View Full Version : 360 LB Man Begins Cross Country Walk
http://upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060216-041620-3467r
What I like is that this guy is gonna stealth camp along the highway...
StarLyte
02-17-2006, 09:19
Excellent thread!
I love reading stories like this.
Marsha
Toolshed
02-17-2006, 11:20
What happened to the guy who was doing it last year. It was fatmanwalking.com or something - He started in Cali. Does anyone remember his website?
Lone Wolf
02-17-2006, 11:22
www.thefatmanwalking.com
His most recent journal entry is quite a read. I gotta hand it to the guy, he's really doing some serious introspection.
Has Fatmanwalking quit? Also, he looks like he's actually gotten bigger, if you compare the first and last photo from his sight.
"Vaught averages 16 miles a day with an 80-pound backpack." Quote from a Today Show transcript. I think this story is full of bulls..t or he's carrying 70lbs of twinkies in that 80lb pack. This quy looks like he's put on pounds.
There might be money to be made in taking fat people on a thru-hike as a guide.
I never saw a NOBO fat thru-hiker north of Harpers Ferry. I have heard of thru-hikers who had shrunk so much they had to purchase new cloths and pack belts somewhere around the 1/2 way point.
Well, he can stop and eat anywhere he wants!! It's not like he's walking through the woods and coming to a restaurant only every 4 to 5 days.
jeepcj258
02-17-2006, 16:34
This will be interesting to watch.
RockyTrail
02-17-2006, 19:14
Well, at least you gotta say at this point he has walked a distance exceeding that of the AT, he's well past 2200 miles.
But it doesn't look like he's lost as much weight as a typical thru would...best of luck to him though.
For an interesting read, take a look at the "Equipment Mistakes" section where he's shows how he reduced his gear. For one thing he ditched the external frame pack and the semiauto pistol.
Wolf - 23000
02-18-2006, 00:34
Ok he is walking 3,000 which I believe is a little over exaggerated considering it not 3,000 miles across from the East Coast to the West. Is that any different than what many hikers on this website have already done? Most long distance hikers are not walking roads, stop at restaurants, hotels, doing laundry all on a daily basic. Is there even a reason this guy is even in the papers? Ok he is 360 pounds. Big Deal. He made himself 360 pounds not anyone else. I just don’t understand what makes him any different than anyone else who hikes long distance.
Wolf
Pacific Tortuga
02-18-2006, 01:48
[quote=. "Is there even a reason this guy is even in the papers? Ok he is 360 pounds. Big Deal. He made himself 360 pounds not anyone else".
This is true, we controll most of our life (unless one believes their faith in God does) and the choices we make and who we are reflect this.After watching the doc:"Super Size Me",I still believe this but I now think the odds are slightly in favor of the house as in billions of ad. $$$$$ to get us to eat the fast food. Americans could benefit from long distance walking, h*!! :clap at least he looks to be.....walking?
Toolshed
02-18-2006, 11:55
Thanks for the link LWolf.
I read the journal from where I left off last summer. I am not sure if he started at 375 or 400 lbs, as both numbers are quoted. I think the lat number I read was that he was down to 320. so 55 or 80 lbs off is still a pretty impressive number. Thogh when you look at his daily average mileage, it is only 7.1/day since he started. It also looks like there may have been some 0 days or a 0week here and there where they might have been some binge eating. Hard to tell, but avg 7 miles/day while very good, is still not a lot to walk if you are trying to take off 200 lbs. Since roads are well graded, I would guess it would not require as much exertion as a trail with stiff up and downs. Perhaps he isn't getting his heart rate up enough or perhaps he is eatin too much roadside fast food. Either way, I congratulate him on his loss so far, but I hope he doesn't feel hopeless because he still isn't thin or muscular (he won't get muscles on his upper body) after 10 months and just fall into deep depression and put another 100 on.
I would guess that he will gain all the weight back after he is finished. Maybe he should think about that Subway diet!
I would guess that he will gain all the weight back after he is finished. Maybe he should think about that Subway diet!
From the photos I've seen, looks like the weight never left. I would like to see him on a non-supported AT or PCT thru hike. He'd drop the weight then.
I would guess that he will gain all the weight back after he is finished.
As a former 400-pounder myself I have to say that while walking/hiking has helped, I would never have lost weight had I not completely changed my diet & eating lifestyle. Otherwise like you say, it'll just come right back.
www.thefatmanwalking.com (http://www.thefatmanwalking.com)
thanks for posting his website,really cool:cool: neo
great story,awesome:cool: neo