He Weighed 560 Pounds — Then Set Out to Bike 3,200 Miles Across America
3 min read · RealCase summary
Eric Hites, 40 and from Indiana, weighed 560 pounds when marital separation and professional stagnation prompted him to change his life, inspired in part by hearing The Proclaimers' song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)." "I didn't think I could walk 500 miles," he said. "But I could ride it."
In the second week of June 2015, he set out from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts on a 3,200-mile bike ride toward the Orange County, California coast, towing a trailer of camping gear and documenting the trip on his blog, "Fat Guy Across America." In Newport, Rhode Island, his bike's rims bent and Newport Bicycle stepped in with a replacement.
By the time he was profiled partway through the ride, Hites had already lost 50 pounds, with a goal of losing 200 pounds total by the end of 2015. "It's been awesome," he said. "I get to meet so many cool people," adding that others had told him, "If he can do it, I can do it." He has said the effort also helped repair his marriage: "It's all about the journey."
Key takeaways
- ›Started at 560 pounds and set out to cycle the full 3,200 miles from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts to the Orange County, California coast
- ›Pulled a trailer with his own gear and a tent, camping along the route rather than relying on support vehicles
- ›Had lost 75 pounds by the time he'd covered 1,300 miles of the route
Original source
Read the original (NBC News)
Next story →
At 65, He Deadlifted Triple His Body Weight — Breaking a Non-Drug-Tested World Record
More Exercise stories
She Swapped Her Nightly Wine for Walks With Her Husband — and Lost 53 Pounds
Pamela Wampler had been finishing one to two bottles of wine most nights; she had her last drink on May 5, 2022, joined a 30-day walking challenge on June 3, filled her old drinking hours with walks, and lost 53 pounds.
She Started by Walking to the Grocery Store — About 3 Pounds a Month Added Up to 50
Richmond restaurant owner Rebecca Thomas began in 2010 by working walking into everyday errands and changing her eating habits, losing about three pounds a month — around 50 pounds in all — and eventually running a 5K.
10,000-15,000 Steps a Day and No More Sugary Coffee: She Lost 75 Pounds
Oregon mom Brittany Schregardus walked 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day — on breaks, on hilly neighborhood routes and in place indoors — dropped sugary coffee drinks and tracked calories, losing 75 pounds, 40 of them in six months.