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Calorie Consumption on a Long Distance Hike

1/27/2013

11 Comments

 
This post is part of a series called Hiking by the Numbers.  During our hike on the AT, I kept track of all kinds of statistics like calorie consumption, number of wild animals, nights spent in the tent and more.  To read all of the posts in the category, click here. 

The other night I was out with a few hiker friends from this past year and the topic turned to food.  And as it does with any former thru-hikers, we quickly started lamenting about the days when we used to be able to eat anything we wanted and still lose weight.  We weren't whining about getting older and having a slower metabolism (although I could), we were whining about not being on the trail anymore. 

You see, when you are hiking 12-20 miles a day for months at a time, you tend to burn more calories than you consume.  And you tend to be able to eat anything that you want, even the crappy processed food, without gaining any weight.  I'd say it's a miracle, but it's not.  You're just working out for 8-10 hours a day which is insane by any normal person's definition, but completely normal on the trail.
Being the every curious little nerd that I am, I wanted to track my calorie consumption on the trail.  I've actually been tracking my calories for years now so it wasn't much of a pain to track them on the trail.  I use a phone app called Lose It and it's really easy to log your food and exercise. 
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www.loseit.com
Below are the average calories for the days on the trail (i.e. the days we were not staying in a town).  We averaged 12-16 miles of hiking a day.  Some days were less and some days were more, but in general we were hiking for 8-10 hours a day.  I'm a vegetarian female so these numbers may be a little lower than a male hiker, but you get an idea of how your calorie intake will change as time goes by.

It seems like during my initial days I ate a good amount while my body got over the shock of climbing mountains every day.  In month two my hiker hunger hadn't fully kicked in yet, so I took in a little bit less food, probably because my body was used to hiking and no longer freaking out.  Then month 3 happened.  Month 3 is when my views on food shifted and I was always hungry.  Even after I finished a meal, I was hungry again 20 minutes later.  That, my friends, is hiker hunger.
Pre-Trail
Consumed (Food):  1600
Burned (Exercise): 400
Weeks 1-3
Consumed (Food): 2227
Burned (Exercise): 3201
Month 2
Consumed (Food): 1966
Burned (Exercise): 3374
Months 3+
Consumed (Food): 3067
Burned (Exercise): 3954

Below are the average numbers for when were in town.  As you can see, I ate like a linebacker.  Zero shame.  I still remember the first time that I finished my entire 16" pizza before Serial finished his.  That was...special. 

We typically spent one day in town before heading back to the woods so even with my non-stop cupcake and pizza party in town, I still ended each week in a deficit of about 2,000 calories.  See why we still yearn for those good ole days? 
Weeks 1-3
Consumed (Food): 3754
Burned (Exercise): 954
Months 2+
Consumed (Food): 5051
Burned (Exercise): 1201
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I also thought you might be interested in what I was eating.  I'm a creature of habit and don't mind eating the same thing every day so it's pretty easy for me to lay out what I ate on the trail.  The first few weeks were different than the rest of the time (mostly because I learned that sugar and junk made me feel terrible so I switched to nuts, dried fruit and healthier bars), but aside from that I was pretty consistent. 

Once I figured out the system that worked best for me I stopped being excited about food on the trail.  It was just fuel for the hiking and I definitely enjoyed eating, but it wasn't a gorge fest like it was in town.  I was all about how to get the highest number of healthy calories for the least amount of weight.  When I got to town though, that was a free for all. 
Pre-Trail
Breakfast: Oatmeal or Smoothie & Coffee
Lunch: Salad & Veggie Burger or Omelet
Snacks: Apples & PB or Yogurt
Dinner: Couscous, Veggie Burger or Tofu
Weeks 1-3
Breakfast: Granola Bars & Coffee
Lunch 1: Avocado & Cheese Sandwich
Lunch 2: Granola Bars & Chocolate
Snacks: Granola Bars
Dinner: Lipton Side Pasta & Chocolate
Months 2+
Breakfast: Raw Revolution Bars, Pop-Tarts and/or Donuts & Coffee
Lunch & Snacks: Huge Ziploc Bag of Nuts, Dried Fruit and PB M&Ms  (I snacked on it all day long)
Dinner: Couscous, Raw Garlic and Cheese with Mama Garlic Seasoning & Riesens Chocolate Candy
(You can read more details in this post)
In Town
Breakfast: Egg and Cheese Biscuits, Yogurt, Fruit & Coffee
Lunch & Snacks: Chex Mix, Cupcakes, Cheese/Crackers, Fruit
Dinner: Pizza & More Cupcakes

I hope this was helpful, or at the very least interesting.  People are often curious what it's like to eat on the trail and my non-hiker friends are always fascinated by the sheer amount of food that I could eat at once.  And to wrap this all up with a giggle... I give you a snapshot of what's like when you do get your hands on some town food.  Chris Farley gets it.
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If you like what you read, I would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps me create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS! 
11 Comments
Aquone Hostel link
1/27/2013 07:19:44 am

Great article, lots of useful information. I would calculate 1,000 calories every 5 miles on my 2010 thru-hike, this worked for me, I stopped counting days worth and focused on calorie intake. Wiggy 2010

Reply
Jill link
1/27/2013 11:15:38 pm

Thank you! I'm intrigued by the "calories per mile" logic vs the "calories per hour" logic. I had 3 different settings on my tracker, for different levels of exertion but for the middle setting (typical up and down the mountains day) mine broke down to about 500 calories per hour which would have been 1000 calories for 5 miles, assuming I kept my 2.5 mph average.

Thanks for the comment and for sharing, Wiggy! You guys run a great hostel and I'm definitely planning to come for a cabin getaway once we move back to the area.

Reply
Aquone Hostel link
1/27/2013 11:56:21 pm

Jill,

This is an outstanding blog, I could use the words 'Sports Science', the class of 2013 will get so much out of this, and we've decided to put this as a link on our website. You take the reader, from calculating the body reserves in the early stages into how to combat the calorie deficits once this is depleted. 185 lbs. to 135 lbs. in my case at 900 miles, I had to gain 20 lbs. or I would not make the end. Finish weight, 157 lbs. Wiggy

Jill link
1/29/2013 02:24:48 am

Thanks, Wiggy! I appreciate it! :-)

Jordana link
1/27/2013 09:45:46 pm

Thanks for all of this detailed info! I've been hearing a lot about 6,000 and 7,000 calorie/day diets, but I figured those number had to be quoted by male hikers. It's great to finally come across a female perspective. I also read your post from 6/22/12...I've never heard of powdered hummus. Was it easily accessible on the trail? What brand was common?

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Jill link
1/27/2013 11:21:31 pm

I'm so glad that you found it helpful! I read those numbers on white blaze a lot too and always think "dang, if I was burning 6000 a day there is no way I could carry enough food to survive!" I think you're right, it had to be male numbers, if they are accurate at all.

The powdered hummus was hit or miss, but in the larger grocery stores they usually had a health food section that contained the brand Fantastic Foods which carried powdered vegetarian meals. They are awesome and I got really excited every time I saw them. Here's their product list - http://www.fantasticfoods.com/productlist.aspx?catid=Entrees+and+Side+Dishes

I'd say I saw them about half the time for resupply, but the packages are large so I often bought a package and it would last me 2-3 resupply points so I almost always had hummus or falafel mix with me. Hope this helps!!

Reply
Jordana link
1/30/2013 12:06:15 am

It definitely helps. Thanks!

Aquone Hostel link
1/28/2013 12:10:00 am

Sorry about the repeated posts, I was getting an error message to 'repost' Wiggy

Reply
Jill link
1/29/2013 02:26:44 am

No worries! I deleted the extras :-)

Reply
Jillian
1/29/2013 12:42:43 am

Interesting post. Although I am not much of a hiker (unless there is bacon involved) it is good information to know. The next time you polish off a pizza before your dude, take a picture of his face. I am sure that look was priceless. Cheers & beers!!!

Reply
Jill link
1/29/2013 02:26:06 am

Haha, I know! He had actually only finished half of his and put the pizza down so I assumed he ate all of his too. We were both shocked when we realized that I ate all of mine! Classic moment.

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    I'm a Chicago girl who loves the outdoors and everything DIY.  He's an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and addicted to nature.  Follow us as we share our experiences with home projects, recipes and hiking with our energetic Weimaraner, Rooney.

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