Calorie deficit to save weight. :)

Willian Seagraves:

""https://www.google.com/search?q=how+high+altitudes+affect+food+metablism"

Some interesting references there, …"

Yes … do your research.

I'm been at 8K feet for 2 months now and I'm hiking up and back to 14.2K in one day. When there is less snow I will be doing other hikes.

I've done my research and nutrition and altitude is an interesting topic. I highly recommend anyone going up research hydration and nutrition. Not doing that could be dangerous. Altitude sickness is deadly. Dehydration can lead to poor decision making, cold extremities, and contribute to hypothermia.

Everyone knows the importance of eating enough and properly. But, at altitude it is even more important. I knew a guy who was on ski patrol and he said he ate a stick of butter to insure he had enough calories along with other nutrients.

Focusing only on weight before and after a trek doesn't really tell us much. What we need do know is the percentage of body fat. If a person starts off at 200lbs and 15% body fat and returns 200lbs but 20% body fat tells us much more.

"I'm been at 8K feet for 2 months now and I'm hiking up and back to 14.2K in one day. When there is less snow I will be doing other hikes.

I've done my research and nutrition and altitude is an interesting topic. I highly recommend anyone going up research hydration and nutrition. Not doing that could be dangerous. Altitude sickness is deadly. Dehydration can lead to poor decision making, cold extremities, and contribute to hypothermia.

Everyone knows the importance of eating enough and properly. But, at altitude it is even more important. I knew a guy who was on ski patrol and he said he ate a stick of butter to insure he had enough calories along with other nutrients.

Focusing only on weight before and after a trek doesn't really tell us much. What we need do know is the percentage of body fat. If a person starts off at 200lbs and 15% body fat and returns 200lbs but 20% body fat tells us much more."

Hi Paul,

I suspect many of the folks following this thread are familiar with the general info you mention, but your 2 months at 8K with frequent hikes to 14K could yield a wealth of detailed info, albeit from only one individual. Would you be willing to share it with us? Diet, hydration, weight loss/gain/stability, rates/frequency of ascent, any AMS, body composition changes, if known? It isn't often we potentially have access to this kind of data; I, for one, would be very interested in looking it over and relating it to my own personal experience. Lots to be learned here.

Thanks,

Tom

Tom,
There is a huge amount of info required to safely hike Colorado 14ers in Winter like conditions.
I'd suggest those interested in beginning to learn to go to:
http://www.14ers.com

Some notes:
I'm 58 & go it alone
How often I go up depends up how fast I can recover and the weather.

I know to keep hydrated yet – I got a bad case of constipation from not enough water

I lost about 3" in my waist line. I don't have any other measurements. I eat even if I don't feel hungry.

Conditions are always changing – sometimes I carry snow shoes, crampons and ice axe.

Yesterday I got up at 5am and to the trail head at 6:45a
Breakfast – 2 pop tarts, 2 clif bars, 40 ounces of liquids.
On the trail I drank 3 liters of water and a mix of gorp and Power Bars. When I got back I had 2 beers, 10oz of hamburger, cheese and almonds.

I got back to the trail head at 7pm and did not get to the top. I was about 300 vertical feet from the top. There is a lot of bolder scrambling that take time and I knew I couldn't get back before sunset. So I went up about 5,000 vertical feet over 4 miles.

Why so slow? There was snow on the whole route and I was breaking the trail. Every step after a certain point was I sank into the snow by about 4".

This time I carried snow shoes but never used them. I carry enough equipment to survive one night in the mts (I hope) – personal location beacon, cell phone (works in certain levels) emergency bivey, emergency meds and a canister stove. I stop to cook some freeze dried eggs and bacon this time.

A person does need to know about avalanche danger, weather, lighting, hydration, nutrition and equipment.

I hope this helps to get people interested in learning more.

PS – I used the Reflextic pouch for cooking, MSR folding spoon and SOTO OD1r stove.

PPS – some people have estimated that they burn 400 – 500 calories per hour during winter hiking a 14er.

"Some notes:
I'm 58 & go it alone
How often I go up depends up how fast I can recover and the weather.

I know to keep hydrated yet – I got a bad case of constipation from not enough water

I lost about 3" in my waist line. I don't have any other measurements. I eat even if I don't feel hungry.

Conditions are always changing – sometimes I carry snow shoes, crampons and ice axe.

Yesterday I got up at 5am and to the trail head at 6:45a
Breakfast – 2 pop tarts, 2 clif bars, 40 ounces of liquids.
On the trail I drank 3 liters of water and a mix of gorp and Power Bars. When I got back I had 2 beers, 10oz of hamburger, cheese and almonds."

Thanks for the info, Paul. Sounds like you do some serious hiking out there.

400-500 calories is not surprising for winter hiking. Or a lot of 3 season hiking for that matter, IME.

…

I hope he is OK