Women's hiking weight loss?

[KacePace]

Hey ladies,

I'm getting ready to hike the southern half of the AT in a few weeks and was wondering what sort of physical changes to expect. I'm 5'3" and weigh about 125-130lbs and will be carrying a 25lb pack. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind losing a few pounds, but I've heard some stories about drastic weight loss during long distance hikes and am worried it could zap my strength.

I'd love to hear what sort of weight loss/muscle gain other women experienced on the trail, and any tips on how to keep up your strength.

[Spirit Walker]

It's generally men who lose a lot of weight, and mostly those who have a lot of weight to lose. Women usually don't lose a lot, unless they are very overweight or are putting in really big miles every day. Our body may change shape a bit: more muscular legs, redistribution of fat, tight butt, but we don't get the starved rat look that the men can get.

I've done several long hikes with my husband. On each one, I lost about 5 lbs., while he lost 40 or more. LINF

[The Solemates]

My wife was 5'2" and around 130 when we started, similar to you. She lost 20 lb at one point, but ended the trail 15 lb lighter. I conversely, lost 40!

[quasarr]

I am 5'4 and normally 145-150, so I could lose a few pounds. But after 1,400 miles I was still at 140! What the heck?? On a good note it gave me the confidence that in normal life I should focus on fitness without worrying about losing weight, because if thru-hiking won't do it, what can?

So that's my story, and you can hear all kinds of anecdotes about how much weight someone lost or didn't lose. And normally, women don't need to worry about extreme weight loss. But everyone is different! Your experience might not match the average. My advice is to listen to your body and make sure your diet is keeping you fueled. Plenty of hikers subsist on things like ramen, but in my opinion higher quality food will make you feel better and hike better. On the AT you can go into town so often that you will have no problem with finding enough food.

And remember, in the first 2-3 weeks your system can be a little bit shocked. You may be extremely hungry, or you may not be hungry at all (I was the second). But your equilibrium should return after this adjustment period! If not, it might be a sign of problems to come.

[Pedaling Fool]

I am 5'4 and normally 145-150, so I could lose a few pounds. But after 1,400 miles I was still at 140! What the heck?? On a good note it gave me the confidence that in normal life I should focus on fitness without worrying about losing weight, because if thru-hiking won't do it, what can?

So that's my story, and you can hear all kinds of anecdotes about how much weight someone lost or didn't lose. And normally, women don't need to worry about extreme weight loss. But everyone is different! Your experience might not match the average. My advice is to listen to your body and make sure your diet is keeping you fueled. Plenty of hikers subsist on things like ramen, but in my opinion higher quality food will make you feel better and hike better. On the AT you can go into town so often that you will have no problem with finding enough food.

And remember, in the first 2-3 weeks your system can be a little bit shocked. You may be extremely hungry, or you may not be hungry at all (I was the second). But your equilibrium should return after this adjustment period! If not, it might be a sign of problems to come.

Curious...After 1,400 miles did you experience a "Hiker's Appetite"? After 1,400 miles I could get myself uninvited from any AYCE establishment. Did you experience anything like this?

[HeartFire]

What I found was that pre-menopause I didn't loose any weight hiking , post menopause, I can drop 2 lb a week hiking

[ocasey3]

I am 5'4 and normally 145-150, so I could lose a few pounds. But after 1,400 miles I was still at 140! What the heck?? On a good note it gave me the confidence that in normal life I should focus on fitness without worrying about losing weight, because if thru-hiking won't do it, what can?

So that's my story, and you can hear all kinds of anecdotes about how much weight someone lost or didn't lose. And normally, women don't need to worry about extreme weight loss. But everyone is different! Your experience might not match the average. My advice is to listen to your body and make sure your diet is keeping you fueled. Plenty of hikers subsist on things like ramen, but in my opinion higher quality food will make you feel better and hike better. On the AT you can go into town so often that you will have no problem with finding enough food.

And remember, in the first 2-3 weeks your system can be a little bit shocked. You may be extremely hungry, or you may not be hungry at all (I was the second). But your equilibrium should return after this adjustment period! If not, it might be a sign of problems to come.

Did you lose inches? You may have gained muscle weight.

[slbirdnerd]

I'm not yet what you'd call a long distance hiker, but can tell you I have GAINED 10-15 pounds hiking and backpacking every chance I get since I started a little over a year ago. All my clothes still fit the same, I actually look slimmer: it's all muscle. Don't get hung up on pounds: eat well, be healthy, be happy. If you notice you're losing and/or feeling weak on your hike, adjust your nutrition and maybe scale back the daily miles. Even better, talk with your doctor or nutritionist before you go.

[Lady Grey]

I ate all I wanted and lost about 20 pounds between Georgia and Maine. My favorite comment was my husband meeting me in Gorham, NH and telling me I looked "gaunt" - truly the first time in my life I'd ever been called that! What I found is that younger women tended to not lose much (if any) weight, but they became really toned, while older women lose weight (and I'd like to think also became more toned). I've gained about 10 pounds back post-trail, but I now weigh about the same as when I was married in 1985, so I can't really complain. At first I thought I might be able to keep all the weight off, but I realize that I'm not able to continue my exercise regimen of 20 mile hiking days carrying a backpack up and down hills!

~Lady Grey www.trailjournals/LadyGrey

[Gersh]

I hiked the northern half last summer and lost 30lbs. I was pretty out of shape to start and it took a couple of weeks for my body to not feel as though I was beat in the alley. I didn't loose a ton right of the bat. I think it takes a bit for your metabolism to make adjustments. By the time I hit the NH/ME border my hiker appetite kicked in and every time I had the chance I ate my weight in food. My body would have these crazy cravings and once I reached somewhere with food I would go crazy. Maine was where the pounds really started to fall off.. probably due to my crazy metabolism and doing high miles. But I also gained tons of muscle mass, so weight loss isn't the only factor. I guess my only advice is listen to your body.. I tried to add fat to my meals as much as possible. Olive oil, butter packets and such that I would pick up from sandwich shops. If you are craving a gallon of chocolate milk, then do it.. keep snacks in your pocket and basically eat frequently. Oh and start with hiking clothes that are a bit tight. I had to stop and Vermont and buy new shorts cause my other ones would fall down as I walked. Wearing a belt under your hip belt can be a big uncomfortable.

[hkanz]

I'm 5'8 and ~125 pounds. During my 800 mile hike, I lost 9 pounds (going down to ~116 - I gained back the weight post-hike). Most of that weight seemed to drop from my breasts... and then when they expanded post-hike, I started worrying that I was consuming products with hormones, because they'd gotten so much larger... true, and ridiculous, story. It was ridiculous and I'm not looking forward to it in my hike this summer.

Moral of the story: Give yourself at least a few months post-hike before you start worrying about hormones in food products.

[cheetahgeek]

I started the trail very toned but with about 5 extra pounds. I did not lose any weight. Twice I met up with family along the way, the off-trail clothes that fit me before the trail were tight. My observation was that women tended to look 'dairy farmer daughter' healthy, versus gaunt. I did not get the 'hiker appetite' that most of the guys had.

[tiptoe]

I'm now 5 ft. 3 in. and about 115 lb. after a month-long section hike. I've been sectioning since 2006 and after each hike, most of them 2-3 weeks long (I was working then), I lost 5-8 lb., which I gradually gained back when I returned to "normal" life. To keep your strength up, eat, eat, eat, and don't spurn the junk food. This last trip I discovered, and devoured Little Debbie pies: 450 calories, 150 of them from fat. Yummy. A nice complement to my home-prepared dehydrated dinners.

[Tron-Life]

It's generally men who lose a lot of weight, and mostly those who have a lot of weight to lose. Women usually don't lose a lot, unless they are very overweight or are putting in really big miles every day. Our body may change shape a bit: more muscular legs, redistribution of fat, tight butt, but we don't get the starved rat look that the men can get.

I've done several long hikes with my husband. On each one, I lost about 5 lbs., while he lost 40 or more. LINF

What she said.

I've been in an 90 at-risk-youth wilderness program, a 50 day Outward Bound Course, and a nearly two month trip from Oregon to Canada along the PCT, and I've never seen any female in our groups lose any significant amount weight. If anything, they often gain weight but that usually from muscle which is a good thing. If you think about it, it makes sense that, in times of extreme physical stress, women retain weight rather than lose it like men do. You have to hold on to your weight so you can have extra energy to successfully carry a baby to term in times of stress. Don't worry about not losing weight though or your body not changing as fast, by the end you'll be fit, happy, healthy, and more attractive. Actually all the females in our group (someone back me up on this) after a few weeks of intense hiking, develop a sort of glow or something but this could just be my own mind making them more attractive after not getting any romantic attention for over a month and them being the only women around. Seriously though, all the activity will leave you feeling great which affects your attitude which is really the most attractive thing about anybody.

Also, think about not going as heavy on the junk as the guys do since your metabolism won't react the same; you won't get fat, but if you eat alot you will bulk up pretty quickly. This girl Katie in our OB group started out like 160 and was 180 by the end of the course and looked almost exactly the same except a little more toned. Maybe she drank alot of water before weighed her, but I think that's just how a women's body responds to that level of activity. I've also seen long distance hiking decurve the hips of a few women I've hiked with but I've also seen the opposite as well, it really depends on you.

[Sue_Bird]

Hey ladies,

I'm getting ready to hike the southern half of the AT in a few weeks and was wondering what sort of physical changes to expect. I'm 5'3" and weigh about 125-130lbs and will be carrying a 25lb pack. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind losing a few pounds, but I've heard some stories about drastic weight loss during long distance hikes and am worried it could zap my strength.

I'd love to hear what sort of weight loss/muscle gain other women experienced on the trail, and any tips on how to keep up your strength.

I lost about 30 pounds on my AT thru-hike, and gained a LOT of muscle. I was in the overweight range prior to my hike and did minimal exercise. By the end of the trail, I definitely felt like I was wasting away. That being said, the northern half of the AT is harder than the southern half (the rocks start at the Hawk Sanctuary in PA and pretty much stay with you for the rest of the hike.) I think I lost most of my weight in the northern AT.

[NLaeger]

I hiked from Ga to Pa last summer and lost 20lbs...I didn't get the typical hiker hunger until right before I got off the trail. I did however eat right about anything that looked good to me which sometimes consisted of pure sugar in the form of skittles or snickers. I never felt like the weight loss was making my strength wain, the trail did that... I actually had knee problems at the start of the trail (I was a little heavy when i started) and as I lost weight my knee problems went away even though I was beating them up day after day. I also know people who gained weight on the trail and those that stayed the exact same even though they were loosing inches..It will all really depend on how your body adapts and changes, everyone is different!

[Phlashlite]

In 2007 mid 50's thru hike I lost 50 pounds and I was not overweight to start with. I felt great!

[strogiyogi]

I started at about 130# and finished right around there. It all depends on how much you eat while on trail and how close you are to the weight your body wants to be. I definitely lost fat and gained muscle, but the scale stayed the same. Many women I talked to had this experience. Just make sure you get enough calories if you don't want to lose!

[bettybadass]

Its kinda interesting I have actually lost weight TO do the AT so that I can lose more... I've been going through a few things in my life and I want to see if I can do it. ;-) I was 240, now hovering around 200. Hoping my first small section hike will take me under that.

[canoe]

In 2007 mid 50's thru hike I lost 50 pounds and I was not overweight to start with. I felt great!

That does nt even make since. Do the math