Weighing in at 468 pounds for his first exercise class at Mercy Health and Fitness Center near his home in Halls, Tennessee, Rick learns a series of seated exercises. (From the book What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets.) The caloric value of his day's worth of food in the month of February was 1,600 kcals. He is 54; 5 feet nine inches tall, and 468 pounds. Rick's new lifestyle rules out one of his favorite restaurant dinners with his wife, Connie, and son, Greg: three extra-large pizzas, crazy bread, and no vegetables. There would be leftovers, but not for long, Rick says, as he would eat all of them. A self-taught gospel singer, guitar player, and lay preacher, Rick used to enjoy preaching and playing on Wednesday evenings at Copper Ridge Independent Missionary Baptist Church before he became too heavy to stand for long periods. To relieve boredom, he wakes up late, plays video games, plays his guitar, and watches TV until the early hours of the morning. MODEL RELEASED.