likely to think of excuses not to go ahead with this challenge. Hannah Shergold is my neighbour and will be able to answer a few of the questions that I may find difficult to address. She can be contacted at the following e-mail address and telephone number, so I hope you will not mind copying her into any replies regarding sponsorship so that she can keep the records of the support given and money raised. Some e-mail snippets may even end up in the diary!

hannah@hannahshergold.com
07729 219590

Please feel free to contact Hannah at any time and please accept my apologies if I am not always forthcoming with how I am progressing. You will understand that the year to come will be much more of a mental battle than a physical one.

I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read this far and I hope that you will be able to support me along this journey whilst simultaneously supporting these wonderful charities.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Hospice Of St Francis (Berkhamsted) Ltd will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Many thanks for your support.

Yours truly,

Lizzie Grimaldi