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View Full Version : Not WLS-related: fatmancycling.com


SamanthaNY
09-15-2006, 02:20 PM
This reminded me of Marsha Menard. 41 year old Eldon Ward felt like his life was negatively impacted by his weight of 432 pounds, and took the bizarre step of embarking on a 5-month bicycling journey from Nevada to Florida during which he lost 107 pounds. He continued to lose weight after completing the journey, having discovered some interesting lessons on self-management.

His website (http://www.fatmancycling.com/) details his story.
http://www.fatmancycling.com/Images/FMCLogoT-Shirt.jpg
Clearly, this is an extreme thing to do - and something very few people, if any, could and should undertake. But interesting, nonetheless.

It's not a rah-rah story. Though he was featured on a Discovery Channel program as a success story, Ward's journal reveals that upon returning home, he has encountered difficulties, is regaining weight, battling a major depression, and one other strangely un-named illness. It's not known whether he will continue to journal as frequently now.

I can't help but feel some kinship with Ward in his fear and frustration with a too-high weight. I also feel empathy for his present situation where he sees his successes slipping away through his own actions. In my estimation, taking such extreme measures and experiencing such lofty highs would almost have to result in a harsh rebalancing at some point. Hopefully he'll gain some perspective from all of it, and continue to work on his physical and mental health.

BeautifulPoeticDisaster
09-15-2006, 06:37 PM
Im happy for him that he feels like he accomplished something...I always feel better when I push myself physically.

The downside however....he will probably gain it all back and then some :( In real life we do not excert much energy...much less the same amount as biking across country.

WL aside...I bet he is learning a lot about himself...and that...is well worth it:)

missaf
09-15-2006, 09:18 PM
This kind of walk/ride is good for self evaluation. Just like the WLS program at Kaiser hospitals in California. It's designed as a liquid diet, and heavy heavy counseling that is designed for people to evaluate their eating habits, why the eat so much, and what they need to function every day.

For instance, one of my dear friends went to this program, and learned through counseling that he learned to eat so much because he was nurning so much working at UPS 12 hours a day lifting and pressing boxes. He just never stopped eating that much! Now that he knows what his body needs to function every day, he's re-trained his brain and lifestyle to not expect so much food. I consider that a true success, not just a diet!

For this guy riding, and for the other fat man walking right now (who is having much more success), this time to reflect and learn what their bodies truly are capable of, and what they need to function will be a lot of help on their new journey.

moonvine
09-18-2006, 11:02 AM
The thing I thought was so cool about what Marsha was doing was that she was not doing it to lose weight, at least not that I know of. I didn't ever see anything that indicated that she was. Everything I saw indicated she was doing it to demonstrate that fat people could be fit and do things just like thin people can.

I'm not so sure why doing such a thing is bizarre, either. I think it is pretty cool, and something I might do if my idea of "camping out" wasn't "Holiday Inn."