151 an indiana man has embarked on a grand gesture designed to win back his estranged wife and get himself into shape he is biking across the country eric hites 40 created a website and blog dubbed fat guy across america to share his story as a 563pound man attempting to cross the continental us with little more than two wheels and determination hites of danville indiana said he decided on the trip after he and his wife separated last year he explained that poor health and increasing weight started causing problems in the marriage mostly because of my weight i was depressed and grumpy and it kind of fell apart hites told abc news today from rhode island the famous nomemory brain is getting plugged in online can sand make beachgoers sick moores law lives on how ibm chip pushes the standard for computing power while he wanted to stay with his wife he said he knew he needed to make some kind of gesture to show her he was committed to both the marriage and getting healthy one day he heard the proclaimers song im gonna be 500 miles and he decided he could prove his love and get in shape with a similar yet longer trip i cant walk another 500 miles but i can do it on a bicycle hites recalled thinking at the time i can do it from east coast to west coast to lose weight hites was inspired by the proclaimers song im gonna be 500 miles eric hites hites started his trip two months ago in massachusetts after getting approval from his physician and cardiologist he went slowly to build up stamina and because he was hauling another 300 pound trailer behind him the first day i cranked out 100 yards and took a break he said now he said he can easily bike a mile before stopping for a few moments hes currently in tiverton rhode island and has already has lost at least 60 pounds he also said his relationship with his wife seems to be somewhat repaired she thought i was all talk before the trip he told abc news a few weeks in she changed her tune he said and about a month into it we rededicated unofficially he said he still wants to finish his trip though he has revised the trip length from four months to seven months at first hites could only got 100 yards before needing a break but now hes biking at least a mile at a time before stopping eric hites in the first week i had a couple doubts i had self doubt about what have i done he recalled im doing it because i love my wife and it kept me going i want to spend the rest of my life with her that drives me hites said he was also surprised when he attracted a few thousand fans online who were inspired by his quest to