Food for thought

[Adk_dib]

I usually am not great for eating right, but I do try to do some pasta one or two nights before a long hike. I usually skip breakfast before work becouse my stomach is very sensitive and I feel naucious in the mourning. I never skip breakfast anymore the day of a hike. One day I was going to do a small mountain and figured I didn't need breakfast. When I got to trailhead I saw sign for Mckensie and moose (Mckensie 2000'). I figured why not. Well I bonked on the way up and had to turn around on first false summit. I could see Mckensie summit but no way was I going to try. After that I force myself to eat even though I feel lousy. I will take food in the car and eat on the way to the hike after my stomach calms down. I never want to feel like that again when I am 4-5 miles from my car. I had to go back next year to finish the hike becouse I couldn't cross it of my list officially until I went "all the way"! I ate a good breakfast and pounded it. what a difference when you have enough fuel. Great hike by the way.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I..... I ate a good breakfast and pounded it. what a difference when you have enough fuel. .......

In general, I don't care about what I eat when hiking. What I eat at other times covers me.

I've found that, by regular long endurance things (such as 150 mile bike rides, 30-40 mile XC-ski trips), I've trained my body to run off its reserves. I particularly remember one bike ride (120 miles), where I had a croissant for breakfast, and an apple and handful of gummy bears for the ride (plus lots of water). The evening before I didn't eat well either (but I did drink well). There is no way that the food I had eaten within the previous 24 hours could have fueled my ride.

I'm convinced that, by eating well regularly, and regular endurance "things" that it is not necessary to eat well while doing something.

 

[giggy]

If you're going to drink beer (and why wouldnt you? ) Guinness is a good choice. There's less calories in a Guinness Draught than there is in a 12 oz can of Budweiser.

thats cool - b/c I had about 12 yesterday.

 

[brianW]

My grandmother always said "evrything in moderation", she lived 'til she was 90, walked on average 5 miles a day, and for one stretch didn't see a doctor for 45 years (til the last 3 years of her wonderful life). It worked for her and I hope it will work for me, but I won't skip the doctors appointment.

That aside, the more you cook from scratch the better and probally healthier it is.

 

[nartreb]

I'm pretty particular about what I eat; I like to do my own cooking so I'm in control of my food.

But this has absolutely nothing to do with what most Americans consider "healthy eating"; my diet is heavy on steak, carbohydrates, cream sauces, butter, and salt. I don't worry about gaining weight (except from time to time I make sure I'm doing enough heavy lifting to keep my weight up), and I certainly don't worry about cholesterol. I'll trade a few months off my life for a four-egg omelette with ham and cheese every time, but even if I cared about longevity, the studies I've seen show I get almost no benefit from starting a low-cholesterol diet now as opposed to later or never.

And I agree with Pete (though I'm not remotely in his league): if you train for it you can do most anything with no food at all.