www.THEFATMANWALKING.com
Have you heard of this guy? Steve Vaught? Steve who? Steve Vaught, a 400 pound man, is walking across America. I applaud him for this. In a society that looks for excuses, scapegoats, and anything to shun responsibility for their actions, this man is doing something about an issue affecting him — his weight.
Here’s some quotes from the Washington Post article:
This spring, as he neared his 40th birthday, Vaught had an epiphany: If he didn’t lose the weight, he would die before 50. But dieting would not work, he decided, and neither would normal exercise. He knew he was the kind of guy who could rationalize his way out of one three-mile walk after another. “My weakness,” he said, “is the easy way out.” So Vaught made it hard. On April 10, he left his home in San Diego — and his wife and two children — and started walking, alone, to New York.
There’s something about this nation’s geography that inspires this kind of journey — to hike the Appalachian Trail, to kayak the entire Mississippi River, or just to drive from Maine to Key West, and maybe make sense of things along the way. Which is how it has gone for Vaught, on the road mulling issues far beyond weight or willpower.
Fifteen years ago, he was the fun guy. A slew of girlfriends, a bunch of friends, a witty streak so hot he would gladly take the stage at a comedy club open-mike night. Then one evening in October 1990, driving too fast against the setting sun, he struck and killed an elderly couple crossing the street. The accident sent him to jail for 10 days, ruined him financially and dulled him emotionally. When he started to put on the weight, he just didn’t care. He remembers little about the next three years.
After the birth of their first child, he grudgingly went to therapy, just so April would know she had done everything she could in case he killed himself. Medication snapped him out of his depression. But life didn’t get any easier. A few businesses failed, and they went deep in debt on a house. And the weight, he realized, was bringing him down.
“It has nothing to do with weight anymore,” he says. “It’s about getting back to the person I was.”
Check out his personal website at www.thefatmanwalking.com .
Tags: News and Media
July 13th, 2005 at 9:51 am
I’m not going to applaud the guy for this initiative. Yes, I’m glad he wants to lose weight, but leaving his family behind for months while he’s doing so isn’t the answer. If he wanted to lose weight badly enough, he’d find a way to do it at home, where he could be a good dad and a good husband at the same time.
July 13th, 2005 at 9:53 am
I should add, his web site is down, so I wasn’t able to check it out. Maybe he’s not abandoning his family like it sounds. If he’s not, then good for him. But if he did leave them behind while he’s walking across the country, I think he’s wrong to do so.
July 13th, 2005 at 1:21 pm
They’re moving the site to a new server to hopefully balance the load.
I agree with you Tim about not abandoning his family.
I guess my question is should he stay home, possibly not lose the weight, continue the depression spiral and die — or — take this random step to possibly get his life back in order. If you’ve never had a weight problem, you don’t understand. To many people, food is worse than crack. The church is always their for the chemical addict, yet simply says ‘if they wanted to lose weight, they could’ to a person whose obesity is slowly killing them.
When professors do this - we call it a sabattical. When ministers do this - they call it a retreat.
When normal guys do this, they’re abandoning their family? What if he comes back 100 times better than before. The last page of the article does mention him talking about this to his wife.
July 13th, 2005 at 3:54 pm
Sometimes the addiction requires drastic measures, depending on how serious it is. For someone battling alcohol or drug addiction, or even eating disorders, sometimes it is necessary to be removed from the ‘normal’ routine, and sometimes that means being away from family and friends as they get treatment. If it leads to the stopping of a destructive behavior, then that is good as it results in better health - equating to more time here on earth with the ones they love and care about.
July 14th, 2005 at 2:24 pm
Thanks for the support Shannon. You do understand the situation correctly. I wanted to add something though. I have not abandoned my family to do this. The are taken care of and I speak with them almost daily. My daughter is very proud of me and that trumps all of the dissenting Tims any day. I am not some idiot who leaves his family to fend for themselves while I am out chasing womenor booze, instead I am an idiot who let his life get away from him and wants to correct it. The easy and selfish thing to do would be to do nothing, stay home and slowly die. That death would not be an easy one either, it would slowly chip away at me while diabetes, or heart disease slowly eats me away. If I were to follow Tim’s advice and stay home and work at least I would have some extra money to give to the Doctors to keep me alive long enough to torture my family with my long, drawn out death before I leave them alone when they need me the most, and when they are on their way to the poor house because they tried to keep me alive as long as possible. But at least I would have a 781 credit score and I am sure that they would find solice in that.
Thanks for the advice Tim and I will be forwarding payment to you for it in the amount that the advice is worth. I am sure you know what that amount will be.
I wonder if I will ever have a chance to meet you during my travels over the next thirty or forty years?
Steve
July 14th, 2005 at 6:30 pm
You GO Steve! I saw the morning show with you featured on it… I was quite impressed. I know that doing something like this must mean extreme measures are what you need to “change”. I can relate, and I DO applaud your efforts. From what little bit I know, I can see that you have the support and care of your family, that is wonderful! They too, are going to benefit from the many things that will come out of this challenge.
Depression can be such a killer to our spirits, and there are times we just can’t get on top of it… speaking from experience!
I haven’t gone thru what you have, that was what your testimony was to be made of, but I do know the pain of being depressed, overweight, and wanting major changes in my life too! I even toyed with the idea to join you, however that is YOUR cross to carry and path to take… I believe you will be a conqueror!!! Please continue to take care of yourself - physically, mentally, & spiritually! My prayers are with you.
July 15th, 2005 at 11:41 am
Look Steve, you do whatever it is you need to do. I just know that if it were me, I’d have a huge problem with leaving my family for six months. If you and your family are fine with it, so be it. Don’t wear the shoe if it doesn’t fit.
July 15th, 2005 at 8:36 pm
and Tim with those words you must need a really big shoe.
July 19th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
Steve, I am sending my prayers to you for your safety on your journey. I can only imagine how very hard it is to be alone out there without your family but from what I read I see they are there in spirit urging you on. Your wife is to be commended ,she sounds kind loving and behind you all the way. you are blessed. Be careful and take care of yourself. Blessingss, Peg Narron Hardin
July 19th, 2005 at 3:10 pm
Tim should be ashamed of himself. Anyone who would make a judgement call without considering all the factors Steve used in his decision is foolish. I wonder if Tim grew up with his father; did his father abandon him at such a young age, or is he just running his mouth because he thinks he has all the answers. I don’t know what it’s like to be overweight, but I do know what it is like to battle demons. My father too, left when I was young, and it is a difficult thing to come to terms with. Addiction and self doubt have followed me my entire life, and sometimes it takes a major life changing event to pull ourselves from the fog. Steve must be dealing with the accident where two people lost their life’s, yet, Tim gives no credence to this very trying time in Steve’s life. Tim needs to understand that in order for Steve to give of himself to his family, he must first find peace within himself, along with self love. Without this, Steve’s children will never enjoy the love of their father, which they clearly deserve. Tim, why don’t you think before you speak, as you sound like a complete fool.
Phil
July 19th, 2005 at 4:15 pm
hi, there ..steve… i just want to tell you you are one heck of the man…because you love your family and they love you too, you will do anything in this world to change the way you are, may god bless you and give you strength and hope to achive what you really want in life. so be the best of the best. you can do it..
July 19th, 2005 at 4:55 pm
I think it’s Fantastic! This was an idea that he discussed with his wife, and she completely supported her Man’s idea. He made sure that his wife and children were in a safe abode-environment by knowing they would be temporaily living with her mom until he returns. The steady weight loss that he has successfully had, is done without pills and gimmicks or a bundle of money. Not only is the weight loss healthy, but the cleansing of the emotional baggage that has festered in his mind…….is being realeased. Steve, You are a Real Man and a wonderful Father and husband. By your Brave and Daring efforts of making this solo trek, you are are definetly setting a precedent! We all hear about “Copy-Cat” crimes, ideas, etc., I’m sure as a direct result of you Crusader Idea, there will be more individuals that get off their Rumps and do as your doing!!!
July 19th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
Steve You are my Hero. I have sat here over the years telling myself that I had to get up and do something …anything… to get out of this obese rut that i’ve fallen into. but year after year here I sit.
Now I’m riddled with heart diease and diabetes and it is too late for me. My knees and back are completely gone. But you are out there, not only changing your life but your wife and childrens too. I am so happy for them. Like I said you are my hero.
Bobbie
July 22nd, 2005 at 4:38 pm
Hey Steve, May God bless you and your walk!!! You will find peace, ’cause, you will find yourself! What you’re doing is so very courageous……and necessary!….For you personally. In ‘99 I lost my beautiful son to suicide while I was hiking the “AT”. Ten months later I finished that journey! And in 2001 I* walked across America with a sign over my head saying, “LOVE LIFE”!! And on 3/07/03 I took that “LOVE LIFE” sign again and I started a walk around America! I was nearly finished on 2/23/05, walking on US hwy.#1 just south of Daytona Beach, Florida when I recieved word that my beautiful 36 year old daughter had passed away! My only child left…..gone! Once more my world was shattered! Steve, after I buried my beautiful baby girl, I did what she would want me to do….I continued my walk! I finished on 3/25/05 in Florida’s Everglades, exactly where I started from a little over two years before. I looked at the picture you in paper walking near Peach Springs, Arizona I walked in that same spot on my walk around the U.S. I envied you, not many people know the misery that you are facing Steve, but also they don’t know the healing that is taking place inside of you! and the insight into the beauty of life that the wonderful solitude is giving you! You are a very brave and unselfish man to face the guilt that you have suffered! You have faced it dead on! And you are going to win! DO NOT QUIT!!! GOD IS WITH YOU!! He honors courage! Steve, I pulled a cart behind me….75lbs. is too much weight for anyone! I am very experienced in light weight backpacking. I can advice you on getting that pack lighter or you can use my cart that I designed to carry all my stuff. I will send it where ever? You can find out about my walks and who I am by typing in “steve fugate love life walk” or steve fugate walk around America” Steve I am so proud of you!!!! and I will help you in anyway that I can!! Please let me know. My cell phone is 914-772-4244 home is 772-231-0118 and e.mail is:lovelife2001@earthlink.net My home address is 922 Coquina Lane Apt#5 Vero Beach, Florida. Please allow me to help you, because I know what you are doing!!! You’re a winner, my friend!!!! May God bless and keep you and may you for ever, LOVE LIFE!!!!!!! Your good friend, Steve Fugate P.S. My wife wanted me to tell you that what you are doing and the reason that you are doing it has touched her profoundly.It has been less than 6 months since I lost my only daughter and 6 years since I lost my only son and I am still dealing with my grief. I am not a “hiker”, but I have seen the change in my husband and so I am planning to hike the “AT” , knowing that doing “the hike” and with the love of God, it will help me face my loss and heal my heart as I know your walk will do the same for you. You have truly inspired me!! With love in God, BLESS YOU AND DON’T QUIT!!!Cora
July 25th, 2005 at 6:51 am
STEVE YOU ARE SUCH A HERO….I WISH YOU WOULD EMAIL ME A LITTLE SELF DISCIPLINE. I HAVE UNTIL LABOR DAY TO LOSE 25 POUNDS OF MY 85 POUNDS OVERWEIGHT. I AM PRE-DIABETIC AND GAINED FROM THYROID SURGERY. I AM TALL….THANK GOD! 5′ 8″ FOR A LADY. IF I DONT LOSE THE WEIGHT BY SEPT..MY DOCTOR WILL PUT ME ON THE DIABETIC PILL….NOT GOOD. I WAS TOLD TO SWIM UNTIL I LOST THE BULK OF MY WEIGHT…TO ALLEVIATE ALL PAIN FROM JOINTS BY WALKING UNTIL I GET BELOW 200. I DIDNT WANT TO GO THRU JOINT REPLACEMENT. WHEN I WAS A PRETTY GIRL “ON THE OUTSIDE”…. PEOPLE TREATED ME SO DIFFERENTLY. NOW I GET A DIFFERENT RECEPTION AS IF I AM EATING UP THE EARTH’S FOOD SUPPLY—SHAME ON ME. PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IF YOU HAVE CANCER OR HEART DISEASE….BUT TO BE FAT IS THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN. EVEN MY GRANDCHILDREN PREFER THE OTHER GRANDMA’S AS THEY ARE NORMAL SIZE. I GIVE THEM MY HEART AND TIME BUT THEY WANT A GRANDMA TO SHOW UP AT SCHOOL PLAYS LOOKING SMART AND A NICE FIGURE. I AM THE ONE WITH THE PRETTY FACE…HATE THAT. I HAVE TRIED IT ALL. THE BYPASS SURGERY WONT WORK FOR ME AND THE IDEA OF LIVING AS A LIFE TIME WITH DIABETIC TYPE 2 MAKES ME CRINGE. KEEP ON YOUR COURSE TO LOSE —DO TRY SWIMMING IN POOLS ON YOUR ROUTE. BUT IF YOU FIND YOUR HEALTH DECLINING….PLEASE STOP. HEY LOOK—-YOU HAVE LOST 50 POUNDS….WISH IT WAS ME. CONGRATS AND MY PRAYERS WITH YOU. I WILL FOLLOW YOU ON YOUR “WANT TO LIVE JOURNEY”. YOU ARE A CELEBRITY NOW. YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL WIFE APRIL WHO WILL GET YOU THRU THIS JOURNEY. A CHEERLEADER HERE FOR STEVE!
July 27th, 2005 at 12:24 pm
Fuerza Compaņero, como te envidio , me gustaria estar a tu lado para darte animo, y bajar esos horrorosos kilos.
Saludos de Chile .
August 5th, 2005 at 4:07 pm
NOTED YOUR ENTRY,IM FROM CANADA, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK THAT IS ONE GREAT CHALLENGE AND WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR JOURNEY AS I’M SURE YOU WILL THE WORLD WILL BE BETTER FOR IT.AS THIS SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE THE HEART AND THE WILL TO ACCOMPLISH THIS,AND YOU WILL CETAINLY GAIN MUCH CREDIBILITY FOR THIS AND GIVE YOU A NEW STAR IN LIFE AND ALL MY VERY BEST TO YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN GEORGE
August 5th, 2005 at 4:19 pm
Hi Steve
In our times we are all suppose to be pollitically or socially or religiously correct. As long as you and your wife agree, that is fine. Correctness is for those whole live by rules and not love. Have a good walk. I will pray for you and the family. Brad
August 5th, 2005 at 4:25 pm
Right ON DUDE! If you happen thru Albuquerque look me up I’ll walk with you for a time…
Anthony
August 5th, 2005 at 8:48 pm
I don’t consider this endeavour something to be looked down upon. Nor do I consider it something to be admired. It is simply a personal choice. Wakeing up every morning and working two jobs to support a family is admirable and there are thousands of people doing that, some of them single parents. Steve’s hike may or may not result in Steve being a happier person. It may or may not result in a longer or more fullfilling life. Regardless, I wish him both. In todays world with our fascination with cosmetic surgery and magic potients that guarentee a longer more youthfull life we forget that individuals, including children, suffer serious ailments and deformities due to disease. Untill we live in a homogeneous world where everyone is the same, there will always be differences. We come in all shapes and sizes. It is admirable to see beyond the surface. When we judge a book by the cover then the cover becomes the only thing left to place value on.
August 12th, 2005 at 8:53 am
everyone wants to put their 2 cents in,I say let the man walk,dont judge him for leaving his familt for six months,he leaving them for a short time so he can spend more time with them down the road, at least he cares enogh about his family to do so,i dont know many men with that kind of dedication!!!
August 13th, 2005 at 6:40 am
Steve, Greetings from Belgium.
You have to do what you have to do as long as you have the full surrport of your family - which appears that you do. Maybe this way you will lose the weight if not you will be a public ass of yourself and it also apperas that you don’t want that. May each and every step along your long path get easier. Good Luck..
Many times all we see of American is a lot of overweight people who are not try to change - so we at least know some wants to become fitter.
Jim- Brussels
August 13th, 2005 at 9:47 am
Hey all,
Let this man do what he wants. He is not leaving his family forever. He is trying to better himself and his family. I applaud him for what he is doing. Instead of beating up on this guy, why not try to support him. How many fathers and husbands in this country beat their familys,don’t work and don’t care about their familys, but noboby says anything. It is sad that people have negative comments about someone doing something positive. If you see him, say hi, give him water or some place to lay his head. I think its a great thing he is doing. What are all of you doing to better yourselves? Sitting in front of the computer or tv.
Steve, if you need help or support contact me. I will try your website again when it’s up. I’ll let you lay your head for a day. Keep up the good work. I am proud of what you are doing.
John (near Philly)
August 13th, 2005 at 1:03 pm
steve
you and your family should be extremely proud of you.Most people who are not over weight never mind extremely over weight can not even imagine in their worse nightmares how HARD it is for a heavy person to walk long distances never mind doing it every day plus not eating as much and not being in the comfort of you home with your family.
People love to see FAT people fail they love to make fun of us ,they look down at us,they love to hate us.
Unless your rich and famous they won’t knowledge what a wonderful thing or just how hard it has to be for you to be doing this.How many people could or would or be able to do what you have chosen to do.Be thin or over weigh,not many.
Steve good luck to you,safe travels,be proud very very proud even if something should happen and you don’t make it to the end You are a win already.
August 13th, 2005 at 1:22 pm
Dear Steve,
Your testimony is awesome, and I know from the way you made your decisions that your endeavor is God - inspired, as He expresses the same values that you are expressing with your dedication to your own welfare and desire to bless your wife and children, as well as others who may be struggling (or need to be) with some problem related to self control. I know you will succeed, because I know what God says in His Word : He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it…Phil 1:6; and many,many more places in both the old and new testaments. Jesus also said in Matt.9:29: “according to your faith will it be done to you…”. I should tell you that I am not some kind of “religious nut”, but I do have a personal relationship with Jesus as He asks us to do, if we want to be led by God the Father, and be His adopted sons and daughters (Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:28,29: John 3:3).
I’m sure there have been many times since you have started your Walk that you’ve felt discouraged, and there will probably be many more times that you feel that way; but take heart: Jesus said in 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10, that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”….,which you may take as both a promise and a challenge. You said in your “blog” that you finally got some books to keep you company— I hope one of them is the Word of God ; if not, talk to Jesus– His Father has more than enough to go around! (see 2nd Timothy3:16).
Finally, back to “self control”, which is defined in Galatians 5:22 as a fruit of the Holy Spirit; I hope we can
pray for each other for an increase in the harvest of this fruit in our lives, as it’s necessary in order for each of us to realize our Goals. I will share mine with you if you write back; raquizap@yahoo.com, or on your website.
You are a Godly man; keep persvering,and asking God for His help!
Blessings , Roman Aquizap
September 22nd, 2005 at 9:00 am
Steve and April,
You both inspire me. May God’s blessings be on you both,
Carole
January 26th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
Steve, I could only hope to have the courage to do something so radical…I am over weight and have been for about five years, so it is a new thing for me to be fat…I am now on a plan and hope I can be as successful as you are being…Cudo,s to Steve and every other person with the same problem…Since most of the time the weight is more a mental thing than an eating thing in the beginning, lets all try to find a healing thing…PRAYER FOR ONE…the rest maybe can then, be figured out
January 29th, 2006 at 12:20 pm
Hi Steve,
I’m Kathy, I met you in Indiana on US 40 right after your interview at the Shell station in Greencastle In. I just want to say that I fully support you and admire you for your courage to stand up and make a change in your life, you could have so easily chose to stay in your own little world of depression, but you rose above that and decided to defeat the negatives in your life and make a change and by doing so you will strentghen as a person. I also,love the fact that you are truely genuine person, your not out for publicity or fame & fortune, you are doing this for you and I applaud you for that!!! You have inspired me to get off my own pity pot and start kicking some “negative butt”!!! Thank you and God Bless You, I will be praying for your safe journey to the Big Apple.
GOD SPEED,
Kathy Warren Greencastle, Indiana
May 9th, 2006 at 6:45 am
Hi Steve! Well done, guy! We’ve followed your enteprise from here in Italy! We are so grateful to you for the example you gave us: strenght of mind, va a laura’ barbun, enjoying nature, and love for life! So tre boi e na cavala e nesun che tira, we thank you once more by saying fai la messico-canada , god bless you and per un punto martin perse la capa. Wish you the best cause for me tira pu en pel de pota che en caval che trota! Kisses vas mac pab
May 10th, 2006 at 1:09 pm
I think you did a marvelous thing and I am not just talking weight loss. The path to inner self is one everyone does alone! I would love to quote you in my book. Ignore Tim…He can’t think outside of his own box.
February 20th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Hello,
I’m one of the filmmakers who followed Steve Vaught, aka, “The Fat Man Walking” for 13 months last year. Well, we’ve finally finished the film and are in talks with distributors. What’s most amazing to me is theire initial response “we’d like it have a happen ending, is there something you can do?” My response is, “this is what really happened, not like those scriptd Reality Shows,” but they just don’t seem to get it. We’ve had a couple of private screening, one in Dallas to a packed theater, and one in Hollywood. I flew Steve in for the Dallas screening, which by the way was the first time he had ever seen the film. I also decided not to tell the audience that Steve was present untill the film was over. The reaction was prettty amazing…. Even after a 2 hour Q&A, people still wanted to talk about the film. Hopefully, we’ll get distribution, so everyone can see it. In the meanwhile, here’s a link to 3 movie trailers we’ve posted on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Uhmph
Let me know what you think.
Best
Pierre
prbagley@ix.netcom.com