Low calorie backpacking
 

I am going backpacking July 1-5. Yay! I am excited. However, I am also in a quandary about food. I have been eating about 1200 calories per day, or more specifically my ipod now wants me to eat 1167. I need to start figuring out what to bring to eat. Does anyone have any ideas? I will be hiking ten miles per day, so I guess maybe it won't matter if I go over a bit but I would rather not. The other requirements are that it be small and light and not require much prep onsite. For example I was thinking instant oatmeal for breakfast. Oh, and obviously nothing that will go bad in my pack. What should I bring to have for lunch that will not involve pulling out my little stove, and what for dinner that won't need more than boiling water and a pot to cook?

IMO it's unrealistic to think you can go backpacking for 5 days and only eat 1200 calories a day. That is too low for your level of activity, and you are liable to cause a weight loss stall. My version of FitDay says that you could be burning hundreds of calories hiking ten miles a day--like, around 1500, and that's not counting your basal metabolic rate.

If I were you I would plan to take a lot of calorie-dense and high-protein foods, like trail mix, energy/protein bars, packets of tuna (not cans), etc. You also need more than instant oatmeal for breakfast! Are you also carrying your own water? You'll need plenty of that.

Have you gone backpacking before?

Jay

I really don't have any suggestions, but I wanted to say that 1167 is NOT enough calories for anyone. No way! 1200 really isn't a good idea either. Sure you might lose weight now on such a low calorie diet, but what happens when the losing stops? You can't go any lower if you are already at the lowest. And if you are going to be hiking ten miles a day you need WAY more calories than 1200!

1200 CAN be enough--it depends on each person according to their own needs.

However, 1200 isn't enough for your backpacking excursion. I think your calories need to be seriously increased for that trip--maybe jerky and trail mix would be good options. Maybe you should just plan to eat tiny bits every couple of hours and see how you are feeling during the trip. Remember your water! It sounds like a blast. Let us know how it goes!

I've always enjoyed PBJs and/or fluffernutters when hiking. They pack well, are light, contain protein, and are still good if they get smushed in your pack.

Also, bags of trail mix - lots of nuts, raisins, coconut, dried fruit, chocolate chips - or whatever you like to add. I really do not enjoy salami/beef log/slim jim type of stuff - but lots of friends I know pack that for the trail. Laughing cow cheeses would be good - smush them (unopened) into film canisters so they don't get crushed. Apples...

I know, the 1167 does seem low and I am a little concerned that it keeps dropping, so I am mentally keeping 1200 in mind. It's been a month now and I have lost 15 lbs and gained some muscle, though, and I feel tired but not weak or even cranky, so I am guessing that number is fine for me. I have been backpacking before a few times and found that I tend not to be hungry enough for traditional trail meals but then I eat them so as to leave no trace and feel icky and overfull. Since I am dieting I would rather have a better plan.

Oh, and I will be carrying water but not five days worth because I have a filter.

Also: I am totally willing to eat more calories that week, just not as many as the foods from, say, backpackers pantry would give me. They are geared more for those strong, skinny backpacking guys that really need about 3 million calories when they are just sitting still. I just don't need that.

I second tuna packets, trail mix and granola bars. I also have a really nice divided food compartment that I carry in my back pack when I bike to work full of fruit so it doesn't get smashed though fruit can be heavy. Packets of dried soup mix might also be nice for when you get there and have water. Also they make fruit jerky like meat jerky.

Of course I've gone camping but never actually gone backpacking or long distance hiking. How does it work? Do you come back to the same spot every night or get a new camp ground ever night? I'm curious. I can always use more fun excercise. :)

My usual backpacking lunch is a pita stuffed with a packet of flavored tuna and some mayonnaise and mustard (those packets you can get at some restaurants so no refrigeration needed) accompanied by some dried fruit or trail mix.

I like granola or energy bars for breakfast, sometimes one of those freeze dried breakfast egg/potato/sausage mixes that Backpackers Pantry or Mountain House make. Their cereal is pretty good too, although you could do the same thing cheaper by carrying generic cereal and powdered milk. The freeze dried strawberries make it for me. (look for freeze dried fruit in the baby food section of your local supermarket)

I've usually gone with a Backpackers Pantry pack for dinner. Not sure of the calories because I've never really worried about it when backpacking, but you could always do some portion control and give some away to a companion, or just throw half away.

I guess tuna is a popular idea! I am not always a fan of it, so I will try it now and see if picky me deems it acceptable. The freeze dried fruit is a great idea for a trail snack too! I will definitely look for it.

To answer the question about how it works: you carry all your stuff with you and follow a trail, in this case a section of the superior hiking trail. You camp somewhere new every night. If this were a longer trip we'd figure some supply points in, but this is short enough that we will just carry our food. Traditionally one does not concern oneself with dieting in the wilderness, but I never really feel I have worked that hard. I hear in the uk ppl do not carry tents but rather stay in inns and the like but here in the states it is more common to do something like this. It's fun! If I had the time and money I would do the Appalachian trail or at least the whole superior hiking trail but I don't so fivedays will have to do. If you live in America there is probably a hiking trail somewhere nearby. You should try it!

At one point in college I was about your size and joined an outdoors group as part of tring to lose weight. One weekend we were hiking and I stayed around 1500 calories. I passed out the second day from not eating enough.

Just FYI, don't be a hero. The long term mental and physical benefits will be more than enough reward without losing a pound a day.

You should check and see how many cals you'll be burning. I just put into sparkpeople "300 minutes of hiking" and it burns 2970 calories. You are going to need a lot more than instant oatmeal and tuna. Get some of those backpacking meals that are high in calorie without being too heavy. You will injure yourself (and inconvenience others) if you don't eat enough and hurt yourself or can't hike.

I have to echo some of the others -- a backpacking trip is no time to be dieting. If you are overnighting, you are carrying a pack of at least 30 pounds, plus covering 10 miles per day, thus burning at LEAST a couple thousand extra calories. You've got to keep your energy up, or you won't have a good time of it. I did a ton of hiking and backpacking last year, and ate a lot more than usual, and didn't gain a thing.

Here are a few suggestions:
-- Quaker "weight control" instant oatmeal has higher protein and less sugar. I'm a big fan of oatmeal for breakfast and any time. You do need the carbs.
-- PB2 powdered peanut butter has 85% less fat, but all of the protein. You have to mail order it though, and it might be a bit of a hassle to mix up with water. You can buy it at www.bellplantation.com. You can spread it on low carb tortillas and make wraps. Or take whole wheat bagels or pita bread, they'll keep for a few days. Frankly though, regular PB is probably better, you need the fat calories as a source of energy, it is satisfying and will sustain you longer.
-- I usually do the freeze-dried prepackaged backpack foods for dinner, but you could split with someone else to cut calories. You have to think of convenience too! (and pack weight)
-- protein bars (like Atkins) are calorie-controlled and portable, but watch for those that may melt.
-- when day hiking, I take carrots and apples. They would keep for a few days. Bananas don't keep more than a day in your pack, take my word for it.
-- also: instant soup, sugar free hot cocoa, sugar free instant international foods coffees (for the coffee addict like me). Crystal light packets offer a nice change of pace from water without all of the calories of gatorade.

You can order the freeze-dried entrees online ahead of time and check out the calorie counts. Some of them aren't as bad as you think -- for example, the chili mac with beef is 270 calories per serving (half of the 2 serving packet). They have breakfast foods and freeze dried fruits too.

For another source of freeze-dried fruit, check out the baby food aisle in your supermarket. Seriously!! Gerber's graduates line has fruit and veggie "puffs" that are just freeze dried fruit and veggies. Low cal, light, and portable.

I tend to avoid the trail mix because I can scarf down 1000 calories real easy. But jerky is great -- there are things like turkey jerkey now that are high protein and lower fat.

I hike 8-14 miles (~3000ft elevation change) 3-5 times a week just as day hikes. I wear a bodybugg and usually I burn an average of 6 calories a minute for the whole time. An average 10 mile hike here for me would take about 4 hours of walking and at the end of the day I would expect to have burned at least 3500 calories for the whole 24 hour period. I wouldn't eat less than 2000 calories a day if I was out backpacking. You need calories for energy and energy is somethign you are definitely going to want. Granola bars/ dried fruit/ PBJ sandwiches for the first day anyways/crackers/jerky. I would take some of the freeze dried foods for share convenience. Have fun on your trip and be safe.

My cousin is currently hiking the appalachain trail with her boyfriend. They started in early March. She has lost 15 pounds, he has lost 25, and they eat and eat and eat. They eat high calorie stuff that will give them lots of energy. I don't think they dip below 2500 calories, but they try to eat more than that. Don't worry about dieting. You will need energy like everyone else has said.

All right, point taken! I'll suspend the diet for the duration. But I once hiked 500 miles, about 12/day, eating coffee for breakfast, cheese and sausage (small amounts) for lunch most days, and a plate of pasta and some bread for dinner, and I gained weight. And it was not just muscle.