The Doctor Weighs In

I first wrote about Steve Vaught a few weeks ago. He calls himself, "The Fat Man Walking." He has a website: thefatmanwalking.com He also has an Oprah following and a few hundred thousand hits on his website. He just arrived in NY City after walking across America from Oceanside, California. It took him a little more than a year. He lost 100 pounds, went through 15 pairs of shoes and 30 pairs of socks. He finished his walk even though he had two bouts of depression that laid him low during different parts of the walk. Steve decided to do the walk after his weight peaked at 410 pounds and he found himself unable to walk across a department store. He was only 40 years old. He, like many of us struggling with weight, had a personal story behind his weight gain. He had accidently killed two elderly pedestrians a number of years ago. He was swamped with guilty feelings that he tried to drown with food. He gained 150 pounds in the year or so after the accident. It was a "tipping point" in his life. He decided to walk across America...all 3,000 + miles. He didn't set out to lose weight or count calories or get famous. He just needed to get some things in his life straightened out. He didn't count the miles he walked or weigh himself every day along the way. He was quoted on Yahoo News as saying: "This is not about obsessing about numbers, or times, or dates, or miles. It's just about going on a walk and sort of having time to get things straight." I suspect that now that Steve has accomplished this incredible goal...walking across America...he is going to feel a bit at loose ends. I know I would. Walking across America was a humongous goal that probably filled alot of his time. Now that it is over, he may be thinking, "What's next? What will I do now that I no longer have as my goal getting up and walking as far as I can each day." Hey, Steve, I have a suggestion (after you put on your new socks): join PEERtrainer. Become a part of our community -- motivated people who are taking a few steps at time, day after day, week after week, as they work to get fit, lose weight, and stay healthy. Check out our website: www.peertrainer.com. You can form a group, say, "Fat Men Walking" or "Mega Walkers, Mega Losers" or you can join an existing group. One of my groups has a competitive power lifter, another a triathelete who wants to compete in all 50 states. My goals are more modest (another 5 pounds off by the 4th of July). I am sure you will find a group that fits your personality and meets your needs..a group that can keep you motivated to lose weight (and keep it off). So, on behalf of the PEERtrainer community, I say, "Congratulations, Steve. One year of walking and 100 pounds lighter. We salute your accomplishment."

This blog was originally published on the PEERtrainer website (www.peertrainer.com) on May 11, 2006.