In my original article on the Big Fat John Plan for losing weight I told you that I would report back to you on how things are going. I said in that article that when I weight 187 pounds that my cardiologist told me that was where I should be for good cardiac health. Since then, my heart has added a spare part from a pig, an aortic valve. Here is my report:

I went back on the Big Fat John Plan six weeks ago. I weighed 222 pounds at check-in. I now weigh 204 pounds. Using higher mathematics I calculate that I have lost 18 pounds or 3 pounds each week.

In the current version of the Big Fat John Plan I printed out individual sheets, one for each week of the plan. At the top of each sheet is printed Big Fat John and Week of: I actually print the starting date of each week. For example: Big Fat John Week of: 5/14. I printed sheets for 12 weeks. I may have to print more later.

Below the title, there is a table of 8 columns and 14 rows. That makes a cell about one inch wide and just over inch tall. There is a title row in the table. The first column says Food and the other seven are labeled Calories. The last seven columns are for the days of the week. I start with Sunday.

The reason I use one column, the left column, labeled Food is that most days I eat some of the same foods and I dont have to write them down in the day cells. Each cell gets only one food and if all the cells are filled for a day, thats it. NO MORE FOOD!

In the day cells I write the number of calories in the food item in that cell. If the food is not listed in the left column, I write down the name of the food too.

I dont like to eat more than 1000-1200 calories each day. I lose weight when my caloric intake is in that range. I lose about 3 pounds a week. That is what I have lost in the first six week period of the current campaign. When I get to my target weight of 187 pounds I will taper off to about 1300 calories and check to see if Im holding weight or gaining again.

In the current campaign I stopped recording after the second week was completed. Why? Because by the end of the second week I know what I need to do to stay on the diet and I dont need to write down what I know. However, the Chart goes up every Sunday Morning and I record my weight and the circumference of my huge stomach above the column. I record my weight two or three times a week.

Let me modify my statement on not recording after the first two weeks. The chart is on the wall. If I find that Im not losing weight, I will immediately begin to record.

Ive lost only one inch from my girth so far. It takes time to get things going. Im not sure where my weight loss is centered but my wife says that she can see the change.

Well there is a change. Ive found that my feet are no longer swelling and my doctor will probably be able to take me off some medication. I also notice that when I walk one mile around the high school track near our home it is much easier on my legs. My pig valve keeps me pumping along at a 3 mile/hour clip. In other words, I walk one mile in 20 minutes as my cardiologist has instructed.

Unfortunately, walking does not burn many calories. What it does do is this. It increases your metabolism. That is why it is so important to exercise every day.

My clothes fit better too. Im just worried that new clothes that I have purchased will look baggy. Well, Ive got plenty of other clothes that I cant now get into.

I no longer eat at night. If I really feel the pain I might eat an apple or a graham cracker with a teaspoon of peanut butter on it. If I drink milk or juices I usually take a half or quarter of a glass and Im just as satisfied as if I had a full glass. I say to my self. Ah! Ive had a big glass of milk and now Im going to finish it off. Such a dirty trick to play on myself.

I stay away from eating bread more than once a day and most days I dont eat bread. I like eggs and have them several times a week. I never eat bread with the eggs. I say, cook more eggs if you need a bit more to eat. I never go over three eggs at a time. A two-egg omelette with just one thin slice of cheese satisfies me just as much as one of my three-egg, cheese filled, fluffed monsters.

Protein is essential to losing weight without dying of hunger pains. I will occasionally have a small steak for breakfast with or without an egg or two. I like hotdogs. Ill eat a beef or turkey hotdog occasionally rather than a meal. Ive found that I dont need to eat two hotdogs.

I eat vegetables fresh or from the can. I add a small amount of butter substitute (no trans-fats allowed) to make them palatable after they are cooked and drained. Occasionally, I will eat a salad or a piece of fish. I like crab meat and if I can get it at a good price, or get it at all in Idaho, I will use it to make a crab meat omelette.

I cut back on the salt.

Fruit is essential. I prefer fresh fruit to sugary fruit juices. In fact, I limit the amount of juice because you can drink a bundle of calories without even thinking about it. Fruit is a satisfying snack and will keep you from overeating.

I can not diet and go though a week without eating normally. On Sunday we always go to my sons house and I ignore any consideration of calories. I only eat once that day and I eat what I want except for one thing. I make a cake for my grandkids every Sunday morning. I eat only a small sample piece of the cake of the day.

Every week I also take my wife (and sometimes my son and his wife or a couple of the grandkids) out to dinner.

We like to go to the Golden Coral because we can fill up on salads before we get to the good stuff. Sometimes I just stick to protein and fruit on these visits. I ignore calories for the main part but I stay away from the desert tables. My wife who once taught at Weight Watchers has dieted for many years. She likes to separate food groups. She will eat fruits on her "fruit day," vegetables on her "vegetable day," and protein on her "protein day."

Yesterday we went to the New China Buffet in Twin Falls. I ate two bowls of soup with a couple of Chinese dumplings added. Then I only had to go around one of the five or six tables once to be satisfied. I ate a couple of macaroons and a half scoop of ice cream for desert. That was all I ate all day. I had a warm feeling in my tummy for hours.

If you decide to diet and you never binge, you will fail.

Thats my opinion and Im sticking to it.

The reason is this. If you go on a starvation diet and never "binge" your body will think that you are starving to death. It will shut down your metabolism and you will stop losing weight. If you "binge" a couple of times a week, your body will think that all is well.

I saw on television that Marlene Dietrich only ate every three days. I guess that is one way to do it but that would not be for me. I'm not a snake.

My program is to eat whatever you want but in small quantities. I try to stay away from fats.

Most men can cut down to 1500 calories each day and lose weight. That is because they burn 2500 calories. For me, I guess I seldom burn over 1500 calories each day. Therefore I must drop my caloric intake lower to lose weight.

What should your caloric intake be to lose weight?

The only way I know is to experiment.

While you are experimenting make sure you are getting the vitamins and minerals that you need. Take a multivitamin everyday. Occasionally substitute one of those discount diet drinks for a meal. They come in chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla and are available in most supermarkets and drugstores. If price is no object you can drink Insure or another brand name instead.

The problem that must be overcome in dieting is discouragement. You will not lose the same amount of weight every week. You might even gain a pound.

Dont worry about it.

Just make sure you are on your regimen.

The amount you lose every week will also taper off. So far, it has not for me but I know it will. Your body has a mind of its own and it will take action if you scare it into thinking you are starving. Thats why it is important to pig-out occasionally. Just remember when you are pigging out to stay away from too many sweets, fats, and carbohydrates.

Need a shoulder to cry on? Send me an e-mail.

Lets see!

At my present rate of weight loss I should disappear by the end of September, 2007.