An admittedly obese Pennsylvania woman and her husband are undergoing an extreme weight reduction program one pedalstroke at a time.
The couple are about 1,000 miles into their planned counterclockwise 16,000-mile bicycle tour around the United States. So far, they've lost a combined 130 pounds.
Morton and Priscilla Houliston are getting a lot of attention as they make their way up the East Coast from Key West. Their blog at LittleChanges.com reports numerous interviews with TV stations, which sometimes results in donations of food or a place to spend the night. They've inspired people to start exercising again.
Must lose weight
Priscilla says she decided to make a lifestyle change when she hit 390 pounds last June. Her family's history of illness all stemmed from weight, and she vowed to get her's under control.
She and her husband began daily exercising by walking, and they hit on the idea of a long-distance hike, which they began on Jan. 1. Along the way they became bicycle tourists and have been cycling ever since.
Priscilla writes about the changes in the past 10 weeks:
Being out here, our senses have all really changed. Food tastes so great now, even our cans of tuna. We appreciate every second that we have together, we all know how short this life is. We have been given a real gift being able to make this journey and the very best part is being able to share it with the people like you, who are watching and rooting for us.
Recent blog entries demonstrate some of the ups and downs of their trip. Budgeting $400 a month, the couple depends upon PayPal and in-person donations, as well as T-shirt sales, to continue. Local TV coverage of their trip brings support along the road.
Donations
Just this week, a Motel 6 sponsored them for a one-night stay and the owner of a North Carolina hamburger joint made them a lunch. A cyclist offered to buy four proper innertubes for their bikes and helped Morton with a mechanical problem. While relaxing at a gas station, Priscilla met a family that set them up at a friend's campground and brought them dinner.
On the down side, many nights they have to dip into the wallet to pay for a room or campground, or a lack of money forces them into a starvation diet. Some days after a TV report the motorists are friendly, other days they honk and yell at the bicycle travelers.
Visitors to their website, LittleChanges.com, are offering written and monetary support (PayPal) and tips on how to continue. Others find the journey inspirational and say it has motivated them to daily exercise.
Recent picture of Morton and Priscilla from LittleChanges.com
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