[pct-l] Remedies for loss of appetite

[Pea Hicks]

i also have trouble getting my appetite working properly when 
backpacking, especially when doing big miles. i sort of get a lump in my 
throat and find it difficult to choke just about anything down. for some 
reason i rarely had trouble with "meat" snacks, ie jerky or slim-jims. 
not sure why that is exactly- probably because they get my salivary 
glands going enough that it makes swallowing the stuff alot easier.

i find that i have to buy-as-i-go, because my appetite is constantly 
shifting, and often not very predictably. i've also noticed that the 
kinds of foods i want to eat are highly influenced by the weather and my 
surroundings. for instance, the thought of eating anything gloopy like 
peanut butter or power bars was totally revolting to me in the desert on 
a hot day. in fact, one thing that got me thru the desert was that i 
carried one orange per day. this wasn't really a rational 
weight/nutrition trade-off, but more of a psychological thing, as i had 
an intense craving for oranges on hot/dry days. so i used them to get me 
thru the day- i'd put in ~10 miles in the morning, then i could eat my 
orange and take a siesta, and put in another ~10 miles in the late 
afternoon/evening.

i didn't actually get my full-on "hiker appetite" until around castella, 
well over half-way into my thru-hike. by then i had lost alot of body 
fat, and i'm quite sure i was starting to lose muscle mass, so i 
couldn't get enough protein, or any other type of food for that matter. 
i didn't have any problems with my appetite for the rest of the way to 
canada.


girlscout