Monday, July 27, 2009

Body Weight and Food

Need a diet? Hike the AT. At first it seems great, the extra weight just falls off. Quickly the body goes to something akin to High School weight. Fantastic.

Then you realize - all the extra weight is gone and there are still 2,000 miles of hiking to go!

About 4 weeks into the hike, many experience "The Hunger". At that point when a hiker enters a restaurant and the waitstaff asks "What would you like?", the answer is "I'll start with the left half of the menu, and then continue with the right half". Only a joke, but not by much.

It is a serious problem. Hikers can burn through about 5,000 calories per day. Carrying that much fresh food is too heavy. So, some live on a "high calorie sugar diet". Many eat dried foods while on trail and then stuff as much food down as possible during stops "in town". Commonly a hiker can be found eating an entire large pizza for dinner, then finishing up with a pint of ice cream.

What is a more healthy diet that will work? Not sure yet, but presently trying lots of options. Meanwhile I have eaten more sugary and sweet food in the last month than the last 10 years. It seems to me that America is addicted to sugar.

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