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Post by johntpenca on Nov 18, 2017 13:12:28 GMT -8
markskor, that's how I deal with it. Have a variety of snackable foods. As said by David upthread, soups can do wonders.I find dried miso soup to be a big plus, but not all agree.
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davesenesac
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Post by davesenesac on Dec 17, 2017 12:14:05 GMT -8
Looking at peakbagger's input again, considering his long mileage, am wondering if he is an impatient fast walking hiker, intent on long distances? Of course many peakbaggers play that game. Just consider the popularity of Bob Burd's Sierra Challenge each summer that is all about that beating others. So am wondering if part of your issue peakbagger, is that you won't allow yourself say mid day to actually stop very long to bother eating a good lunch. Instead stop briefly maybe a few times enroute and notice you don't have an appetite at that moment so immediately decide to get going instead. By the end of a long day and many miles, you've eaten little and instead your digestive system is out of whack because it tends to expect regularity that is also compounded by the unusual strenuous activity your body is dealing with coming down from.
So try this next time. At mid day STOP totally for most of an hour. Don't immediately start into some meal or snacking. Instead let your body normalize somewhat for say 15 minutes by just drinking a little water and then relaxing, laying back eyes closed. After that make a light meal heating boiling water for one of the Lipton instant chicken noodle packages. And then if you feel like eating more do so.
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Post by greymouse on Nov 18, 2018 20:20:57 GMT -8
The wife and I do not get to hike long days due to health reasons but we have noticed that our appetite suffers dramatically when we're aloft in the woods. We prefer real meals versus a dehydrated meal so when it's time to stop and eat then it's a real stop. She doesn't eat breakfast so we have to do a brunch thing. We know that we eat smaller meals but it seems that we always have too much food even though we purposefully pack smaller meals than we did when we first started hiking. She will usually take a seat and read from a book while I (for example) break out the stove and heat some water. Her "Zen" is reading at home and mine is cooking. I relax by making fresh pasta for the spaghetti aglio olio and adding the additional ingredients to the pan while she rests. A good 20-30 min break, a decent meal in our belly, rehydrated, and we are ready to move on.
I have noticed that many people are counting miles and that's great if it's your thing. I go to the woods simply to cook and if the miles add up then so be it. We stop often to observe and enjoy nature at it's best, to hold a short conversation, and catch out breath. It makes for an enjoyable three day hike for us. My days of a heavy pack and 25+ miles in under six hours are long behind me. Perhaps taking a moment during the day such as davesenesac suggest would benefit you and allow your appetite to return as it definitely helps us.
I would like to add that since the OP craves sugary foods then perhaps a small amount of vinegar is in order. Due to my sugar issues I lowered my sugar and carb intake dramatically and found that I craved vinegar instead of the expected sugar. Why ? Because vinegar helps your body to level out or adjust your sugar needs. It also greatly aids in digestion. A shot of apple cider vinegar, a pickle, or pickled meat (sausage, feet, ears) would do the trick perhaps. Increasing digestion will most likely result in increased appetite. Perhaps your ph level in your stomach gets off while hiking due to stress, dehydration, or the meal choices. This can most times be corrected by an intake of vinegar.
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Post by johntpenca on Nov 18, 2018 20:44:30 GMT -8
The wife and I do not get to hike long days due to health reasons but we have noticed that our appetite suffers dramatically when we're aloft in the woods. We prefer real meals versus a dehydrated meal so when it's time to stop and eat then it's a real stop. She doesn't eat breakfast so we have to do a brunch thing. We know that we eat smaller meals but it seems that we always have too much food even though we purposefully pack smaller meals than we did when we first started hiking. She will usually take a seat and read from a book while I (for example) break out the stove and heat some water. Her "Zen" is reading at home and mine is cooking. I relax by making fresh pasta for the spaghetti aglio olio and adding the additional ingredients to the pan while she rests. A good 20-30 min break, a decent meal in our belly, rehydrated, and we are ready to move on. I have noticed that many people are counting miles and that's great if it's your thing. I go to the woods simply to cook and if the miles add up then so be it. We stop often to observe and enjoy nature at it's best, to hold a short conversation, and catch out breath. It makes for an enjoyable three day hike for us. My days of a heavy pack and 25+ miles in under six hours are long behind me. Perhaps taking a moment during the day such as davesenesac suggest would benefit you and allow your appetite to return as it definitely helps us. I would like to add that since the OP craves sugary foods then perhaps a small amount of vinegar is in order. Due to my sugar issues I lowered my sugar and carb intake dramatically and found that I craved vinegar instead of the expected sugar. Why ? Because vinegar helps your body to level out or adjust your sugar needs. It also greatly aids in digestion. A shot of apple cider vinegar, a pickle, or pickled meat (sausage, feet, ears) would do the trick perhaps. Increasing digestion will most likely result in increased appetite. Perhaps your ph level in your stomach gets off while hiking due to stress, dehydration, or the meal choices. This can most times be corrected by an intake of vinegar. That's a great post. Yes, I like to take some balsamic vinegar on the trail. Now I know why. Wife doesn't eat breakfast? I'm not a big fan of breakfast for the first few days, but manage to choke down a bit of gorp or a few Cliff Bar shot blocks for morning energy. If she isn't into breakfast, encourage her to snack a bit in the morning. Just a few nibbles every few minutes does wonders.
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Post by greymouse on Nov 18, 2018 21:27:27 GMT -8
She isn't into breakfast because she sleeps in while I cook lol. The ranscal will "sleep" in while I cook and emerge from her quilts only to feed or for nature calls until the sun hits her tarp. Often she enjoys "breakfast" from the hammock in the morning or if we are base camping she waits until 10am to eat. Coffee is all that she needs (demands lol) when she wakes but she never says no to scrambled eggs and bacon or fried spam sandwiches if they are available when she wakes (after coffee of course). When we bring our spouses we usually hike in and base camp. That allows all of the other hikers to drop their big bags and remove the brains (day hiking packs) to leave for the day and explore to rack up some miles. Those that stay for the day usually read, do camp chores, adjust gear, do a short hike, and/or polish up on bush crafting skills. When the girls are not with us we tend to move and rack up miles each day of the trip without base camping.
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tomas
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Post by tomas on Nov 19, 2018 5:40:31 GMT -8
Add me to the list of people who lose their appetite the first day or so. Soup is my solution.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 19, 2018 6:15:31 GMT -8
Add me to the list of people who lose their appetite the first day or so. Soup is my solution. Soup is excellent. It hydrates, and replaces the salt lost to sweating. I’m willing to bet that those two issues are behind a lot of the appetite loss. Me, I’m still waiting for something to interfere with my appetite
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tomas
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Post by tomas on Nov 19, 2018 14:31:11 GMT -8
Soup is excellent. It hydrates, and replaces the salt lost to sweating. I’m willing to bet that those two issues are behind a lot of the appetite loss. That's my guess as well. It's one reason I try to have a cup of broth when I'm hiking in cold weather while waiting for dinner to finish cooking. And given how dry the air gets here in the mid-Atlantic during the winter dehydration is an issue. Of course it's also an issue in the summer, but that's for totally different reasons.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 19, 2018 16:58:49 GMT -8
Soup is excellent. It hydrates, and replaces the salt lost to sweating. I’m willing to bet that those two issues are behind a lot of the appetite loss. That's my guess as well. It's one reason I try to have a cup of broth when I'm hiking in cold weather while waiting for dinner to finish cooking. And given how dry the air gets here in the mid-Atlantic during the winter dehydration is an issue. Of course it's also an issue in the summer, but that's for totally different reasons. Yes, I think people underestimate their dehydration in winter when they aren’t sweating. Heck, the way the cold makes my nose run, that alone could dehydrate me!
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tomas
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Post by tomas on Nov 20, 2018 6:57:30 GMT -8
Heck, the way the cold makes my nose run, that alone could dehydrate me! Uhm....now that's a picture.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 20, 2018 7:43:17 GMT -8
Uhm....now that's a picture. :D
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bluefish
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Post by bluefish on Nov 20, 2018 14:29:38 GMT -8
That's my guess as well. It's one reason I try to have a cup of broth when I'm hiking in cold weather while waiting for dinner to finish cooking. And given how dry the air gets here in the mid-Atlantic during the winter dehydration is an issue. Of course it's also an issue in the summer, but that's for totally different reasons. Yes, I think people underestimate their dehydration in winter when they aren’t sweating. Heck, the way the cold makes my nose run, that alone could dehydrate me! Case in point, I had some leg cramps this past weekend and my wife some nausea brought about by our first venture out into the white. I don't feel thirsty when it's cold, nor does my wife. I rarely do soup or broth, but that's maybe a cure for our dumb, rookie mistake. My first winter backpacking trip was 40 years ago, you'd think I'd know better.
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Post by johntpenca on Nov 23, 2018 12:29:15 GMT -8
he isn't into breakfast because she sleeps in while I cook lol. The ranscal will "sleep" in while I cook and emerge from her quilts only to feed or for nature calls until the sun hits her tarp. Often she enjoys "breakfast" from the hammock in the morning or if we are base camping she waits until 10am to eat. Coffee is all that she needs (demands lol) when she wakes but she never says no to scrambled eggs and bacon or fried spam sandwiches if they are available when she wakes (after coffee of course). When we bring our spouses we usually hike in and base camp. That allows all of the other hikers to drop their big bags and remove the brains (day hiking packs) to leave for the day and explore to rack up some miles. Those that stay for the day usually read, do camp chores, adjust gear, do a short hike, and/or polish up on bush crafting skills. When the girls are not with us we tend to move and rack up miles each day of the trip without base camping. Sweet! She has you trained. A happy wife makes for a good life.
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Post by greymouse on Nov 23, 2018 16:07:14 GMT -8
Sweet! She has you trained. A happy wife makes for a good life. Rather I have her trained to sit there and eat what I fix her lol. You are correct in that a happy wife makes for a much better time aloft in the woods though. As long as she's happy she tells me to "buy whatever I want but just don't tell her the price" lol. It has worked out very very well for me :D
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Post by cweston on Nov 27, 2018 10:09:42 GMT -8
I'm late to the party...
On high-altitude trips, it is tough for me to get (and keep) down much at all for about the first 3 days. I've learned the most palatable foods (sweets, energy chews and gels, salty snacks like goldfish crackers), and try to supplement those with more beneficial foods like energy bars. I can't just eat them: I keep one or two in my hip belt pocket and nibble at them over the course of the day. I find that I can keep food down much better this way: small bites during the time that I am actually exherting myself and therefore my body wants fuel. I'm also very conservative about meal size: I typically take "lunch" in 2-3 small courses, the last one typically taking place after reaching camp.
I've just made peace with the fact that my ability to eat "real food" for the first 2-3 days at altitude is going to be limited. Unfortunately, this (combined with age) has made me a little more prone to "bonking" after several tough hours of travel.
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