Charles D'Angelo, 26, weighed 360 pounds as a teen and knows the pain of "feeling like an outsider." He vowed to change while lying in bed, unable to see the TV over his stomach.

Now 150 pounds lighter, the St. Louis weight-loss coach has written down his formula for success in "Think and Grow Thin" (Robert Kennedy Publishing, 288 pages, $22.95). He'll talk about it from 9-11 a.m. Thursday on KMOX (1120 AM), but reservations to attend the book club event are closed.

D'Angelo's enthusiasm will easily fill a radio show: It worked when getting a plug for the book from former President Bill Clinton. He's trained several politicians, but D'Angelo says he's not partisan: He wants to help anyone.

Did you have help writing this? • I wrote the entire book. While a student at St. Louis University, I'd drive to Columbia, Mo., to see a girlfriend. I recorded my thoughts while driving. Later, I'd listen to the tape and synthesize what I had said. I worked on the book for five years.

How did weight loss change your social life? • My confidence soared. I became authentic, and I realized what people had said was in the past.

Is there a tip people haven't heard a million times? • Remove spontaneity. I find that ambiguity makes people overanxious. My book recommends a plan that only changes every 14 days. I tell them exactly what to do.