skinny hiker

[taylorbena]

I was wondering how much weight I can expect to loose while through hiking. I am skinny as it is and I dont know how much weight I can stand to loose! It doesn't matter how much I eat, Ive just got a small build. Is this anything to worry about?? Does anyone have some advice?

[Footslogger]

I was wondering how much weight I can expect to loose while through hiking. I am skinny as it is and I dont know how much weight I can stand to loose! It doesn't matter how much I eat, Ive just got a small build. Is this anything to worry about?? Does anyone have some advice?==================================
From what I know it varies considerably. Depends a lot on your gender and your weight/body make up prior to the hike. The old saying goes that after a thru-hike a man looks like a concentration camp survivor and a woman looks like an aerobics instructor. That's a gross generalization but somewhat true in terms of the relative weight loss across the genders.

I myself lost over 30 lbs between Springer and Harpers Ferry. But then things leveled off for me. I started the trail at around 178 lbs and ended weighing 146.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[weary]

I was wondering how much weight I can expect to loose while through hiking. I am skinny as it is and I dont know how much weight I can stand to loose! It doesn't matter how much I eat, Ive just got a small build. Is this anything to worry about?? Does anyone have some advice?
It's nothing to worry about. But you should recognize that skinny folks start off without the several hundred thousand calories of fat that they can use to reduce pack weight. Skinny folks don't have that advantage (curse?)

The only reasons for losing weight while hiking are:

1. You want to.

2. You are not eating enough to replace the calories being used.

Weary

[Bad Ass Turtle]

On my hike in 2001, I lost about 35 pounds and was trim and muscular at the end of it. I went through a period while hiking when I didn't want to eat -- close to the beginning -- but I quickly got over that and started consistently eating more than I ever thought I could. I do know of another hiker in 2001 (a woman, with a slim build) who got concerned about how much weight she was losing, so she started carrying much more food and was able to keep her weight where she wanted it. The key is getting to know your own body and what you need to eat to keep you going. I realized, through trial and error (which means getting REALLY cranky -- right, Slogger?) that I need to eat about every 2 hours while hiking; more when the going is especially rough. But that's the sort of thing you figure out as you go.

BA Turtle

[Footslogger]

which means getting REALLY cranky -- right, Slogger?) BA Turtle===============================
What ...YOU cranky ?? NEVER :-?

That's my story and I'm stickin to it !!

'Slogger out ...

[Needles]

I started off at Springer weighing 135lbs, I am 5'11" so I am a pretty skinny guy, when I got to Franklin, NC and saw myself in the mirror at the motel it was pretty frightening. I found a set of scales and according to them (no way of knowing exactly how accurate they were) I had lost 20lbs, even if they weren't very accurate it was easy to tell I had lost weight just from looking at myself.
I changed my diet and started eating really high fat foods, in fact while still in Franklin I gorged myself on pork rinds, I know, it sounds disgusting but they tasted really good. I also started adding a lot of squeeze margarine to everything I was eating on the trail and upped my peanut butter consumption as well. By the time I made it to Gatlinburg a set of scales there said I weighed 125lbs and I looked less likely to keel over dead at any second.
The first week or so of my hike I didn't have much of an appetite and I started off carrying a 40lb pack which was just too much for me I think. I dropped some weight from my pack, gained an appetite, spent all of my off trail time in restaurants eating, and altered the kinds of food I was carrying and was able to maintain a reasonable weight after that. Of course I only made it to Erwin that year so there is no telling what would have happened to me by the time I made it to Maine if I had been able to :)

[SalParadise]

Generally every guy loses weight, but there are too many personal variables. Being 19 vs. 35 also makes a difference. You'll just need to be doubly-sure you eat a balanced diet and get the proper nutrients so you don't get anemic at the finish. But when you do come home skinnier, you'll quickly bounce back to your usual weight afterward. Maybe take some multi-vitamins along, and eat those vegetables when you're in town.

[Miss Janet]

I personally have lost close to 30lbs on each of my long distance hikes, my wife gained 15 to 20lbs on her Thru hike. I have know 'skinny' guys to gain weight on a Thru hike however. It will depend completely upon your metabolism and dietary habits.

[Mountain Dew]

Hey ....You might think about signing on under your name instead of posting under Miss Janet's name Fubar... ;)

[The Hog]

It is possible to gain weight on the Trail (I proved it by gaining a pound). Like you, I was slender to start with. Here's my strategy: eat like a hog on the trail. Carry an 8 oz container of Squeeze margarine out of every town, and use it up by the next town stop. Get lots of protein in your diet, too. Oh, and lots of vegetables, too. And fruit, and, well, everything!!

[Mountain Dew]

I was a personal trainer before my '03 thru-hike and had plenty of muscle on me before my hike. Trying to save that ego driven look I ate like crazy before my hike and went from 217 up to 232 thinking I would lose the extra fat instead of my muscle. WRONG. I went to 173 by Maine.

[Smooth03]

I once heard it said that the trail will lose the weight you need to lose. While this is probably an over simplification as a fellow skinny person I can say it was sorta true for me.
I am 6'3" and started the trail in Maine at about 155 pounds. I finished at about 150. That being said I would take all advantages of extra food and pigging out in town that you can. I wouldnt worry about it too much. Just make sure you take vitamins and perhaps some TVP for protein purposes.

[Pecan]

I personally have lost close to 30lbs on each of my long distance hikes, my wife gained 15 to 20lbs on her Thru hike.
Miss Janet, I never would have guessed ..... ;)

[MileMonster]

I also have a low % body fat. I didn't have much to spare when I started. I lost about 10 in the first half of the Trail then gained about 5 back by the end. I definitely looked different by the end, though. My upper body was really wasted away.

I wouldn't worry about losing weight, just make sure you have a ton of calories in your food bag. The food bag doesn't have to weigh 50 lbs either. Three snickers is almost an extra 1,000 calories. An ounce of olive oil in your dinner adds 200-250 calories. Worry if you start to become overly tired. I don't mean just hiking tired, I mean run down, can't seem to do anything, go to sleep when you hit the shelter tired. That could mean you're having some more serious health issues. And, of course, eat everything you see (and can afford) when you're in town. I suggest some Prevacid in the first aid kit for the town gorge!

[Bmillonduhat]

I'm sure that I possess the worst case of bird legs any of you have could possibly imagine. Stick wrists also. At the end of a long hike such as this one would that be taken care of?( the legs I mean)

[UCONNMike]

I got worried about hte same thing, so now i have been working out and getting rid of my "bad" weight and adding "good" weight (aka fat out, lean muscle in) I'm 6'3" and i weighed about 160 before the training i started a month ago, now I'm 168, and I have shed most of the fat on my body and added lean muscle. I never lifed a weight in my life and the only training prior was during basketball season in High School. I also started eating much healthier (no: chips, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, or other high in fat foods and replaced them with fruits and vegtables) Also, take vitamins and stuff to help your body regain a healthy balance of nutrients. If you do these things before your hike you should have simalar success and be able to maintain your weight.

[wacocelt]

If you do these things before your hike you should have simalar success and be able to maintain your weight.

Before and DURING.

[The Solemates]

I weighed in at a lean 6'4" and 217lbs of muscle when I started at Springer.

At Pearisburg I was a skinny 189lbs.

By southern Maine I was down to 178lbs, the lowest ever in my life. I was literally starving I think. I had lost nearly 45lbs (about 40lbs of pure muscle and 5 lbs of fat I would guess).

By Katahdin I was back up to 186lbs or so.

Only a month off the trail and I was back up to 195lbs.

Now, a little over 6 months off the trail, I am back up to 207lbs and still gaining muscle. Im a bit obsessed with fitness, all the way down to monitering my strict diet.

To respond to your question, I wouldnt worry about it too much. If I were you, I would eat like crazy pre-hike to try to gain 5-10 lbs of fat storage to give you a buffer when you start losing. Either way, the human body is an amazing thing and it will adapt to your lifestyle. If you are really skinny now, chances are that you won't lose all that much on the trail. Just eat like crazy on the trail (which you wont have any problem with Im sure).

[weary]

....By southern Maine I was down to 178lbs, the lowest ever in my life. .
Hmmm. I'd check that figure out with your Mom.

[The Solemates]

Hmmm. I'd check that figure out with your Mom.

how bout the lowest Id ever been since 9th or 10th grade or so? :)