Expected Weight Loss

[Footslogger]

When someone starts a thru hike whats the inital weight loss expected in say oh....40 days on the trail??

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In the first 40 or so days on the trail in 2003 I lost about 12 - 14 lbs ...but then is started to melt away faster than I could put it back on. By the time I got to Harpers Ferry I had lost about 38 lbs - - fortunately that's about where I levelled off.

Needless to say that once I got back home it took less than 3 months to regain everything I had lost ...and then some !

'Slogger

[jrnj5k]

This question depends on what your eating, what your fitness level is, how fast and far your hiking, the weight of your pack, how much sleep you are getting, your age, and many other factors....

Its hard to see and you can tell by the variety of responses you've received that there is no one answer.

[laherb]

i'm worring about the same thing, weight loss. seeing as how i have no weight to lose. i'm 5'5" and 115 lbs. so this does make me nervous for my next years thru hike attempt.

[jrnj5k]

If your worried you should just eat more food. You should be able to guage how much weight you think your losing after the first few weeks and increase or decrease food as neccessary.

[emerald]

i'm worring about the same thing, weight loss.

I'd guess you'd be someone whose whose weight fluctuates little. It's apt to do likewise on your through hike.

With little to draw upon, you may develop an insatiable appetite in short order, like I did. Know your caloric requirement and be prepared to feed it.

[laherb]

thanks for the advice.

[kayak karl]

this thread was started because Hikewannabe was concerned about my weight loss. for good reason. i lost 45# in 50 days w/6 zero's. apparently i was burning about 5000 calories a day and only getting in about 4000. as i tried to eat more i would get sick. i stated eating 3 snicker bars a day. the problem was i don't normally eat sugar or chocolate. dizy spells set in and lost of balance. left the trail 2/28/09.

been through every test under the sun. some just to set up a base line for later.

when i go back i am upping protein and carbs. im also going to eat more times a day, maybe 6.

[JAK]

First I thought, hey, it takes more than a 1000 calorie deficit to lose a pound a day.
But then I always assume weight loss will be body fat, which is wrong.

Body fat is 14% water, so it takes a 454 x .86 x 9 = 3500 kcal deficit to lose a pound of body fat.
Lean Muscle is 75% water, so only it takes 454 x .25 x 4 = 450 kcal deficit to lose a pound of muscle.

Losing 0.8 pounds of fat and 0.2 pounds of muscle would take -2900 kcal per pound.
Losing 0.6 pounds of fat and 0.4 pounds of muscle would take -2300 kcal per pound.
Losing 0.4 pounds of fat and 0.6 pounds of muscle would take -1700 kcal per pound.

I think this is why dieters need high protien diets. I'm not sure all that factors in to whether the body burns fat or muscle. A diet to low in protien might be part of it, for repairing muscle and blood cells and other tissue, but I think as your % body fat gets below 20% you might start burning more muscle also. Perhaps also if you have alot of muscle in the upper body your not using that might get burned up faster also. Not sure. There isn't much wrong with losing 50 pounds of flesh, as long as it is flesh you don't need. Hiking sticks and some daily pushups might be helpful for folks not wanting to lose to much upper body strength.

Anyhow, in the case of kayak karl, the calorie deficit might have been closer to 1500-2000 kcal/day, and the diet might have been too low in protien. I think the ratio of carbs to fat depends on how much body fat you have to burn. Once you are getting lean you need more fat in your diet, especially is just walking. But if your getting dizzy and stuff, that sounds like not enough carbs, especially if you are doing alot of hills or any running. A lighter pack will allow fewer calories burned per mile, and also more fat and less carbs. A slower steadier pace, stretched out over a longer day, should also burn less carbs. People are very different though, the way they respond and recover from exercise. It sounds a bit like overtraining also. Maybe if you start out at a slower pace and with a better diet you might give your body more time to adjust and also for you to figure out what food and miles work best. Interesting stuff.

[10-K]

It doesn't matter if you're hiking or laying in a recliner....

3500 calories = 1 pound

Weight loss or gain is just a matter of calories in vs. calories burned.

A calorie deficit always results in weight loss. A calorie surplus always results in weight gain.

(I'm sure you all already know this, but this thread reminds of "What's the weather like in May" questions that come up from time to time)

[jrnj5k]

Yep.........