A 560-Pound Man Is Biking Across the Country

.@hites75 with his new bike that will get him to the Pacific ocean thanks to @NewportBicycle. pic.twitter.com/LXcTOkipAg

— Kyle DuBreuil (@TheNamesKyle) July 22, 2015

When Eric Hites hit 40 years old, he decided to make a change. His weight had ballooned to 560-pounds, said he knew that by losing weight it would not only improve his own life, but the life of his wife and family. That’s why Hites decided to bike across the country, from Falmouth to California in order to lose weight and, perhaps, get fodder for a new book.

But he only made it 90 miles before he hit is first snag: a bent rim on his bicycle that has kept him in Rhode Island for almost a week.

“I drank too much pop and I didn’t exercise,” Hites told the Newport Daily News. “I hit 40 and I said, ‘I’ve got to change this.’”

The Indiana-native calls himself a “fat guy” and will be detailing his journey on social media and through his website, fatguyacrossamerica.com

With a fresh set of wheels from Newport Bicycle, Hites is set to continue his journey soon.

Hites says that his goal is to get down to 300-pounds, where he will still be “chubby,” he says, but at a much healthier weight.