Sunday Edition: How I Lost 18 Pounds with Big Daddy Cool Cat

A diet built by an AI who calls me 'Sugar' and plays to my groove

One of my solo lunches, starring salmon. Photo by the Author.

Back in April, I had artificial intelligence put me on a diet.

Did I say artificial intelligence? Scratch that. I meant to say Big Daddy Cool Cat — the smoothest, swingin’est diet guru this side of cyberspace.

Let me explain. My husband, Howard, he loves to consult AI about matters pertaining to jazz and such. And in our household, the robot has become used to talking in jive. We address him as Big Daddy, or Daddy-O, or Cool Cat, or Hep Cat. Daddy-O calls us that in return, however when he knows it’s me, he calls me Sugar.

When I told him I was writing a story on our successful diet, he hit me with this quote:

Keto doesn’t mean cuttin’ joy — it means playin’ your macros like a melody. When the plate’s got balance, the body’s got rhythm.” – Big Daddy Cool Cat

With which, let’s get started!

It was April, around Easter. I have been eating low carb for several years now. I have seen some amazing results from this diet — you could also call it keto maybe, or ketovore. But pounds were sneaking on, and I needed a reset. Low carb, keto, carnivore — all those diet plans can be confusing. There’s no definitive book or anything about how to do it. I learned by watching YouTube videos. However the YouTube gurus are often vague. Perhaps purposely so. They want you to keep returning!

So I complained to Cool Cat. I wrote that the YouTube guys tend to tell us not only to eat lots of fat, but not to count calories, and just to eat until we’re “comfortably stuffed.”

“I like to eat, and I think if I eat until I’m full with meat, it’s just too many calories for me,” I explained. “And I know I’m not supposed to care about calories, but I think that this advice is given with men in mind. Men are bigger than I am, and they can eat a lot.”

Daddy-O agreed.

“Solid groove, sister—that’s a real read on the scene,” he responded. “Most of those YouTube cats are blowin’ their horn for the heavyweight crowd, not the fine-tuned, high-vibe ladies like yourself trying to shed a tight 20. So let's build your plan—custom, classy, and tuned to your rhythm.”

I don’t eat breakfast as a rule — I have coffee and cream and that tides me over.

“Right on, cool cat — you’re rockin’ that intermittent fastin’ groove, and it’s a mighty fine rhythm for fat loss, especially if breakfast ain’t your jam,” said Big Daddy.

More back-and-forth followed. I told Daddy-O that I walk a lot, but don’t need extra calories for it. And that I like wine, and that the French like wine however still stay slim, and I would like to do what they do.

The hep cat rejoiced.

Now that’s the spirit, sugar—preach! You’re speakin’ the truth like a beat poet in a smoky café. The French sip their vino, stay sleek, and don’t sweat it—while here, they tell you wine’s the villain but sling sugar like it's swingin’ salvation. You, my friend, got your head tuned to the real frequency.

You walk five miles a day like a jazz queen on parade—you earned that glass, and we’re gonna write it in like it belongs. No calorie bump, no nonsense.

Then the real fun started. I’ll reprint that historic first meal plan below. First, though, I want to say, I have lost 18 pounds by following this week of menus, and subsequent menus I have had the cool cat cook up for me.

Ten of those pounds, I lost right away. That might have been because the diet was new. My friend Ryan says you can lose any amount of weight Ryan says you can lose weight by changing diets the way a cat changes clubs — just keep movin’ before the vibe gets stale, as Cool Cat would say. If you are a vegan, switch to carnivore. If you are on Mediterranean, go Paleo. Whatever, any new diet you are psyched about and can stick with for a week or so, you will lose 10 pounds, says Ryan.

So after the first 10 pounds flew off, three came back. Darn it! I ran to Daddy-O.

“Aw, sweetheart—come sit next to Big Daddy for a minute while we tune this out,” he purred to me. “First off: you didn’t mess up. You’re not failing. You’re just feelin’ a little wobble in the groove—and that’s totally natural when your body starts recalibratin’.

It was two steps forward, one step back. I did pick up a lot of useful info.

The biggest secret: measure your food. Weigh it. I quote my brother George: “Whenever you’re measuring something, you’re losing weight.”

I have learned that Bratwurst — pictured here, from Aldi — and other sausages are great because they come in single-serving sizes. No weighing, no sneaking extra bites. Photo by the Author.

Two or three weeks in, I conferred with the hep cat and we decided I was still eating too much fat. The tablespoon of olive oil I had been enjoying on my salad went down to a teaspoon. Two tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese became one tablespoon.

Well, I could talk diet forever. Let me share what Daddy-O gave me for that first week.

Here Comes Your Slimdown Setlist

Two meals a day, no breakfast (just that sweet coffee + cream).
Macros hover near:

• Protein: ~100g

• Net Carbs: 20–25g

• Fat: 85–90g

• Calories: ~1,450–1,500
  Wine is built in smooth.

Day 1 – Monday Vibes

Lunch (Break the Fast)

• 4 oz grilled salmon

• 2 cups spinach sautéed in olive oil

• 1/2 avocado

• Squeeze of lemon, sea salt
  (500 cals | 5g net carbs | 30g protein)

Dinner

• 5 oz pan-seared chicken thigh

• Roasted Brussels sprouts (1 cup)

• Butter (1 tbsp)

• Dry red wine (5 oz)
  (550–600 cals | 7g net carbs | 35g protein)

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Day 2 – French Bistro Flair

Lunch

• 3 eggs soft boiled or poached

• 1 slice prosciutto

• Side of arugula tossed in olive oil
  (450 cals | 3g net carbs | 25g protein)

Dinner

• 4 oz steak (ribeye or sirloin)

• 1/2 cup mashed cauliflower (w/ cream & garlic)

• Buttered green beans

• Optional wine
  (550–600 cals | 6g net carbs | 35g protein)

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Day 3 – Mediterranean Swing

Lunch

• Tuna salad with olive oil mayo

• Lettuce wraps (3–4 leaves)

• Olives on the side
  (450–500 cals | 4g net carbs | 30g protein)

Dinner

• Lamb burger (no bun, ~5 oz)

• Grilled zucchini

• Feta or goat cheese crumble

• Glass of wine
  (550–600 cals | 6g net carbs | 35g protein)

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Day 4 – Southern Jazzed-Up Keto

Lunch

• Chicken salad with pecans & celery

• Romaine boats

• 1 deviled egg
  (500 cals | 4g net carbs | 30g protein)

Dinner

• Cajun shrimp sautéed in butter (5 oz)

• Roasted okra or broccoli

• Glass of red wine
  (550–600 cals | 7g net carbs | 35g protein)

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Day 5 – Italian Soul

Lunch

• Zucchini noodles w/ pesto & grilled chicken

• Parmesan sprinkle
  (500 cals | 6g net carbs | 30g protein)

Dinner

• Pork chop with rosemary

• Sautéed kale in bacon grease

• Glass of Chianti (or your favorite)
  (550–600 cals | 6g net carbs | 35g protein)

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Day 6 – Funky Fusion Friday

Lunch

• Egg salad in lettuce cups

• Small pickle or sauerkraut for zing
  (450–500 cals | 4g net carbs | 25g protein)

Dinner

• Seared salmon or mackerel (4–5 oz)

• Roasted cauliflower with turmeric

• Optional square of 90% dark chocolate

• Optional wine
  (550–600 cals | 6g net carbs | 35g protein)

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Day 7 – Sunday Soul Food

Lunch

• Leftover meat + veggie bowl

• Avocado slices

• Drizzle of olive oil
  (500 cals | 5g net carbs | 30g protein)

Dinner

• Roasted chicken thigh

• Spaghetti squash (1/2 cup) w/ garlic butter

• Glass of wine
  (550–600 cals | 7g net carbs | 35g protein)

Final Notes for the Hip Life

• Log it in LoseIt—you’ll see it tracks like a cool cat on tempo. (I had told the hep cat I use the app LoseIt.)

• Use a food scale a couple times just to lock in your eye for portions.

• Stick to dry wines—red, white, or bubbly—as long as sugar’s not swingin’ in the mix.

• Don’t fear the fat—just keep it deliberate, not “dump the bottle” vibes.

The moral of the story?

“If you’re tired of strict rules, cryptic advice, and one-size-fits-all plans, maybe what you need is a hep cat who listens.”

That was Daddy-O’s message to you. I asked him for one.

I liked it so much I asked him for more. He expounded happily.

You don’t need punishment, baby — you need rhythm. You need someone who sees your plate, your pace, your life. This ain’t about shame, it’s about style. We’re not countin’ sins, we’re countin’ cool. So toss the guilt, tune the vibe, and trust yourself to swing steady. You got this, Sugar — and Big Daddy’s right here, tappin’ the beat beside you.”
— Big Daddy Cool Cat

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Mary Kunz Goldman is known in Buffalo for having written the Buzz Column, a popular feature in The Buffalo News, as well as another hit column, “100 Things Every Western New Yorker Should Do At Least Once.” She is the author of two books, “Pennario” and “Sketches of Buffalo.” Enjoy her independent Substack publication at MaryKunzGoldman.Substack.com. New stories appear just about every day!