[pct-l] Weight loss on the trail

[Eric Lee]

Bruno wrote:
>
I'm sure a lot of people here a very experienced and have done a lot thru
hikes, so this may not pose a problem to you anymore, but any insight into
this would greatly help me. Also, if you know of some physical training to
get in shape, I would really appreciate you experience. Right now I'm
running daily -except weekends- 'working out' at home (I hate gyms), and I
try to go hike on weekends, but there aren't very may places around here (I
live in Mexico City).
>

Everyone's body and metabolism is different, but at the end of the day it's
a simple matter of calories in has to equal energy out over the long haul or
it's not going to work.  Fundamentally it's just math.  Some people have a
more efficient metabolisms than others, and weighing less generally means
less energy expended in moving down the trail, but it's really all about
what's going to work well for you.

It's certainly possible to thru-hike as a vegetarian, and meat isn't
necessary for a high-calorie diet or for gaining weight.  That said, being
open to the option of meat greatly expands your dining options during a long
hike and I think a lot of vegetarians end up "bending the rules" to one
extent or another during their hikes.  (Certainly not all of them, though!)
My best diet advice is to eat what you like, eat as much as you want to, and
try to ensure its reasonably high-quality food with some variety.  A lot of
people attempt to hike on not much more than ramen and pop tarts but I
firmly believe that putting some thought into nutrition pays off in the end.
After a few hundred miles you may be surprised at how your appetite
increases.  If it doesn't then you might have a problem.  In the end just
listen to your body.

I guess I don't need to mention that laying off the smoking would make your
lungs a lot happier and probably generally increase your overall health.
There's just no way around it - habitual smoking is going to adversely
affect your ability to hike long distances.  Not to mention that smoking on
the trail is a scary fire hazard - yeah, you'd think that wouldn't need to
be mentioned but there have been cases of smoking hikers accidentally
starting fires in the not-too-distant past.

As far as physical training goes, you need to worry about two things:
general cardiovascular fitness and specific joint and muscle training for
hiking.  Running and weight training is fine for general cardio health and
that's important, but there's really no substitute for walking a lot,
preferably with all of your gear.  I've seen strong runners or bicyclists
really struggle during the first part of a thru-hike not because they're
unfit but because their feet, knees, hips, and shoulders are in so much
pain.  Walking all day with a loaded backpack isn't like anything else you
might have done and the only way to train for it is, well, to walk a lot
with a loaded backpack.  You don't *have* to be in tip-top shape before
starting - it's possible to toughen up on the trail, but if that's your plan
then remember to allow for lots of low-mileage days in the beginning.

Good luck!

Eric