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drsukie
01-23-2006, 23:46
For anyone who has been watching him, Steve Vaught of San Diego is the Fat Man Walking - he is great! He isnow in Indiana; he is walking from San Diego to NYC. Someone in Indiana left him Trail Magic, but he does not now the concept - yet! :banana

http://www.thefatmanwalking.com/page/75009/index.v3page;jsessionid=2v0lp99d0j37k

You go, Stevie! His own version of a 2,000 mile hike.... Sue

digger51
01-24-2006, 00:41
I saw it for the first time on the news tonight. A great way to lose the pounds. One of the reasons I go to Springer each spring and start north. Hiking is a wonderful and healthy diet.

Smile
01-24-2006, 07:42
Does he look like he has lost a whole lot of weight? It didn't say how much, the pack looks like it fits better - I hope he is happy and successful with this walk!

I really appreciated the 'camping' conditions in these photos, wow. We are blessed to be Americans and home in our beds tonight - or in a nice tent or hammock or shelter on trail! Glad the AT doesn't have this kind of dust as part of the experience. ;-)

http://www.thefatmanwalking.com/page/68533/index.v3page;jsessionid=ui10s8tcdwqd

The Solemates
01-24-2006, 10:28
Does he look like he has lost a whole lot of weight? It didn't say how much, the pack looks like it fits better - I hope he is happy and successful with this walk!

I really appreciated the 'camping' conditions in these photos, wow. We are blessed to be Americans and home in our beds tonight - or in a nice tent or hammock or shelter on trail! Glad the AT doesn't have this kind of dust as part of the experience. ;-)

http://www.thefatmanwalking.com/page/68533/index.v3page;jsessionid=ui10s8tcdwqd

the indiana article says he has lost 92 pounds.

Smile
01-24-2006, 10:46
Way to go, that is so great for him!

Deb
01-24-2006, 11:04
From his journal:
"But the hardest thing of all was dealing with not liking me very much. It is hard to be with yourself all the time when self-loathing is the thing that has fueled your self destructive behaviors for so long. Looking inward and finding an idiot is no picnic and I have the added element of a camera crew here to verify those findings. But in retrospect, I don’t think that I would change a thing because overall each element, good or bad, has had a part in this journey and each contributes in it’s own way."

Panifully honest stuff. This guy is in the fight of his life and he's winning.
Thanks for the link, it's good reading.

TJ aka Teej
01-24-2006, 16:23
That guy is still out there? That's amazing! That's quite a quote above, I plan on reading more. Thanks for the headsup, all.

D'Artagnan
01-24-2006, 17:32
Thanks for the links. When I heard about this last year, I thought, "Yeah, right." I'm glad he proved me wrong. Improvise, adapt, overcome.

colbys
01-25-2006, 11:36
well the fatman has to cross the at sometime before he gets to nyc.maybe well all should have some kind of welcome party for him when he crosses the trail.

bogey
04-06-2006, 20:58
Steve is now in Valley Grove WV. 399 mi fm NYC.


http://thefatmanwalking.com/page/65313/index.v3page;jsessionid=1vh9bvcw1g30y

Hana_Hanger
04-07-2006, 04:53
Wonderful wonderful I am so encouraged by this.
Thanks so much for the links.

Toolshed
04-07-2006, 07:12
I sent Steve V. an email that since he was going to NY, he might as well hop on the AT for the next 200 + miles and enjoy PA. I said I'd be glad to Backpack with him.
He responded that he'd rather not try the AT at this time and would prefer to stick with roads.

norub
04-08-2006, 13:32
I sent Steve V. an email that since he was going to NY, he might as well hop on the AT for the next 200 + miles and enjoy PA. I said I'd be glad to Backpack with him.
He responded that he'd rather not try the AT at this time and would prefer to stick with roads.

It would be great if this were truly an inspiration story, and a success, but just like many things in life, it really isn’t what it seems.

Steve has surrounded himself with enablers who simply refuse to acknowledge that this "walk across America to lose weight" thing is simply NOT working. Why? Because Steve refuses to change his horrid eating habits. Recently, Steve was filmed gorging on a huge plate of chicken-fried steak accompanied by eggs and sausage biscuits smothered in gravy. When someone actually had the temerity to ask on his yahoo group if this is really the kind of thing Steve should be eating if he were trying to lose weight, his supporters there jumped all over the guy, saying that the meal was "a wise choice". A woman chimed in, gushing that Steve "needs food like that to stick to his ribs". Another began screaming about "ITS STEVES BODY NOT YOURS WHY DO YOU CARE" and " who cares about some arbitrary number on the scale!!!".

Last month, Steve flew to LA for a month to live at a spa and "work out with a personal trainer". He apparently "lost 30 pounds and learned the basics of exercising and eating right". But back on the road, a reporter who was with Steve on March 11 watched him buy a typical dinner: "two containers of Chef Boyardee lasagna, a package of beef jerky, a steak sandwich and a packet of cinnamon corn pops". It doesn’t take a nutritionist to know that just ambling down the road for a few hours doesn’t even come close to burning all the calories in that disgusting heap of junk food. Sure, for a thru-hiker, that meal might be another forgettable convenience-store meal, but how many thru-hikers are trying to lose 250 pounds??

As far as not wanting to backpack with you, the real reason is probably that Steve doesn't even carry his own stuff, he is trailed by a van that hauls his tent, sleeping bag, etc. He only walks a few hours a day and spends most nights in motels and eats dinner every night at either a restaurant or a convenience store. He wouldn’t have a clue how to feed himself on the AT. Too bad, really. If he actually hiked 200 miles w/you, he’s probably actually lose some weight and also learn some self-reliance.

And before anyone jumps on me for being "negative", keep in mind that this guy has multi-millions in book and movie deals lined up, this was HIS choice to abandon his family, quit his job, etc and HIS choice to seek all the media attention. The sad fact is that what was undoubtedly a sincere quest at first has just turned into a publicity stunt. After walking most of the way across the country, Steve is still morbidly obese and still stuffs his face with junk food. The only difference is that he is now a very rich fatmanwalking.

Lone Wolf
04-08-2006, 13:35
I agree with norub.

Hana_Hanger
04-08-2006, 15:58
True that is how it finally ended up but you maybe should read his first 6 months of his walking where he carried 85 lb pack and our friends from GoLite helped him out and outfitted him for carring 26 lbs.
Sad to say the 6 month trip...has turned into 10 months and at the loss of his marriage...at this point he has nothing to lose...might as well make some money and have support.
I hope he continues losing and improves his lifestyle and his eating style. If you read ALL of his journal he has grown alot spiritually and mentally and loss some physically. Hopefully this will continue...but he put in his fare share of black toes and hard ground.

norub
04-08-2006, 16:16
True that is how it finally ended up but you maybe should read his first 6 months of his walking where he carried 85 lb pack and our friends from GoLite helped him out and outfitted him for carring 26 lbs.

True. But 26 pounds of what? As mentioned previously, he has a support van trailing him which carries all his stuff. And he now sleeps in hotels almost every night anyway.

Here is what GoLite sales director Kevin Volz said regarding Steve after donating hundreds of dollars of free gear and counseling Steve about healthy eating:

"Kevin visited Vaught around Halloween and admits that he left feeling a bit discouraged and surprised that Vaught hadn't been carrying much in the way of water or healthy food. Volz also realized that Vaught hadn't really modified his eating habits and was often eating junk food from convenience stores or restaurants along the route. "He was eating the worst foods," Volz said.


Sad to say the 6 month trip...has turned into 10 months and at the loss of his marriage...

No kidding. Steve has stubbornly refused to address questions about how he figured that quitting his job and leaving his family with no provider would help anything. Wouldn't staying home, putting down the frickin cupcakes and walking around his OWN town, after work, for exercise have been the more responsible thing to do? Sure, lots of hikers make a tough choice to leave loved ones for a thru-hike. But would you respect one who did that leaving his wife to have the house foreclosed on?

Hana_Hanger
04-08-2006, 16:22
I am not disagreeing with what you stated except the part that you imply that the WHOLE trip that he had a van and support group and did not carry his own pack :) (This part is not true) It is true NOW!

The rest I understand what is stated and all I meant was... if I made wrong choices and at the loss of my marriage and hounded for deals all the time...why not make some money on it now. :)

norub
04-08-2006, 16:39
I am not disagreeing with what you stated except the part that you imply that the WHOLE trip that he had a van and support group and did not carry his own pack :) (This part is not true) It is true NOW!

True, he started with an EIGHTY-FIVE pound pack b/c he did not bother to learn a single thing about modern backpacking gear and techniques. But you're right, he did carry that monstrosity for a few weeks until GoLite re-outfitted him. Please do note that I never said or implied that he never carried his own pack. I AM questioning what's IN the new 26 pound pack, since the van carries all his stuff and he apparently doesn't even carry healthy snacks even.




The rest I understand what is stated and all I meant was... if I made wrong choices and at the loss of my marriage and hounded for deals all the time...why not make some money on it now. :)
Well, I suppose that's one way to look at it. Another way would be to admit it was a really bad idea, with even worse implementation. Then go HOME, get a job, pay the family's overdue bills, and maybe, even...go on a diet.

Wolf - 23000
04-08-2006, 16:51
This guy is nothing more than a fat joke. No real adult would pick up and leave his family with out any means of income.

His hike, please. He doing nothing to lose weight as Norub pointed out. He able to visit stores almost every day, eat at greasy place every day. At the end of his trip; it going to discourage the average person who is really trying to lose weight - If walking 2,000+ miles does help to lose weight, what will?

This guy took up to much of all of our time.

Wolf

Hana_Hanger
04-08-2006, 16:55
http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/10/20060310-B1-01.html

norub
04-08-2006, 17:28
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4818036.stm

Quote from Steve: " I've walked through the Midwest, the breadbasket, and it is one of the most unhealthy places on earth.

"You have all these rolling acres of farmland, and you can't even buy fresh fruit and veg. The last apple I ate came from South America - and it looked like it had rolled here."

Whaaat? You can't buy fresh fruit or veggies ANYWHERE in the ENTIRE Midwest? Poor guy, nothing to eat but twinkies...

erichlf
04-08-2006, 22:20
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4818036.stm

Quote from Steve: " I've walked through the Midwest, the breadbasket, and it is one of the most unhealthy places on earth.

"You have all these rolling acres of farmland, and you can't even buy fresh fruit and veg. The last apple I ate came from South America - and it looked like it had rolled here."

Whaaat? You can't buy fresh fruit or veggies ANYWHERE in the ENTIRE Midwest? Poor guy, nothing to eat but twinkies...
Well, he is hiking on roads. Some where I read that he has found it difficult to find healthy food because he gets food at gas stations. I thought to myself, "what did you think you would find?"

saimyoji
04-09-2006, 00:11
If he has a van following him, what does it matter? I'm sure the van can take 30 min to find a supermarket.

norub
04-09-2006, 11:51
This has got me to wondering...what is the most weight someone has lost thru-hiking the AT?

erichlf
04-09-2006, 13:56
This has got me to wondering...what is the most weight someone has lost thru-hiking the AT?

Start a thread, and ask the question.

Overpass
03-15-2007, 14:14
Well, he is hiking on roads. Some where I read that he has found it difficult to find healthy food because he gets food at gas stations. I thought to myself, "what did you think you would find?"

I just read an update on this guy and recalled the thread here. In a recent interview, Steve said that after walking most of the way across the country, he was worried about what people would say in NY when he arrived still extremely fat. So in Feb of 2006, he flew back to LA and spent a month with a personal trainer and lost 30 pounds. He returned to the road weighing 237.

Two months later he arrived in NY. He was weighed on a talk show and was 340. He'd gained 53 pounds in 2 months. While walking with a pack. Across three states.

Curious, I did the math on this. Using the health calculators at DiscoveryHeath.com, the basal metabolic rate for a 300 lb man is about 2500 cals/day. So if he eats the 2500 and does no exercise, he will maintain the 300 lbs. However, Steve was walking about 10 miles per day. A 300 pound person will burn an additional 2000 calories walking 10 miles with a pack on flat ground. So to maintain weight, Steve would have had to eat 4500 calories a day. However, he GAINED 53 pounds in 2 months, which is a total of 185,500 extra calories consumed, an average of an extra 3000 calories per day. Add that to the 4500 he needed just to maintain and we have a whopping 7500 calories per day that the guy was consuming.

At 500 calories apiece, that 7500 is the equivalent to 15 Big Macs. Every day.

15 Big Macs a day...that is just boggling...how could a person even AFFORD to eat like that?

Midway Sam
03-15-2007, 14:24
15 Big Macs a day...that is just boggling...how could a person even AFFORD to eat like that?

Corporate sponsorship? "Fatman Walking presented by McDonald's"

D'Artagnan
03-15-2007, 15:16
...15 Big Macs a day...that is just boggling...how could a person even AFFORD to eat like that?


I just saw a piece last night on Discovery Health where they reported on a number of extremely morbidly obese men and women. I'm talking in the 700 pound rage. One guy in the UK consumes something like 40 full-size candy bars A DAY in addition to a table full or food. His daily intake was in the neighborhood of 36,000 calories !!! They estimate he spent approximately $14,000 last year on chocolate alone. I guess my point is, where there's a will there's a way. Also, it's much cheaper to buy "bad" food than healthy food. That's part of the reason obesity is so rampant in poor parts of the U.S.

Overpass
03-15-2007, 15:41
I just saw a piece last night on Discovery Health where they reported on a number of extremely morbidly obese men and women. I'm talking in the 700 pound rage. One guy in the UK consumes something like 40 full-size candy bars A DAY in addition to a table full or food. His daily intake was in the neighborhood of 36,000 calories !!! They estimate he spent approximately $14,000 last year on chocolate alone. I guess my point is, where there's a will there's a way. Also, it's much cheaper to buy "bad" food than healthy food. That's part of the reason obesity is so rampant in poor parts of the U.S.

I've heard about that show, wish I could have seen it.

Thing I can't figure out, someone who weighs 700 lbs or more probably isn't even mobile, meaning someone else is probably buying this guy the 40 candy bar. Who the hell buys a case of chocolate bars every DAY for a person dying of obesity??

Overpass
03-15-2007, 15:43
Corporate sponsorship? "Fatman Walking presented by McDonald's"

How much IS a Big Mac anyway? I don't think I've ever actually bought one.:-?

Midway Sam
03-15-2007, 15:44
Who the hell buys a case of chocolate bars every DAY for a person dying of obesity??

The Candyman Can...

http://sptimes.com/2005/07/14/images/medium/WK_0_wk14Wilde_218113_0714.jpg

Overpass
03-15-2007, 16:04
What could be piled on the counter if you went into the average gas station and selected 7,500 calories worth of food? And how much might it all cost?

Apparently, about halfway across the country, Steve was given a $250,00 cash advance on his book, but he arrived back in San Diego so broke his car was repossessed. How can you spend $250,000 in 7 months while walking 1000 miles? That's over a thousand dollars a DAY!

D'Artagnan
03-15-2007, 16:25
I've heard about that show, wish I could have seen it.

Thing I can't figure out, someone who weighs 700 lbs or more probably isn't even mobile, meaning someone else is probably buying this guy the 40 candy bar. Who the hell buys a case of chocolate bars every DAY for a person dying of obesity??

That was exactly what I thought while I was watching it. Apparently, the guy in the UK had a social worker/nurse who came in each day to feed and care for him because he was bedridden. Maybe I'm just a sadistic bastard, but I was thinking to myself: He can't get up, so just push back the feed trough. The worst he could do was complain. It's not like he's going to get up and chase you around the house. If people stopped enabling and shoveling massive quantities of food at these people, perhaps they wouldn't be over a quarter ton. What the hell?

Overpass
03-15-2007, 16:52
That was exactly what I thought while I was watching it. Apparently, the guy in the UK had a social worker/nurse who came in each day to feed and care for him because he was bedridden. Maybe I'm just a sadistic bastard, but I was thinking to myself: He can't get up, so just push back the feed trough. The worst he could do was complain. It's not like he's going to get up and chase you around the house. If people stopped enabling and shoveling massive quantities of food at these people, perhaps they wouldn't be over a quarter ton. What the hell?

Agreed. What I'm wondering is why the social worker/nurse hasn't been brought up on criminal charges for deliberately endangering the health of her patient?

Skidsteer
03-15-2007, 17:30
Agreed. What I'm wondering is why the social worker/nurse hasn't been brought up on criminal charges for deliberately endangering the health of her patient?

If fat bastard reads your quote, he might sue his nurse...and win.

All he needs is a lawyer.

Jack Tarlin
03-15-2007, 17:36
Paging Weasel.....paging John Edwards.....anyone there? Bueller?? Anyone?

Mother's Finest
03-15-2007, 18:14
Paging Weasel.....paging John Edwards.....anyone there? Bueller?? Anyone?


that was funny Jack. Even to a good liberal like myself.

as a person who used to weigh 250+,and now weighs 190+/- on any given day, I have had some experience with proper weight loss. it took a good 18 months for me to lose the 60lbs. Stopped eating fats like cheese and mayonaise, substituted water anytime I would have had a soda. Ate lots of turkey and chicken and grains.
Then I started to exercise. Just walking at first around a track, then jogging a bit. I remember the first time I tried to jog on the track, I could only manage to run for one straight away, I could not even make it a whole 1/4 mile lap.
anyway, my point is someone has to change their lifestyle, not just go take a walk. It won't last, or won't work at all.

peace
mf

corentin
03-16-2007, 02:09
[Agreed. What I'm wondering is why the social worker/nurse hasn't been brought up on criminal charges for deliberately endangering the health of her patient?QUOTE]

If it was the same show I'm thinking of, the family was feeding the guy, not the nurse. Most people who can't get their own food due to obesity have family members that have helped them get there.
I'm continually tempted to tell my obese patients who won't help move themselves "You grew it, you move it. And nothing but water until you can get out of bed for your own food."

D'Artagnan
03-16-2007, 08:42
[Agreed. What I'm wondering is why the social worker/nurse hasn't been brought up on criminal charges for deliberately endangering the health of her patient?QUOTE]

If it was the same show I'm thinking of, the family was feeding the guy, not the nurse. Most people who can't get their own food due to obesity have family members that have helped them get there.
I'm continually tempted to tell my obese patients who won't help move themselves "You grew it, you move it. And nothing but water until you can get out of bed for your own food."

It was the black guy's family who were feeding him. Did you notice that when the camera crew was there and they were in another room filming the massive quantity of food he normally ate in a given day that he mustered the willpower to get up and out of a room he had admittedly not left in over three years to come to the food and start eating? For some reason, the word "lazy" keeps popping into my head...

Rufous Sided Towhee
03-16-2007, 17:21
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4818036.stm

Quote from Steve: " I've walked through the Midwest, the breadbasket, and it is one of the most unhealthy places on earth.

"You have all these rolling acres of farmland, and you can't even buy fresh fruit and veg. The last apple I ate came from South America - and it looked like it had rolled here."

Whaaat? You can't buy fresh fruit or veggies ANYWHERE in the ENTIRE Midwest? Poor guy, nothing to eat but twinkies...

I could not believe he actually said you can't buy fruits and vegetables in the midwest, but I just read the article and yep, that's exactly what he said.

What a tool.