A FUNDRAISER is hoping to make big bucks while shedding weight during 2013.
Alan Jones, of west Hull, is hoping to raise £5,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and lose 6st.
He will be hitting the gym and completing fitness challenges, such as cycling from John O'Groats to Land's End.
Alan, 22, said: "I've been overweight for quite some time and never really had the motivation to do anything about it.
"I saw on the internet a few people had done charity challenges so I thought that would be a good incentive.
"At the moment I weigh 18st 4lb and my target weight is 12st 4lb."
Alan, who is a store manager at Cash Converters in Spring Bank, Hull, says he chose Macmillan as it is a charity close to his heart.
Five years ago, his grandma Lucy Jones died from lung cancer.
His other grandma, Margaret Spurgeon, passed away from the same illness 18 months ago.
Alan said: "The Macmillan nurses helped our family a lot.
"When my mum split from my dad she went to live with my grandma for a while and when they found out she had lung cancer she took it very hard.
"Macmillan is therefore a charity very close to our hearts.
"I hope my grandmas are proud of what I am doing."
Alan kick-started his new regime on January 1.
He has signed up to a gym and has vowed to workout before and after work.
He said: "I went for a run on New Year's Day and it almost killed me.
"It is definitely going to be difficult to start with.
"I want to start eating correctly and get my fitness levels up to do marathons, walking challenges and cycle rides."
Events on Alan's hit-list for 2013 are the Brighton Marathon, a cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats and a coast-to-coast walk from Liverpool to Robin Hood's Bay.
He said: "My friends and family are very supportive but some think it is a bit much for me to take on.
"I work full-time so the main thing will be fitting it in."
Alan admits his former habits were the reason for his steady increase in weight.
Without set times for lunch, he would often eat at unusual hours at work.
After a day's labour, he would be too tired to cook for himself and often ordered takeaways.
Alan said: "When I get home on a night now I'm heading straight to the gym.
"Before I would eat whenever I was hungry and was going for the easy option all the time.
"I'd go to the chippy down the road.
"I got lazy and stopped walking as much when I started driving."
Exercise has been non-existent for the past few years, but now Alan does cardio workouts before work and hits the gym afterwards as well.
He is hoping friends and family will support and sponsor him during the year in order to raise the £5,000 target.
For more information, and details on how to sponsor Alan, visit www.justgiving.com/ bodychallengehull or search for Body Challenge Hull on YouTube and Facebook.
