Reducing weight carried.

[oldtimer]

With increasing age and lower level of fitness, reducing the amount carried on a trek becomes more important.

I've spent time on websites advocating ultralight backpacking, stripped my kit down to what I regard to be the essentials, but the base weight remains around the 12 kilo/28lbs mark. Part of the problem is that I now have to carry more safety gear in the form of medication, framed rucksack to combat backache, mobile phone and GPS that I didn't need when young. Such items seem to have cancelled out advances in weight saving technology.

At my last medical check-up just before Christmas, the practice nurse inadvertently pointed to a solution to the problem of carrying too much. I was overweight by the same amount as my pack base weight. I was also at high risk of a cardio-vascular event within the next ten years.

The solution was clear: forget reducing the pack weight, take the weight off me. Through giving up wine and cheese and being careful about what I eat over the last two months or so I am now lighter by the amount my pack weighs- 2 stone.

Mind you, I've had to punch 3 new holes in my belt and the Craghoppers are very loose. It's a good job they come with an elasticised waist. Fortunately, the merino base layer SWMBO bought me for Christmas now fits!

I don't mean this post this post to be self-congratulatory but, at the risk of sounding as if offering unsolicited advice, I wish I hadn't taken my eye off my increasing weight as I grew older. Why not learn from my experience and save the anxiety of being warned your life expectancy is lower than you thought.

 

[ebt.]

Through giving up wine and cheese

....is this what they call 'assisted suicide'?

 

[Tristar777]

You dont live longer... it just feels like you do!

 

[pauljm116]

Congratulations on the weight loss! I'm trying to lose a bit - but I've been saying that for the last 10 years!

 

[DavidJT]

Congratulations - sound advice, I'm sure I'm not alone in realising should do something similar!

 

[Swallow]

Nice back to basis, thanks for posting.

 

[tartanferret]

Good for you mate !

 

[Gaudette]

Well done for loosing the weight. There is someone i know who is into cycling. He literally spends thousands on light weight stuff for his bikes just to save a few grams. Yet he is over 14st at 5ft 10.

 

[Stringmaker]

Well done for loosing the weight. There is someone i know who is into cycling. He literally spends thousands on light weight stuff for his bikes just to save a few grams. Yet he is over 14st at 5ft 10.

Motorcyclists can just as bad; great lardy blokes obsessing over titanium footrests!

 

[kiltedpict]

Good effort mate.

I've bought a ton of lightweight kit recently for the TGO Challenge in may, but more importantly, I've lost over 2 stone in the last 18 months, most of that being in the last 3 months. I've easily lost the weight of my kit for the walk, with more to loose in the next few weeks (hopefully!)

 

[Elen Sentier]

Oh my dear ... giving up wine and cheese where you live !!! That's an incredible sacrifice . Well done

I agree with you about excess weight - with the RA, osteoporosis and diabetes (+other odds and sods) and the medication I have to take for them keeping the weight down is hard but sooooooooooo worth it! Shall be glad when my feet work again and I can get some exercise, sitting about with feet up and eating (morbidly ) has put a stone on since last Oct. It's gotta come off soon.

 

[Mesquite]

Congrats on your weight loss OT.

I've managed to loose 1 stone over the past year but I really need to loose more as I've noticed it's affecting my emphysema more which isn't a good thing at all.

 

[andybysea]

Congrats on the weight loss oldtimer, ive lost 8.8lbs in a month on the two day fasting diet(only 600 cals per day when fasting only eat protien and salad leaves myself) ive tried other diets but give up but with this being only two days a week im sticking to it .

 

[vizsla]

Good effort mate.

I've bought a ton of lightweight kit recently for the TGO Challenge in may, but more importantly, I've lost over 2 stone in the last 18 months, most of that being in the last 3 months. I've easily lost the weight of my kit for the walk, with more to loose in the next few weeks (hopefully!)

A ton of lightweight kit eh

 

[Bowlander]

Well done OT.

I got motivated by Doc's New Year Weight loss motivation thread last year. Lost 3 stone, feel loads better for it. Even taken up trail running, I'd rather get the 'runners high' than drink.

I kidded myself for years that BMI charts were rubbish, they are if you are a professional rugby player but not if you're normal build.

It takes a lot of hard work and self control but its definitely worth it.

 

[kiltedpict]

Oh aye, I need a Sherpa to humph it all for me!

 

[Bushcraftsman]

Well done OT.

I got motivated by Doc's New Year Weight loss motivation thread last year. Lost 3 stone, feel loads better for it. Even taken up trail running, I'd rather get the 'runners high' than drink.

I kidded myself for years that BMI charts were rubbish, they are if you are a professional rugby player but not if you're normal build.

It takes a lot of hard work and self control but its definitely worth it.

Very well done to the OP and you , 2/3 stone is a massive loss you'll be feeling better about yourself and now you can carry all the kit you like!

I still think BMI is a load of cr*p, it is far to generic, doesn't take into account enough variations.

first of all it doesn't make mathematical sense. I.e - There is no physiological reason to square a person's height (Quetelet had to square the height to get a formula that matched the overall data. If you can't fix the data, rig the formula!). Moreover, it ignores waist size, which is a clear indicator of obesity level. It doesn't take into account individual circumstances, bone structure, muscle mass etc. I am classed as "underweight" I am 19, weigh just over 10.5 stone and I am 6ft 2. I lead a reasonably active lifestyle.... but have a crazy metabolism (which will no doubt slow down in the next few years! ) and I eat whatever I want. I could go on, but I feel I have made my point and I dont want it to sound like i'm having a dig!

My advice, ignore BMI look at the obvious signs...if you can't make it up and down the stairs without getting out of breath or working up a sweat then there is obviously some cause for concern here, if not...you're doing alrigh! there's too much of this "obesity scare" going on in our society. Our ancesters pretty much all had what we call today "a beer gut" maybe not quite to the same extent but they had one. The body needed that fat for warmth, and for when food was scarce, needed a source of nutrition.

Sorry for the rant! Just an interesting topic to discuss one I have had many times before

 

[Bowlander]

How about Waist to Hip ratio? It seems to be more popular measure nowadays.

Visceral fat is dangerous, and has links to diabetes, intestinal cancer, alzheimers, heart disease etc. Our ancestors may have had a belly but they were doing many hours of cardiovascular exercise daily. They weren't sat at a PC eating crisps and drinking lager.