Rick Wakeman weighs in for diet

Wakeman wants to lose two stone before Christmas 2009

Keyboard sensation Rick Wakeman, who has played with David Bowie and Elton John, has stepped on the scales at the halfway point in his sponsored diet.

At his weigh-in on BBC Radio Norfolk on 12 November 2009, it was revealed the rocker has lost 9lb.

Rick is donating any money raised to the Salvation Army in his home county.

He said: "I'm a big admirer of their work - they do such good and it seemed a great opportunity to give something back."

Rick, who lives near Diss, began his diet at the start of October, tipping the scales at 19st - around 5st too much.

He wants to lose 21lb by Christmas and is delighted that he is on course with his target, with a new weight of 18st 5lb.

His success has given him a new impetus, with Rick announcing that he plans to continue his diet beyond the festive period.

"I'm going to carry it on right through till next year because I want to get down to 14st 7lb," said Rick.

Small changes

He's managed to lose weight by making small changes to his daily routine, like taking the stairs instead of using lifts and walking up and down escalators.

"If you do things that are drastically different you just can't keep them up," said Rick.

"It's no good saying that I'm going to jog three miles every morning because I'm not."

Although Rick is thrilled to be raising money for charity, his desire to shift the pounds has become very poignant as a close friend has just suffered a serious health scare.

"Mick Abrahams, who used to be with Jethro Tull and Blodwyn Pig, we're great great friends, he also is going on a weight loss thing," said Rick.

"He's only just started losing his weight and… yesterday he had a heart attack, quite a serious heart attack, and it's things like that that bring it home what the additional weight can do."

Radio incentive

Rick doesn't have many vices - he doesn't drink, smoke or eat loads of chocolate - but he has been shocked how the pounds have piled on over the years.

Like many people, though, he needed an incentive and that's when he decided to get in touch with his local BBC radio station, BBC Radio Norfolk, to ask if he could come on air to appeal to listeners to help motivate him.

Rick admitted when starting his diet: "I don't eat badly, but I do live a very hectic life and my weakness is those awful motorway sandwiches, grabbed late at night to keep me going on the drive home."

"It's daft - it's like filling your car with petrol and then putting it straight in the garage," he added.

Rick will be back on BBC Radio Norfolk's Graham and Karen show between 10am and 1pm for his next weigh-in on Monday, 21 December, 2009.

You can sponsor Rick by going onto his charity webpage or by sending a cheque.

Please make cheques payable to Rick Wakeman's Salvation Army Appeal and send it c/o BBC Radio Norfolk, The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich, NR2 1BH.