Many of us have made New Year resolutions. But very few of us, in support of those promises, will have built a website, stripped to our underpants and posed for pictures to be seen by the world.
Scottish journalists Shaun Milne and Iain Pope aren’t so shy. Their new site, Two Fat Laddies (you can follow them on Twitter too) went live on Hogmanay to track their shared vow to shed five stones (32 kilos) each. You’ll quickly become intimately introduced to the pair. They’re the ones in the revealing poses in the site’s masthead, and there are plenty more frankly astonishing images elsewhere. Their mission is succinctly summed up in the strapline: “Two fat Scottish lads, 10 stone to lose…..and one year to do it”.
It’s a lovely idea – blog about your mammoth diet challenge, supported by all manner of incriminating photographs, audio and video. And as if their example wasn’t inspirational enough (I mean, would anyone who’s not Jeff Jarvis go this public?) they’re raising money for charity as they shed the pounds. Shaun’s supporting Mountain Rescue Scotland, while Iain backs Macmillan in Scotland.
Good luck to them both. With this pair’s reporting ability I’m sure this blog should be a good read. Iain’s already blogged movingly about the foods he’ll miss while on his diet; pies, sausages and full English breakfasts stand out for me as the big sacrifices. And I’ll be backing them all the way, even if (and you’ll be relieved to here this) I don’t follow their example and strip down to my boxers for the world to see.
Good luck to them. Fine hacks. But shouldn’t it be a full Scottish breakfast?