Originally published November 23, 2009
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.
~Mae West
If only that were true. What would it be like, I wonder, to move through life without ever having to worry about dieting? I’ll never know, but I do know one thing: when I’m hiking is the one time that I truly don’t worry about diets.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about food and hiking, including some suggested basics for a shorter and a longer hike. Then, last week, I wrote a post about how important it is — it’s one of the “Rules,” in fact — to pack enough food when you hike so that you don’t find yourself weakened from the exertion without proper replenishment. And here we are again. So this food thing must be important. The good news is that there’s a Good Stuff side to the Rule about food:
There’s No Dieting on the Trail
Okay, so it doesn’t have the same zip as “There’s no crying in baseball,” but let’s celebrate this. How often do you justify an indulgent meal/snack by promising yourself that you’ll spend an extra hour in the gym to make up for your transgression? (Too often, I bet. Don’t worry, I’m not judging.) Well, one of the great benefits of hiking — besides getting fresh air, and taking the time to slow down and notice the world around you — is that it’s great exercise.
I did some very scientific* research by looking up “hiking calories burned” on the Interwebs, and got a range of calories burned per sixty minutes of hiking, from as low as 340 calories to as high as 530. The broad range is likely because no two hikes are the same; some require constant climbing and are highly strenuous. Others are only a little more challenging than a walk in the park (and we know that a walk in the park is like…well, a walk in the park).
But the exact numbers don’t really matter. Even at 340 calories, that’s a lot of calories. And remember, that’s just one hour of hiking. If you go on a day hike and are out on the trail for six hours or more, you’re probably burning well over your normal calorie intake for the day just in those six hours.
Therefore, when I’m hiking, I really don’t worry too much about how many calories I’m eating. I try to pack a balanced array of food, and some extra energy bars, and I eat when I’m hungry, which tends to be at fairly regular and frequent intervals.
So when you’re on the trail, make like Mae West and don’t worry about dieting…but carrot sticks are a pretty good hiking snack.
*Not at all scientific.
© Her Side of the Mountain, 2009.
Not packing enough food and water is a common mistake, even for experienced hikers. It’s very easy to over- and underestimate your water needs. If you’re new to hiking, you don’t have any frame of reference as to how much water you’ll need. If you’re new to hiking in a particular climate, particularly one that is hotter/drier/more humid than you’re used to, you can’t use past experience to guide you. If you are an experienced hiker, you can sometimes get 
The same is true for food. As an experienced hiker, there are times that I just want to head out on the trail and not take the time to pack anything to eat. Having found myself hungry on the trail, however, shaky from exertion and wishing I had at least a Powerbar, I know better. Remember that while hiking you’re going to use up more energy than while sitting around — and maybe even more than your normal workout routine. You won’t usually find (thank heavens) a convenience store at the top of the mountain where you can replenish your supplies, so plan ahead.
![iStock_000004282863XSmall[1]](http://hermountain.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/istock_000004282863xsmall1.jpg?w=100&h=150 "iStock_000004282863XSmall[1]")
Ah, Halloween. The one night a year when it’s perfectly acceptable to beg for, scarf down, and get sick from twenty-seven pounds of chocolate and nougat in one go. (The one day a year when it’s perfectly acceptable to scarf down twenty-seven pounds of savory foods like turkey and stuffing and potatoes and is one month later, of course, because you need the time to recover.)
