If you don’t watch The Biggest Loser, (and why not?  It’s just about the bestestest TV show ever!) you may not have heard about the Pound for Pound Challenge.

And if you do watch, you still might not realize what a great opportunity it is.  The PFP challenge is a sponsored fundraiser for Feeding America - a network of food banks across the US.  You know how public TV and public radio will issue “pledge challenges”, when some big-time donor will match all pledges dollar-for-dollar during a time period?  Basically, this works the same way, only instead of pledging money, you are pledging to lose weight.

For every pound you lose during the challenge, their sponsors will donate one pound of food (10 cents) to the Feeding America organization. That money will be used to buy food for needy families.

So if you are already working on a weight-loss goal, now that you know about it the question becomes - WHY AREN’T YOU DOING THIS? It costs you NOTHING, it takes less than 5 minutes to sign up, and you are ALREADY trying to lose weight. Talk about multi-tasking, something you are doing for yourself becomes a way to help others too!

I’ve pledged to lose 10 pounds, which would have been 10 pounds in 12 weeks at the time I signed up, but is now getting a little tougher since I’ve been sick and stalled on my weight loss. At the end of the challenge we all report how much weight we ACTUALLY lost, and that’s how the donation amount is counted.

The challenge ends May 5, so don’t wait! The more time you allow yourself the more pounds you’ll be able to report.

If you’re not currently losing weight, you can also send in labels and boxtops from General Mills products, or you can donate money directly to Feeding America. All the rules and pledging/donation options are outlined on the website: pfpchallenge.com

Now, there are cynics out there (and I’m one of them) who will say, “but isnt’ this just a publicity stunt for these big corporations (Subway sandwiches and General Mills foods, apparently).”  Well, yes of course it is.  Who cares?  How is that any skin off my back, as long as they donate the money?  Who is better off if I don’t participate, and who is worse off if I do?

I can say from personal experience, it does help with those self-sabotaging munchie moments, when you think - “if I eat this junk food (or third helping of pasta, or whatever), I’m taking food out of the mouths of hungry children.”  It’s a lot easier to choose a cup of tea instead.

Better choices for me, a helping hand to a very worthy cause, no extra time or effort out of my day.  Can’t beat that.  Go pledge (or donate) now.