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After separating from his wife and being stuck in a rut with his health and his job, 560-pound Eric Hites decided to make a change — by biking 3,200 mile across country.

Hites, 40, was listening to his favorite song, "I'm Gonna Be (500 miles)," by The Proclaimers, when he got the idea.

"I didn't think I could walk 500 miles," told NBC News Sunday. "But I could ride it."

Keeping a blog called "Fat Guy Across America," Hites started pedaling the second week of June from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, and hopes to make it to the Orange County, California coast by the end of the year.

Hites has a trailer attached to his bike that carries all his trip essentials, including the tent he uses to sleep in each night.

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The Indiana man hit a bump in the road last week when both rims on his bike bent.

Stuck in Newport, Rhode Island he had the chance to talk with strangers about his journey and add to his newest book that he hopes to complete after his trip.

"It's been awesome," Hites told NBC News. "I get to meet so many cool people and have lots of cool conversations."

After being gifted a new ride by Newport Bicycle, Hites was back on the road with time to think and to continue shedding the pounds.

Deemed a "chubby hero" by strangers, Hites said it's the support he's received along the way that add extra motivation.

"Other people have said, 'If he can do it, I can do it,' and gotten off their couches and started working out," Hites said.

Hites has already dropped 50 pounds since his trip began and would ideally like to lose 200 more pounds before he reaches his final destination.

"I get to lose weight and have fun doing it," Hites said. "It's all about the journey."

And, Hites says, he and his wife's relationship is on the mend.