ladies, I feel fat.

[RockStar]

Hello, My names RockStar and I'm a fat hiker.


I plan on going hiking with Two Speed the first week in September and I just can't seem to get motivated enough to lose weight. We will be hiking the Grayson Highland area. 5 Days SOBO to Damascus around 8 miles a day. Should I even worry? Maybe I am just being down on myself about it. Maybe Im bloated. You know how that goes. I just don't want to slow him down. Ya know? I need a pep talk. Im needy today.

[JAK]

The ideal weight for going on a hike is whatever you weigh NOW.
Emphasis on NOW.

But by all means, lose some weight.
Best way to lose wieght. HIKING, of course. See above.


p.s. I'm not a lady, but I think I qualify as a motivational speaker, as I am overweight myself, and LIVING IN A VAN, DOWN BY THE RIVER.

[Brrrb Oregon]

I had a track coach once who, when I told him I was getting shin splints, told me, "Well, if you were a guy, I'd tell you to tough it out, but maybe you'd better take it easy for a few days." I'll give you the same advice. You'll probably take it the same way I did.

Have a good hike. I don't think you'll slow anybody down.

Seriously, though, you don't have time to change your weight that much between now and then. Your hiking partner knew what you weighed when you set the hike up, didn't he? Maybe he doesn't want a forced march.

You have time to change your outlook, and you have time to get in enough hikes to ascertain whether you are going to enjoy the proposed outing. Go get some miles in (which always helps me eat healthier, as a side issue) and if you still don't think it is going to be fun, then report your findings to your fellow hiker and re-schedule something else more appropriate if you need to. If nothing else, he'll reassure you about what his expectations are, if you talk about it. You're always going to be a lot worse and a lot better than somebody else out there. Don't beat yourself up about that. Life is too short.

If you decide to do it, though, then decide to do it, and decide to enjoy it. Be a buckaroo. If you do that, nobody is going to be down on you for doing your best, making the best of it, and being a good time to be around. That is probably all he ever expected in the first place.

I've found the needy thing is sometimes a separate issue. I'll start feeling needy, and then find myself looking for something to feel needy about. If you think you're doing that, you don't have to drag the hike into it. Go find a friend and tell them, "I'm feeling needy. Let's go do something fun. You spend the whole time telling me how wonderful I am. I'll buy and I'll owe you one." Sometimes, that helps.

Good luck! Hope you're feeling better tomorrow.

[LEGS]

Rocker, Just Go Do The Hike, Ya May Be The Same Size When Ya Get To Damascus, But You Will Have Had An Enjoyable Time. Its A Great Area. Ya Gonna Love It, And A Stop At Dots When Ya Finished, Is Just The Treat You'll Need. Have A Goodun

[RockStar]

p.s. I'm not a lady, but I think I qualify as a motivational speaker, as I am overweight myself, and LIVING IN A VAN, DOWN BY THE RIVER.

HAHAHAHA I LOVE THAT EPISDOE! HEHEHE That made my day.

I had a track coach once who, when I told him I was getting shin splints, told me, "Well, if you were a guy, I'd tell you to tough it out, but maybe you'd better take it easy for a few days." I'll give you the same advice. You'll probably take it the same way I did.

Have a good hike. I don't think you'll slow anybody down.

Seriously, though, you don't have time to change your weight that much between now and then. Your hiking partner knew what you weighed when you set the hike up, didn't he? Maybe he doesn't want a forced march.

You have time to change your outlook, and you have time to get in enough hikes to ascertain whether you are going to enjoy the proposed outing. Go get some miles in (which always helps me eat healthier, as a side issue) and if you still don't think it is going to be fun, then report your findings to your fellow hiker and re-schedule something else more appropriate if you need to. If nothing else, he'll reassure you about what his expectations are, if you talk about it. You're always going to be a lot worse and a lot better than somebody else out there. Don't beat yourself up about that. Life is too short.

If you decide to do it, though, then decide to do it, and decide to enjoy it. Be a buckaroo. If you do that, nobody is going to be down on you for doing your best, making the best of it, and being a good time to be around. That is probably all he ever expected in the first place.

I've found the needy thing is sometimes a separate issue. I'll start feeling needy, and then find myself looking for something to feel needy about. If you think you're doing that, you don't have to drag the hike into it. Go find a friend and tell them, "I'm feeling needy. Let's go do something fun. You spend the whole time telling me how wonderful I am. I'll buy and I'll owe you one." Sometimes, that helps.

Good luck! Hope you're feeling better tomorrow.

I LOVE hiking. Since my failed Thru I have put on 20lbs. Two Speed is bringing his dog and said he didn't want to speed hike. We settled on 8 miles a day. I guess I just feel bad about the weight gain and am being paranoid. Thanks all!

[Brrrb Oregon]

I LOVE hiking. Since my failed Thru I have put on 20lbs. Two Speed is bringing his dog and said he didn't want to speed hike. We settled on 8 miles a day. I guess I just feel bad about the weight gain and am being paranoid. Thanks all!

Failed Thru. You probably hiked a lot of miles, had some great days on the trail, yet this is somehow a failure. You've never heard of "redefining your goals", have you? Let me tell you, you should never attempt graduate school without learning about redefining your goals.

So you're Catholic. Go to confession, get all those sins off your chest that you're wasting time obsessing about, and then do what you can TODAY about getting the Lil' Debbies off your midsection. Maybe dragging those extra 20 across 40 miles is just what you need to motivate yourself to get some serious training and make some weight loss over the winter.

Whatever works to drive off the funk. We've all been there....don't go punishing yourself about THAT, either, OK?

[JAK]

A failed thru hike is still a lot of successful hiking.

But I think the same way you do though, and now I'm LIVING IN A VAN, DOWN BY THE RIVER.

[RockStar]

LMAO, Stop it! lol You gotta pull on your pants in the front and back at the same time. Then push your glasses up on your face. lol

[Brrrb Oregon]

A failed thru hike is still a lot of successful hiking.

But I think the same way you do though, and now I'm LIVING IN A VAN, DOWN BY THE RIVER.

Well, there, that's one way to redefine your goals.

[aaroniguana]

Eh. I put on 20 pounds when I quit smoking. I'm far from sedentary. We are who we are. Social ideals are highly overrated.

[Wonder]

You hike....you lose inches
you stop....you gain
just the way it is. I have two wardrobes now just to deal with that!
Just hike and don't worry about it
Oh, and then find me in Damascus and we'll grab a drink! :-)

[RockStar]

You hike....you lose inches
you stop....you gain
just the way it is. I have two wardrobes now just to deal with that!
Just hike and don't worry about it
Oh, and then find me in Damascus and we'll grab a drink! :-)

I might just have to start having 2 wardrobes. One pair of clothes that fit pre-hike. Then something to wear as I start losing weight hiking. My Zip-Offs are a tad too small right this minute. lol So I am at LEAST going to lose enough to fit into them. Those things aren't cheap!

Had to buy a belt for them soon after Walasi-Yi. B/t my backpack encouraging them to ride on my crack and losing my butt/hips...they were hopeless.

I HOPE we have time to relax in Damascus before or after. There are a lot of wbers that live there I'd like to see. Ill discuss this with Two Speed and maybe we'll post a time we will be at the local Bar or Jail. You know how trouble makers are.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

RockStar, one thing life has taught me is that you always have to start wherever you are. I'm trying to lose a lot of weight right now, but I'm certainly not about to quit hiking because I'm hauling the junk in my trunk around. Take it slower if you must, take more breaks if you need them -- but don't let your weight get in the way of having the life you want.

As Wonder notes - we vary in size as we hike / don't hike. I now have clothing in four different sizes. I just gave away the fifth size clothing (the largest) because I will never be as inactive as I was while in the wheelchair again if I can help it. The fourth size will go as well once I get the junk-in-the-trunk down a bit. I'll keep the other three for the same reason Wonder mentions (I'm much older than Wonder and weight varies even more after menopause).

[Two Speed]

. . . I just don't want to slow him down. . .

I ain't that quick, so bring a good attitude and it'll work out.

: : : Two Speed slithers out of the Ladies Forum, hoping that FD didn't see him around; toes are getting tender and he's got hiking to do. : : :

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

: : : Two Speed slithers out of the Ladies Forum, hoping that FD didn't see him around; toes are getting tender and he's got hiking to do. : : :

:::: Dino rubs some healing dino herbs on Two-Speed's toes and bids him a good hike while looking at other women and saying "Guy, what guy? I didn't see any guys in here"::::

[Brrrb Oregon]

I ain't that quick, so bring a good attitude and it'll work out.

: : : Two Speed slithers out of the Ladies Forum, hoping that FD didn't see him around; toes are getting tender and he's got hiking to do. : : :

I thought the ladies forum was just here to keep guys from saying "EWWW!" when the topic got around to Diva Cups.

[Hammock Hanger]

If I waited to be in shape or "less" fat, I would never make it to the trail. I just go on out and start off slow. As my body gets back into shape I begin hiking longer miles with less breaks. The nore that happens the more I lose and then it is kind of a domino effect. HOWEVER, it comes back really really quick!!

[RockStar]

Yeah...that part I don't look fwd to. However...I do have a plan of attack. I love veggies and salads. So I am hoping to stuff as much of those 2 down my throat as I can until the hiker hunger subsides. Its only a 5 day hike but, I get hungry like a wolf about 2 weeks before my hikes.

[Obsidian]

My new work out secret is roller skating...I joined the local roller derby league and I'm loosing inches but gaining these butt and leg muscles I never really knew existed... I also like to believe that it's making me tougher and much able to adapt to pain and soreness
good luck with your hike

[RockStar]

That sounds so fun. Thanks.