--- description: On his 40th birthday, Eric Hites decided to make a few changes title: "Fat Guy" Bikes Across America to Lose Weight, Save Marriage image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb14801e4c9d70b81/69885c1f35ba6f85a0c0e50e/eric-hites.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 'Fat Guy' Biking Across America to Lose Weight and Save Marriage  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 23, 2015 1:47 AM CUT  Eric Hites, rests at the Bliss Congregational Church in Tiverton, R.I on July 21, 2015, while he waits for a new bicycle so he can continue his cross-country ride. The about 560-pound man is biking across the United States to lose weight. Eric Hites, rests at the Bliss Congregational Church in Tiverton, R.I on July 21, 2015, while he waits for a new bicycle so he can continue his cross-country ride. The about 560-pound man is biking across the United States to lose weight.Marcia Pobzeznik—The Daily News/AP  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 23, 2015 1:47 AM CUT Self-proclaimed “fat guy” Eric Hites was 560 lbs and unhappy with his weight. His marriage was falling apart. And he wanted to get a new job. So he decided to do something unexpected: go on an epic bike ride across America. The goals? Lose weight, write a second book (his first was a quirky cookbook titled _Everybody Loves Ramen_), and rescue his flailing relationship with his wife. “I hit 40 and I said, ‘I’ve got to change this,'” Hites told [_The Newport Daily News_](http://www.newportri.com/newportdailynews/news/page%5Fone/fat-guy-on-a-mission/article%5F308366d9-4582-550d-8546-dcee6e2e0ef7.html "undefined"). He’s 90 miles into his journey, which began in Falmouth, Mass. In the first two weeks, Hites shed 60 lbs. “By completing this ride I hope to encourage others to get up and get moving no matter their weight,” he wrote on his blog, [Fat Guy Across America](http://www.fatguyacrossamerica.com/ "undefined"), which chronicles his trip. Hites is two months into his trip and had expected to finish in four months but is currently stuck in Tiverton, R.I., with a bent rim in his bike. Hites should be on his way soon, though: a local bike shop owner is outfitting Hites with a new bike that will last him to California and beyond. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3969005/fat-guy-biking/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3969005/fat-guy-biking/"},"headline":"'Fat Guy' Biking Across America to Lose Weight and Save Marriage","datePublished":"2015-07-23T01:47:09.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T09:30:16.206Z","description":"Eric Hites resolved to make his 40th year on Earth a little bit better","url":"https://time.com/3969005/fat-guy-biking/","keywords":["Transportation","Obesity","America","Biking"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb14801e4c9d70b81/69885c1f35ba6f85a0c0e50e/eric-hites.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tanya Basu","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb14801e4c9d70b81/69885c1f35ba6f85a0c0e50e/eric-hites.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Eric Hites, rests at the Bliss Congregational Church in Tiverton, R.I on July 21, 2015, while he waits for a new bicycle so he can continue his cross-country ride. The about 560-pound man is biking across the United States to lose weight.","caption":"Eric Hites, rests at the Bliss Congregational Church in Tiverton, R.I on July 21, 2015, while he waits for a new bicycle so he can continue his cross-country ride. The about 560-pound man is biking across the United States to lose weight.","creditText":"Marcia Pobzeznik—The Daily News/AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3969005/fat-guy-biking/","name":"'Fat Guy' Biking Across America to Lose Weight and Save Marriage"}}]}] ```