TIVERTON, R.I. — Turning 40 had something to do with it, but the biggest reason Eric Hites said he decided to start to lose what he hopes will be hundreds of pounds was a failing relationship with his wife and the need to get healthy again, so he could get a good job and start a new life with her.
At 560 pounds, Hites decided to bike across the United States to lose weight and gather material for his second book, but a bent rim on his bicycle has waylaid him in Tiverton since late last week.
Hites said he always has been a big person. He graduated from high school in Indiana weighing 300 pounds, but said he could run 5 miles with no problem back then.
"I drank too much pop and I didn't exercise," Hites said of how he managed to nearly double his weight over the years while working as a disc jockey in his home state.
He currently wears size 70 pants and 10X T-shirt.
He made a name for himself years ago when he authored a humorous cookbook entitled "Everybody Loves Ramen," that contains 50 recipes he developed in college that have as their main ingredient the cheap squiggly noodles. One is called "What's Up Doc Ramen Pancakes," that calls for cooked noodles, shredded carrots and cheddar cheese fried like a hash browns.
Hites studied graphic design in college but didn't finish. He worked hard building his disc jockey business that found him out late at night drinking lots of soda and smoking lots of cigarettes.
"I hit 40 and I said, 'I've got to change this,'" Hites said as he sat on a milk crate near the tent he has pitched at Bliss Congregational Church on Stafford Road. His gear is in a cart that he towed behind his bike.
It's 90 miles from where he started his ride in Falmouth, Mass., last month. Hites said he lost 60 pounds in the first two weeks. He doesn't know exactly how much he weighs now, but he may go the junkyard up the road, he said, because it will have a scale that can handle over 500 pounds.
Hites doesn't expect to be in Tiverton too much longer, though, because the owner of Newport Bicycle, Rob Purdy, is building him a new bike that should last until he reaches the California coast, and for years after.
Purdy, who lives in Tiverton, said he is going to take a bike frame and fit it with mountain bike wheels that can support Hites' weight. He is donating the bike to Hites, and plans to deliver it to him tonight.
"It's definitely inspiring," Purdy said of Hites' goal. "It seems like a really good cause."
Hites' mother, Sandra, speaking from her home in Danville, Ind., Tuesday night, said Eric has had weight issues since he was a baby, and several events, including the death of his best friend when he was 19, seemed to make matters worse, weight-wise.
"Super-caring" is how his mother describes Eric, who has always taken care of people in need. "I can tell you story after story after story," she said.
Eric's father, Dan, said he drove his son to the East Coast to start his journey.
"When he said he was going to do this, he was so determined," said Dan, who said he was upset to learn recently that the bicycle was broken.
"We've been praying about what was going to happen," said Dan, who said he is thankful for the outpouring of support from people in the Tiverton area.
"He's going to go through some places that aren't as friendly," Dan said of his son's journey across the country.
"He's big enough to hunt a grizzly bear with a stick," he said, but he also is quick to make friends wherever he goes.
Hites has a website, www.Fat GuyAcrossAmerica.com, where people can follow his journey.
Over 800 people are checking in, Hites said, which helps keep him motivated to complete the ride.
"I thought it would take four months, but I'm almost two months into it and I'm only in Rhode Island," he said.
If he can get down to 300 pounds, he said he will be chubby, but happy, and much healthier.
"By completing this ride I hope to encourage others to get up and get moving no matter their weight," he wrote.
Tiverton@NewportRI.com
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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J 560 LB man, Eric Hites, is riding bike across America to lose weight. Already down 60 pounds in 2 weeks with a bent rim. via top scoring links : news http://ift.tt/1g6Umss
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