Overweight Hikers

[sarbar]

Being heavy doesn't always equal being out of shape. I have fought being heavy the majority of my life. The only time I have been skinny was in college and I starved myself thru a combo of walking everywhere (no car), poverty and smoking a pack a day.
I still weigh too much. I know it. But, always, the Drs and nurses underestimate my weight by 20-30 lbs. Why? I have a lot of muscles in my legs, and I am not "sloppy" fat (yeah, like the fat ladies at Walmart wearing stretch leggings and Minnie Mouse T-shirts). My fat is well distributed (not sure if that is a good thing? Lol!) and I am lucky I suppose that I don't have a pear or apple shape.
But, anyways, my drift here is don't let it stop you from getting out. So your fat? Well, over half of the US is! At least you are trying to change it!
Spend your money on good boots, as noted. Your feet will thank you. Use trekking poles, save your knees. Excersice at home, even if all you do is walk. Walking trains hiking muscles.
Buy clothes that flatter you and get out!

I am amazed out here how many other larger ladies I see now on the trail It makes me very happy!
Sure, you might walk slower, but you'll still get there..eventually. So the mile mongers blast by you? Eh, no loss, you can enjoy the quiet time, listening to nature. And the mile mongers can save you a spot at camp!

This tubby can hike 19 miles in a day So no excuses! And I take high blood pressure meds that lower my heart rate even! Every step you take is one step to being fit (and I didn't say skinny!)

[shoe]

I am attempting a thru hike this year starting the last week in March at Springer. I am a good 90 lbs overweight.

I don't feel so alone now I am heading out April 2nd and am a good 70 pounds overweight.

I WILL NOT be hiking th approach trail. That's not part of the AT right? I initially planned on hiking to the first shelter which is between 8-9 miles away. The more I talk to hikers, the more they recommed 5 miles to start. I may do more or less depending on how, I feel.

I did the GA section last year and the hike to Hawk Mountain Shelter I thought was fairly easy, this coming from a fat smoker (I quit smoking)

I agree with Sly the 2nd day was the hardest. I was in tears and wanted to cry but I did that section very stupidly. I hiked from Stover Creek Shelter to Jusus Creek before I quit. Way too many miles, especially with Sassafras and Justus Mountain right after eachother and at the end of the day.

However, I know that if I don't average 15 miles per day, I won't make Katahdin before OCT 15. I also know that there was a huge blizzard in the North East last September. I may have to flip flop, what a bummer.

This worries me too.

But you know what...WE CAN DO IT!

Hoep to run into you on the trail but you will prolly be a little ahead of me. What day are you leaving?

I will take all the advice I can take. I only have about a week to go. I put it off to check with all my doctors. Podiatrist-check, Cardiologist --check, Family Practitioner- coming right up. My podiatrist wants me to stretch, stretch stretch. The advice above about tendons is right on the money. I stretched the heck out of my achilles when I hiked one spring break back in college.[/QUOTE]

[stewill]

Over weight 46 years old and I have hike the bottom of the grand canyon 3 times... just did Rim to Rim last october... now I can't wait to knock some miles off the AT... yesp I was slow.. 1 mile and hour

[mapgirl]

As someone somewhat overweight and pretty tall, the clothing is the hardest part. I want to be comfortable and look good. I don't know why hiking pants are so high waisted. Lower waist bands are more comfortable and less constricting. Use the internet and catalogs to find pants. I have a great admiration for anyone out their hiking. Not everyone is young and skinny. Have fun. God bless

[Lumberjack]

sweats and suspenders work too....

its 12 miles per day, but dont sweat it right now, stay at a pace you can do. Most of the big milers end up taking extra 0 days to recover from the stress. That old tortoise and hare thang very much applies. Ignore Katahdin and just get to the next town.

[Programbo]

I`ve always thought a Harper's Ferry-Maine then a Harper`s Ferry-GA flip was the best plan for those in not the best of shape..That way you aren`t immediately hitting some big climbs for 100`s of miles...From Harper's Ferry all the way up to what? MA? The trail barely gets above 2,000 feet..That`s a good 500 miles of conditioning...I think this might cut down on that 50% dropout rate the AT produces in the first 160 miles each year...But if you do go the GA-ME route just remember what everyone here is saying and take it slow at first and don`t get discouraged if you "fall behind" the pack..You will get strong and go farther each day as you move along

[Lillianp]

its 12 miles per day, but dont sweat it right now, stay at a pace you can do. Most of the big milers end up taking extra 0 days to recover from the stress. That old tortoise and hare thang very much applies. Ignore Katahdin and just get to the next town.

I agree. I've gone on a short backpacking trip with a few friends who are skinnier and in better shape than I and I fell behind, but I always made it! And it wasn't that much of a big deal that I was farther behind. If they reached a fork in the path or something or wanted a break, they waited for me to catch up. I did not mind. Funny how that works, because with my family, I always feel left behind, even when they did that (and they waited every time). I guess its just who you walk with.
Lillian

[atbeatle]

one of the best wieght loss programs in the world. If you don't push too much and build the muscles, you CAN'T eat enough to keep wieght on. My partner lost over 35 lbs on trail

[HapKiDo]

If you haven't met Mud Butt . . . go to http://www.traildames.com

She hiked 800 miles on the AT and is rightly proud of it. She's a slow hiker and when she realized she couldn't complete the entire AT in the six months off from her job, she yellow blazed and hiked the sections that meant the most to her.

And now . . . her dream . . . Trail Dames . . . "real women" . . . check it out.

HapKiDo

[BigCat]

I just want to wish everyone else trying to lose weight the best of luck My situation is a bit different than most: two years ago I was an elite-level athlete who weighed 200 lbs with 5% body fat. After a serious of injuries and one major surgery I was out of action for 18 months -- by the time it was all over I had gained 100 pounds and was so depressed that my family had me on suicide watch. Until I hatched this crazy idea to walk the AT :-) It's basically a 2175 mile life line...

A couple of things I think y'all may be interested in:
1) http://caloriesperhour.com/ is a great site that allows you calculate how many calories you burn and intake. It's really cool.

2) When I was in the military I was surprised to see that the SEALs actually recommend people in their six week level-1 preparation program completely avoid running in week three. Reason being, no matter how big and strong you are, there's a high risk stress fractures and other foot injuries in the first month. Same goes for long distance hiking -- being a little conservative at the beginning can actually get you the final destination more quickly.

[soaks77]

Unfortunately the simple math says you probably won`t burn up any weight ....You only burn like 8-9 calories a minute backpacking..That`s about 500 per hour so if you hiked 7 hours non-stop (Which of course you won`t) you`d only burn up 3,500 calories...Now as we all know you need to burn up 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound..SO..If you hiked those 7 hours non-stop and consumed 3,500 calories during the day you will break even and lose 0 pounds!.....

Programbo you can't forget about the resting metabolic rate. You burn a certain amount of calories just to stay alive each day. Usually somewhere between 1500-2500 calories.

[Captn]

Overweight ... hummm. I keep seeing statistics that state that 80% of people in the US are overweight. If that's so, I can't help but believe that there are a lot of overweight people in most sports!

Several pieces of extra advice .... socks and shoes are VERY important ... get a good personal fitting and don't skimp, although Adidas gym shoes seem to work best for me, in terms of fewer blisters and better arch support, after years of trying all different types and brands. Your mileage WILL differ.

Take it slow ... think of it as you're just taking a walk with a pack on. Enjoy the journey. There is no shame to doing 2 miles, or 4, or 6, or whatever .... There are different trailheads at my favorite backcountry spot ... some weekends I feel lazy and take the 1 mile trip in instead of the 7 mile trip ... and I enjoy myself just as much. Some people make everything a competition ... so avoid that trap ... it's your hike and no one else's.

Adjust your pack weight based on your miles ... on short trips (less than 3 miles) for a weekend or more, I'll even haul a cast iron skillet on occasion, along with a frozen steak wrapped in newspaper and baked potatoes.

For a longer hike, I trim my weight down considerably .... for trips of a week or more, with a resupply every 4 to 5 days, I haul a base weight of less than 8 lbs, and am very careful with my food weight .... multiple days and your feet and knees will thank you for the difference between 25 and 35 lbs.

Next ... don't wait to experience monkey butt and/or leg chaffing ... by the time you feel it it's too late ... pay attention to bathing daily ... the more overweight you are, the more important it will be to get the salt that is left when your sweat evaporates off your more sensitive areas, and any areas that rub together. Also invest in some body glide and use it DAILY ... it does wonders.

Invest in strong hiking poles ... they'll save you while the muscles around your knees get stronger over the next several YEARS.

The more out of shape you are the more you'll sweat, and the more water you'll use ... gatorade is good at replenishing salt and electolytes. My water consumption per mile has dropped in half over the past four years ... of course, my pace has improved as well as my weight and my pack weight have dropped.

Take a journal along, or practice glass or stone knife knapping, or basket weaving out of local vines, or something else that interests YOU. I've run accross people who were into photography, whittling, glass knife knapping, journaling, fishing, and even bird watching by the side of the trail while they're out hiking .... choose things to do that are low impact on the trail but give you greater enjoyment while outdoors. Enjoying the natural world is what it's all about and the rush, rush, rush of daily life is what you're trying to get away from.

Get a copy of an old boy scout manual (not the new ones) and practice a new backcountry skill each time you go out .... bow drill fire making, or foil reflector oven baking, or navigation by the sun and stars .... there's all kinds of stuff to do and make your entry into this sport both personal and so very enjoyable, and something you can do your whole life long.

Best regards,

Mark

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

There is a fluffy old dino is still wobbling down pieces of the trail (with only one cane these days ). If a dino can do it, anyone can.

[tekiechick]

I'm overweight, but active and planning for an '08 thru. At about 250#, I'm not going to beat my trail-ready hubby, but I'll get there. I find that the biggest difficulty is finding women's hiking clothes that fit (OK, the ups are difficult too). Although, I did come across a rare find at Cabela's just this past weekend: Gore-tex Paclite in XL, 2XL, and (I think), 3XL.

[max patch]

For those of you in GA, I ran into Anna Mudbutts group on the trail recently:

http://www.traildames.com/home

[sarbar]

I'm overweight, but active and planning for an '08 thru. At about 250#, I'm not going to beat my trail-ready hubby, but I'll get there. I find that the biggest difficulty is finding women's hiking clothes that fit (OK, the ups are difficult too). Although, I did come across a rare find at Cabela's just this past weekend: Gore-tex Paclite in XL, 2XL, and (I think), 3XL.

If you haven't done it, check out LLBean's selection of 1-3X

[ms doolittle]

I'll add my two cents.

I started backpacking a mere 2 years ago (it now feels like I've been doing it forever, and it's such a good thing!). When I started, I was really overweight. About 70lbs overweight. My first trip was a mere 15 mile end to end spread over 3 days and thankfully, I was with some very patient people.

Today, I'm down 40 lbs from when I started. I feel the healthiest I've felt in a long time. I'll always be bigger just because of the way I'm built, but as long as I continue toning muscle and feeling healthy, I'm okay with it. I think I nearly brought my apartment down when I was able to fit into a pair of XL The North Face pants. lol

As others mentioned, I started out slowly and gradually started adding miles to my days. I did my first 15 mile day this past weekend and was ecstatic. I couldn't even think about going that far 2 years ago with pack weight and hills.

You'll love it out there. As long as you have a love for the wilderness, it doesn't matter how big or small you are. All that matters is getting out.

Good luck to you!

[Red Hat]

I was overweight in 2003 when I started my AT journey. (I did about 100 miles) I was overweight in 2004 when I barely did 40 miles over spring break. I was overweight in 2005 when I attempted my thru (got to Harper's Ferry). I got even more overweight in 2006 when I only hiked 50 miles before Traildays. But in 2007 I resolved to take it off! I lost 30 lbs and I weigh less than on any of my hikes. I am now a lifetime member of Weightwatchers. Unfortunately, there is no hike in my near future due to my husband's poor health. But I will be back out there, and it will be easier.

[Smile]

It seems that a great hike for those who may be needing to shed a few lbs. would be http://henhike.com they are doing a documentary and leaving next spring.

Last year I dropped about 23 lbs in 100 miles or so, but ate only raw foods. Had lots of energy, but don't think I'd do that again, very labor intensive with getting prepared. Slept like a baby though on those cold nights!

There are so many gals out there who i would classify as 'chunky' and they hike along at a pretty good clip after the first week

[serenityrich]

I started out at 374 lbs. in January. I'm down to 340 lbs and have walked up to 11 miles of ups and downs now. Mostly I walk 6 miles a day on a flat trail by the San Francisco Bay. I'm committing more each day toward a 2008 thur-attempt.