SEA BRIGHT, N.J. -- Chris Christie began the workweek doughnut in hand, playfully embracing fat jokes on David Letterman's couch.

The New Jersey governor was soon describing himself as the "the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen in your life" and sharing private details about his cholesterol and blood sugar with Letterman. And in a flash, the Republican was countering a former White House doctor's suggestion that his weight would present serious health risks if he were elected president.

By design or not, the 50-year-old ended up outlining a personal and political plan for dealing with his weight – in a more concentrated fashion, perhaps, than ever before, and in a matter of days. And he addressed a political vulnerability in his indisputable quest to emerge as a key leader in the Republican Party, if not become his party's 2016 presidential nominee.

"There is a plan" for losing weight, Christie acknowledged, adding: "Whether it's successful or not, you'll all be able to notice."

He has never publicly revealed his weight.

On Thursday, Christie was touring this seaside community as part of recovery efforts from Superstorm Sandy. It was unclear whether the focus earlier in the week about his weight – and his promise to control it – signaled his thinking as it related to a potential run for president or whether it was simply a continuation of the status quo for a man who has struggled with his size for three decades.