A father’s wish to set a healthier example for his daughters turned daily walks into a life-changing commitment. Along the way, he found a way to support his community while working toward better health.
Curtis “Dusty” Stilwell, 39, of Newalla, Oklahoma, began walking in December 2025, while separating from his wife and thinking about his two young daughters. Standing 6 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing 520 pounds, he worried his habits could shape theirs. Since then, he has lost 135 pounds, started picking up litter along his walking routes and worked to improve his physical and mental health.
A turning point
Stilwell said he had long struggled with overeating and inactivity. He estimated that he once consumed about 10,000 calories a day.
His typical menu, which he called “embarrassing,” began with five doughnuts, followed by candy as a midmorning snack. For lunch, he ate two McDoubles, two McChickens and large fries from McDonald’s, then had what he described as a “really ridiculous” afternoon snack. He finished the day with a large dinner and sweets.
His routine otherwise centered on work, eating and playing video games.
“I’ve always been big. I’ve always overeaten. I’ve always not exercised,” Stilwell told TODAY.com.
He began thinking about the kind of father he wanted to be for his two daughters, who are 5 and 10. He wanted them to see him as someone they could look up to and worried that his eating habits might become theirs.
“How can I be a good dad if I’m this giant man?” he recalled asking himself.
“They’re really healthy, but eventually they would probably pick up on a lot of my habits of overeating … so I decided to get healthy and get control of my life,” he said.
Stilwell described overeating as a coping mechanism for severe depression. The relief was brief, he said, and the pattern repeated.
“It was just an endless cycle of like, ‘Oh, now I feel bad, but all right, now I’m going to overeat. That’ll make me feel good for 10 seconds,’ and then I do it again,” he told TODAY.com.
He began therapy for the first time about six months before the TODAY.com report and called it a big help. In December 2025, he also started walking, choosing a daily activity he could fit around his changing work schedule.
A walk with purpose
The walks soon became about more than exercise. Stilwell grew tired of seeing litter along his regular routes.
“I was like, somebody should do something about this. This is ridiculous. And then something just told me, ‘You could be doing something. Why don’t you do something?’” he recalled.
He created a way to carry what he collected: a regular trash can fitted with backpack straps and pool noodles for comfort. He uses long grabbers—his daughters call them “oversized chopsticks”—to pick up litter and drop it into the can.
Stilwell averages four miles a day, or at least 10,000 steps, and sometimes walks as much as eight miles. His schedule as a pool cleaner changes from week to week, so he calls his routine “inconsistently consistent.” No matter how each week unfolds, he makes time to walk every day.
The cleanup efforts have also helped him connect with his community. Through his website and social media pages, people can suggest parks, school grounds and neighborhoods that need attention. His daughters often join him, and his 10-year-old creates artwork for his web page.
“I’m just being more involved with my community. I want to connect with people,” he told TODAY.com.
Stilwell also lifts “super heavy” weights several times a week.
“I love lifting big weights, so that’ll always be a part of what I do,” he said.
Building healthier habits
Stilwell has changed his diet, too. He now tries to stay under 3,500 calories a day and eat more whole foods, including oatmeal, sweet potatoes and chicken. He has cut out ice cream, cakes and doughnuts.
“I haven’t eaten them in forever. I’ve cut out a lot of stuff,” he said.
He now weighs 385 pounds and hopes first to get below 300, with a goal weight of 260. He wants to connect with a dietitian to help guide his next steps. Although he once considered a GLP-1 weight-loss drug, he decided he wanted to lose the weight on his own.
The work continues, but his daughters remain central to the reason he began. He wants to be present in their lives and show them that change can start with a decision and grow through daily effort.
“I’m tired sometimes, but I feel so driven right now, and I don’t want to feel tired,” he said. “I feel great. I feel amazing.”
Stilwell’s experience is not a quick fix or a finished journey. His example for his daughters is taking shape in the choices he continues to make: walking, caring for his health and showing up for his community.
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