This is the first in a two-part series about helping outdoor-minded people lose weight.

There is a four-letter word in my vocabulary I truly dislike: Diet. OK, to tell the truth, I hate the word and what it means, starving. However, there have been times when the need to embrace it is necessary. This is one of those times.

"You have gained 30 pounds in the last five years," my doctor said

"Yeah, well the pounds just kinda keep jumping on me," I replied as if the weight gain wasn't my fault.

He then suggested some ideas for dieting, such as having salad dressing on the side and dipping your fork into the dressing before picking up a piece of salad, plus using less sugar and salt.

"You know all of the tricks," he said. "Your knees will feel better, it's better for your back and heart and you will feel better all over."

Indeed I do, but knowing the tricks and using the tricks are two different animals.

So how does weight loss make a proper subject for an outdoors column? Encouraging every outdoor minded person to strive to attain a proper weight is appropriate. I have been too lax during the past five or more years, so it is time I buckle down and get with the program. Also, the diet was mentioned in the March 19 column and several people have asked me to explain, in detail, my method.

Beginning a diet is difficult for me. My mind must wrap around the idea to settle into the diet mode. There was a huge incentive besides wanting to become more fit; my 50th High School reunion will begin on Aug. 28.

Bill Witt and I decided to begin weekly hikes a few days after the doctor appointment. Seven days after our first hike, the idea of a diet was comfortable.

So where to begin? My choice was the DietPower program. It is a weight and nutrition coach allowing the user to set a weight-loss goal and helping the person achieve the goal.

OK, my friends, I'm going to be very honest here and tell you all of the details. My weight was 238.2 on the first day of the diet, Feb. 23. My goal was to weigh 200 pounds on, you guessed it, Aug. 28. If this column helps at least one reader lose weight, a second goal will be accomplished.

DietPower indicated mine was a moderate diet, with 1797 calories a day allowed to reach the goal. My first requirement was deeply personal and must be included as a part of this weight-loss journey: I must not go hungry.

This program requires the user to record all foods eaten by weight or volume, such as one cup of rice or two ounces of broccoli.

I own a rice cooker and brown rice is a favorite food, so 12 cups were cooked. A digital food scale occupies a spot on my kitchen counter. One cup of rice, with two ounces of chopped broccoli added, served as my breakfast and lunch for a few days.

What about the evening meal? My wife, Garnet, asked me what she should fix for supper and I replied anything she wants and I will eat what she prepares. The trick is to eat a small portion of a steak instead of the entire 12 ounces. I would have eaten the rice mixture for supper, too, but, hey, I have to live with this woman, ya know. Besides the steak tasted good, but my portion was two ounces, along with a baked potato.

And so the experiment began; could I really lose the weight and achieve my goal? My weight dropped six pounds in a few days. This is normal at the beginning of a diet. Next the difficulty of shedding the remaining pounds begins.

DietPower has thousands of foods listed on the program, so posting what is eaten is rather simple. I measured how many ounces my coffee cup holds, along with my water glass; 10 ounces each. One tablespoon of Canola Mayonnaise was measured, so I could mix this with the brown rice.

Bill passed along an interesting idea during one of our hikes.

"Gee Dennis, you need to add some color to your rice," he said. "Try corn and carrots and other items."

This suggested had me digging into the freezer, where I found salmon, trout, corn, diced carrots and peas, chicken, walleye, deer, chopped broccoli, elk and a variety of other items.

A considerable amount of time is spent preparing and packaging my food. When the rice is down to a cup or two, another 12 cups are cooked and cooled. Using a measuring cup, to assure accuracy, one cup is placed in a sandwich bag and zipped shut. Each is labeled "BR 1C."

A salmon fillet is cooked and cooled. This is weighed in two-ounce portions and placed in individual bags, then sealed and labeled. The same goes for the remainder of the food.

Next week: Diet obstacles and the magic of DietPower.