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  1. #1

    Talking Fat man in a tiny coat

    I'm starting to ponder a thru hike again. I was planning a thru in 2010, but logistically it never worked out. My brother did a SOBO thru-hike in 2010, and had me jealous the whole time. I was able to meet up along the way, but alas, I want to hike. So the plus side of me hiking this upcoming season would be that I can use all of his gear, and I have someone that close to me who can give me all the tips and support I need. I'm currently unemployed (would have to sell my car to do the hike), so I have the time. The downside is that I'm fat. Like 5'10 260lbs fat. I get my jogs in, but I have fairly regular joint pain, and have never really hiked more than a 15 mile weekend. Any of you out there as big as I am? Obviously I'm gonna wanna lose some of the poundage before I embark, but I eat like a rhino.
    “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

  2. #2
    Registered User bert304's Avatar
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    First off 5' 10" tall and 260 is not that big in my opinion. I am 6' and 260. To slow down the joint pain I take osteobiflex, I also eat dried cherries during my hikes. A 15 mile weekend is not bad, it is two 7.5 mile days. The longer you hike on your thru you will gain miles everyday, just don't put a time frame on your self. Take frequent breaks or slow down your pace.

  3. #3

    Default

    Thanks for the encouragement! I heard cherries were good for gout, is that why you take them? Also, is osteobiflex OTC?
    “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

  4. #4

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    I am 5'6" and 240lbs and like to think that I am horizontaly endowed. lol
    You should be fine if you don't push it in the beginning. Just walk comfortaby until you are ready to stop...take breaks...don't worry about miles. You will lose weight and get stronger everyday...just don't injure yourself trying to hike someone elses hike.

    geek

  5. #5

    Default

    I saw a couple trail journals where guys started real fat, and didn't end up much thinner. I know that you gorge on foods when you're in town, but even my brother lost over 40lbs on his thru. How could one manage to hike 2000+ miles and not lose a significant amount of weight I wonder? Hmm..
    “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nomaderwhat View Post
    I'm starting to ponder a thru hike again. I was planning a thru in 2010, but logistically it never worked out. My brother did a SOBO thru-hike in 2010, and had me jealous the whole time. I was able to meet up along the way, but alas, I want to hike. So the plus side of me hiking this upcoming season would be that I can use all of his gear, and I have someone that close to me who can give me all the tips and support I need. I'm currently unemployed (would have to sell my car to do the hike), so I have the time. The downside is that I'm fat. Like 5'10 260lbs fat. I get my jogs in, but I have fairly regular joint pain, and have never really hiked more than a 15 mile weekend. Any of you out there as big as I am? Obviously I'm gonna wanna lose some of the poundage before I embark, but I eat like a rhino.
    My advice would be that if you truly want to try your hand at thru-hiking, and it has been a dream for a while to do so, then do it. Start out slow, take your time, and as you begin to get in better and better shape, you will naturally gain strength and confidence as you make progress. In my opinion, however, you need to attempt to get out now as often as possible with the gear you intend to take for the trip and start hiking with your pack as often as possible. A complete physical checkup with a doctor would also be something you may want to consider. I believe it would be good to train by including some steep long climbs, if possible, and begin to hike them regularly. There are many overweight people who go out and attempt thru-hikes, some are successful, others aren't. Just remember, the beginning (if hiking Northbound) down in Georgia and N. Carolina is going to be a kicker And plan to have enough money for your hike to be successful, somewhere around $5000 would be good. The only thing I don't know about in your situation is the "fairly regular joint pain" that you experience. If I was you, I would really attempt to make an honest assessment of this as to wether or not a thru-hike will be truly feasible for yourself. If you feel you can successfully deal with the joint pain issues while undergoing something as strenuous as thru-hiking, then go. But thru-hiking is very strenuous and can be hard on the joints. And the only other reservation I have about you is when you say you are currently unemployed and will have to sell your car to do the hike. Maybe this is not such a good thing to do. You will need a vehicle when you get back. Finding work without having the means to get there will be fruitless. Anyway, I remember reading about a guy who was also overweight and wanted to thru-hike who posted a thread similar to yours you may find interesting:http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...fat-guy-please He also had a journal he was keeping online. Although he wasn't totally successful in his thru-hike, he did go and you may find it interesting:http://postholer.com/journal/viewJou...8&event_id=941 Good Luck

  7. #7

    Default

    The better shape your in when you start a thru-hike, the more enjoyable it will be and the better the chances of sticking with it. Since your unemployed, there is no excues not to be going outside every day and being active. Do as much walking as possible - walk everywhere. Pretend you don't have a car, in fact, sell your car now. Walk to the supermarket. Get a bike and ride that too. Go to the beach and swim. Heck, your in Tampa, no lack of walking and bike paths around there.

    If you eat out at fast food, stop it! Just eliminating fast food as a regular part of your diet will make a huge difference. Literally. It will also save a ton of money. Fast food isn't exactly cheap anymore.

    You have about 5 months to whip yourself into shape - go to it boy!
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  8. #8

    Default

    I'm flying up north for a couple weeks to see some friends and family. Once I return to Florida, and Christmas is over, I have a lot of decisions to make. Money is certainly an issue to consider, but I'm single with no children and don't have to spend for gear. I'm sure there are many people who wish they had as much freedom. If I'm suppose to do this thru-hike, I will. If I'm supposed to hike for 4 weeks, and then fly out to live with a friend in Colorado like I had been contemplating, then I'll do that. As for my weight, I've been going for long walks, and hittin' the gym, but I can't imagine any of that prepping me for a hike in the mountains. Florida unfortunately doesn't have those. Are any of you guys hitting the trail this year? **side note** I guess the question I should've originally posted is "How many of you fatties have finished a thru-hike?" haha.
    “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

  9. #9
    Registered User Juice's Avatar
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    Like others have said, don't let the weight be an issue. Just listen to your body, the only person I compete with should be myself. I used to weigh 270 some years ago and have gotten my weight down substantially since then. As far as some hikers not loosing any weight over the course of their hike, the only thing that comes to mind is IME the higher pounds were easy to come off. When it comes to losing the last 15 or 20 it becomes another matter entirely. It's possible those hikers were fairly thin to begin with. But then again, everyone's body is a little different.

  10. #10
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    Nomaderwhat, I'm kind of in the same boat as you. 5'9 260 lbs, and wanting to attempt a thru hike this coming spring. I started training a couple months ago with the intentions of getting in better shape and losing some of my extra weight. Plantar Fasciitis put the kibosh on that. After getting custom orthotics, I believe my foot pain is behind me and I am about to start out slow with the training again. I'm not going to be anywhere close to being in good shape come the time I leave Springer. My plan is to start slow and not push it. If I start out putting up five mile days, so be it. As long as I am on the trail, it's all good. Any day out on the trail with aches and pains is better than sitting in a cubicle dreaming of being out on the trail (for me at least).

  11. #11
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    BTW- given the title of the thread, your trail name should be Farley........just throwing that out there.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Flounder940 View Post
    BTW- given the title of the thread, your trail name should be Farley........just throwing that out there.
    Haha, that was why I named it that, I'm not quite as big as he was, but sometimes I feel like I am. If I do this hike, I'll be sure to keep "Farley" in mind for a trail name. Anyways, yeah man.. when I was gonna do this hike last time, I had major foot issues (look at my old posts from 2010). I wasn't sure if it was gout (what the doctors think), or maybe something else. Good news is that I haven't had a flare up or serious foot pain in a couple years.. but then again, I haven't done any major hiking either. I started reading a trail journal that "DapperD" mentioned above, about a real big guy hitting the trails. He basically did real small miles for the first few weeks, without any major issues it seemed. But then his journal stopped. So maybe he never finished? But he was like 375. I get around just fine, the only thing I worry about is my feet and knees. I can suffer through pain for sure, but I don't want to tear anything in my first week ya know? I imagine the pain of flying home with my tail between my legs would be the worst pain of all. I have no intention of telling people I'm a thru-hiker until I damn well am one!
    “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nomaderwhat View Post
    Haha, that was why I named it that, I'm not quite as big as he was, but sometimes I feel like I am. If I do this hike, I'll be sure to keep "Farley" in mind for a trail name. Anyways, yeah man.. when I was gonna do this hike last time, I had major foot issues (look at my old posts from 2010). I wasn't sure if it was gout (what the doctors think), or maybe something else. Good news is that I haven't had a flare up or serious foot pain in a couple years.. but then again, I haven't done any major hiking either. I started reading a trail journal that "DapperD" mentioned above, about a real big guy hitting the trails. He basically did real small miles for the first few weeks, without any major issues it seemed. But then his journal stopped. So maybe he never finished? But he was like 375. I get around just fine, the only thing I worry about is my feet and knees. I can suffer through pain for sure, but I don't want to tear anything in my first week ya know? I imagine the pain of flying home with my tail between my legs would be the worst pain of all. I have no intention of telling people I'm a thru-hiker until I damn well am one!
    Yeah, I figured you might find it interesting to read his journal. He is a really big guy, and decided to try thru-hiking. I think he made it to just past the GSMNP. What was interesting was how the first beginning days were described by him as being exhausting and nearly "pure torture" hiking in the rain on the second day out. This really goes to show that the beginning days are tough. Being in decent shape pays big dividends in the beginning of the hike. I think since you are from Florida, unless you can get to somewhere where you can climb some actual mountains to prepare for your hike, it might be wise to work out on a stair master or something similar in order to try to condition yourself for the climbs. Being unprepared for long, step mountainous climbs will definately be a shock if you are not ready for it.

  14. #14
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    I would back off on the jogging. Nice thing about being overweight is that you can get into the zone with walking alone. A heart rate monitor should confirm this. Make up for the lack of hills in Florida by taking stairs where you can, as part of your day to day living. Walk up escalators if there is nobody in front of you. If you do any strength training you should be able to focus on the upper body, as your lower body should already be getting a pretty decent workout. Try and walk regularly, 1-2 hours a day, and more on hikes. Maybe introduce some jogging as your weight comes down, like maybe 30min per week for every 10 pounds you drop below 250, but your heart rate monitor should indicate when that becomes neccessary.

    Using the Heart Rate Monitor:
    1. Assume your maximum heart rate, MaxHR, is 190, given your age, until you can test it safely.
    2. Test your resting heart rate, MinHR, in the morning. It will be high until you lose more weight.

    For burning lots of calories, if you have the time, just do lots and lots of walking. At 260 you will likely find your heart rate quite elevated just by walking, even without hills. I would guess you would be up to at least 50% of your VO2 Max, or Heart Rate Reserve. 60-80% is ideal for endurance training, but 50-60% is great for burning calories and laying a foundation for endurance training because you can do so much more exercise, if you have the time. Enjoy your walks. Go on weekday or weekend hikes when you have the time.

    If your resting heart rate is 80, and your max is 190, your heart rate reserve is 110.
    You will be at 50% of your heart rate reserve at 80 + 50% x 110 = 135.
    You will probably hit that just with walking. Just average it over your 1 or 2 hour walk.
    If its less than that, as you lose weight, throw in a minute of light jogging now and then.

  15. #15
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    Try the zone diet, which is 30% protien, 40% carbs, and 30% fat. I think it is too high in protien, unless you are losing weight, but it is a great diet while you are losing weight. If limit your eating to only 2000 kcal for every 3000 kcal you burn, then the zone diet becomes 20% protien, 27% carbohydrates, and 53% fats as percentages of the calories burned, because the extra 1000 kcal is coming from your body fat. Since the vast majority of your calories will be burned at less than 60% Heart Rate Reserve, you should be burning twice as much fat as carbohydrates, so the carbs do need to be limited to accommodate this, and your blood sugar and food cravings will be greatly reduced if you limit the carbohydrates to no more than the body needs to burn. Good luck with that, because I'm still trying to make this work myself. Not saying it is easy. Try to learn the difference between feeling hungry and actually needing food. It is tempting to over eat on long walks, but it is seldom neccessary. If you are not losing weight, you are eating too much. Plot your daily weight each morning, and watch the trend over several days. Cheers.

  16. #16
    Registered User Hoofit's Avatar
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    Hey there Nomad, you ain't fat, you're obese!!!
    Just kidding, hey man, do the trail, you'll never regret it and you will lose plenty of that lard, no madderwhat...
    I was out of work when I set off in 2010 and made it to Penn., before the Lyme Disease wiped me out. So I am going back in March to continue/complete the hike. I spend everyday thinking about it .
    I also was 250 pounds and 5 feet 11 inches, pretty similar and got down to 200 pounds in three months! And ate tons of snicker bars along the way.Isn't it great. You too can pig out and lose weight at the same time!!!
    As for prior exercise, do lots of walking and backpack with thirty pounds or so in the pack.
    Jogging can really put a strain on those knees so limit that to one/perhaps two days a week.
    You'll find that as you lose weight, your knees will start to hurt less.
    Of course, there is no fitness substitute for hiking other than, you guessed it , hiking, particularly the hilly side of hiking.
    Good luck with it...

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoofit View Post
    Hey there Nomad, you ain't fat, you're obese!!!
    Correct, BUT as per my BMI.. I am not yet "Morbidly" obese. Which means there is a whole other rung of fatties that I'm not a part of. Ha! Joking aside, it's hard for me to get my heart rate up from -walking- at this point because of the jogging and lifting I have been doing. I'm more burly than lard-ass. But the knee thing is for real, so I think I am going to cut out the jogs and stick with the long walks. I do belong to a gym, so I'll throw in some elevation on the treadmill. Hey Hoofit, you just had to go and throw the whole Lyme Disease thing out there. That's scary, how did you know you had gotten it while you were hiking? Did you wear a hat? Yikes.
    “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” -Robert Louis Stevenson

  18. #18
    . stonedflea's Avatar
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    i had to sell my truck to hike this year, and depending on what kind of vehicle you have and what asking price you've got set on it, i would recommend giving it at least eight weeks to sell. you may get really lucky, but i had a f150 with a 30 gal. tank i was trying to sell back when gas was almost $4/gal, so no one was really in the market to buy a gas guzzler. i had planned on starting April 1, but had to push my start date back almost 3 wks because of finances in dealing with selling my truck. just a heads up of something to think about that isn't trail related but can have an impact on your hike.

    and i'm not going to say, "don't worry about your weight," because obviously, the more you lose, the healthier you'll be, but as far as your weight ending your hike, i don't think it will. just start out slow! a TON of hikers that i know just did 8 miles their first day out. i met a guy my second night out on the shelter who had started at springer that day. he was wearing a knee brace by the time he reached neels gap. don't rush, take plenty of breaks, and you'll be fine. i was passed by many people each day when i was taking a snack break on the side of the trail with my socks & shoes off.

    perhaps take glucosamine supplements like someone else suggested?

    and i took advantage of really nice streams whenever i could by taking a nice, long break with my shoes and socks off and soaking my feet. i swear, if you take a 30 minute break and take the time to take your shoes off and soak your feet somewhere, you'll feel like a brand new person when you put your socks and shoes back on.
    "i ain't got a dime
    but what i got is mine
    i ain't rich,
    but Lord, i'm free."

  19. #19
    Registered User corialice81's Avatar
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    Default fat people can finish the trail

    I was a fatty pre-thru and finished! I lost over 50 lbs on my thru and I've been able to keep it off for the last two years.

    I didn't set out on the AT in an effort to lose weight. In fact, I never even stepped on a scale until I returned home.

    I focused on fun and friendships and MOST IMPORTANTLY, I listened to my body. I started out SLOW with a ridiculous amount of breaks. I would not allow myself to go over 12 miles/day for the first three weeks. I never ever was concerned with what I was eating just that I packed out enough food until the next resupply.

    With this being said, I would try to drop as much weight as possible before the hike just to make the experience as pleasant as possible (especially at the end of the day) and reduce risk of injury. Also, WALK and WALK and WALK and WALK and make sure you WALK with the pack weight you intend to carry.

    I did experience knee pain early on (runner's knee) but I elevated my knee at night, took vit I, iced/heated, and it slowly went away. I also took glucosamine and chondroitin throughout the hike in drink mixes and had no permanent injury. I also used hiking poles, which saved my knees. I talk about my ailments in my journal: www.trailjournals.com/corialice.

    Good luck!

  20. #20

    Default The hike is just a hike......................

    Most Americans are fat, by any other nation's standards, and we tend to look at other people who have worse trouble than we have with weight problems and comfort ourselves by saying in our heads, "Well, at least I'm not as fat (overweight, portly, chunky -add your favorite P.C. word) as he/she is." This is a dangerous self-delusion. Fwiw, I'm 5'10-1/2" and weigh 220 lbs. (a little less when I pay attention to what I'm eating - and that's exactly the problem - I eat what I want, when I want!!!). Before this changes (and it has, slowly), I will have all the problems that come with being FAT (I'm not afraid to use that word about myself). I have knee and ankle pain from time to time (one knee had been hit by a car when I was 19 and has never been the same), I've experienced gout symptoms in the big toe four times in the past year and one time in the knee, and I'm on 10mg. Linisopril for high blood pressure. I have flat feet, too, which usually results to soreness there, too.
    Something HAS to change (and I'd be fooling myself if I thought that "getting away from my current life" is change enough). It's finally gotten through my thick skull that a DAILY change of diet is in order (and LONG overdue). I've cut down drastically on foods which can trigger (in bold, because they really don't cause gout) gout attacks, have begun to actually stop myself from eating too much AND too often.
    Op and others, do yourself a favor and take an honest checkup from the neck up to see what needs to change in your life to make it a better, longer, and happier one.
    YOU matter.
    The hike is just a hike.
    Last edited by Tinker; 12-05-2011 at 14:09. Reason: extensive revision and correction
    As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11

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