View Full Version : Weight Loss While Long Distance Hiking
The purpose of this thread is to identify the amount of weight loss while thru hiking any of major trails ( AT,PCT,CDT or 2000 mile plus trails) .
The best way would be knowing your starting weight and your finishing weight but if your starting weight is preferred to be a secret the second best thing is knowing your weight loss percentage, For example if you started your hike weighing 185 pounds and finished it 160, then you have lost 25 pound which is 13.5 percent of your starting weight.
Would you mind posting your weight loss during your hike to reach to a decent less biased number about weight loss while hiking a major trail?
Thank you
Teacher & Snacktime
03-21-2013, 17:34
I can tell you this....since starting training 2 mos ago I've logged 167 miles and lost 11 lbs. When my weight gets to something I'd be willing to publish, then we'll talk......:)
Almost every body is proud of his/her weight at finishing line but not too many of us are happy about our starting weight. that is a fact and I accept it.
I generally start a long distance hike somewhat overweight, in the 175 to 185 pound range. I generally end up weighing about 155. I then generally manage to level off for a while in the 160+ range after the trip and then as winter arrives a few (several) more pounds accumulate.
brian039
03-21-2013, 18:04
Started at 190 and finished at 150 on the AT. I started the Colorado Trail at 165 and finished at 150. I'll be starting the PCT at 165 and will be interested to see where I end up. I think 150 is probably about as low as I can go.
Chaco Taco
03-21-2013, 18:53
Started at 205 pounds finished at 172. I also took 6 months to finish. I gained 10 pounds within a month of finishing.
Rusty Nail
03-21-2013, 19:06
I lost 20 lbs in the first 350 miles and then had to go back to work. Kept those pounds off for the summer and fall and then BAM, back to where I started.
started at 210, finished at 170. that was with an extra 2.25 lbs. of grime and facial hair that I did not start with.:>) I had not beem 170 since HS or early college days.
coheterojo
03-21-2013, 19:58
1st time: Started at 155, was down to 143 by Damascus, finished at 172. Go figure. Hiker appetite didn't kick in till Vermont.
2nd time: Started at 160, finished at 168. I was determined not to sport the skeletal look of Death March 2010. (see above)
garlic08
03-21-2013, 20:22
Started at 150, finished at 150.
max patch
03-21-2013, 20:34
165 to 152
1st time: Started at 155, was down to 143 by Damascus, finished at 172. Go figure. Hiker appetite didn't kick in till Vermont.
2nd time: Started at 160, finished at 168. I was determined not to sport the skeletal look of Death March 2010. (see above)
How many days did you take to hike. You either took 100 zeros or pulled a trailer behind you!
Started AT at 185 and finished at 155. One year later, I'm back up to 185.
coheterojo
03-21-2013, 21:11
2010 - April 21 to Sept 15. 148 days
2011 - April 3 to Sept 20. 171 days (more adventures)
Old Hiker
03-21-2013, 23:02
205 to 180 in the first 30 days. 5 additional by 18 May 2012. Back up to 210. Moving more, eating less right now. Hope to lose about 10-15 by 2016 or so.
1st time: Started at 155, was down to 143 by Damascus, finished at 172. Go figure. Hiker appetite didn't kick in till Vermont.
2nd time: Started at 160, finished at 168. I was determined not to sport the skeletal look of Death March 2010. (see above)
I can't figure it out. You help me please. Gaining weight in the second half ( up to 29 pounds!!). I need help.
Started at 150, finished at 150.
may I ask the year of your thru hike?
I only made it to Waynesboro...I took 4 months to go 850 miles. I started at 220 and finished at 167. I lost 35 pounds in the first 30 days. I bought new clothes when I got off the trail, but within 3 months they didn't fit anymore. I gained back about 20 pounds and then settled there for the next 3 or 4 years. Now I'm back at a desk job and in the same ball park as I was when I started. That was over 10 years ago. Thinking about giving it another go in the next 2 to 5 years.
vic_doom69
03-22-2013, 02:08
started at 250 ended at 190. i was an absolute stick at 190. i think i hit that weight by new york. there was nothing left to loose then. checked body fat at end of hike, was at 3%
Started at 150, finished at 150.
I am seriously impressed and jealous of you Sir.
I only made it to Waynesboro...I took 4 months to go 850 miles. I started at 220 and finished at 167. I lost 35 pounds in the first 30 days. I bought new clothes when I got off the trail, but within 3 months they didn't fit anymore. I gained back about 20 pounds and then settled there for the next 3 or 4 years. Now I'm back at a desk job and in the same ball park as I was when I started. That was over 10 years ago. Thinking about giving it another go in the next 2 to 5 years.
Thank you for your precious complete input. I appreciate it.
started at 250 ended at 190. i was an absolute stick at 190. i think i hit that weight by new york. there was nothing left to loose then. checked body fat at end of hike, was at 3%
That was a diet in progress that you enjoyed it after the trail.
SCRUB HIKER
03-22-2013, 02:36
Started at 181, lowest was 167 in the middle of PA when I was pushing the big miles. Loss of 14lb, or 7.7% of my initial body weight. By the end, I believe I had gained a little back and was around 170, because I had really gotten lazy in Maine and was just enjoying the trail and hiking low miles.
I don't have a scale, but I know that by Thanksgiving of that year (pre-dinner) I was already back up to 178.
I lost 30 lbs from the border to Drakesbad (I did admittedly start the heaviest I've ever been in my life) but after increasing my calories and slowing down a bit, I think I gained a few pounds back.
rusty bumper
03-22-2013, 08:31
Started at 163...finished at 145.
TheYoungOne
03-22-2013, 10:23
Started at 181, lowest was 167 in the middle of PA when I was pushing the big miles. Loss of 14lb, or 7.7% of my initial body weight. By the end, I believe I had gained a little back and was around 170, because I had really gotten lazy in Maine and was just enjoying the trail and hiking low miles.
I don't have a scale, but I know that by Thanksgiving of that year (pre-dinner) I was already back up to 178.
That is what I heard , and now I'm getting a picture of with this thread, mainly with NOBO thrus. Unless you are already an athlete, you start the AT out of shape. Then you get your trail legs, and get into shape after the first 30 days of hiking. After that some push their bodies and do big miles, especially in VA. Then around the halfway point, is when the suck starts. Maybe its because the trail gets more rugged with the PA Rocks, VT and ME and it forces hikers to slow down. Maybe its more of a food binge with the Half gallon challenge, and staying on a high calorie big mile diet. Maybe it a more relaxed party mode since after the halfway point packs of hikers have formed, and those who are still hiking are commited to finishing, so what is the rush. I don't know but it seems most shed tons of weight, and some may gain some back after the halfway point. Either way, once you are off the trail and you are not burning thousand of calories a day anymore hiking that height will slowly come back.
Theone poster who gained weight though. I wonder if you start the trail super thin, you might actually gain weight because you are adding muscle mass, and are forced to eat a starchy, high caloric diet.
garlic08
03-22-2013, 11:13
may I ask the year of your thru hike?
Thanks. That was in 2008. I started in prime hiking condition, and ate well enough to sustain my hiking pace. I lost weight in the Southern Appalachians, a few pounds by Damascus, then gained it back in the mid-Atlantic (the "deli-a-day" stretch--ten days with a restaurant every day). I entered New England weighing more than at the start, enough to loose some weight in the Whites and arrive home the weight I left. I lost some upper body muscle mass and gained blubber around the waist (I was 51 years old, after all), but that corrected within a few months back at work and a better diet.
coheterojo
03-22-2013, 20:28
I've been scrawny my whole life. 6' 2" and 145 lbs was me for 30 years or so. I gained the additional weight after quitting smoking in 2004.
My 1st thruhike in 2010 I did not have any increased appetite until Vermont. If I tried to eat huge quantities at one sitting I would invariably just throw it all up some time later. Not my idea of a good time. I knew I was losing weight. The hipbelt on my pack was pulled as tight as it would go and it still slid down my hips. My pants were falling down with alarming frequency. When I got to Damascus, one month into the hike, and weighed myself at Dave's Place I was scared. I still had most of the hike left to go and I couldn't afford to continue to lose weight if I wanted to finish. And believe me I wanted to finish. So I had to do something.
I forced myself to eat more frequently. I think I developed some trail notoriety by having 2nd breakfasts every day. I swilled high calorie shakes made of Nido whole milk powder and Carnation instant breakfast at every opportunity. A pint of Ben & Jerry's became a standard snack in towns. Dairy Queen in Pearisburg has the best chocolate malteds on the trail by the way.
2010 was a hot year. It's hard to eat when it's super hot. I honestly think I didn't do anything more than stop the weight loss until Vermont. Looking back at pictures of me at ATC headquarters in Harpers Ferry is a little scary. My trail name means "the skinny one" and it couldn't have been more appropriate! The heat was still on in Vermont but, for whatever reason, I finally developed a hiker appetite and started consuming far larger quantities of food.
As the temperatures dropped, and my appetite increased my weight began to increase. Yes the Whites and southern Maine are wild and strenuous but the payoff made it seem like nothing. Food was plentiful and I was eating it. Finally, in the 100 Mile Wilderness of Maine, I was assaulted by a ridiculous amount of trail magic. Three separate instances in one day followed by trail magic #3 setting up camp at Lake Namakanta and cooking dinner for us as we sat around the campfire on the beach......aaaahhh..
But I digress. Suffice to say that I was as surprised as anyone to see my weight when I weighed myself in the Appalachian Lodge in Millinocket. I've never weighed that much in my life! It actually didn't last long.
My second thruhike was just a blast and I made sure to eat frequently until I developed a hiker appetite. It happened a lot quicker which I attribute to far more clement weather and freedom from stress and worry about what was ahead since I pretty much already knew.
I'd just as soon maintain a weight range throughout the hike rather than do the extremes but hey. I wouldn't trade either hike for anything in the world!
Half-Life
03-22-2013, 20:59
Started at 163...finished at 145.
rusty, what's your height? I'm 165 lbs at 6'. I was open to the idea of letting my weight fluctuate naturally, but I can't imagine losing 20 lbs., though I suppose all the weight room gains will slough off quickly enough.
evyck da fleet
03-22-2013, 23:03
I started at 170 and was down to 160 by the NOC which is supposedly to be my ideal weight for being 6'. I pretty much hit every town along the way w/in a pound or two of 160 and left b/w 165-168 after a zero. Yes I took full advantage of town food. I'm assuming I finished at 160 because I was at 167 the morning of my flight home.
Special K
03-22-2013, 23:39
Love this thread and all the input! Men definitely lose more weight than women. Women hold onto fat for reproductive purposes. You guys got it good!
I was pondering the muscle mass thing too... if the body fat gets lost but leg muscles and maybe some others bulk up due to the added work.
I have read that men tend to finish and look like concentration camp survivors, yet women tend to finish and look like aerobics instructors. I wonder what the difference is?
I was pondering the muscle mass thing too... if the body fat gets lost but leg muscles and maybe some others bulk up due to the added work.
I have read that men tend to finish and look like concentration camp survivors, yet women tend to finish and look like aerobics instructors. I wonder what the difference is?
I wish more women participate in this thread to have a better understanding about the concept of weight loss. Concentration camp thing made me think maybe( just maybe) long beard is a factor here( which female obviously can't grow beard( Can they?).
Jennifer pharr Davis proved that in long distance hiking women just don't talk the talk but they really walk the walk and even faster.
You asked for it...
Female report:
Started the Trail around 172, which is about 20 pounds above my ideal for my height 6' and frame, light, except for the hips. Was 51 years old at the time.
Heading SOBO, I was down about 10 pounds by the mid-Atlantic. Gained it all back and finished the Trail at 172, but a was couple of clothing sizes smaller than I was at the start.
Moving ahead to the present...I have steadily gained weight as I get closer and closer to hitting my 60th birthday. About a month and a half ago I started an eating plan which eschews all added sugar and sugar substitutes, all fats except olive oil, coconut oil, and butter, and has a few other caveats. It's working marvelously. The excess weight is falling off, especially the dreaded belly fat. I expect to be back down to my AT weight within a month, and then continue on down to reach my college weight by early summer. My current, moderately-active lifestyle simply doesn't require added sugar for fuel. In other words, I can't eat like a thru-hiker when I'm not thru-hiking.
And, yeah, I think it is an advantage to require less fuel to go the distance. Even at my peak of hiker hunger I never ate more than six donuts at one sitting.
You asked for it...
Female report:
Started the Trail around 172, which is about 20 pounds above my ideal for my height 6' and frame, light, except for the hips. Was 51 years old at the time.
Heading SOBO, I was down about 10 pounds by the mid-Atlantic. Gained it all back and finished the Trail at 172, but a was couple of clothing sizes smaller than I was at the start.
Moving ahead to the present...I have steadily gained weight as I get closer and closer to hitting my 60th birthday. About a month and a half ago I started an eating plan which eschews all added sugar and sugar substitutes, all fats except olive oil, coconut oil, and butter, and has a few other caveats. It's working marvelously. The excess weight is falling off, especially the dreaded belly fat. I expect to be back down to my AT weight within a month, and then continue on down to reach my college weight by early summer. My current, moderately-active lifestyle simply doesn't require added sugar for fuel. In other words, I can't eat like a thru-hiker when I'm not thru-hiking.
Thank you for your input Marta. Long time no see( my fault) . Where can I find some information about the diet you are on? Sounds very interesting to me
Half-Life
03-25-2013, 13:55
Concentration camp thing made me think maybe( just maybe) long beard is a factor here( which female obviously can't grow beard( Can they?).
If they're a Dwarf in Tolkein's world, they can.
I started at 175 lbs. After about 675 miles, I was at Ironmasters hostel and there was a scale there IIRC. I was down to 150-155 lbs. I resolved to eat more after that (like an entire pie at the pizza place in Duncannon) and actually put some weight back on.
The purpose of this thread is to identify the amount of weight loss while thru hiking any of major trails ( AT,PCT,CDT or 2000 mile plus trails) .
The best way would be knowing your starting weight and your finishing weight but if your starting weight is preferred to be a secret the second best thing is knowing your weight loss percentage, For example if you started your hike weighing 185 pounds and finished it 160, then you have lost 25 pound which is 13.5 percent of your starting weight.
Would you mind posting your weight loss during your hike to reach to a decent less biased number about weight loss while hiking a major trail?
Thank you
Weight you lose depends on calories eaten and calories burned, which relate to food carried/eaten and miles hiked. With that preamble, I found that while eating 1.5 pounds of fairly high calorie food per day (plus a big town meal about once a week), hiking an average of 13.5 miles a day, I lost half a pound per day during a three week section hike from Springer to Hot Springs. Had I continued NOBO, I believe I would have continued at this rate until I had lost most/all of body fat and then would have had to increase calories by at least half a pound of food per day or start losing muscle (bad idea).
Weight you lose depends on calories eaten and calories burned, which relate to food carried/eaten and miles hiked. With that preamble, I found that while eating 1.5 pounds of fairly high calorie food per day (plus a big town meal about once a week), hiking an average of 13.5 miles a day, I lost half a pound per day during a three week section hike from Springer to Hot Springs. Had I continued NOBO, I believe I would have continued at this rate until I had lost most/all of body fat and then would have had to increase calories by at least half a pound of food per day or start losing muscle (bad idea).
Thank you . It is a nice piece of information.
The Solemates
03-25-2013, 17:37
started at 225 and 8% body fat. was down to 187 at the start of maine, but i was unhealthy and gaunt. looked like a war survivor. finished the hike around 195. i had not been under 200 lb my entire adult life and did not think it was physically possible with my height and bone structure. currently 220 and 12% body fat.
Thank you for your input Marta. Long time no see( my fault) . Where can I find some information about the diet you are on? Sounds very interesting to me
I'm basically following the rules espoused in the promo video for Beyond Diet, although I haven't subscribed to their website. (The promo video is a bit tedious because they spend half of it telling you what they are about to tell you.)
1) No wheat bread, pasta, cereals, granola, juice, added sugars, or sugar substitutes.
2) The permitted free fats are olive oil, coconut oil, butter, raw nuts, whole eggs, and avocados.
3) No processed foods, including processed soy products.
4) All grains are permitted in whole, cracked, or sprouted forms.
The practical effects of following these rules is that almost everything offered for sale as food or drink is off limits. Check a label and the food is almost guaranteed to have some form of sugar or one of the prohibited fats, or both. So what I end up eating is a gigantic amount of vegetables and fruit, with a lot of whole grains and beans. I have an avocado almost every day. I'm particularly fond of fresh pineapple, so I add that to anything that needs sweetening, like plain yogurt or a dessert I make of brown rice, coconut cream, and fresh pineapple. About once a week I have meat, and once a week I have fish. Going so light on meat and fish is not called for in the diet, but it's my personal preference. (The grilled salmon salad I normally order at work comes with bacon, and I eat the bacon, but don't have the salad dressing because I don't know what fats go I to it.)
I don't track calories anymore, but several times I've used a food-tracking data base to see how the eating plan stacks up against my many, many previous dieting attempts, since this is working so much better. Interestingly the calorie count was very close to the target I would set to achieve this level of weight loss of 1.5-2 pounds per week. But I feel much fuller and stronger than eating that many calories of more conventional foods. With all the fruits and vegetables, the vitamin and mineral levels are amazing, not to mention the amount of fiber.
Psychologically the effect has been very interesting. I no longer regard most of the food products for sale as edible food. It doesn't even tempt me. I wasn't expecting that to happen. At lunchtime today I was driving around in Kalispell, but when I looked at the various restaurant options, they just seemed disgusting. I was content to go three hours past my normal lunchtime and wait until I got home to eat. As I said, I really wasn't expecting that to happen. I LOVE food. But I think that absolutely leaving all sugar products behind has performed as advertised--for the first time in my life I'm not on the sugar-hunger-sugar roller coaster.
About once a week I have some sort of sugar-containing treat, usually ice cream or chocolate, or chocolate ice cream. :-) Yesterday at work I decided to have some Rolos candy. They didn't even taste good to me. I threw half the package away...and had some ice cream instead.
I know I sound like a reformed smoker, but I have been absolutely amazed at the effect this eating plan had had on me. It's like a dream I hope I don't wake up from.
One of the best parts about it is that it seems so safe. One can quibble about whether the prohibited foods are really all that bad for me, but I don't think anyone could possibly argue that forgoing them could be harmful to my health.
Weight you lose depends on calories eaten and calories burned, which relate to food carried/eaten and miles hiked. With that preamble, I found that while eating 1.5 pounds of fairly high calorie food per day (plus a big town meal about once a week), hiking an average of 13.5 miles a day, I lost half a pound per day during a three week section hike from Springer to Hot Springs. Had I continued NOBO, I believe I would have continued at this rate until I had lost most/all of body fat and then would have had to increase calories by at least half a pound of food per day or start losing muscle (bad idea).
The major reason I don't lose weight while hiking is that I actually count the calories of the food I bring with me, and keep adding food until I reach the level that prevents me from running much of a deficit. It's not that I don't need to lose weight, because I do, but I don't feel good when hiking on starvation rations. I run out of energy, and don't enjoy myself as much.
I bag up my food day by day, a gallon bag for each day, plus something like a Mountain House dinner outside the bag. For shorter trips I aim for 3000 calories/day. For longer trips I go a bit higher, but mostly know that the deficit will be made up with town food.
SOBO_Pace
03-25-2013, 19:55
Started 230 lbs 7/5/12 ... Finished @ 175 lbs 12/12/12..... 3/25/13 215 lbs.
I'm basically following the rules espoused in the promo video for Beyond Diet, although I haven't subscribed to their website. (The promo video is a bit tedious because they spend half of it telling you what they are about to tell you.)
1) No wheat bread, pasta, cereals, granola, juice, added sugars, or sugar substitutes.
2) The permitted free fats are olive oil, coconut oil, butter, raw nuts, whole eggs, and avocados.
3) No processed foods, including processed soy products.
4) All grains are permitted in whole, cracked, or sprouted forms.
The practical effects of following these rules is that almost everything offered for sale as food or drink is off limits. Check a label and the food is almost guaranteed to have some form of sugar or one of the prohibited fats, or both. So what I end up eating is a gigantic amount of vegetables and fruit, with a lot of whole grains and beans. I have an avocado almost every day. I'm particularly fond of fresh pineapple, so I add that to anything that needs sweetening, like plain yogurt or a dessert I make of brown rice, coconut cream, and fresh pineapple. About once a week I have meat, and once a week I have fish. Going so light on meat and fish is not called for in the diet, but it's my personal preference. (The grilled salmon salad I normally order at work comes with bacon, and I eat the bacon, but don't have the salad dressing because I don't know what fats go I to it.)
I don't track calories anymore, but several times I've used a food-tracking data base to see how the eating plan stacks up against my many, many previous dieting attempts, since this is working so much better. Interestingly the calorie count was very close to the target I would set to achieve this level of weight loss of 1.5-2 pounds per week. But I feel much fuller and stronger than eating that many calories of more conventional foods. With all the fruits and vegetables, the vitamin and mineral levels are amazing, not to mention the amount of fiber.
Psychologically the effect has been very interesting. I no longer regard most of the food products for sale as edible food. It doesn't even tempt me. I wasn't expecting that to happen. At lunchtime today I was driving around in Kalispell, but when I looked at the various restaurant options, they just seemed disgusting. I was content to go three hours past my normal lunchtime and wait until I got home to eat. As I said, I really wasn't expecting that to happen. I LOVE food. But I think that absolutely leaving all sugar products behind has performed as advertised--for the first time in my life I'm not on the sugar-hunger-sugar roller coaster.
About once a week I have some sort of sugar-containing treat, usually ice cream or chocolate, or chocolate ice cream. :-) Yesterday at work I decided to have some Rolos candy. They didn't even taste good to me. I threw half the package away...and had some ice cream instead.
I know I sound like a reformed smoker, but I have been absolutely amazed at the effect this eating plan had had on me. It's like a dream I hope I don't wake up from.
One of the best parts about it is that it seems so safe. One can quibble about whether the prohibited foods are really all that bad for me, but I don't think anyone could possibly argue that forgoing them could be harmful to my health.
Wow Thank you Marta. I am going to give it a serious try. I am 185 pounds (5' 7'') and my ideal weight is when I am around 150. For a pleasant 2014 AT Thru hike experience I have to start to lose weight sooner than later.
Wow Thank you Marta. I am going to give it a serious try. I am 185 pounds (5' 7'') and my ideal weight is when I am around 150. For a pleasant 2014 AT Thru hike experience I have to start to lose weight sooner than later.
i agree that the hike will be more pleasant if your weight isn't plummeting when you hike. And your knees and feet will thank you, as will your heart and lungs.
Wow Thank you Marta. I am going to give it a serious try. I am 185 pounds (5' 7'') and my ideal weight is when I am around 150. For a pleasant 2014 AT Thru hike experience I have to start to lose weight sooner than later.
If you do try the no-sugar eating plan, I'd be very interested to hear about your experiences with it.
BTW, during a long hike, I would suspend most of these rules and gorge on sugar and whatever, confident that my weight would not rise.
This fellow was on The Colbert Report last night, promoting his book, which crusades against sugar. The following link contains a 90-minute lecture he gave, making his case.
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-01-07/dr-robert-lustig-fat-chance-beating-odds-against-sugar-processed-food-obesity-and-d
This fellow was on The Colbert Report last night, promoting his book, which crusades against sugar. The following link contains a 90-minute lecture he gave, making his case.
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-01-07/dr-robert-lustig-fat-chance-beating-odds-against-sugar-processed-food-obesity-and-d
I started my diet from this morning . 185.6 pounds . THANK YOU Marta
Good luck!
At this point I don't regard sugar-free as a diet--it's the way I plan to eat for the rest of my life. It feels good and there's no downside.