Date: 2016-02-27
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Are you an overweight hiker like me? Do you consider that an advantage or a disadvantage? The conventional recommendation is to be as physically fit as possible prior to beginning a thru-hike. There are many examples of ultra-runners and fitness gurus successfully completing a thru-hike. However, there are also plenty of cases of ¢plumper folk¢ completing a successful thru-hike, losing weight as they go. My hypothesis is this: Beginning the thru-hike with extra weight, up to 30%, increases the odds of a successful thru-hike.The reasoning is simple. Extra fat means extra energy carried as close to your core as physically possible. It means less food and therefore less weight has to be carried in a backpack to deliver the same amount of energy. This reduces the variability of pack weight which can cause injuries, especially as you climb the first mountain out of a resupply town. It also should reduce the binge eating / hiker hunger that occurs once fat reserves are depleted.It means that your body will consistently get lighter as you go, making every mile easier than the last, or at least equally difficult, factoring in the breakdown of muscles. And toward the end, your body will still be burning your fat reserves instead of disassembling muscle fibers for energy.I don¢t mean to suggest that if you have a low body fat percentage that you should pig out and rapidly gain weight prior to a thru-hike. The body needs time to adjust to a greater weight and develop all of the supporting muscles, tendons, and ligaments to mobilize that extra weight. Without that time, it seems like injuries would be more likely. Also, if you have so much extra weight that you can¢t make it out of the starting gate, then obviously a successful thru-hike is not possible. But I think there¢s an ideal starting fat percentage that is significantly higher than the leading theories. This theory will make the beginning of the hike much more difficult, but the middle and the end will be much easier. My Body Mass Index (BMI) of 31.1 puts me just over the overweight line and into the dreaded first ¢Obese¢ category (over 30). Now, the index is notorious for calling muscular people obese. On good self-esteem days, I like to think I have the body type of a Samoan warrior, encased in a layer of fat reserves. But whatever label you give it, it happens to be the perfect subject to test my ¢Obese Thru-Hiker¢ theory.That being said, I think there¢s also a benefit to losing about 10 pounds prior to a thru-hike. As we all know, shaving 10 pounds off of pack weight only comes with compromises in comfort, safety, and hygiene. I prefer to lose that weight from my body to ensure I can get out of the starting gate. Also, getting in good cardiovascular shape and building the muscles necessary to carry a backpack are critical for all the reasons that the fitness people say. I am 6¢1¢, and my starting weight was 245lb. I have dropped about 9 pounds so far, and hope to drop the last pound over the next two weeks to start at 235lbs. My ideal weight is probably 185.Here¢s where it gets good: At 3500 calories per pound, I can lose 1% of my body weight per week, and burn around 8000 calories a week extra at the start of my hike, down to about 6500 calories a week at the end. After 24 weeks of hiking (excluding zero days), I will be at 184.6 pounds exactly. And a supporting point from the animal kingdom: Emperor Penguins lose up to 50% of their body weight during their two or three month ¢thru-hikes¢ with no resupply points.   That means according to the Body Mass Index, they started walking when they were morbidly obese.Qualifying statement: My wife says I have a habit of making up medical facts and advice when I have no idea what I¢m talking about. Please don¢t pursue this plan until leading nutritionists, fitness experts, and doctors have confirmed that I am correct. Also, as part of my self-esteem plan, I am only accepting positive comments during this stage of my thru-hike. I will be accepting all negative comments during the West Virginia portion of my hike.Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. -Albert Einstein