Hiker Non-hunger

[DuneElliot]

So we all hear about hiker hunger from thru-hikers, and I know I've read about others not feeling hungry on the first day or two of a hike, but what about consistent hiker non-hunger.

I just got done with 80 miles and 5 1/2 days on the Uinta Highline Trail in Utah and I could barely eat. I carry stuff I usually love to eat off trail but I could barely bring myself to eat anything and I only made dinner on the first two nights. Cheese sticks and peanut M&Ms were about the only things I could choke down and half enjoy but the rest of the time I really had to force myself to eat, even my chocolate chip cookies were tough to swallow.

I find I am less inclined to eat when I do a lot of miles (for me) and pushing my body with the exertion. I find food more favorable when I hike less miles, but then I also need less calories. On this last hike I lost almost 4lbs which may not sound like much to most people but I am already very slender and really can't afford to lose weight like that...the next trip could put me dangerously underweight for my size. (I'm currently at 110lbs and 5'5", anything less than that wouldn't be healthy as my recommended lowest weight SHOULD be 115lbs).

So how do others deal with the issue of hiker non-hunger like this? I hope I'm not the only one to feel like this and would like to hear from others.

[MuddyWaters]

Part of it, maybe most of it, is not wanting the $hitty food in your pack.

Ive never had problems with a cheeseburger and chocolate shake when get to town.

On a hike a once, i didnt feel good first 6 days. I ate...500 cal per day...for first 5 days. Didnt feel good till got to town and pigged out on cheeseburger, fries, shake.

Still had to force feed myself next few weeks.

This led me to buy a good dehydrator and spend time prepping more of my own food.
Which helps, not cures problem. I still lose over 1/2 lb per day on short hikes.

[Slo-go'en]

How hot was it? Searing heat can dampen the appetite. Did you drink too much or too little water?

[moldy]

Hiker hunger is a brain chemistry issue. About 12,000 years ago we slowly started to switch from hunter gatherer to our new diet of the neolithic era. The hunter gatherer era lasted at least 200,000 years and the body we have today evolved over that huge amount of time. During that time 3 meals a day 7 days a week would not have been possible. Me most likely evolved a stomach, gut and brain based on a system where we might eat every other day or longer. Famine was routine. Women evolved the capacity to store enough body fat so the baby she nursed could survive long periods with little food. It was probably key to human survival. We are stuck with the body that evolution provided. The huge hunger many (not all) long distance hikers feel is, for the most part, just in there head. For me I eat once a day and snack very little even after 2 months on the trail.

[DuneElliot]

Part of it, maybe most of it, is not wanting the $hitty food in your pack.

Ive never had problems with a cheeseburger and chocolate shake when get to town.

On a hike a once, i didnt feel good first 6 days. I ate...500 cal per day...for first 5 days. Didnt feel good till got to town and pigged out on cheeseburger, fries, shake.

Still had to force feed myself next few weeks.

This led me to buy a good dehydrator and spend time prepping more of my own food.
Which helps, not cures problem. I still lose over 1/2 lb per day on short hikes.

I was definitely hungry when I got to town and ate a cheeseburger, but that was four hours after I stopped hiking. The foods I carry I what I usually enjoy eating the rest of the time...I love the brownie Cliff bars generally and can eat two at a sitting, but couldn't stomach them. And Chips Ahoy Choc Chip cookies are one of my weaknesses and I still couldn't bring myself to eat them.

How hot was it? Searing heat can dampen the appetite. Did you drink too much or too little water?

Not hot at all, generally high 60s and low 70s with a good breeze...in fact it was often overcast or so breezy I needed to put my sweater on when we stopped. I drank enough to keep me hydrated (my guess by needing to pee on a fairly average basis when compared to home).

[MuddyWaters]

I was definitely hungry when I got to town and ate a cheeseburger, but that was four hours after I stopped hiking. The foods I carry I what I usually enjoy eating the rest of the time...I love the brownie Cliff bars generally and can eat two at a sitting, but couldn't stomach them. And Chips Ahoy Choc Chip cookies are one of my weaknesses and I still couldn't bring myself to eat them.

Not hot at all, generally high 60s and low 70s with a good breeze...in fact it was often overcast or so breezy I needed to put my sweater on when we stopped. I drank enough to keep me hydrated (my guess by needing to pee on a fairly average basis when compared to home).

Tastes can totally change on trail from town.
But the more appetizing the food is, the better chance of eating it. Ive got staples i can usually choke down . But I often eat very little on town day...looking forward to real food. After a while, you want to carry some good food, doesnt matter what it weighs.

[Miner]

My experience with that is, I'm overworking my body far beyond what its use to doing, it's too hot and I'm not use to the heat, I'm not acclimated to the high elevation I'm hiking in and pushed too hard, or I'm fighting some sort of sickness even if I feel like I can hike just fine. Except for the sickness one, it's never something that I don't recover from after resting/cooling off for a few hours. What I do is try to eat something, even if just a little, and try again frequently so I get some calories. Drink lots of electrolytes in my water and not just plain water.

Given you could eat a few hours later after finishing and it wasn't hot, makes me think you were either suffering from the high altitude along parts of that trail or physically pushing too hard or a combination of the two. Especially if you've never had something similar happen on previous trips.

[DuneElliot]

My experience with that is, I'm overworking my body far beyond what its use to doing, it's too hot and I'm not use to the heat, I'm not acclimated to the high elevation I'm hiking in and pushed too hard, or I'm fighting some sort of sickness even if I feel like I can hike just fine. Except for the sickness one, it's never something that I don't recover from after resting/cooling off for a few hours. What I do is try to eat something, even if just a little, and try again frequently so I get some calories. Drink lots of electrolytes in my water and not just plain water.

Given you could eat a few hours later after finishing and it wasn't hot, makes me think you were either suffering from the high altitude along parts of that trail or physically pushing too hard or a combination of the two. Especially if you've never had something similar happen on previous trips.

I would agree with your last point except that even a few hours after stopping for the day at 4pm in the middle of the trip I still couldn't bring myself to eat 3-4 hours later. The altitude didn't bother me at all but I probably was pushing myself more than usual...the weather patterns (thunderstorms and above treeline trail) kinda forced that on me. It definitely wasn't hot at all and actually pretty perfect hiking weather, except for the copious amounts of thunderstorms.

[DownYonder]

I can never eat when exercising heavily. Backpacking, hiking, cycling, or running all the same. If I'm tired, I have no appetite and during exercise food makes me nauseous. I force myself to eat small amounts while hiking. It is not heat related. I'm the same way in the winter. After a long BPing trip my appetite returns 2 days later at which point I'm ravenous!!!

[DuneElliot]

I can never eat when exercising heavily. Backpacking, hiking, cycling, or running all the same. If I'm tired, I have no appetite and during exercise food makes me nauseous. I force myself to eat small amounts while hiking. It is not heat related. I'm the same way in the winter. After a long BPing trip my appetite returns 2 days later at which point I'm ravenous!!!

This is it exactly except once I'm off trail I'm hungry within hours.

[GoldenBear]

Me too.

Once I'm off The Trail, my first thought is, "Where am I going to pig out on my way home?"
For the five days of so that I'm backpacking, I actually have to force myself to eat something -- particularly in the evening. I have absolutely no appetite or hunger.

[Rain Man]

So we all hear about hiker hunger from thru-hikers, and I know I've read about others not feeling hungry on the first day or two of a hike, but what about consistent hiker non-hunger?

You are certainly not alone. When I'm hiking hard and long, the thought of food turns my stomach. I can drink easily and like soup okay, but eating? Nope. That said, nature has stored some spare reserves of food stored around the ol' mid-section.

[moytoy]

That's me exactly Rain Man. Especially the last sentence. I stopped hiking seriously about three years ago and now I've gained 20 lbs and would be hard pressed to make the approach trail in GA. in one day. I'm sure eating would not interest me.

[DuneElliot]

You are certainly not alone. When I'm hiking hard and long, the thought of food turns my stomach. I can drink easily and like soup okay, but eating? Nope. That said, nature has stored some spare reserves of food stored around the ol' mid-section.

That's the worst part for me, I have absolutely zero reserves to spare and why I need to work out how to eat more on the trail.

[DownYonder]

That's the worst part for me, I have absolutely zero reserves to spare and why I need to work out how to eat more on the trail.

I have found that I can handle trail mix that is not too sweet. The nuts & raisins have enough fat and carbs to give me some energy. I make myself eat a large handful every 45-50 minutes. I try to wait 2-3 hours after setting up camp to eat which usually means 9:00 pm. It will be trial and error to determine what foods you can tolerate. For me it is tortilla wrap with peanut butter and jelly or some type of pasta noodle with cheese sauce. Nothing in the morning until about 2 hrs into the hike.

[DuneElliot]

I have found that I can handle trail mix that is not too sweet. The nuts & raisins have enough fat and carbs to give me some energy. I make myself eat a large handful every 45-50 minutes. I try to wait 2-3 hours after setting up camp to eat which usually means 9:00 pm. It will be trial and error to determine what foods you can tolerate. For me it is tortilla wrap with peanut butter and jelly or some type of pasta noodle with cheese sauce. Nothing in the morning until about 2 hrs into the hike.

I'm contemplating something like English muffins and jelly for breakfast but they are so bulky, but definitely sounded more appealing on the trail than what I brought.

[MuddyWaters]

I'm contemplating something like English muffins and jelly for breakfast but they are so bulky, but definitely sounded more appealing on the trail than what I brought.

Any food you actually eat, is better than food you dont

[DuneElliot]

Any food you actually eat, is better than food you dont

That's kinda the point I made in the OP. I take what I usually eat and love every day on the trail...but still can't stomach it. I rarely eat muffins and jelly but they did sound good at one point on the trail

[Venchka]

You’re not alone. Seems rather common for many of us.
You better start filling your pockets with rocks.
Have fun!
Wayne

[HooKooDooKu]

I'm no expert on the subject, but I'm thinking that for the average american hiker, after 5 days, your body is easily feeding off it's stored body fat. I'm thinking real hiker hunger doesn't really start kicking in until the average hiker has been on the trail 1 to 2 weeks.