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View Full Version : Keeping Thru-hike weight off



lkaluzi
09-19-2012, 14:15
So I'm a female and I lost 20 lbs on trail and 10lbs when I got back. It's been a month since I summited and I haven't gained any weight back. I haven't eaten like I did on the trail and I've been eating super healthy. I've also stayed active (though obviously not as active while on trail). Has anyone kept the weight off, or am I doomed to gaining it all back?
Tips appreciated!

jakedatc
09-19-2012, 14:21
If you haven't gained it back after a month then it sounds like you are doing ok. If you can stay active and have a good non-thru hiker style diet then maybe you will stay close to where you are at.

Don H
09-19-2012, 15:49
Heck when I got back I ate everything that wasn't nailed down! I gained back half of what I lost in the first year after.

Bronk
09-20-2012, 04:18
A month isn't really enough to gauge where you're going to settle in at. I lost 50 pounds and gained back about half of that within the first year and settled there for several years. I'd resist the temptation to go out and buy a bunch of new clothes...I ended up with brand new stuff that didn't fit a few months later.

leaftye
09-20-2012, 04:36
I think it was a member here that recommended doing HIIT. I think it makes sense.

moytoy
09-20-2012, 04:40
You are not doomed if you don't overeat! You are doomed if you overeat!
I'm a perfect example. Last night I went for a 6 mile walk in the Ocala National Forest. When I returned in to Ocala I stopped at a Subway and got a 12" turkey breast sub on whole wheat. About 600 cal. OK so far but then I stopped and got a softserve ice cream cone at BurgerKing. Now I'm out of cash so I decide to stop at the WinnDixie to get some cash on my debit card. Of course I had to buy something so I picked up some cinnamon rolls with icing on top. That's why I'm 180 lbs instead of 160 lbs and I'm 5' 9".

bamboo bob
09-20-2012, 17:50
doomed. I gain 3-4 ounces a week. Next thing you know you are up 10 pounds.

IrishBASTARD
09-20-2012, 17:53
Had gained all my weight back and then some. For anyone worried about it you're doing a great job thus far keeping it off. Healthy eating exercise is great good for you. Though a month is not a good gauge I agree. Perhaps every three months? Either way keep up the awesome job.

perrymk
09-21-2012, 04:42
I dropped 45 pounds in 2008 and have kept it off. This was not thru hike weight loss, but old fashioned diet and exercise. I've known people to lose weight through various means including gastric bypass surgery.

My opinion (and no one has to agree) is that no matter how the weight is lost, it usually require effort to keep it off. Well, most days is merely an effort. Some days are a struggle for me. I like to eat!

What works for me:
1. count calories. google is my friend here. Most foods, even restaurant foods, have their nutritional information posted somewhere.
2. weigh myself often. I use a Tanita bodyfat scale and record my weight and percent bodyfat once per week, but may weigh myself more often, sometimes daily. Even if if the %bf on the Tanita isn't accurate, it is pretty good at indicating which direction the %bf is moving. IMO the %bf on my scale is pretty close though.

There is a little more to it, but those are the basics. Good luck!

T-Rx
09-21-2012, 06:39
I dropped 45 pounds in 2008 and have kept it off. This was not thru hike weight loss, but old fashioned diet and exercise. I've known people to lose weight through various means including gastric bypass surgery.

My opinion (and no one has to agree) is that no matter how the weight is lost, it usually require effort to keep it off. Well, most days is merely an effort. Some days are a struggle for me. I like to eat!

What works for me:
1. count calories. google is my friend here. Most foods, even restaurant foods, have their nutritional information posted somewhere.
2. weigh myself often. I use a Tanita bodyfat scale and record my weight and percent bodyfat once per week, but may weigh myself more often, sometimes daily. Even if if the %bf on the Tanita isn't accurate, it is pretty good at indicating which direction the %bf is moving. IMO the %bf on my scale is pretty close though.

There is a little more to it, but those are the basics. Good luck!

perrymk,
Congratulations on your weight loss and the maintenance of it. I have dropped 50 lbs. and have kept it off for 2 years now. I was never extremely overweight but I did it for health reasons as I have a history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in my family. I used the same simple principles that you mentioned. Diet and exercise. I also watched my carbohydrate intake very closely. Some days were harder than others but it has now become a lifestyle choice for me. That is the key whether it be weight loss or maintenance it involves changing habits or lifestyles. We all love to eat the things that are not very good for us unfortunately. Daily weight measurement is key also because this keeps you in tune to your progress and keeps your eating habits at the forefront of your thoughts so that you make healthy choices.

Bronk
09-22-2012, 01:00
One useful tidbit of information is that for the average person you can multiply your weight by 11 and that will equal the number of calories you can eat in a day and maintain your weight where it is. Eat more than that number and you will gain, eat less and you will lose. One pound is 3500 calories.

So if you weighed 200 pounds you could eat 2200 calories a day and not gain or lose. If you ate 2100 calories a day you'd lose a pound every 35 days.

Obviously the multiply by 11 thing is an average and doesn't take exercise into account so people with a more active lifestyle might factor their calorie burn into it.

perrymk
09-22-2012, 04:52
One useful tidbit of information is that for the average person you can multiply your weight by 11

It's probably not too far off. When I'm dieting I multiply my target weight by 10 and use that number for my calorie count. Of course that takes into account I exercise daily including 2 miles of walking with a light pack (roughly 250 calories burned).

For maintenance I've usually recommended 12-15 calories per pound, adjusting for activity levels. A waitress on her feet for an 8 hour shift needs more calories than a secretary typing at a desk. A man sitting behind a computer needs fewer calories than a house painter. As I get older I'm leaning towards the lower end for those of us of modest activity so 11 is looking better for maintenance for those past 35 or 40.

Counting calories has been the only thing that works for me.