Eureka!
Posted on 04/02/2006 4:04:37 AM PDT by leadpenny
WHEELING — Nearly one year ago, a man who weighed more than 400 pounds set out on a journey to walk across the United States. On Saturday, his travels brought him to Wheeling.
Steven Vaught, 39, of Oceanside, Calif., has walked 2,396 miles since setting out on April 10, 2005. He still has 419 more miles to go before his quest stops in New York City, and Vaught estimates this will take him four more weeks.
Vaught — who said he is “happily married with two great kids” — started with a mission to “regain control of his life” and lose the weight that was making him unhappy. However, he said the latter part of the mission has changed along the way.
Vaught began his walk at 410 pounds. He weighed himself “180 miles ago” and was then down to 282. He said this now isn’t what is important to him.
“I’m not even concerned about results,” Vaught said during a stop at Cabela’s. “When I left California, it was all about the weight. But I found along the way that this has nothing to do with the weight.
“I could lose 150 pounds and still be miserable. If I lose the weight in one year or 10 years, the idea is to be healthy and happy.”
Vaught said people trying to lose weight collectively spend millions of dollars each year to achieve their goal and use up much of their time with no positive results.
“I can give them advice in five seconds,” he said. “Eat less, eat healthier, and move around.”
As for his travels, one year on the road has taken a toll on his attitude. Vaught talks of “battling personal demons” and the time he sat in the desert wondering why he ever began such a journey.
“It stinks,” he said of walking across the nation. “It’s hard work.”
Still, he talks of the many nice people he has met in his travels, and adds that he has had few bad experiences. He carries a cell phone and said he calls home daily.
Vaught most often has camped out during his travels. He walks with a back pack that contains his tent, a sleeping bag, a small cook stove, socks and underwear, two books and food and water.
He also has with him a laptop computer, through which he writes a daily journal entry on his Web site, www.fatmanwalking.com. He doesn’t carry an extra set of clothes.
Vaught said when he started out, his back pack weighed 85 pounds. It now weighs 45 pounds, after paring down some supplies and switching to lighter weight items. A local supporter picked up Vaught Saturday along U.S. 40 near St. Clairsville, and brought him to see Cabela’s. Vaught said he planned to spend the night at a St. Clairsville hotel.
www.fatmanwalking.com takes you to something called Red Dog Software.
That was quick.
Thank you.
http://thefatmanwalking.com/
You have to wait for the redirect on the other one. This one goes directly.
Some interesting comments in the log.
It's hard to lose weight. The man has walked clear across the nation and has only lost 128 lbs.
.....his back pack weighed 85 pounds. It now weighs 45 pounds.....
The greatest lesson of backpacking is that you don't need most of the stuff you carry around
Now this guy is one awesome dude!
He's got my prayers!
The article says he's happily married but one of his February log entries says he's getting a divorce.
Getting a divorce. I missed that.
Yup, we all have issues.
About 20 years ago I had a fantasy of doing what he is doing. Not to lose weight - just to do it. Now, I have a fantasy of doing it to lose weight.
ha ha! now you have a double fantasy?
I'd try this, but I think my ice cream would melt in that backpack.
Many newspaper articles contain misleading or false information. The reporter probably just skimmed the website...typical MSM sloppy work.
Cheap shot. There is much in his log the staff writer did not include in the piece.
He should dump most of it and keep the Douglas Adams book.
He calls home daily on his cell phone. Wonder how he keeps it charged?
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