An Inspiring Story

One of the more inspiring blogs I read is Steve Vaught's The Fat Man Walking. Steve's life had gotten out of control and he decided that to have some time to think, get his weight and health more into line, he'd walk across the country. Now, understand that Steve was not a little overweight, he was huge. This created some problems.

When you're a person who is as big as Steve was, you break things. Just by moving his 400 lb. bulk around, Steve was a strong guy. Steve could shoulder a massive pack, but the pack couldn't take it. And nearly 500 lbs. can crush shoes. These are things that most of us relatively normal sized people don't even consider. Though strong, Steve was in poor condition. He could not walk very well, and fell several times early in his journey. When things broke, he got them fixed (and sometimes it was him).

The thing that I find most inspiring about Steve, is that he persisted. He has gone from struggling to walk just 3 or 4 miles a day to regularly covering about 25 miles. He's currently in Texas and making his way to Oklahoma. His weight has dropped from about 400 lbs to about 335 lbs - still very big, but now with a stronger heart and cardiovascular system. I hope to have the chance to walk with him briefly as he nears the end of his trek.

The lesson I draw from Steve is that persistence pays. Steve has steadily nibbled away at the mileage as he crossed the country. Those of you who are trying to lose weight should remember that this isn't a sprint. Losing a pound every week will mean you're over 50 lbs. lighter after a year. You can find Steve's blog here: http://www.thefatmanwalking.com/