View Full Version : Did hiking the trail heal you of your ailments?
I realize the body goes thru alot of adjusting and pain, but in the long run, did you feel you are stronger and healthier after the trip? Im thinking of those of us who are older and dealing with issues from bad lifestyles, et.al
Ox97GaMe
07-13-2010, 19:50
the trail will get you in better shape,there is no doubt about that. My biggest thing was getting in shape mentally. It cured me of those ailments. :)
max patch
07-13-2010, 20:07
My doctor has recommended that I exercise an hour a day to help with blood pressure and glucose issues. Imagine the benefits of extrapolating that one hour a day to 10 or so hours a day while carrying 30 or so pounds. After 6 months of that you've got to be better!
If you make it all the way from Springer to Katahdan you should be stronger and heather. if not you would not have made all the way.
Panzer
Sure you feel stronger and healthier but there's still aches and pain. You continue on. I discovered most pain caused by overuse injuries only lasted about 7 days. Hike on and if you can gut it out after that you're home free.
Sort of reminded me of what Ann Trason, the famous ultra-marathoner said once-
"It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse".
garlic08
07-13-2010, 22:10
I started getting a case of sciatica, which nearly disabled my dad, but it completely went away when I started long distance hiking in 2004 and hasn't returned. The doc said the best treatment was walking and he was right.
Other than that, I don't think thru hikes have improved my health. If anything, the accumulated stresses have probably done long-term damage though it hasn't shown up yet. A couple of hikers have blamed cardiac problems on the crappy food and stress of a hike. Still, I wouldn't trade those hikes for anything.
the trail will get you in better shape,there is no doubt about that. My biggest thing was getting in shape mentally. It cured me of those ailments. :)
getting in shape mentally is what i'm anticipating. pushing myself past what i "feel" i can do or "want" to do when it gets hard. of course not being dumb! but am def wanting the trail to help cure those mental "ailments". :)
theycallmej
07-14-2010, 00:08
Does anyone know if knee problems go away? Tending towards chondromalacia or runner's knee here which I have-- it involves a sometimes sharp pain (not really hurt, just a sensation) or a dull ache. It's nothing super hurtful, but could hiking strengthen one up to get better?
Danielsen
07-14-2010, 00:32
If you hike with a "wrong" gait or your footwear makes you move in a different way than your joints are supposed to or your pack weighs too much/loads the weight on you incorrectly, the cumulative stress and damage could very well exacerbate any preexisting issues you have.
If you hike with a biomechanically "correct" walking gait and load your packweight properly onto the frame of your body, I would expect that yes, your body's kinks will work themselves out.
wcgornto
07-14-2010, 00:58
Long distance hiking certainly can put you in great shape and eliminate certain poor physical / health conditions. However, once you finish the trail, it is very difficult to ramp down the thru hiker appetite and it is very easy to put back on a lot of weight in a relatively short time (speaking from experience). I went from mountains to flat plus I went straight to my Mother's over-abundant southern country cooking.
Now that I have sorted out my job / relocation situation and now live close to big mountains (and away from mama's cooking), I will focus on a trail / gym / nutrition balance regimen to establish a healthy long term equilibrium.
I agree about the appetite being hard to get a grip on after a long hike.
I finished weighing 7 lbs heavier than when I started and I've put on a couple pounds since then as well.
Part of it is that I don't have a goal that I'm working towards. Prior to my hike I spent 4 months preparing - running, working out at the gym, etc.
Of course I've only been back for 10 days so I guess I've earned some rest - I don't know about anyone else but 800 miles in 40 days with only 3 rest days that took me through the Whites and Maine really put some stress on my body and frankly, I don't really feel like running 15-20 miles right now...
I'm not too worried about getting *too* out of shape - I won't let that happen. I consider this period "recovery mode".
I ened my long hike feeling better physically than I had since I was very young. Maybe better than that, even. However, I hiked conservatively, and let my strength build slowly. I suffered quite a few injuries along the way, especially to my knees. I just slowed down and kept hiking, and my knees healed themselves while I hiked. I used a variety of knee braces in the immediate aftermath of each injury.
fiddlehead
07-14-2010, 07:42
I always feel much better physically and mentally after a thru-hike, although the mental aspect of taking that first step is a wonderful feeling.
A couple of hikers have blamed cardiac problems on the crappy food and stress of a hike. Still, I wouldn't trade those hikes for anything.
I agree...poor nutrition takes a heavy toll during a thruhike. For all the gear research most hikers spend untold hours, if they would give the same amount of time to nutrition, they would be far better off during and after their hike.
Poor nutrition, poor hygiene, and poor sleep definitely stress the body, no doubt about it.
max patch
07-14-2010, 08:55
I agree...poor nutrition takes a heavy toll during a thruhike. For all the gear research most hikers spend untold hours, if they would give the same amount of time to nutrition, they would be far better off during and after their hike.
Thats an excellent point. You don't "have" to eat crappy food when hiking, although many hikers certainly do so.
Pedaling Fool
07-14-2010, 09:05
I realize the body goes thru alot of adjusting and pain, but in the long run, did you feel you are stronger and healthier after the trip? Im thinking of those of us who are older and dealing with issues from bad lifestyles, et.al
Absolutely. My physical shape was in decline before my hike, I think just from boredom of doing the same exercise for years -- I was starting to look like the typical fat cyclist, good thing I don't wear lycra:D
I did the hike to reset my body and the way I approach physical fitness. It worked, but it's something that you got to work at after the hike or it'll all be for nothing.
As for the nutrition thing, I dehydrated much of my stuff and made my own granola, so I did not eat the typical hiker-diet of candybars...that can not be good for you.
....... You don't "have" to eat crappy food when hiking.....
Yeah but that's like going to the circus and not eating cotton candy......
I realize the body goes thru alot of adjusting and pain, but in the long run, did you feel you are stronger and healthier after the trip? Im thinking of those of us who are older and dealing with issues from bad lifestyles, et.al
YES!
Although this applies to most who hit the trail on a LONG hike, especially if older and WAY out of shape start SLOWER and work into your hike. Forget about doing all the BIG miles, starting, and finishing pts most brag about! Start by BEFORE hitting the trail having someone knowledgable go through your pack to eliminate reduntant and unnecessary wt.
I agree...poor nutrition takes a heavy toll during a thruhike. For all the gear research most hikers spend untold hours, if they would give the same amount of time to nutrition, they would be far better off during and after their hike.
Absolutely agree with this! A hike is no excuse for eating junk food! A thru-hike DOES NOT have to equate with poor nutrition!!! Just because your body will require more calories on a thru-hike that is no excuse for filling your face with large amounts of nutritionally poor calories!
I find with the trailfood prep I do that I eat nearly as well on the trail as I do when not hiking!
Danielsen
07-14-2010, 18:54
I agree...poor nutrition takes a heavy toll during a thruhike. For all the gear research most hikers spend untold hours, if they would give the same amount of time to nutrition, they would be far better off during and after their hike.
I've also realized now (particularly after the cardio issues comment) than maintaining some level of tooth and gum care is also important (especially if eating lots of sugary stuff). The plaque that builds up in your teeth and gums directly affects your heart and arteries. A roll of floss weighs next to nothing, and getting the plaque out from between your teeth with floss is even more important to heart health than just brushing off the surfaces.
I lost 20 lbs in the first 3 weeks of my hike ... but since I've been home I've put back 1/2 the weight. Backpacking 15-20 miles a day on the AT will burn several thousand calories a day.... I think gradually you reach an equalibrium of calories consumed vs calories burned.
I can't think of any other activity that works so fast for weight loss as backpacking on the A.T.
garlic08
07-14-2010, 21:51
I've also realized now (particularly after the cardio issues comment) than maintaining some level of tooth and gum care is also important (especially if eating lots of sugary stuff). The plaque that builds up in your teeth and gums directly affects your heart and arteries. A roll of floss weighs next to nothing, and getting the plaque out from between your teeth with floss is even more important to heart health than just brushing off the surfaces.
Good point. Everything seems to be connected.
After my first long hike, I went to the dentist and he was shocked at my gum health. It wasn't the brushing and flossing as much as the general poor nutrition--he said I looked like I'd been starving. Not too far from the truth.
I've been on a few long hikes since then, and have paid better attention to nutrition, as advised above. I haven't had a such a bad report from the dentist since then. I do brush and floss every day, too, even in the desert when it's psychologically very difficult to spit out the water.
...I can't think of any other activity that works so fast for weight loss as backpacking on the A.T.
True, but from what I've seen, it's a bad place to lose weight. I saw many miserable and struggling overweight hikers near the start of the AT. Toward the middle, as the few successful weight loosers started finding their pace, I heard some comments about those awful first six or eight weeks. Why not do the weight loss at home, and come out on the trail ready to hike? As one who has never struggled (much) with weight, I guess I just don't get it.
solstice
07-14-2010, 23:53
I realize the body goes thru alot of adjusting and pain, but in the long run, did you feel you are stronger and healthier after the trip? Im thinking of those of us who are older and dealing with issues from bad lifestyles, et.al
Any time I hike for more than 2 miles I feel a certain healing of the spirit. That feeling -- along with a mild sense of euphoria -- lingers for some time afterward, proportionate to the length of the hike. :jump
I used to have lower back pain from sitting in an office chair all day...after hiking for a few weeks it was gone, and 8 years later it hasn't returned.
Surplusman
07-15-2010, 05:28
For the month that I was in a hospital rehab unit after a stroke, all I could think about was hiking the AT. Not a thru-hike, obviously, but a few days and nights. Here I was, with my right side completely useless, learning how to walk again and use my right arm. Well, 14 months after I left the hospital, I did a 3-day 2-nighter on the AT here in MA. I can't go a fraction of the daily distance I did before my stroke, but it doesn't matter.
All the rehab exercises I did (and still do) made a big difference. Although they still don't know what caused my stroke, my blood pressure and cholesterol were sky-high. I was in great physical shape, but I didn't pay attention to what I was eating. Read Ed Garvey's Appalachian Hiker books. He was in pretty good shape but the amount of crud he ate on and off the trail was incredible. No wonder he had clogged arteries and congestive heart failure. Yeah, I do have knee pain from arthritis and a bone spur, but daily exercise and hiking have lessened that to a great degree. Plain walking, hiking and backpacking have been my salvation. My only souvenier (sp?) from my stroke is a slightly unresponsive right leg. I got off easy.
Keep walking, hiking, and backpacking, no matter how far you can go! Far better than sitting on your ass with a bag of greasy chips playing video games.
Danielsen
07-15-2010, 07:53
I do brush and floss every day, too, even in the desert when it's psychologically very difficult to spit out the water.
Time to start packing a stillsuit! :sun
Absolutely agree with this! A hike is no excuse for eating junk food! A thru-hike DOES NOT have to equate with poor nutrition!!! Just because your body will require more calories on a thru-hike that is no excuse for filling your face with large amounts of nutritionally poor calories!
I find with the trailfood prep I do that I eat nearly as well on the trail as I do when not hiking!
Dogwood I find it interesting how you say that a hike is no excuse for eating junk food as for 98% of thru hikers junk food is a staple item. I saw thru hikers drinking more soda than water (or so it seemed). They'd get to town and go through a two liter bottle of soda just like that. In my book..soda is absolutely junk food.
Speaking of junk food..is the challenge where a hiker tries to down one full gallon of milk in one sitting still going? has anyone ever succeeded at this? So disgusting.
David
hellomolly
07-15-2010, 10:02
Dogwood I find it interesting how you say that a hike is no excuse for eating junk food as for 98% of thru hikers junk food is a staple item. I saw thru hikers drinking more soda than water (or so it seemed). They'd get to town and go through a two liter bottle of soda just like that. In my book..soda is absolutely junk food.
Speaking of junk food..is the challenge where a hiker tries to down one full gallon of milk in one sitting still going? has anyone ever succeeded at this? So disgusting.
David
It's probably not so disgusting when the hiker in question has a 3,000 calorie deficit and can't get the food energy into his or her body fast enough. It's one thing to be an armchair quarterback and say, oh I always eat healthy when I'm hiking, etc etc. It's another thing to be hiking 20 miles a day with a heavy pack and have an absolute need to meet your calorie requirements as efficiently (and often in an inexpensive way) as possible. It would be pretty tough (and pretty expensive) for a hiker to meet that 3,000 calorie deficit with carrot sticks, organic granola and strawberries. :rolleyes:
This coming from a health-conscious vegeterian who eschews most junk food. ;)
The gallon milk challenge was going this year, as was the 1/2 gallon ice cream challenge.
max patch
07-15-2010, 11:12
It's one thing to be an armchair quarterback and say, oh I always eat healthy when I'm hiking, etc etc. It's another thing to be hiking 20 miles a day with a heavy pack and have an absolute need to meet your calorie requirements as efficiently (and often in an inexpensive way) as possible. It would be pretty tough (and pretty expensive) for a hiker to meet that 3,000 calorie deficit with carrot sticks, organic granola and strawberries. :
Hikers can eat healthy if they want to. Most choose not to.
Oatmeal instead of poptarts. Olive oil instead of squeeze parkay. Mixed nuts and dried fruit instead of snickers bars. Salmon or tuna in a pouch instead of pre-cooked bacon. The list goes on and on.
Completely cured me of superstitious beliefs and an irrational fear of things that go bump in the night.
I've been home from my hike for almost a year now. I still ache if I do a long day hike. I still have foot injuries. I think the hike did permanent damage.
I also gained back all the weight. My metabolism definitely reached equilibrium. Ceasing the daily 25 miles meant it could hoard, and hoard it has done.
I made an attempt to take up running. However, it would trigger my hiker hunger to the point that running was making me so hungry I was gaining weight from overeating. So I stopped and now I do a lot of daily walking.
I still have a feeling of calmness and self confidence since the hike. I have a tyrant boss and he doesn't scare me. Losing a job doesn't scare me. Losing everything doesn't even scare me. I found the hole in the fence.
hellomolly
07-16-2010, 07:59
Hikers can eat healthy if they want to. Most choose not to.
Oatmeal instead of poptarts. Olive oil instead of squeeze parkay. Mixed nuts and dried fruit instead of snickers bars. Salmon or tuna in a pouch instead of pre-cooked bacon. The list goes on and on.
Oatmeal takes more time to prepare than poptarts and requires one carry more fuel in order to heat up the water to prepare it - serious considerations for someone on a time limit and/or someone whose trying to carry as little weight as possible. I don't even know what squeeze parkay is, lol. And mixed nuts and dried fruit are not as calorie-dense or as inexpensive as a granola or candy bar. In fact they are FAR more expensive and one would have to carry more (translation: more weight) in order to get the same amount of calories from them as one would get from some quick and easy bar.
So I guess a more accurate statement would be, hikers can eat more healthy if they have the time and money to do so, whereas a hiker on a strict budget and/or timeline would most likely be forced to make sacrifices.
Besides, what another hiker eats on his or her thru is truly of no consequence or matter to anyone but themselves. A few months of moderately poor eating habits is not going to have a long-term detrimental effect on the majority of those who adopt said habits, IMO.
Pedaling Fool
07-16-2010, 08:37
Oatmeal takes more time to prepare than poptarts and requires one carry more fuel in order to heat up the water to prepare it - serious considerations for someone on a time limit and/or someone whose trying to carry as little weight as possible. I don't even know what squeeze parkay is, lol. And mixed nuts and dried fruit are not as calorie-dense or as inexpensive as a granola or candy bar. In fact they are FAR more expensive and one would have to carry more (translation: more weight) in order to get the same amount of calories from them as one would get from some quick and easy bar.
What it boils down to is a matter of priorities. If your health is not a high enough priority than go ahead and eat the crap that is quick and easy. But don't say (as some do) that because of this long-distance hiking is detrimental to one's health. As for weight, this is another issue that hikers get too wrapped up about, your body will adjust, unless you're the type of hiker (and I've seen many of them) that constantly complain about weight. If you create an unbearable circumstance in your mind it will be unbearable. I've seen guys half my age carrying half the weight I carry complain about their pack weight. Freakin' pathetic.
So I guess a more accurate statement would be, hikers can eat more healthy if they have the time and money to do so, whereas a hiker on a strict budget and/or timeline would most likely be forced to make sacrifices.
Again it's a matter of priorities. It's a CHOICE they make. There's a reason candybars are cheaper than real food and that's because they are SNACKS, not real food.
Besides, what another hiker eats on his or her thru is truly of no consequence or matter to anyone but themselves. A few months of moderately poor eating habits is not going to have a long-term detrimental effect on the majority of those who adopt said habits, IMO.
True. And in the end I don't care how they hike, but don't spread BS, as if it's fact, that unless you're wealthy you must put your health at risk in order to complete a thru-hike.
I've seen the thru-hikers that looked absolutely worn down and unhealthy at the end of their hike. That's their fault, they did it wrong. The smart ones learn from their mistakes, the stupid ones make excuses.
hellomolly
07-16-2010, 08:50
True. And in the end I don't care how they hike, but don't spread BS, as if it's fact, that unless you're wealthy you must put your health at risk in order to complete a thru-hike.
I've seen the thru-hikers that looked absolutely worn down and unhealthy at the end of their hike. That's their fault, they did it wrong. The smart ones learn from their mistakes, the stupid ones make excuses.
I'm not saying that it's a fact that one has to be wealthy in order to be healthy on a thruhike. I'm just saying 1. that you aren't necessarily putting your "health at risk" by subsisting on less-than-quality food for a few months and 2. it truly is more expensive to eat higher-quality foods while on a thru. That is fact. No judgement - just truth. There's a reason those below the poverty level in this country are also often overweight - 'cause twinkies are cheaper than fresh fruit, and have more calories/energy. -shrug-
And I am definitely not saying that having a bad diet contributes to a long-distance hike being detrimental on one's health. I don't think that's true at all, in the majority of cases at least. And maybe I'm in the minority but the thruhikers I've met have had mostly mixed nutrition... some good, some bad, just like how when I go on longer hikes, the stuff I eat is usually mixed... some dried fruit and more costly/healthier bars mixed with some snickers and reeses, lol.
Pedaling Fool
07-16-2010, 09:07
That is fact. No judgement - just truth. There's a reason those below the poverty level in this country are also often overweight - 'cause twinkies are cheaper than fresh fruit, and have more calories/energy. -shrug-
People are fat because they don't exercise enough and they eat too much. I don't fall for the media crap about poor people not being able to eat healthy. Regardless of what you eat you don't get fat unless you eat a lot -- which requires money. If you're poor and can only afford twinkies that doesn't mean you will get fat, unless you eat a lot; you will be unhealthy...skinny and unhealthy, but that's not what we see, we see fat unhealthy people. They are spending money (that they don't have to) on food, period. They're not a victim of society or circumstance, they're a victim of their wants, they have no control of thier desires. It's their fault. And when we (the media...) make excuses for them we only justify their weakness.
garlic08
07-16-2010, 09:34
Oatmeal takes more time to prepare than poptarts and requires one carry more fuel in order to heat up the water to prepare it -
Not true. Rolled oats are already parboiled and can be eaten without further cooking or boiling. Been doing it for about 30 years now and it's the best meal for the money I've ever found.
...And mixed nuts and dried fruit are not as calorie-dense or as inexpensive as a granola or candy bar. In fact they are FAR more expensive and one would have to carry more (translation: more weight) in order to get the same amount of calories from them as one would get from some quick and easy bar.
Also not true. A 2 oz Snickers bar costs about $0.80 for 133 calories. An 8.5 oz can of mixed nuts costs about $4.00 for 1440 calories. Work it out and the nuts are cheaper per calorie.
I saw this in real time on my thru-hike. I hiked with a confessed junk-food junkie and we did all our shopping together. My typical food bag for four or five days cost around $20, with oats, nuts, raisins, instant potatoes, fig newtons, crackers. His cost more like $30 with Honey Buns, Snickers, Oreos, Slim Jims, Cheese cracker packs, or whatever.
He just had a tooth implant.
With some care and knowledge, a hiker can eat well on a budget. But it's the same nutritional problem most people in US culture are faced with at home--every time you turn around you're barraged with ready-to-eat, poor-quality food that's practically shoved in your face. Yes, it's easier and more immediately gratifying to unwrap a Snickers than to open bags of oats, nuts, and dried fruit, get out a spoon, and sit down somewhere to eat something real.
The healthiest food isn't always as easily available as the unhealthiest stuff. Some places do not have rolled oats but instead have the suggary instant kind. In my opinion, instant potatoes are not nutritious and granola is nothing more than crumbled cookies. You may as well eat cookies and poptarts.
The healthiest food I had (what seemed to make me feel really healthy) was instant hummus. Try to find that in your average small store! I stocked up and bounced it along the trail along with freeze-dried just fruits. I'm not sure the just fruits had any nutritional value, but the hummus sure did. I felt great eating hummis with triscuits or wheat thins. Dab a little olive oil for extra calories. Mmm mmm.
Allowed me to hike for hours without hunger, probably contributing to my chronic tendon problems in my feet. Maybe 45 year old women aren't supposed to walk 30 miles a day no matter how great that feels.
Had chronic back pain. Debilitating, at times. Hiking cured that. Cured it.
However, before my hike, eating was a second thought to me. After my hike, I gained 60 pounds in 2 1/2 months and have never returned to my pre-hiking days weight.
sevensixtwo187
07-16-2010, 16:47
What it boils down to is a matter of priorities. If your health is not a high enough priority than go ahead and eat the crap that is quick and easy. But don't say (as some do) that because of this long-distance hiking is detrimental to one's health. As for weight, this is another issue that hikers get too wrapped up about, your body will adjust, unless you're the type of hiker (and I've seen many of them) that constantly complain about weight. If you create an unbearable circumstance in your mind it will be unbearable. I've seen guys half my age carrying half the weight I carry complain about their pack weight. Freakin' pathetic.
Again it's a matter of priorities. It's a CHOICE they make. There's a reason candybars are cheaper than real food and that's because they are SNACKS, not real food.
True. And in the end I don't care how they hike, but don't spread BS, as if it's fact, that unless you're wealthy you must put your health at risk in order to complete a thru-hike.
I've seen the thru-hikers that looked absolutely worn down and unhealthy at the end of their hike. That's their fault, they did it wrong. The smart ones learn from their mistakes, the stupid ones make excuses.
I really have to agree with you. It amazes me the amount of whining I hear in regards to weight. :rolleyes:
Appalachian Tater
07-16-2010, 16:49
I had many fewer headaches (migraine-type) while hiking.
My knees never recovered completely.
I also lost a lot of weight--20 years' worth--but it all came back plus another ten pounds.
garlic08
07-16-2010, 16:49
Piper, I agree with most of what you say, but not all of your last post.
I argue against your opinion that instant potatoes are not nutritious. Wikipedia says (so it must be right!) that "instant potatoes are substantially similar to fresh mashed potatoes in their nutritional qualities". They don't process all the good stuff out. Potatoes contain complex carbohydrates, fiber and minerals. To compare potatoes to cookies is just not right. I eat them a lot, and I don't get the sugar buzz I get from cookies or candy.
And don't immediately discount instant oats. They're exactly the same as rolled oats, except cut finer before the parboil/steaming process. Anything made with a substantial proportion of instant oats is better than poptarts.
I agree that any granola cereal that comes out of a box is a good thing to stay away from. I don't understand why anyone buys that stuff--it's so easy to make your own muesli (uncooked oats). No sugar other than from dried fruit, no fat other than from nuts, no added sodium.
I definitely agree with you on the hummus. Some of my most memorable backcountry meals have been hummus on Wheat Thins--memorable mainly because it's so rare without maildrop support. If you ever get out to hike the AT, about the only place on the Trail you'll find it is the Co-op in Hanover.
I agree with your premise that the heathiest food isn't as easily available. But that's not saying it's unavailable, or any more expensive. It takes a little work and there are trade-offs, like carrying a light tarp and having to work a little more to make a comfortable camp.
Chaco Taco
07-19-2010, 21:36
Thruhiking the AT did goods and bad things for me. I started smoking tobacco again on the trail (Fontana Dam), I have never drank as much as I did while thruhiking, I lost about 25 pounds only to gain it all back after the trail. The best thing the trail did for me was that it gave me 4 months of 'quality' time with my soon to be wife. Best gift of all!
Hikers can eat healthy if they want to. Most choose not to.
Oatmeal instead of poptarts. Olive oil instead of squeeze parkay. Mixed nuts and dried fruit instead of snickers bars. Salmon or tuna in a pouch instead of pre-cooked bacon. The list goes on and on.
I had a case of bronchitis right before a section hike. I was on prescription anti-biotic but was still coughing and my lungs were all gurggly. I was concerned that it would effect my hike. Within an hour after leaving Pearisburg, my cough stopped and my breathing cleared. Whether it was the medication kicking in, the benefit of good western Virginia mountian air or another case of AT "trail magic", I don't know, but I felt great the rest of the way.
That bacon is now a viable trail food is a revelation!
Pedaling Fool
07-23-2010, 15:22
As you (the OP) can see a lot of people gain the weight back real quick after a long-distance hike. Health is something you got to always work at and it's hard work -- if it were easy there wouldn't be so many fat hikers. For me the hardest part of staying fit is the boredom over time. You got to mix it up and make it interesting, but even when you do that there will be times -- long periods of time -- in which you just got to go on pure will power.
And the same can be said for diet...
HiKen2011
07-23-2010, 15:30
As you (the OP) can see a lot of people gain the weight back real quick after a long-distance hike. Health is something you got to always work at and it's hard work -- if it were easy there wouldn't be so many fat hikers. For me the hardest part of staying fit is the boredom over time. You got to mix it up and make it interesting, but even when you do that there will be times -- long periods of time -- in which you just got to go on pure will power.
And the same can be said for diet...g
Well put, It is a struggle to stay in shape-not impossible though. The boredom of working out is the hardest for me, not the actual working out, I actually enjoy it. But Like John said mix it up.
HiKen2011
freefall
07-23-2010, 15:52
I realize the body goes thru alot of adjusting and pain, but in the long run, did you feel you are stronger and healthier after the trip? Im thinking of those of us who are older and dealing with issues from bad lifestyles, et.al
Just FYI: I have not read the other posts prior to posting this and I'm 39.
I felt soooo much better when I finished hiking. I just wish would have kept it up as now I am in worse shape than I was before my AT hike.
It took a few months to start seeing the effects; maybe 3-4? But without maintenance after a long hike, most gain their weight back. I have genetics working against me as well.
I am currently in the preliminary stages of a plan to get me back to my post-hike weight and stay there.
Perceptions and beliefs about nutrition, food, and what constitutes a healthy lifestyle can be as controversial as religion and politics.
DO NOT fall into the mistaken assumption that because a thru-hiker needs a greater number of cals. it's OK to consume mass amounts of junk food! I don't believe that! Junk in Junk out!
Making healthier food choices on an AT thru-hike DOES NOTequate with being harder to prepare, higher costs, harder to find, weigh more, are less calorie dense, etc.
Max Patch got it absolutely correct, "hikers can eat healthy if they want to. Most choose not to." Largely, because of convenience, comfort, and not understanding how eating healthier can be achieved hikers, people in general, make excuses for treating their bodies and minds like garbage dumps by consuming garbage.Then they make excuses for doing it!
Since I too have an eye on trail budget, time to prepare food(mostly dinner), trailfood wt carried, availability of trailfood while on a thru-hike etc, like Garlic I've also done the math. I save money and trail time and eat a higher number of cals and eat more nutritionally dense/complete food all the while lowering my trailfood wt carried with healthier trailfood choices. It's really not hard!
With some care and knowledge, a hiker can eat well on a budget. But it's the same nutritional problem most people in US culture are faced with at home--every time you turn around you're barraged with ready-to-eat, poor-quality food that's practically shoved in your face. Yes, it's easier and more immediately gratifying to unwrap a Snickers than to open bags of oats, nuts, and dried fruit, get out a spoon, and sit down somewhere to eat something real. - Garlic
Well said!
I also agree with John Gault. Folks in the poverty range are not overweight or unhealthy just because they don't have the money for healthier food or to live a healthier lifestyle. They are that way for a variety of reasons. Poorer folks tend to be less educated so they tend to make poorer choices in general, that includes the types and amts of food they eat. I think it's a fallacy to believe one needs to be wealthy to eat healthier! Eating healthier begins when one understands(is educated in how to make healthier food choices, you are seeing plans implemented along these lines by poverty based help groups, both govt run and private, that seek to educate the poor on better/healthier food choices) and takes personal responsibility with the food choices being made! May seem like a harsh reality but I also agree with John Gault's statement -They're a victim of their wants, they have no control of thier desires.
I also agree with John Gault's statement - What it boils down to is a matter of priorities. If your health is not a high enough priority than go ahead and eat the crap that is quick and easy. From the growing percentages of those that die from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and are obese in this country this is what most often do! - continue with their poor eating habits and lifestyles!
BTW, I have seen thru-hikers down 2 L bottles of soda. AND, THEN, afterward feel like ***** for the next 24 hrs! Talk about sugar crashes, lethargy, stomach cramps from corn syrup, wild glucose fluctuations, and being unable to be at your best! Soda is such poor food nutritionally. Soft drinks are anything but soft on your body and mind! Research it!
I also witnessed 4 AT thru-hikers take the 1/2 gal ice cream challenge. Two could not complete the task; one got nauseously sick. One puked right after downing the 1/2 gal of ice cream. The last felt like ***** for the next 2 days constantly expelling phlegm, feeling lethargic, violently nauseous, vomitting several times over the next 2 days. What are these signs telling you? To me, it says one is overwhelming their body with poison that the body can't readily digest so it's expelling the poison in anyway it can!
Junk is junk!
I also ditto the comments about dental health while out on the trail. It's something many do , including something I've been guilty of mysel in the past, ignore teeth and gums while hiking.
I gained all the weight I lost back and then some. Even though I walk to work every day (about 3.75 miles round trip) and then go for another walk after work most days. I think the hike messed up my metabolism. I tried running but it would just trigger my ferocious hiker hunger and then I would overeat for the next two days so I stopped running. But the walking hasn't been enough to keep the weight off.
My boyfriend has started to get arthritis this year. He's turning 60 in a few days. He hiked a few weeks on the PCT this year until he had an accident and had to get off the trail. He said that while he was hiking, the arthritis went away. No pain at all. He never felt better. It came back once he stopped hiking.
Sunshine Tami Jo
07-28-2010, 01:00
Wow! I can't believe the number of posts wherein people talk about all the weight they've gained after the hike! I've put on some weight in recent past, after someone I loved dearly died and I turned to food for comfort. I'm trying to get a handle on it now, and I hoped my hike would help, but now I'm worried about afterward. I also want to be mindful of eating healthfully while on the trail, and if there is a forum devoted specifically to that I hope someone will steer me in that direction. I'd also like any specific advice about healthy eating on the trail any of uoi would be willing to impart. Love the idea of hummus, dried fruits and nuts!