View Full Version : am i setting myself up for failure?
I am about 100lbs overweight. I am not a complete couch potato: I lift weights occasionally and walk/jog a few miles occasionally. I have hiked/camped before but not recently. I have always wanted to thru-hike the AT, and the chance has come and I'm going to do it. I am hiking more for the experience, with weight loss as a nice side benefit. Do you see many overweight hikers on the trail? Have any made it the whole way?
Just curious..
Simon
Teacher & Snacktime
02-11-2014, 18:59
First you have to define failure. It's news to me that NOT hiking 2184 miles lessens anyone. Enjoy doing whatever you can. Do that, and you've succeeded.
kayak karl
02-11-2014, 19:04
failure would be just sitting at home. go for it. have fun. it has been done, but I have no names. :)
hikerboy57
02-11-2014, 19:06
I am about 100lbs overweight. I am not a complete couch potato: I lift weights occasionally and walk/jog a few miles occasionally. I have hiked/camped before but not recently. I have always wanted to thru-hike the AT, and the chance has come and I'm going to do it. I am hiking more for the experience, with weight loss as a nice side benefit. Do you see many overweight hikers on the trail? Have any made it the whole way?
Just curious..
Simon i definitely dont see too many overweight guys finishing..give it a go, you've got nothing to lose but pounds, and they will fall off as you travel north.
good luck.
You are a young man. Go for a few short hikes and build up to 8 to 10 miles with a pack. You will be fine if there are no heart issues. Lots of big folks on the trail. Me being one of them.
i definitely dont see too many overweight guys finishing..give it a go, you've got nothing to lose but pounds, and they will fall off as you travel north.
good luck. Maybe the reason you dont see to many big ones at katadin is after walking 2200 miles they have slimmed down
hikerboy57
02-11-2014, 19:16
Maybe the reason you dont see to many big ones at katadin is after walking 2200 miles they have slimmed down
Exactly my point
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takethisbread
02-11-2014, 19:20
I knew a woman a few years ago, I was hiking up to Mollies ridge and I sat with her on a log. before I passed her. she was older, in her 60's heavy smoker drinker and 250 lbs or so. way overweight. I enjoyed our chat. I never thought she'd make it to hot springs. I bumped into her again 6 months later. on whitecap mtn in Maine. she was there! she had lost 100 lbs. such an inspiration. anyone can do it. it's a matter of will not ability
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Sarcasm the elf
02-11-2014, 19:23
+1 to all of the above. As long as you are otherwise in good health, just hit the trail*, start slow and then go slower. Don't overdo it for the first few weeks and give your body a chance to adjust to all the walking.
Remember only 15%-20% of people who attempt to thru hike actually finish. You might not make it all the way, but that's no reason to quit before you've started.
* If you have other health problems or concerns then talk to your doctor about your plans beforehand.
turtle fast
02-11-2014, 19:26
With sincerity most people who quit the trail is not from a physical aspect, but mental. The hike is just as mental as it is physical and many just cant wrap their heads around the routine, the mileage and the elements (think walking in rain all day being damp/wet). Unless you have a physical issue you dont know about...those pounds will shed quickly. Myself I was 50 or so pounds overweight...and even had to have my hip belt on my ULA pack replaced as the large size did not fit anymore. If you start slow and do not overwork yourself I can not see why you could not make it to Maine.
Abatis1948
02-11-2014, 20:04
First you have to define failure. It's news to me that NOT hiking 2184 miles lessens anyone. Enjoy doing whatever you can. Do that, and you've succeeded.
Teacher and Snacktime are giving good advice. I am about eighty pounds overweight and I hiked the forty miles from Amicalola Falls SP to Neel Gap in four and a half days this past July. When I completed the approach trail, I knew I would make it all the way to Neel Gap. I plan to complete the Georgia section in early June this year and go on and do as much as I can of the trail before my thru hike in 2016. Go for it and hike as for as you are able. If you have to stop for any reason, you can come back later and do more.
Hill Ape
02-11-2014, 20:05
do it live. seriously, negative thoughts are going to keep you trapped in the overweight pattern. break out. its all mental
Lone Wolf
02-11-2014, 20:30
I am about 100lbs overweight. I am not a complete couch potato: I lift weights occasionally and walk/jog a few miles occasionally. I have hiked/camped before but not recently. I have always wanted to thru-hike the AT, and the chance has come and I'm going to do it. I am hiking more for the experience, with weight loss as a nice side benefit. Do you see many overweight hikers on the trail? Have any made it the whole way?
Just curious..
Simon
back in the early 90s i met a guy who weighed about 350. he made it. i've met fit marathoners that quit a week into it. mental toughness will get you there
I worked with a guy who ran full marathons and talked like he was gonna tear the trail up on his thru. He didn't make it out of Georgia.
Start slow and take your time, build up to it.
sadlowskiadam
02-11-2014, 21:06
If you define success and failure as finishing a thru hike versus not finishing, then it is 10% physical and 90% mental as to whether you succeed. I ran into several thru hikers who were 80-120 lbs overweight, and they finished the trail. I also ran into many young and fit thru hikers who quit within the first 500 miles. If finishing is your goal, then it will come down to mental toughness and determination (the physical fitness aspect will come on its own with the hike). You will be amazed at how quickly your body will change and adapt to the physical demand that is thru hiking. Do not let your physical fitness determine whether you hike or not. Best of luck,
-Counselor (GA-ME 2013)
Spirit Walker
02-11-2014, 21:11
If thruhiking is a serious dream of yours, you owe it to yourself to try. The first couple of weeks won't be easy, but it will get better. There are a lot of people who start the trail out of shape and overweight. The ones who finish are no longer out of shape, and generally they've lost a lot of weight.
Be aware though, the weight loss will only last as long as you continue to be active. If you become a couch potato again, the pounds will pile on.
Rocket Jones
02-11-2014, 21:19
Someone already said it - start slow, then slow down. It's not a race, and every day you're out there hiking is a win.
I heard a story of a guy who wanted to quit 3days in because he was to fat. He said hes 350lb and cant go on, this gent telling the story said he made a deal with him that he'd follow him to Neals Gap. As they both went up the next hill the guy turned and said I lied to you im really 450lbs the story teller said thats ok it doesnt matter I will follow you anyway. All the while he told great stories of the many challenged hikers on his previous thru's the reasons of many. To shorten the story a bunch he followed him all the way to Fontana Dam his legs were under him and planned on going all the way.
It's left foot, right foot and up hill, down hill. Nothing you do to get ready will prepare you like getting on the trail and walking all day every day. The AT is hard and for what ever reason you think will be the issue... weight I'd say is low on the list from a physical point of view. Mentally it will play im sure... ALOT will be mental on the trail. So think of a hike that your in a rain storm and lightning is blasting the ridge line your stuck on and it's hailing on you. I'm certain 100 extra pounds will be the furthest from your completion/quiting thoughts!
I knew a Guy that did it in 2012 he had lost 70 pounds by hotsprings.
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Plenty of people do it with some extra pounds, myself included. The first 200 miles are tough take it easy and pace yourself. You will see many people speeding past you but its not necessary to try to match their pace. If you get up every day and decide to hike it will all fall into place. The hardest part for me wasn't being overweight it was putting on wet socks in the morning. Enjoy your hike
whisper walking
02-11-2014, 21:59
Hey, I'm fluffy, and I'm going! See ya on the trail!
Tuckahoe
02-11-2014, 22:37
As others have said, there have been all sorts of folks of all shapes, sizes, abilities and disabilities that have thru-hiked the the AT.
But carrying that extra 100 pounds isnt just a lil overweight. And while carrying that weight, you're going to strap on another 30 pounds and climb up and down a few thousand feet here and there. You will increase your chances of success if you start conditioning yourself now and change eating and activity habits.
MuddyWaters
02-11-2014, 22:48
The only thing that makes you a failure at something, is being afraid to try.
Sierra2015
02-11-2014, 23:02
Stop being afraid of yourself.
Go in humility with the knowledge that your body can do this.
Mudflap started the Trail in '06 carrying a couple of spare tires. He made it all the way. Was it hard? Oh, yeah. He said he was exhausted every day. But every morning he got up and set off again.
Ken.davidson
02-11-2014, 23:08
If want to do a thru hike you can do it. I hiked with a ~30 year old guy March 2013 in Georgia that was ~400 lb.. He was on the AT to get his life back and loose weight. I don't if he regained control of his life. I do known he lost a lot of weight. He was at Harper Ferry 9 Sept. 2013 and he was almost half the size of six months earlier. I can not applaud him enough. It looks like it may be a life changing event for him. Good luck to you. HYOH
I have a female friend who is 190pds and I took her up me via the Lions Head route in October this year on Mount Washington..... if she can do it with little hiking exp, you can.
Just go slow bro.
Capt Nat
02-11-2014, 23:32
There is no downside to hiking, whether you make it 1 mile or 2,000. I came off the trail with tendinitis, but my only regret is living too far away to spend more time there.
futureatwalker
02-12-2014, 04:08
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right". Henry Ford
I think you can do it.
StealthHikerBoy
02-12-2014, 09:09
I don't think you are necessarily setting yourself up for failure. Just think a bit about recasting your goal. I am 2 years away from a long hike on the AT or PCT. I am not going to define success or failure as to whether I make it to the end. Rather, I just want to stay on the trail for a long time, have fun, and leave the experience with no regrets. Whether that is 3 weeks, 3 months, or the whole trail is left to be seen.
I say just get out there. Maybe you start just hiking shelter to shelter. Maybe you find you can get a little further than that each day. But, as long as you get out there, stay mentally tough, and have fun, you aren't failing. Just take one day at a time and don't think too much about the totality of the whole trail.
Another Kevin
02-12-2014, 09:27
You surely won't finish if you don't start!
I'm a weekender and short-sectioner (thru-hiking just doesn't appeal to me), but I've found that getting back into hiking about three years ago was the best thing I've ever done for my weight. I'm down about 40-45 pounds in that time. Yeah, weekending (and making it a point to walk 45 minutes a day with a 15-20 pound day pack, rain or shine) never really gets me into trail shape, but it's a heck of a lot better than where I've been.
And I find I can do just about any trail if I take my time about it. In the last year, I've done the Devil's Path, the Burroughs Range, and the Blackheads in the Catskills, which are all surely tough hiking. The trick for me is not to overdo. I find that I need to allow 30 minutes/mile PLUS 40 minutes per thousand feet of elevation change (up or down). That means that the 14-mile Burroughs Range loop is a backpack for me, because 10-12 hours of hiking simply won't cover the distance and climbing; and the Devil's Path (24.5 miles, 9000 feet up, 9000 feet down) is a three-day trip. So what? I have fun. Faster hikers who partner with me can take lots of pictures, or whatever.
And that's the key point of "hike your own hike". Don't try to keep up with others, they're hiking their hikes. Do what you can do safely. (I'd say 'comfortably' but hiking isn't meant to be entirely comfortable!) And don't take my advice - I'm just describing what works for me. Hike your own hike.
Pedaling Fool
02-12-2014, 10:11
I am about 100lbs overweight. I am not a complete couch potato: I lift weights occasionally and walk/jog a few miles occasionally. I have hiked/camped before but not recently. I have always wanted to thru-hike the AT, and the chance has come and I'm going to do it. I am hiking more for the experience, with weight loss as a nice side benefit. Do you see many overweight hikers on the trail? Have any made it the whole way?
Just curious..
SimonAs others have said, hiking the trail is more mental than physical...as counter-intuitive as that may sound.
However, the physical body can be a source of many problems as you age. The problems now that you're experiencing with being overweight is relatively easy to overlook in your young age, but they will be compounded in your 50's, 60's....just look at how many old people have problems with broken hips and such -- it does NOT have to be that way.
You will be setting yourself up for failure if you complete a thru-hike and go back to your current lifestyle, rather than building on it. Your body needs constant work/exercise, you can NOT occasionally lift weights, jog, walk or whatever. That is akin to yo-yo exercise plan, much like yo-yo weight loss/gain it's not good for your body. There is a reason (and truth) to the saying: "You don't use it, you lose it." And it doesn't take long to lose, so ocassionally doing exercise means you're occasionally stressing your body; whereas constant exercise is maintaining after the stress it took to get there is past us.
Don't be one of those hikers that just let that awesome physical fitness you worked so hard for go to waste; that is the ultimate failure.
And just like hiking the trail, maintaining a healthy body thru exercise is more mental than physical.
saltysack
02-12-2014, 10:54
A few years back a guy named father man hiked and I seem to remember he was pretty big at the beginning and did great... Check you tube fm on the AT
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Son Driven
02-12-2014, 11:37
May I suggest you start NOBO at Rockfish Gap, near Waynesboro, VA. The southern entry point to the Shenandoah, National Park, and probably one of the easiest sections of the trail. The Waysides restaurants open on 4/11. So you can buy meals, and food at the waysides, on a daily basis. This all serves to lighten your pack weight, weather should be warm enough eliminating need for cold weather gear, and your food load will be minimal. Continue north as far as you can. The most difficult section is the Whites in New England, if you are able to make it all the way to Katahdin, you stand an excellent chance of completing your hike in a single season. Now go back to Rockfish Gap, and work southward to Springer Mountain. Now you are heading south as the season changes from summer to fall, even if you do need to pick up some cold weather gear, you will be in good enough condition to mange it at this time. This strategy will give you at least an additional month of reasonable hiking weather.
The only failure is to not try because you're afraid to not make it.
I started section-hiking the trail in 2012 at 275 pounds on a small, 5'5" female frame. Was it hard? OH YEAH, you better believe it was. With 28# pack on, making me over 300# moving North... you better believe it. But did I go? Yes. And the more I went, the more weight I lost, and passion I had for getting in even better shape before the next trip, to make it easier.
I now weigh 165 and can do anything, losing over 100# in just over a year, and having section-hiked 350 miles on the trail. YOU CAN DO IT. Just set your goal to enjoy every moment, especially the hard ones that make you want to puke (cuz you WILL feel like that carrying the extra weight). I remember many 8 to 10 mile days in the beginning... slowly making it shelter to shelter... collapsing, lying on my side with dry heaves from having an elevated heart rate for 8 to 9 hours straight. Thinking to myself, I AM GOING TO CONQUER THIS. Those hard, pukey moments are what make you better, stronger, and faster. It only made me more determined. I totally credit the AT with giving me back my health and my life, because without it, the journey may not have happened. The trail can certainly change your life... if you let it... but only if you take the first step.
Happy hiking my friend. Let me know if I can ever help.
Valley Girl
02-12-2014, 11:59
You will never finish if you don't get started. I am basically going from couch to trail, intentionally.
Tuckahoe
02-12-2014, 12:02
The only failure is to not try because you're afraid to not make it.
I started section-hiking the trail in 2012 at 275 pounds on a small, 5'5" female frame. Was it hard? OH YEAH, you better believe it was. With 28# pack on, making me over 300# moving North... you better believe it. But did I go? Yes. And the more I went, the more weight I lost, and passion I had for getting in even better shape before the next trip, to make it easier.
I now weigh 165 and can do anything, losing over 100# in just over a year, and having section-hiked 350 miles on the trail. YOU CAN DO IT. Just set your goal to enjoy every moment, especially the hard ones that make you want to puke (cuz you WILL feel like that carrying the extra weight). I remember many 8 to 10 mile days in the beginning... slowly making it shelter to shelter... collapsing, lying on my side with dry heaves from having an elevated heart rate for 8 to 9 hours straight. Thinking to myself, I AM GOING TO CONQUER THIS. Those hard, pukey moments are what make you better, stronger, and faster. It only made me more determined. I totally credit the AT with giving me back my health and my life, because without it, the journey may not have happened. The trail can certainly change your life... if you let it... but only if you take the first step.
Happy hiking my friend. Let me know if I can ever help.
Congrats and great job!!!!
Rain Man
02-12-2014, 12:03
I agree with those saying that getting off a couch is already a success.
Someone already said it - start slow, then slow down.
One of the best bits of advice I had ever heard for new long-distance AT hikers! If more took this advice, more would make it to Maine, I think.
A few years back a guy named father man hiked and I seem to remember he was pretty big at the beginning and did great... Check you tube fm on the AT
Might this be the fellow? He and I leap-frogged a time or two around Mt. Garfield in the Whites (?) in August '12. He was a very strong hiker. On those steep rockface climbs, he looked as if he were on comfortable level ground.
Rain:sunMan
.
I had lost 35 pounds by the time I reached Hot Springs, roughly a month into my hike. If you push through the first couple weeks (which will likely be exhausting and very uncomfortable) you will be in great shape and the weight will fall off.
saltysack
02-12-2014, 12:58
I agree with those saying that getting off a couch is already a success.
One of the best bits of advice I had ever heard for new long-distance AT hikers! If more took this advice, more would make it to Maine, I think.
Might this be the fellow? He and I leap-frogged a time or two around Mt. Garfield in the Whites (?) in August '12. He was a very strong hiker. On those steep rockface climbs, he looked as if he were on comfortable level ground.
Rain:sunMan
.
Yep that's him... Great series of you tube videos from his hike.
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Being 100 pounds overweight is not going to help, but as other people have said your attitude is a much bigger factor than your starting weight.
Skittles has hiked the Triple Crown and more. Here's a quote about him (http://americanprofile.com/articles/hiking-the-continental-divide-trail/):
He's not that athletic of a guy, he says, and during the off-season tends to put on pounds. He lost 79 pounds on his Appalachian Trail (AT) hike and 62 pounds on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). "I started the AT at 293 pounds and finished it at 214," he says in his trip journal. "I started the PCT at 260 and finished it at 198. I've been running and swimming over the winter in Fairbanks to try to keep my weight down during my six-month hiatus from hiking
Personally, I think there is such a thing as failure, and success, but that you can't be successful without risking failure.
When you get out on the trail, you will still be heading towards success as long as you are moving forward and NOT GIVING UP.
Remember, on a given day you aren't hiking to Maine, you are hiking as far as you can reasonably get that day. If you do, that day is a success.
If you are serious about thru-hiking the AT, I would highly recommend working out, like Skittles, and trying to lose some weight before you start. It will be hard, but so is thru-hiking the AT.
If you don't care that much, you are likely setting yourself up to fail.
If you want it bad enough, you can almost certainly do it.
yo, pm me your phone number and ill call and talk you you about weight loss, i my self went from 400+ to 175 from hiking!
Sierra2015
02-12-2014, 16:19
yo, pm me your phone number and ill call and talk you you about weight loss, i my self went from 400+ to 175 from hiking!
Wow! That's so impressive! I love that.
Mountain Springs
02-12-2014, 19:03
Lots of good advice so far. Just get out there, take it easy and put one put in front of the other.
Son Driven
02-12-2014, 19:24
Yep, just get up with the sun, one foot after the other, take all the breaks you want, and then as the sun drops down in the sky look for a place to spend the night. Just keep repeating the process as long as you can.
the answer is "maybe". If you are that overweight, the hike will be more difficult from day 1. The Approach Trail and the staircase at the waterfalls will test you if you are that amount overweight. Injuries are more likely too. If you are willing to start the hike patiently, do no more than 10 miles per day the first 2-3 weeks, maybe the first month, gradually the pounds will melt off. Just burning calories and drinking lots of water every day will lead to weight loss. But be patient and expect "PAIN". Good luck, it's a great way to lose weight.
You will probably loose more than one pound/day if you keep at it.
Hiking the AT is one of the best ways to loose weight and get fit.
There is pain involved… but suffering is optional.
Second Hand
02-13-2014, 12:58
In "A walk in the woods" Bryson talked about an over weight man from MA who hiked the trail just to lose weight. If I remember correctly he started out doing 6 and 8 miles per day and by the time he got to New England he was pushing out 20's.
As everyone has said, you can do it! Good luck!
Happy44 - If your serious then congratulation to you! What an amazing undertaking. The nice thing about your diet plan is the trail isn't going anywhere :)
Damn Yankee
02-13-2014, 13:03
Simon, I too am overweight according to my Dr. about 50-60lbs or so. I am involved with a weight lose program and have started walking and seem to lose 2-3lbs weekly. According to what I have read, you will also lose weight on the trail. Start slow, enjoy the time out and consider how ever far you go to be a victory.
advice from me, carry less food on the first 10-14 days because you will not want to eat as much ( much less then you normally eat) i call this hiker acclamation phase of the trail, just about every dinner for the first week i throw up! lost about 20pounds easy on the first week , but after that you will get the HIKER HUNGER, which is what you want, it will speed up your bodys metabolism and the more you eat the more you lose, if you keep a 16-18+ miles aday you will lose mega weight, biggest problem is not losing the weight its keeping it off, HIKER HUNGER will follow you off the trail, but you will not be hiking off the trail, so eatting 15 plates at the AYCE dragon palace is not what you wanta do, even if you feel like it, my advice eat nothing but fruits like bananas ( for the after of hike cramps) and try to keep an under 1400 calories diet for the first 60 days off trail and stay active as much as you can, on the trail everyone is very nice and friendly, but in the real world people are mean and can be real (#$)@^*#) which can make people with addictions like over eating, hard drugs use, and alcohol trigger and spiral out of control! dont make the trail about weight loss because that will come no matter what , make it about the people and friends you will meet on the way on your adventure , i hope to see you on the trail, i start at springer on march 1st for a thru hike so i hope to see you and others :)
4eyedbuzzard
02-13-2014, 14:53
Start slow and don't overdue it in the beginning. Lots of leg injuries put hikers off the trail in northern GA. Watch your footing so as not to twist an ankle or knee. Go slow and don't bounce on the downhills. Forget that 15 mpd stuff in the beginning. Plan on 8 to 10 and if you find yourself doing that by early afternoon go ahead and move on, but only if you're still feeling good about it. Nothing wrong with stopping a little early, making a nice meal, hanging with other hikers, and giving your joints and muscles time to rest.
bamboo bob
02-13-2014, 16:38
I always start a LD hike a fair amount overweight. No big deal. Long Distance hiking is mainly a mental endeaver. The hard part is gaetting up day after day and hiking. You will not do 20 mile days for months but you can do it.
I have done a lot of thruhikes and miles but my first day with a backpack was headed north from Springer Mountain. You can do this.
SunnyWalker
02-14-2014, 16:58
Yep, I'd say the "battle" is more mental then physical on a thru hike. Win the mental battle and you . . . win! (Just like life).
bobtomaskovic
02-14-2014, 23:43
No reason you can't do a thru. Just start out slow, really slow. So many people around me got hurt in the first weeks and ended their hikes. I lost 25# by Gatlinburgh and I thought I was eating enough. Lots of big folks on the trail in 2011 and I finished with some of them. We were all a lot smaller and doing 20 mile days I Maine.