Gain weight!

[Special-K]

So I'm 20 years old and weigh 153ish. And I'm flying down to Georgia on 2/28/11. I'm just wondering how to pack on the most pounds as wuick as possible. I've been trying to pack on pounds since November and haven't really been to good at it. (not bragging about my metabolism) but worried when i burn 4 to 5 thousand calories and can't refill my body. I don't want to be 21 and weigh 75 pounds when i walk away from this thru hike. Anyone have any tips on how to gain a few pounds especially through crunch time. And would taking Vitamins help my body not eat all my fat reserve?
any input would be highly appreciated. Special-K

[DrRichardCranium]

There's an exercise I do regularly that puts on weight. It's called "12-ounce curls."

[LoneRidgeRunner]

153 isn't skinny unless you're like 6 feet tall or over..I wish my problem was I ONLY weighed 153..I'm 56 going on 57 in 6 weeks 5'9'' and 194, which is fat...count you're blessings.. I'd like to lose about 20 to 25 pounds before I do my GMSNP through hike last of March..I know that's not the same as a full AT thru hike by any means...just eat like a pig during your town / resupply stops and you should be ok....
But if you really wanta gain weight..eat lotsa carbs and maybe do some strength training with dead weights and concentrate on building those leg muscles....

[royalusa]

In my opinion, eating "right" while you're hiking and in town would probably be where your major focus should be. Here's an interesting set of articles about eating "right" while undertaking a long distance hike.

http://www.thru-hiker.com/articles/p..._eat_right.php

The articles discuss the mixture of carbs/fat/protein you should have on the trail, what you should eat (or not eat) in town in order to do the best for your body, info on vitamins and minerals, etc. I found it interesting.

[Special-K]

I'm 6 feet 1 inch

[Cabin Fever]

Stop eating Special K. You need to rocking eggs and bacon for breakfast.

[Special-K]

Stop eating Special K. You need to rocking eggs and bacon for breakfast.

HAHA funny you say that. Thats how i got the name. I LOVE special k cereal...also because im not the brightest bulb in the bunch

[Awol1970]

I bet you could chug beers and olive oil and not gain weight.

Many guys here (me included ) wish they had your problem. You have the metabolism of a hummigbird.

I think the key is dialing how much you need to consume while you hike to keep comfortable. I suspect you will just have to carry more food than most. You are twenty...you can handle the weight.

[Blissful]

Might need to also take some nitritional supplements like those shakes. Or you may just be the kind that has to eat numerous times a day. I saw an older guy in '07 who was as skinny as a rail and had to eat three courses for each meal. He was really thin though by PA.

[wrongway_08]

I weighed 170 at the start of my hike. Can eat whatever I want and not gain anything - I had to work at keeping my self at 170.

At the end of my hike I weighed 130. Took me over a year and a half to get a steady 150 - 155 pounds and I have never been able to gain more then that, through eating/lifting - I have stayed at 150-155.

Eat as much as possible in town, down 10,000 calories (easy to do) overnight in towns and carry more food then you care to eat - you will still be lighter then when you started.

[Awol1970]

Of course if Special K would just get rid of that pesky tape worm.

Seriously, I've worked with guys like you. Eat tons. You won't wither and die.

[Special-K]

alright. Sounds good everyone! thanks for the insightful feed back.

[Doc Mike]

Go to GNC and get "Muscle Juice" each 18 oz shake is 1300 cal though my son mixes it double for abut 2600 cal per shake. drink 3 of these each day and you can really put on the weight. btw he has health issues and this is what he does to maintain his weight along with eating 3-4000 cal per day.
So do as he does eat 3-4000 of a balanced diet and then increase an extra 7800 cal for 3 double shakes and your weight will go up.
Doc Mike

[fiddlehead]

Remember: protein builds muscle and carbs provide energy for tomorrow.
If you are in the building stage (muscle-wise) i would advise lots of bacon and eggs and sausage and steak.
Once you are on the trail and in shape (for beginners this usually takes until the 1,000 mile mark), then you will be eating mostly carbs because that's what your body will crave.
Your body craves what it wants.
It's not hard to go with the flow.

I'm around 150 for most of the thru-hikes I start and usually about 5-10 lbs lighter when i finish. I eat a lot.
I don't do anything special beforehand except to try to be in shape when i start.
Most don't however IMO.
That's why they suffer more in the beginning and many quit.

Good luck and have fun. enjoy all the food.

[sbhikes]

Why bother gaining any weight? Once you hit the trail, with your metabolism, you'll lose it all in a few days. Just go hiking. It'll work out fine. You won't shrivel up and die. Well, you will probably shrivel, but you won't die.

[Megapixel]

In my opinion, eating "right" while you're hiking and in town would probably be where your major focus should be. Here's an interesting set of articles about eating "right" while undertaking a long distance hike.

http://www.thru-hiker.com/articles/p..._eat_right.php

The articles discuss the mixture of carbs/fat/protein you should have on the trail, what you should eat (or not eat) in town in order to do the best for your body, info on vitamins and minerals, etc. I found it interesting.

broken link. any update here??? thx!

[ChinMusic]

Weight Gain 4000 "BEEFCAKE!!!!"

[handlebar]

Vitamins won't keep you from using your body fat reserve, though it is a good idea to take a daily multivitamin as your on trail diet will be lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating more calories than you burn will prevent fat loss, though I doubt you'll be able to prevent losing not only your body fat but a lot of upper body muscle mass as well-----at least that's been my experience. At 6', I weighed 147 lbs for years when I was your age. No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to gain weight. Then one summer, I worked in the blast furnace department of a steel plant where the "cafeteria" served up home fries cooked in lard. Ate those as a snack everyday along with three sandwiches and fruit that I had in my lunch bucket. I did gain weight----fat around the middle, to be exact. That wasn't what I had in mind, and I don't recommend it for you. Interestingly, I got down to that same 147 lbs on each of my thru hikes.

Others have recommended a protein supplement and I read in Mr. D's journal that it helped him with weight loss. You will soon discover that you're always hungry, so it won't be a problem to eat a lot in towns. I personally recommend Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

[garlic08]

Why bother gaining any weight? Once you hit the trail, with your metabolism, you'll lose it all in a few days. Just go hiking. It'll work out fine. You won't shrivel up and die. Well, you will probably shrivel, but you won't die.

This is my experience. If I ever manage to gain a pound or two, which is very rare, it's gone in one day of strenuous hiking, skiing, or bicycling. As others have said above, you'll need to eat well, often, and a lot (stress on the "well"--try not to binge).

You may loose whatever upper body muscle tone you have, but that will come back after the hike.

[clicker]

I understand where Special K is coming from. I am 5'9" and weigh around 135 to 140(it kinda fluctuates). I did around a hundred miles in Michigan's UP a couple years back and tried to gain weight before I went. Got up to about 150 and lost it all before the first couple days were over it seemed. Returned home after the trip and weighed 138. And that was over only a week of hiking. The quick metabolism will just burn it off when you hit the trail. Just plan on eating a lot of food in town, carry a lot with you, and concentrate on healthy foods that contain concentrated nutrition and calories.