EDITOR'S NOTE: Staff writer Heidi Nieland has volunteered to go through a diet plan new to the Cape Girardeau area. This is the fourth of seven stories about her successes and failures.

When my weight was published in the newspaper three weeks ago, I wondered what the community's reaction would be.

After all, society is merciless when it comes to fat people. You don't have to be model-thin to be accepted, but you sure can't be more than 10 or 20 pounds overweight. That's inexcusable.

The sentiment doesn't seem to be changing even though society as a whole is getting bigger. We know more about fat grams, fiber, calories, carbohydrates and all the other nutrition mumbo-jumbo, but we're bigger than ever.

Knowing all about proper nutrition, I still hit an all-time high of 295 pounds in the spring. A relative in another state commented on how she was glad I could be happy "despite the obesity problem." Another relative began prefacing all conversations with, "Lost any weight?"

The public in general was a bit kinder. Most people are so fascinated with my height that they comment on that instead of my weight, but a plus-size friend of mine wasn't so lucky. An old acquaintance actually walked up and asked my friend how fat she planned to get.

These are not the kind of comments fat people need. We're not stupid or unaware of our problem. What we need is to be accepted for the people we are, not our dress size or our choice of menu items.

If we're trying to lose weight, we need encouragement, and my friends and the public in general have been great. Besides the one jerk who said nobody cares about my diet, everyone has had helpful advice and encouraging words. Thanks. And as for the jerk -- if you know five women, you know five people who are interested in diet plans.

I met one big encouragement at the Center for Health and Rehabilitation at St. Francis Medical Center. That's where I work out with a personal trainer three times a week as part of the Biometrics program.

Her name is Janet Smith, a St. Francis employee working with Biometrics clients. I went in for my workout one day, having never known one person who lost 90 pounds -- my goal -- and successfully kept it off.

Now I do. Janet struck up a conversation with me and said she liked working with Biometrics clients because she can relate to them. Looking at her thin physique, I braced myself for another story about someone who had to lose NINE WHOLE POUNDS and was able to do it.

I took the bait. "How can you relate to us?"

Janet said she lost 110 pounds and had a photo to prove it. It was her in the photo, all right, as unbelievable as it seemed. She has kept the weight off for eight years.

"I wish I had something like Biometrics when I was losing my weight, because I didn't exercise and now I've got some flab," she said.

I didn't see any flab on her, but who am I to argue?

I'm feeling a lot better about my goal, despite a setback over the weekend. After a couple of adult beverages, I put on a quarter-pound between Friday and Monday. Janet said not to get discouraged, just get over it and hop back on the wagon.

OK, I will.

SOME STATISTICS

Height

6 feet, 3 inches

Weight

273-1/2 (down 10 pounds)

Goals

To reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass.