Why weight-loss is not my New Year’s Resolution.
This was the first New Year’s morning that I didn’t wake up, step on the scale, and confirm my #1 New Year’s resolution – to lose weight. In fact, losing weight is not on my New Year’s resolution list at all. Not even an honorable mention. Why? Because for four decades I have been setting myself up for failure; promising myself rewards for dropping pounds and shedding inches. The merry-go-round effect is the same every year; I start off strong with daily gym visits and new diets that promise success if I just keep with it – count the calories, the carbs, the points, and ultimately the days ticking off the calendar in the hope that success, and thereby reward will come. By mid-March I find myself elbow deep in a bag of Cheetos promising myself I’ll start again in the morning. Then again the next morning, and the morning after that. The excuses pile up and before long the holidays have rolled around again, and I find myself making yet another New Year’s resolution to lose weight.
I hereby make a resolution to boycott the resolution of losing weight.
I’m breaking up with it – for good. Instead, I resolve to reward myself now with a life lived on my own terms from where I stand today. No more “I will do (fill in the blank)” once I lose 50 pounds. Or setting ridiculous goals like losing 100 pounds this year and rewarding myself with a (fill in the blank). I’m taking back the year, and thereby my life, and allowing myself to experience all those things I promised myself if I just stuck with the “program”. No more dangling carrots for this girl.
I’m going for a walk instead.
My New Year’s resolution list is quite short this year. I resolve to go for a very long walk in the woods. I’m going to thru-hike the 2,197.4 mile Appalachian Trail. I’m not going to start this epic adventure once I’ve lost 50 pounds, or even 5 pounds, I’m going to start it in six weeks. I’m going to begin where I am. The trail will be my “program”, the mountains will be my gym. Food will be used as fuel out of necessity, not restriction.
Noble aspirations aside, the clear and obvious fact is – this is going to be hard. Ridiculously hard. In fact, it will be far harder than just going to the gym and changing my diet in an attempt to lose weight. This thru-hike will be the hardest thing I have done in my life. It is said that the elevation gain one experiences in thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest sixteen times. SIXTEEN.
Let’s talk math.
I will be burning a tremendous amount of calories on a daily basis. A fair estimate would be 700-900 calories per hour1. Multiply that by eight hours (my job is to walk), and you get a daily calorie burn of around 5,600-7,600 for hiking alone. Add in another 1,500 calories or so that my body will burn just keeping me alive2 without the added exercise, and that brings us up to 7,100-9,100 calories burned per day on average. Did I mention I’m starting my trek in February? Cold weather will result in even more calories burned. Are we ready to order a pizza yet?
I am certain that I will not consume anywhere near as many calories as I burn. Oh, I’ll eat. I’ll eat a lot. But 7k-8k calories is a huge number to keep up with, especially on trail. The logical deduction here is that I will most certainly lose weight. Everything about my body will change due to the environment and circumstances I encounter on trail. There is no need for me to resolve to lose weight this year. My resolution to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail already has that built in.
A good dose of fear and trepidation.
I’m excited about 2024. Excited and more than a little nervous about the path that lies ahead. If you were to ask me if I am afraid, I would have to say yes. I’m about to do something I can barely get my mind around and I find everything about it a little scary. But what I’m more afraid of is not trying. I’m tired of going around in circles with dieting and weight-loss regimes. I’m tired of disappointing myself by overpromising and underdelivering on weight loss. Instead, I’m going to get off this merry-go-round and take a little walk, to Maine. I resolve to start living my life now.
Follow my 2024 Appalachian Trail thru-hike on YouTube!