On a quest for weight loss and redemption in the eyes of his wife, 560-lb. Eric Hites is biking 3200 miles from one coast to the other. Hites, who is chronicling his journey on Instagram and his blog Fat Guy Across America, said he was inspired by the Proclaimers, of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" fame.
"I can't walk 500 miles, so how about I ride it?" Hites explained on his blog:
None
After separating from his wife last year ("for many reasons, money, issues at home etc," Hites wrote in a blog post today), Hites said he found "my drive, my trip, my chance to change my future." Once he settled on his plan and started out in Martha's Vineyard, his wife reached out.
None
Hites and his wife are back together, and he is well on his way to California, which he hopes to reach by the end of the year. Hites sleeps every night in a tent that he keeps in a trailer attached to his bike, he told NBC News—and he's already lost 50 pounds.
"I get to lose weight and have fun doing it," said Hites, who is also interviewing people he meets along the way. "It's all about the journey."
When he's done, Hites plans to write a book about his experience.
