[pct-l] Bear Canisters & Weight Loss

[Gail Van Velzer]

Reinhold has a point, but I think what was being alluded to is that you 
can't get the required 4000=5000 cals. a day into the bear canister...unless 
you are going to add oil.

On a side note, eating oil without the carbs is actually healthy for you. 
You will train your body to burn fat for energy instead of carbs.  It's when 
you eat the carbs with the oil that it clogs up your arteries.  So protein 
and fats....

Golly

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Reinhold Metzger" <reinholdmetzger at cox.net>
To: "PCT" <pct-l at backcountry.net>; <Hiker97 at aol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2014 2:16 AM
Subject: [pct-l] Bear Canisters & Weight Loss


> Lord, enlighten the masses for they know not what they are talking about.
>
> Gaining or loosing weight while hiking has nothing to do with canisters.
> It is plain and simple a matter of calories "IN" vs "CALORIES BURNED".
> Come on guys, try to understand this....it ain't Rocket Science".
>
> In other words, simplified so everybody can understand it,...more
> calories in than burned, you gain weigh...more calories burned than in,
> you loose weigh....that is it, nothing more, nothing less.
>
> Therefore, whether you start loosing or gaining  weight on day one or
> day ten is simply a matter of when you start burning more or less
> calories than you are taking in.
>
> The average, ordinary, daily diet delivers roughly 2,000 calories.
> However, a backpacker hauling A$$$ 8-10 hours a day will burn
> considerably more calories, more likely around 4,000+- calories.
> So, unless his menu delivers the calories burned, he will loose weight.
>
> For instance, on my JMT speed hikes I burn about 7,000-8,000 calories
> per day but, to keep my pack weight to a minimum, my menu weighs only
> about 2 lb per day and delivers only about 4,00-4,500 calories per day.
> As a result I loose about 2 lb per day, starting day 1, or approximately
> 10 lb over the 5 days.
>
> In thru-hiking, most hiker's heavy emphasis on UL results in menus that
> do not deliver calories equal to calories burned.
>
> One way to solve that problem, without increasing the food weight is
> to incorporate more fat in your menu.
> I know you vegetarians are giving me that "EVIL" look.
>
> I know, fruits and veggies are good for you, but they are heavy and
> low on calories per ounce.
>
> In my opinion,..."FAT" is a thru-hikers best friend.
> I know, I'm getting that "EVIL" look again from our Vegetarians.
>
> But hey, do the math, protein and carbohydrates deliver about 110
> calories/oz while fat delivers about 250 calories/oz.
> That is why many long distance hikers, especially speed hikers like
> Scott Williamson, usually carry some oil to add to their meals and beef
> up the calories without beefing up the weight.
> Besides, you will burn all that fat anyhow in addition to your own
> body fat.
>
> Macadamia nuts are a great way to incorporate fat into your menu.
> I rely heavy on Macadamia nuts on my JMT speed hikes to beef up the
> calories without beefing up the weight.
> At 200 calories/oz you have to go to straight oil to beat that.
> Another good thing about Macadamia nuts, they are not dry tasting like
> most nuts therefore you don't need to drink a gallon of water when you
> eat them.
> Also, Macadamia nuts are high in Monounsaturated fat which is on of the
> most benign fats and does not effect your cholesterol.
>
> Some folks say that's the problem with JMT Reinhold...."TO MANY
> MACADAMIA NUTS".
>
> JMT Reinhold
> Your Macadamia nuts loving trail companion
> ................................
>
>
> Yogi wrote:
> Katy is absolutely correct.
>
> And............although it is fun to load up on calories in town, your 
> body
> cannot use all those calories, and you end up pooping it all out.  I had a
> long conversation with Brenda Braaten about this.  Brenda is the Belden
> Trail Angel, and she is a Registered Dietitian, has a Doctorate in
> Nutrition, did her sabbatical research on thru-hiker food.  She convinced
> me that when I get to town, I should have the giant burger, go back 
> several
> hours later for the fries and milkshake because the body cannot process it
> all at once.  You'll just end up carrying 5 extra pounds out of
> town..........inside your stomach.
>
> Yogi
> www.yogisbooks.com
>
> ............................................
>  On Tue, Aug 12, 2014 at 6:55 PM, goslowgofar <goslowgofar at yahoo.com 
> <http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l>> wrote:
>
>>/  So, are you saying that PCT hikers don't lose any weight until after 
>>they
> />/  pick up the bear canisters at KM?  Hmmm.  Don't think that's 
> accurate.  I
> />/  know that on the AT, where bear canisters aren't used, and food 
> resupply
> />/  options are plentiful, hikers still lose weight.  That was definitely 
> true
> />/  when I hiked it in '85...
> />/  I'd rather use a bear canister and protect the bears.  It's part of 
> the
> />/  experience!
> />/  Katy
> />/
> />/  Ned said:
> />/  ________________________________
> />/
> />/  A little reflection on the use of Bear Canisters (BCs) by JMT vs. PCT 
> thru
> />/  hikers and weight loss... I was wondering, with the requirement of 
> BCs thru
> />/  some of the roughest sections of the Pacific Crest Trail (basically 
> all of
> />/  the JMT), could it be so simple a statement as to say their 
> food-space
> />/  limitations are the reason why PCT thru hikers lose so much weight? 
> The JMT
> />/  thru hiker starts out with a BC, but they aren't that hungry at 
> first, so
> />/  the BC works for them (at least for a while). The PCT thru hiker 
> starts
> />/  using a BC after their first 30 or so days on-trail, certainly at the 
> point
> />/  already where they are really hungry, then are limited with the 
> volume of
> />/  food they can carry and must start a long-term food depreciation 
> phase over
> />/  the toughest trail and snow of their trip! Is there any sense to 
> this? BCs
> />/  are good for the bear, but not so good for the food-starving, 
> long-distance
> />/  hiker!  So, I guess for the areas where BCs are required, it is best
> />/   to major carbo-load before going in or do these sections after 
> several
> />/  weeks of packing in town food reserves, otherwise you're going to 
> lose
> />/  weight!  For some, this could be a good thing (to lose weight), but 
> for the
> />/  skinny people like me, I "bonk" pretty early without eating a ton of 
> food
> />/  (after being on the trail for at least a week). So, a Bear Canister 
> can be
> />/  a real food volume limiter and we can't do anything about it except 
> bring
> />/  two canisters (which my son did when he flip-flopped the JMT a few 
> years
> />/  ago)... Food for thought. (Hey, just sayin'!) Ned Tibbits, Director
> />/  Mountain Education, Inc.
> ///
>
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