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lobster
11-01-2006, 11:10
of how much weight they regained after their hike was completed??

How many park as close to the entrance of Walmart so they don't have to walk as far?

Is seeking help for Post Traumatic Eating Disorder an option?

Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-01-2006, 12:45
Recipe for Troll Roast


4 or 5 lb. troll roast
2 lg. onions
1 piece garlic
6 lg. potatoes
3 lg. carrots

Brown troll meat, then put in a pan, 15 x 9 inches a cup of water. Put potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots around the troll roast. Bake in oven at 375 degrees until it is done.

This is a great dish to serve on cold days as Trail Magic. Will someone help me catch the troll so we can try it?

Two Speed
11-01-2006, 13:02
. . . Will someone help me catch the troll so we can try it?I'm more than willing to help you catch it, but I would prefer not to eat any. You ever thought about what them things are made out of? I've seen tastier stuff down at the sewage treatment plant.

Of course, it would probably be AYCE, wouldn't it?

neo
11-01-2006, 13:14
of how much weight they regained after their hike was completed??

How many park as close to the entrance of Walmart so they don't have to walk as far?

Is seeking help for Post Traumatic Eating Disorder an option?

:D up yours buddy why worry about someone else's spare tire:cool: neo

max patch
11-01-2006, 13:17
While the lobster has started many threads in which he is in fact a troll, in this instance what he says has a lot of validity. Many hikers lose a bunch of weight while hiking, and when the hike is over, maintain the same caloric intake without near the amount of exercise. Weight gain that exceeds the amount of weight loss during the thru is not uncommon.

And if the Dinos had actually thru'd they would have known this.

saimyoji
11-01-2006, 13:24
Is seeking help for Post Traumatic Eating Disorder an option?

I would agree that this may in fact be a realistic consideration. Changing eating habits is very difficult for most of us who don't need to change that much about our diets. Changing from thru-hiking diet to normal everyday activity diet may not only pose weight gain issues, but health issues as well.

As a non-thru hiker (yet) I can't speak from experience, but from a former competitive swimmer (some seasons over 10,000 meters a day) who stopped suddenly, I can speak from experience about this kind of diet change.

Its a real issue. Discuss.

Jim Adams
11-01-2006, 13:34
I started my 13 month long trip in 1989 @ 212lbs and a 38" waist. finished @ 147lbs and a 28" waist.
started my 2002 thru hike @ 229lbs and a 40" waist. finished @ 162lbs and a 31" waist.
it seems as though I can keep fit and keep the weight off for about 6--9 months after my hike and then with my job schedule and eating habits it just comes back. hiking is the only way that I know to successfully knock off the weight and get in good shape because instead of keeping to a work / job schedule you simply workout all day long on the trail.
currently, 258lbs and a 44" waist hence the plan to thru hike the PCT in '07.
don't know what else to do to keep fit plus I've never seen the west.
geek

Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-01-2006, 13:44
Several people who have broken this mold come immediately to mind - Model T, One-Leg, Tha Wookie, Leggs, WeatherCarrot, Sly to name a few. Perhaps they will weigh-in :D on how they did it.


if the Dinos had actually thru'd they would have known this.Max Patch, that was a cheap shot. You know that our planned 2005 thru-hike was thwarted by the fact that we were in a horrific auto accident which permanently damaged the female dino's leg (she now walks with a cane and hikes with two). Because of how slow she must go, the dinos decided to section hike instead of thru hike.

max patch
11-01-2006, 13:59
Max Patch, that was a cheap shot.

No it wasn't. It had nothing to do with the horrific accident.

It was an observation that when people comment on a speicific thru hiker issue WHO HAVEN'T THRU'D then in many cases their comments have no basis in which to be made.

And calling lobster a TROLL based on this thread proves my point.

Butch Cassidy
11-01-2006, 14:04
Oh Yea, I lost 53 lbs during my 05 Thru 234 down to 181. I am back to 210 today and expect to be around 205 when I start the trail again in Feb. It's a constant battle and I worked very hard the first 6 months to keep the weight off, But I still gained 30 lbs the year following! It's easy to talk about changing thruhiking eating habits, but much harder to do it. Butch

Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-01-2006, 14:05
Max, Had he posted this as an issue, I would have responded to it that way. However, he asked
how many former thru's are ashamed?
of how much weight they regained after their hike was completed??

How many park as close to the entrance of Walmart so they don't have to walk as far?

Is seeking help for Post Traumatic Eating Disorder an option?
This isn't your typical lead in to a discussion of real issues.

Blissful
11-01-2006, 14:19
Oh Yea, I lost 53 lbs during my 05 Thru 234 down to 181. I am back to 210 today and expect to be around 205 when I start the trail again in Feb. It's a constant battle and I worked very hard the first 6 months to keep the weight off, But I still gained 30 lbs the year following! It's easy to talk about changing thruhiking eating habits, but much harder to do it. Butch


My hubby is like that - right now he is about 240. I figure he will lose quite a bit when he does sections with us next year. I'm looking forward to that as I know it will be good for him but not looking forward to the post hike. I've heard of the big weight gains. Any helpful advice would be appreciated. Some even said join weight watchers!

Gray Blazer
11-01-2006, 14:32
I'm ashamed of the weight I've gained and I'm not even a thrubie. However, I don't mind parking far from the entrance at the store and taking a hike. What's funny is to see all the people at the fitness center jockeying for a place near the door. You'd think a longer walk to the entrance could be part of their fitness regime. About the PTED? Maybe there is a support group.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-01-2006, 15:06
While not a thru-hiker, have gained weight as a result of reduced activity. I was accustomed to walking or hiking about 20 to 50 miles per week before the auto accident and to doing 2 hours of PT / work out a day afterward. I believe the answer is something L. Wolf told me - quit stuffing your pie hole and get some ^%$* exercise.

Gray Blazer
11-01-2006, 15:24
While not a thru-hiker, have gained weight as a result of reduced activity. I was accustomed to walking or hiking about 20 to 50 miles per week before the auto accident and to doing 2 hours of PT / work out a day afterward. I believe the answer is something L. Wolf told me - quit stuffing your pie hole and get some ^%$* exercise.
Doesn't he have a way with words?:D

DavidNH
11-01-2006, 15:35
One thing not touched on so far here..it is not just that one stops walking when the hike is over. It is also that food is everywhere and so easy to get in society. When one is hiking you can carry just so much and therefore one must ration so that the food lasts till next resupply. Additionally, I think one eats often as entertaiment, a way to counteract boredom. One can't get bored on an AT thru hike...all the scenery and variety of people..it's an adventure!'

I am trying to eat less now. It's not easy.

I wonder if the thru hikers from this summer ('06) have stopped drinking sodas? downing a 2 liter bottle like so many did adds sugar and calories but not much else. So calorie free beverages should be a good place to start!

David

1azarus
11-01-2006, 15:58
funny thing -- for me, i'm a section hiker who's made this deal with those in my life: 2 weeks on the trail in one chunk once a year, then one three day trip each month... i figure it could take this 55 yr old body 10 years to finish at that pace. the good news for me is that i'm always getting ready to go on the AT, so i always think about what i eat!!! right now i'm planning to head to unicoi gap and hike to fontana dam around january 7th -- it is way too cold for me in home connecticut then! last february started at springer and made it to unicoi.... will do the warmer weather trips at the north end.

emerald
11-01-2006, 16:52
Recipe for Troll Roast






4 or 5 lb. troll roast


2 lg. onions
1 piece garlic
6 lg. potatoes
3 lg. carrots

Brown troll meat, then put in a pan, 15 x 9 inches a cup of water. Put potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots around the troll roast. Bake in oven at 375 degrees until it is done.

This is a great dish to serve on cold days as Trail Magic. Will someone help me catch the troll so we can try it?


I would add that the roast is not truly done until posting to whiteblaze.net ceases. If such is not the case, do not hesitate to reinsert the pan into the oven and even increase the heat should that seem necessary.

fiddlehead
11-01-2006, 16:58
I usually lose about 10 lbs on a thru. Then gain it back afterwards.
But this year, i lost 10 lbs eating strictly Thai food and have gained it back since i'm back in the states. (i'm back one month now)
It's the food choices we get here. Unless you cook, you get: more cheese on your pizzas than anywhere else i've seen, richer sauces in french & italian restaurants, fast food is everywhere and tempting and we all know how healthy THAT is, etc.
If you want to keep it off, you should cook or eat asian food. We eat fish about 3 times a week in Thailand and i believe THAT is one of the most perfect foods although of course you can't eat that much here because of the mercury, lead, and crap in the air. I'm glad to see so many places are stopping the trans fats they use. nasty stuff.
(I won't get into the need for more windmills and solar power to replace those coal burning plants here today, i'll save that for other forums)
But not walking to the store or parking as close as possible? You gotta like to walk if you're gonna be a hiker now don't you?

SGT Rock
11-01-2006, 18:09
One of my biggest peeves on online forums is the shouting of "troll" at people who post something which might even be the least bit controversial..shame on those who shout troll at everything.
Actually you should know there high speed. I have gotten more troll complaints about you than any two current members combined.

gsingjane
11-01-2006, 18:22
I've never thru'ed, but I did have to suddenly stop marathon training last month and the exercise withdrawal was unbelievable. To go from running 50 mpw, cross-training for 3 hours, and walking all over town, to laying in bed (trying to baby an injury so it would get better quickly before the marathon ... which ultimately worked, thank God) was hideous. I put on 5 pounds instantly, like overnight. And the psychological changes of suddenly stopping exercise were really strange... I got totally scattered and couldn't keep doing anything for more than 5 minutes at a time - felt very unsettled and wrong the whole time. And did I mention crabby? Oh, yeah, bite your head off irritable, too.

I don't know if people who do thru's or long section hikes and then stop suddenly go through similar changes but if they do, it's not something to look forward to.

Jane in CT

hopefulhiker
11-01-2006, 19:27
I lost over sixty pounds on my thru last year. Now I am back up where I was before I began last year... It is down right embarassing.. But I don't park close at the Wal Mart.. not that bad yet.. just sit around a lot typing on this site...

Lone Wolf
11-01-2006, 19:33
Actually you should know there high speed. I have gotten more troll complaints about you than any two current members combined.

you get any about me?:eek:

Footslogger
11-01-2006, 19:35
I don't think embarassed is the correct term for it ...but I was pretty amazed when I gained all the weight I had lost (38lbs) on my thru in 2003. That weight stayed on until January of this year, when I decided that enough was enough. I modified my food intake, eliminated sugar from my diet and began a modest exercise routine and lost 25 lbs in 3 months.

The best news is that it's November and the weight has stayed off. I think this time it's because it was a conscious lifestyle change and not the shock treatment I put my body through during those 6 months of hiking in 2003.

But embarassed ...?

Nah !!

'Slogger

Skidsteer
11-01-2006, 19:38
you get any about me?:eek:


Actually you should know there high speed. I have gotten more troll complaints about you than any two current members combined.

There was much left unsaid methinks. Sounds like a warning shot over the bow. ;)

Egads
11-01-2006, 21:35
Why is everyone so pissy today?:confused:

Dances with Mice
11-01-2006, 22:44
... I got totally scattered and couldn't keep doing anything for more than 5 minutes at a time - felt very unsettled and wrong the whole time. And did I mention crabby? Oh, yeah, bite your head off irritable, too.Now I wonder when my wife quit training for her marathon.

Frosty
11-01-2006, 23:31
While the lobster has started many threads in which he is in fact a troll, in this instance what he says has a lot of validity. Many hikers lose a bunch of weight while hiking, and when the hike is over, maintain the same caloric intake without near the amount of exercise. Weight gain that exceeds the amount of weight loss during the thru is not uncommon.

And if the Dinos had actually thru'd they would have known this.Actually, the question posted was not how much weight thru-hikers gained, or even if they gained weight, but how ashamed they are of it.

Boston, concerning the troll or no troll thing, I always thought of a troll as some who asks a loaded question that is formulated to annoy people and get reactions, i.e., they are "trolling" for responses. They aren't looking for information, or interested in a discussion, just trying to rile people up. It is similar to a six-year-old doing outrageous things for attention. So in this case and in hte case of most of lobster's threads which seem to be only for the purpose of stirring the shtpot, yeah, I'd have to think of him/her as a troll.

map man
11-02-2006, 00:16
I've been pretty consistently between 165 and 170 pounds for years (6 feet tall). I eat a pretty regimented diet so it's pretty easy for me to keep track of my calorie intake and I exercise consistently too. I took up long distance hiking just this year. I spent three weeks on the trail, made a point of eating healthy and eating enough on the trail that I didn't lose or gain any weight. What is weird is that after going back to my regular non-trail diet and getting back to the same amount of non-trail exercise I've gained 10 pounds in the two-and-a-half months I've been off the trail.

I'm wondering if some primative corner of my brain has decided after the long period of exertion this year (three weeks of tough hiking), that I need to put on fat just in case more "hard times" are ahead too. Is this possible? That my body could be taking in the same number of calories but using them differently? Has anyone here had training in exercise physiology or things related, and could shed some light on this? In the meantime, I've just started cutting down on the calories moderately, keeping up the exercise, and hoping for the best.

But no, to answer lobster's question, I can't say that I'm feeling "ashamed" yet:D .

Jim Adams
11-02-2006, 01:30
ashamed? you bet. i quess that i didn't answer that yesterday. i should know better but this job is horrible for your health. i'm a paramedic and i sit and eat and watch tv. then i sit and eat and watch tv. then i go through 30--60 minutes of high stress. then i sit and eat and watch tv. schedules are so irratic that you don't have time to work out. you saw my weights. i'm only 5'6" tall. i am round. if i stand next to girl next door, we look like the number 10. my body thinks that if i'm not hiking i must be getting ready to hybernate and i gain weight by the minute. i had to order a whole large pizza just to get the energy to scoot in my chair over to this keyboard.
geek

SGT Rock
11-02-2006, 04:08
you get any about me?:eek:

Some, but really not that much. Most people that are here long enough get your sense of humor.

StarLyte
11-02-2006, 07:25
I started my 13 month long trip in 1989 @ 212lbs and a 38" waist. finished @ 147lbs and a 28" waist.
started my 2002 thru hike @ 229lbs and a 40" waist. finished @ 162lbs and a 31" waist.
it seems as though I can keep fit and keep the weight off for about 6--9 months after my hike and then with my job schedule and eating habits it just comes back. hiking is the only way that I know to successfully knock off the weight and get in good shape because instead of keeping to a work / job schedule you simply workout all day long on the trail.
currently, 258lbs and a 44" waist hence the plan to thru hike the PCT in '07.
don't know what else to do to keep fit plus I've never seen the west.
geek

Hey Geek-
I'm so glad to see you active here. I'll PM you. PCT 07? Cool. :banana

gsingjane
11-02-2006, 08:02
MapMan, I am neither an exercise physiologist nor a nutritionist, but I do have some experience with nutrition/exercise issues, and have a thought for you. I'm not sure about the "body wants to conserve energy" idea on the sudden weight gain - anything is possible, I suppose, but it's more likely that, even without realizing it, you are eating a bit extra to compensate after your hike.

I note from your profile that you are 47. I have noticed that as I age, I will (sometimes very suddenly) drop in terms of the number of calories I can ingest on a daily basis and not gain weight. Even keeping the "outgo" constant, the permitted "income" piece still drops. My husband has noticed this as well, he is a calorie counter from way back, and has found that his max daily intake has dropped about 25 calories per day, per year, as he's gotten into his '50's. As you realize, really the only "solution" (other than eating less) is to kick up the outgo a little bit more year by year. I guess by the time I'm 100 I'll be mimicking Dean Kanarzes and running a marathon a day!

Jane in CT

chris
11-02-2006, 11:01
When I started the PCT I was a hair under 210 after trying to put on weight before hand. Three days after finishing I weighed in at 194. My low weight would have come before finishing and I probably dropped to as low as about 185. Very thing upper body as the ending photo shows.

A year later I was up at 215 and started a 1150 mile section hike on the AT, followed by the GDT. I dropped to 195 by the end of the summer. My weight stabilized at 200 for a few years, but in the last 9 months I've put on about 10 lbs of muscle due to an increase in the amount of climbing I'm doing.

weathercarrot
11-02-2006, 11:21
Several people who have broken this mold come immediately to mind - Model T, One-Leg, Tha Wookie, Leggs, WeatherCarrot, Sly to name a few. Perhaps they will weigh-in :D on how they did it.

Actually, I'm not part of that list. I'm about 40 pounds over my typical finishing-hike weight. Usually I complete a hike somewhere in the 155 to 175 range. Right now I'm pushing 210.

Sly
11-02-2006, 11:31
I'm ashamed I don't hike as often as I want.

Frosty
11-02-2006, 11:40
I'm ashamed I don't hike as often as I want.Ain't that the truth. THere's always something, and then in December I wonder why the hell I didn't hike more, or write more, or whatever more. All I have to show is a bunch of posts on the internet :confused:

Marta
11-02-2006, 11:47
Why is everyone so pissy today?:confused:

They're hungry?

Sly
11-02-2006, 11:49
Hey Marta, where you at? When do you expect to finish the trail?

SGT Rock
11-02-2006, 14:09
If you really want me to. I have had that recommendation from both the other admins in the past, but I kept saying to give you another break. But if you really want me to, I can hook that up.

Marta
11-02-2006, 14:28
Hey Marta, where you at? When do you expect to finish the trail?

Uh oh, you caught me. I'm at home in Charlotte for a few days. My husband picked me up at Big Meadows on Tuesday. I'll be going back to northern Virginia on Saturday, with warmer clothing, more lighting and more, longer books. I was going bonkers spending too much time alone in the cold and dark.

When do I expect to finish? Paradoxically, as I draw closer to Springer (I'm 910 miles away now), the finishing date keeps getting further and further away. I will be taking a week off between Christmas and New Year. So either I have to hike much bigger miles than I have so far and finish by Christmas, or I'll have to finish up after New Year.

superflatz
11-04-2006, 10:42
I don't know if my question is dumb, or just from inexperience; but here goes.

Do any of you go from long distance hike to long distance hike? I am retired, and i guess you would almost have to be, but after I do the thru next spring (fingers crossed - thinking positive), I would like to do the PCT or even the American Discovery Trail.

Is this realistic, or does the trail just "wipe you out"? I can definately see an addiction. And as far as this thread is concerned, this should keep the weight off, right?

Sly
11-04-2006, 11:26
Do any of you go from long distance hike to long distance hike?

A few of us do. Not until I started planning for the AT did I hear about the PCT or CDT, but once I did, I knew I wanted to hike all three and have. Now I plan on hiking some of the shorter long trails but hope to hike the CDT and PCT again.

Not retired or financially secure, the hard part is starting from scratch over and over.

Sly
11-04-2006, 11:28
Uh oh, you caught me.

Yeah I did! Long, dark nights aren't my favorite either. Try to stay warm....

stumpknocker
11-04-2006, 16:52
I like the long, dark nights....I get my best sleep in the woods.

I've also figured out how to walk and keep the weight on. :)

Mags
11-04-2006, 18:42
I just weigh myself this morning. Three days after finishing the CDT, looks like I have lost 6 or 7 pounds. Call it it 8 or 9 if I did an immed. post trail "weigh in". Sure I put on some muscle and lost some fat (but not much based on how my clothes fit).

Was doing a vigorous exercise shedule (5-6 days week) of trail running and hiking before my thru. So that probably helped. Was in fairly good shape going into the hike.

Now, I am not thin. Even now, my body type is best described as "stocky".
Honestly not fat (hey..I averaged XX amount of MPD for 4mos...), but as I've mentioned in the past, look like someones idea of a dock worker from central casting. :D

Guess the key is, as Footslogger said, exercise and watch what you eat post-hike and you will be fine.

Look me up in 6 mos and see if I will liveby my own words. :)

neighbor dave
11-04-2006, 19:16
of how much weight they regained after their hike was completed??

How many park as close to the entrance of Walmart so they don't have to walk as far?

Is seeking help for Post Traumatic Eating Disorder an option?
:-? i am!!!
i don't even go out anymore and am thinkin' it just wasn't worth it.
hikin' ruined my life. my doc says i should take up swimmin'. any room in the pool over there lobster???:jump

Heater
11-04-2006, 20:52
While the lobster has started many threads in which he is in fact a troll, in this instance what he says has a lot of validity. Many hikers lose a bunch of weight while hiking, and when the hike is over, maintain the same caloric intake without near the amount of exercise. Weight gain that exceeds the amount of weight loss during the thru is not uncommon.

And if the Dinos had actually thru'd they would have known this.


IAWTP.....

Lone Wolf
11-04-2006, 20:54
You are without toilet paper?

rickb
11-04-2006, 21:01
Three days after finishing the CDT,

Excellent, Mags!

Not many born and bred Rhode Islanders have ever said that!

My guess is that you could be the first.

Congrats on not getting eaten by the bears. :D

Rick B

bfitz
11-04-2006, 21:54
I would have, but fortunately my giardia symptoms kicked in about a week after I got home. Doc misdiagnosed, so I had it for over a month. By the time that subsided my weight gain window had closed, I guess.

Heater
11-04-2006, 22:23
You are without toilet paper?

:D I knda thought that was what some would think when they saw that.

It come from one of the USENET groups I visit ocassionally.


IAWTP

I
Agree
With
This
Post

It's really just a "me too." :rolleyes:

HAND

Alligator
11-05-2006, 00:36
IAWTP2
I
Am
Waiting
To
Pee
2

Heater
11-05-2006, 00:46
IAWTP2
I
Am
Waiting
To
Pee
2

IGPLARR. ;)

Mags
11-05-2006, 11:50
Excellent, Mags!

Not many born and bred Rhode Islanders have ever said that!

My guess is that you could be the first.

Congrats on not getting eaten by the bears. :D

Rick B


Heh..suspect most my RI people that I knew would wonder why I was an unemployed bum 3x now! :D

As I told my Mom, bears don't care for Italian food anyway. ;)