Re: [at-l] Weight

[Owen <jim_ginny_o@attglobal.net>]

Allyson Natalie Straka wrote:
> 
> I have a question for anyone who has already hiked the trail before.  Is
> losing weight that big of an issue?  I am about 15 lbs underweight and I
> have been trying to gain weight for the past 6 months, but I've just lost
> 5 lbs.  I'm leaving for the trail in 7 1/2 weeks.  Does anyone have any
> suggestions on how to gain weight if it is an important issue?

Wish I had your problem!  Weight loss tends to be more of an issue for
men than women, and mostly for those who have the weight to lose.  Women
tend to gain muscle, but not lose much, if any, weight. LINF   If you
are fit to start with, there may be no real difference in your weight
before and after the trail.  On the AT you go to town so often that you
can carry extra food or eat in town if you find yourself losing more
weight than is comfortable. (And it can be very uncomfortable to be too
thin.) For some people who lose a lot of weight, there can be a problem
if the body starts trying to convert muscle to energy when there are no
fat reserves.  This leaves the hiker feeling more and more exhausted. As
one man told me, "The other hikers keep getting stronger. I just get
more tired."  You may have a harder time getting warm when it is cold
too, since your body won't have the extra fat reserves to burn.  

As to gaining weight, I do that merely by looking at food. (Of course, I
rarely just look at it.) However, I had a friend who could not gain
weight, no matter what she ate. She was too thin to get into the
military, and she really wanted to join the navy. She went on the pill
and gained 15 lbs. Hasn't had a problem with being underweight since.

Ginny
* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================