WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 39
  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-15-2014
    Location
    North Charleston, South Carolina
    Age
    41
    Posts
    39

    Default Nutrition and obesity on the AT

    Everything I've been reading indicates how important nutrition is, and how you should eat as much as possible because of burning so many calories. However, the majority of this information seems to be aimed at people of "normal" weight, who end up extremely thin at the end of the trail.

    What about nutrition for those who are not merely overweight, but even obese? If I don't get into grad school for next year I may decide to hike the AT starting February/March 2016, and I've been thinking of getting a dehydrator and maybe even one of those vacuum sealing machines to dry fruits and vegetables, and meats for protein, to have a more balanced diet than just carbs and lots of fatty foods.

    If I end up hiking (which I may do eventually even if I go to grad school next year) I'd want to maximize weight loss while still having energy and not suffering from malnutrition. Eating 2 pounds or more of food every day doesn't seem very realistic to me. While I was walking the Camino de Santiago last summer for two months (started pretty much in the middle of France) I lost my appetite and didn't feel like eating a whole lot, to the point that sometimes even good food was unappetizing, and I usuall didn't want lunch.

    Is it really necessary to eat like a pig while on the trail? And what about packing foods to get all the nutrition, not just carbs and fat for energy, and protein to keep up muscle mass?

  2. #2
    Registered User HeartFire's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-06-2005
    Location
    Asheville, NC
    Age
    67
    Posts
    958
    Images
    1

    Default

    Quality nutrition is important, and dehydrating your own food is a good way to go, but don't stop at 'fruits and vegies' dehydrate your meals - pretty much any 'one pot meal' - stews, casseroles etc can be dehydrated. keep the fat content low in the meals you make - fats don't dehydrate and can go rancid.

    if your appetite is poor, just try to eat a small amount, I find my appetite is gone on really hot days, but I can handle some of the 'goo gels' type of energy gels when I can't stand the thought of eating my food. You do not need to "pig out', and your appetite will adjust during the hike as your metabolism shifts and you start burning a lot of calories.

  3. #3

    Default

    It's so hard to make those decisions now.
    Because once you get that "hiker appetite", where you need to replace 5,000 calories a day, you will find you can eat anything and everything.
    So, make your plans to eat as healthy as you like, but just remember, once the hike starts, plans can go out with the trash.
    Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams

  4. #4

    Default

    Follow up, with the dehydrator and vacuum process and all you are doing to have "real food".

    If you have "loss of appetite" so what? Keep well-hydrated.

    Have your good food available.

    Keep up big caloric intake, when needed, with good food.

    You do not have to be like "everyone else" whatever that is.

    I think you will find out all shapes-and-sizes, and ages, hike the trail.
    Last edited by Connie; 12-20-2014 at 09:23.

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    01-16-2011
    Location
    On the trail
    Posts
    3,789
    Images
    3

    Default

    Your appetite will increase during the hike. Using Fiddleheads 5000 calorie per day burn, which is likely low depending on your weight, you can still eat 3000 calories per day and run a deficit of 2000 calories per day. With a five month hike assuming you don't bing eat in town, you would burn an excess of 300,000 calories or about 85lbs. If you are disciplined you could likely have a healthy diet and still maintain energy. But it would be a very different diet than most hikers, you would want to avoid eating excess fat and using your body as the primary energy source.

    if it were me I would train my body to operate in this mode sooner rather than later. The more it learns to operate on fat burning versus a steady intake of fat and carbs the more it will come an efficient fat burning machine. I will add that I am not a doctor or nutritionist, just somebody with a lot of experience fueling short multiday hikes using exactly this fueling strategy.

  6. #6
    Garlic
    Join Date
    10-15-2008
    Location
    Golden CO
    Age
    66
    Posts
    5,615
    Images
    2

    Default

    I saw a lot of overweight hikers struggling badly in the early days on the AT, and I have no idea how many of the hordes of dropouts did so because of excess body weight. On my first long hike, the PCT, there were only a couple of overweight hikers at the kick-off party and I personally saw one of them quit on the first day. I concluded that a long hike is not a good time to lose weight, or to seek balance in your nutrition. I'd recommended, as in Malto's post, doing that before such a huge commitment as a thru hike attempt.

    Is it necessary to eat like a pig? In a perfect world, perhaps not, but when you're down to negative body fat, it's hard to resist a binge or two when presented with AYCE buffets in trail towns, or pints of Ben & Jerry's in C-stores at so many road crossings. Overeating properly becomes a fine art. For many, the hard part is not doing that any more when the hike is done.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  7. #7
    Super Moderator Marta's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-30-2005
    Location
    NW MT
    Posts
    5,468
    Images
    56

    Default

    A simple observation…people who are overweight (and I include myself in this group--I am currently 30+ pounds over my ideal weight) have trained themselves to overeat. That is the skill that must be unlearned before long-time slimness can be realized. The half-gallon challenge isn't even a challenge for some of us, even when we haven't hiked a step.

    Thin hikers can eat astonishing amounts of food as a thru-hike progresses. Fatter hikers can eat even more.

    Depending on long-distances hikes for weight loss is a flawed strategy. The time for eating healthful foods in healthful quantities is now--today--and tomorrow--and every day for the rest of your life. That is the only way you will retrain yourself not to overeat. In other words, if you don't change your relationship with food, you may lose 60 pounds during a 6-month hike, but you will gain 80 pounds in the six months following the hike.

    (BTW, I'm "training" for a month of hiking next spring by getting daily exercise AND cutting back on my food--MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper being the two apps I'm using to track these things. The interesting point the two apps bring out is that a person who gets no exercise can eat almost nothing and not lose weight. Fairly moderate exercise, however, increases the need for food markedly.)
    If not NOW, then WHEN?

    ME>GA 2006
    http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3277

    Instagram hiking photos: five.leafed.clover

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    02-08-2012
    Location
    Penn's Woods
    Posts
    253
    Images
    7

    Default

    It is what it is..... a fat burning machine like no other i have seen, I dropped 22lbs in the first 17 days and had zero desire for food, I would have to force myself to eat. Most of the early days I was only taking in 1500 to 1800 cal a day, not good. That changed slowly over time but total weight lost was 54 lbs between the pre trip training and the trail itself. I have added some lbs back on in preparation for a return to the trail in April, but try as I may I still shed when on the trails due to my poor appetite. One thing I will do differently is keep a better eye on hydration, I screwed that up BIG time on several occasions last year and paid a stiff price for it.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    05-05-2011
    Location
    state of confusion
    Posts
    9,866
    Journal Entries
    1

    Default

    One problem is most people are way more overweight than they think. Our society is one of generally fat slobs. 35% of the population is obese. People look at others around them and judge themselves by comparison. They think they need to lose 20lbs, no , they really need to lose 50 lbs.

    Then they kid themselves they are in decent shape because they walk and play golf or something.

    No. Unless you run several miles a couple days a week, you probably are NOT in decent shape.

    Then they are shocked at how hard hiking with a heavy pack is, and quit before they get out of Ga.

  10. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-15-2014
    Location
    North Charleston, South Carolina
    Age
    41
    Posts
    39

    Default

    Thanks. I think the biggest challenge for me is learning how to cook for one person, or freezing meals, rather than just taking the easy way out and grabbing something on the way home. Before my Camino, I did a lot of walking either with or without my dogs. It still didn't prepare me very well because the terrain here is pretty flat (Kansas). So I think I'll start swimming. Being realistic, though, I would still have a lot of weight to lose on the trail. It sounds easy to eat healthier and exercise but real life is much more complicated. Bad habits take a long time to break.

  11. #11

    Default

    On both my NOBO's ( 06 and 2012 ) I didn't eat that much in the very beginning I probably lost 20lbs in the first two weeks I basically had to force myself to eat but by the time I made it to Hot Springs NC the first wave of the hiker appetite kicked in and I was eating normal if I bought five days of food it would last five days, then I got to Waynesboro VA and the second wave of the hiker appetite kicked in and I was eating anything and everything I was buying twice the amount of food, and that's when I started noticing that I was gaining back the weight that I lost In the beginning, then I was in Mass and the BEAST appetite took over and I was eating three times as much, I was probably carrying 20+lbs of food through VT,NH,ME and it was only lasting 5 days if I was lucky, However by the time I got to BSP I gained back all the weight that I lost, at the time I wasn't a big guy I weighed 180lbs and 6' 1" tall.

    it doesn't matter what you do for food whether you dehydrate It and do mail drops or do what I did and buy all your food along the way you going to lose weight and if your lucky you will gain most of it back before you get to the other end. just remember that your appetite will kick in three times what it is in the beginning so plan accordingly for that.

  12. #12
    Registered User ninebeans's Avatar
    Join Date
    11-30-2014
    Location
    Saddlebrooke, AZ
    Age
    62
    Posts
    17

    Default

    Not everyone gets that "hiker appetite." I'm a big guy and I've never had it.

  13. #13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ninebeans View Post
    Not everyone gets that "hiker appetite." I'm a big guy and I've never had it.
    You didn't say what the duration of your hikes were. A hiker appetite won't kick in for several weeks. If you've only section hiked, you probably haven't had that experience.

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-15-2014
    Location
    North Charleston, South Carolina
    Age
    41
    Posts
    39

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RED-DOG View Post
    if your lucky you will gain most of it (the weight) back before you get to the other end.
    That only applies to people of "normal" weight. For someone who's overweight or obese, gaining back weight would be far from lucky.

  15. #15

    Default

    If you want to achieve health and balance, go to the beautiful parts of a trail, of a park, of a seashore. Walk in beauty.

    If you want to improve your food, improve the quality of your food. Feel better.

    Thru-hike is not for a diet.

    Thru-hike is "extreme sport".

    Every thru-hiker, fat or thin, has to struggle to maintain their health.

    The advice they have is valid, for this "extreme sport".

    How many "make it" in a season? Out of how many?

    And then, were they all thinking to thru-hike?

    If you read, here, you will find "flip-flops" and "section hikers" looking for beauty and balance on the trail.

    If you read, here, thru-hikers are goal oriented achievers.

    From reading, here, you sound like you want beauty and balance.

  16. #16

    Default

    Even people of "normal" weight tend to loose their appetite for a bit when starting a long hike. The body says "finally, we get to burn off all that fat we've been storing up". The more you have to loose, the longer it takes to get hungry again.

    I'll repeat this one more time, loose as much of the weight as you can now. Reduce portions and exercise. If you eat a lot of fast food, stop doing that! Not only will you feel better, but when you do start a long hike you'll have a much better chance of sticking to it. Sure there have been examples of people loosing lots of weight on the trail, but not many. You have all that extra stress on your heart, limbs and other potential health problems which makes it all that more difficult.

    What happens to a lot of thru hikers is after they finish is to put on a lot of weight. By the time you get to Maine you can eat a horse and still feel hungry. Then when you get home and can eat limitless food, it's hard to stop.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  17. #17
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-15-2014
    Location
    North Charleston, South Carolina
    Age
    41
    Posts
    39

    Default

    Doesn't everybody? The two aren't mutually exclusive. I'm not saying a thru-hike is for a diet. Weight loss would be a side effect, not the goal, but why not make the most of it?

  18. #18

    Default

    The thru-hikers will tell you "everyone" binges in the trail towns.

    Haven't they said so every time?

    Look at "section hikers". Where is the scenic part of that trail? Are the campsites overcrowded?

    Look at the "flip-flops". What is the weather like that time of year? Black flies? Mosquitos? [thinking more about having a good time]

    Look at the "thru-hikers". What starting date? How much MPD mileage per day can I expect in that section?

  19. #19
    Registered User dudeijuststarted's Avatar
    Join Date
    07-15-2008
    Location
    Saint Petersburg, FL
    Age
    44
    Posts
    558
    Images
    33

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by biloute View Post
    Everything I've been reading indicates how important nutrition is, and how you should eat as much as possible because of burning so many calories. However, the majority of this information seems to be aimed at people of "normal" weight, who end up extremely thin at the end of the trail.

    What about nutrition for those who are not merely overweight, but even obese? If I don't get into grad school for next year I may decide to hike the AT starting February/March 2016, and I've been thinking of getting a dehydrator and maybe even one of those vacuum sealing machines to dry fruits and vegetables, and meats for protein, to have a more balanced diet than just carbs and lots of fatty foods.

    If I end up hiking (which I may do eventually even if I go to grad school next year) I'd want to maximize weight loss while still having energy and not suffering from malnutrition. Eating 2 pounds or more of food every day doesn't seem very realistic to me. While I was walking the Camino de Santiago last summer for two months (started pretty much in the middle of France) I lost my appetite and didn't feel like eating a whole lot, to the point that sometimes even good food was unappetizing, and I usuall didn't want lunch.

    Is it really necessary to eat like a pig while on the trail? And what about packing foods to get all the nutrition, not just carbs and fat for energy, and protein to keep up muscle mass?
    I believe your own physiology dictates how much you will eat. In my experience it is not possible to get all of the calories you need while actually hiking, which is why we come back having lost signifcant weight. It is also why thru-hikers gorge themselves in town. The key is to fuel your hike while on trail and unstarve yourself in town. Because you will have to ration food while you hike, your stomach will shrink and although you'll feel starved you'll feel that double cheeseburger when you hit town. If you can dehydrate foods and maildrop them that would certainly help your nutrition. However, it isn't uncommon for people to pass up on their maildrops due to being ahead of schedule / arriving in town after PO closing hours, etc. I'd suggest learning how to get nutrition on trail when your maildrops are unavailable. It is also a challenge to eat healthy once you reach town. A good practice is to gorge on fruits/vegetables/whole proteins the minute you get to town, then treat yourself to your fancy. Otherwise, you'll start cramming pizzas and donuts and all of those high calorie / zero nutrition foods in and you'll regret it both weight-wise and performance-wise. Be aware that some areas, particularly through northern NC/TN/Central VA (Bland, Pearisburg, and Atkins come to mind,) nutritious foods can be hard to find in town and fast food will beckon you as you step off the whiteblaze. Consider maildrops there. From central PA onward you'll have pretty solid access to real grocery stores again (New England's got a pretty healthy attitude.) Here's basically what I ate, and I'm definitely going back to the drawing board.

    On trail:

    Tuna Tuna Tuna (Amazing nutrition. HIGH Protein/selenium/B12/muscle building blocks. Omega 3's for cardio health. Great in sunflower oil.)
    Beef Jerky (Protein, salt; alternated in my food bag with Tuna)
    Tyson chicken (If I could find it)
    Clif Bars (Protein, Vitamin support)
    Peanut Butter (Fat, protein, vitamin support)
    Oatmeal (Fiber, need to keep regular. Constipation on trail is not cool.)
    Nutella (when I'd get sick of PB and want to treat myself. Not very nutritious.)
    Nuts (See peanut butter)
    Raisins / Apricots (Fiber, sweettooth)
    Lipton Cup-A-Soup (sodium, pretty good with tuna / jerky / chicken, could probably just carry broth or boullion)
    Candy bars (carbs)
    Chili powders (sodium, flavoring, good with fritos and noodles, etc.)

    Town:

    Yogurt (gut health)
    Salad (nutrients)
    Fruit
    Cheese
    Trash!

    What I stopped carrying:

    Ramen: bulky, not nutritious.
    Instant Mashed potates: filling but not nutritious, fooled me into feeling fueled, and one time very dangerously.

    I'd consider not worrying about your weight or obesity on or after trail. No judgement out there. I'm not a doctor but I'd think if you stuck to proper nutrition and see the hike through, your body will transform. Remember you'll be out there for a really long time, hiking every day. Your body will learn to be something new.

    Oh yeah, take care of your teeth out there, esp if you're eating lots of bars. I brushed an flossed and still came back with cavities.

  20. #20

    Default

    First thing I do in town is chug a quart of chocolate milk, then one of those fruit smoothie type things, then hit the donuts

    Instant mashed potatoes are actually pretty good for lunch, especially on a cool, rainy day. Mix in some bacon bits.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •