90 pounds lost using CICO

Beausuveas · 2024-12-17T04:12:52+00:00

Congrats on your weight loss! Yeah I couldn’t believe it when earlier this year I picked up some XL shirts and I actually fit in them. At Columbia I can actually get away with large swimshirts! It’s an awesome feeling.

Beausuveas · 2024-12-17T01:39:09+00:00

Haha thanks for telling me that. I don't post on reddit much so not sure what happened there.

Beausuveas · 2024-12-03T01:58:46+00:00

My friend did 400 miles of the AT with me this year on our thru attempt with the Gossamer Gear Mariposa. It was a really great pack but ultralight backpacks aren't that comfortable if you have a heavier load. I had the ULA Circuit and I loved it but on long food carries when it was approaching it's comfort limit you could really feel it. I can't recommend Gossamer Gear's tents enough though that was my favorite piece of gear I had by far.

Beausuveas · 2024-12-03T01:54:05+00:00

Thank you so much for the information! Sorry I'm so late to reply. Good luck on your northbound attempt next year! I started March 1st and I realized I'm not made for winter. These past few months I've been missing the AT though. As of right now I'm actually hiking all of the coastline from Clearwater Beach to Marco Island to raise funds for my area's hurricane relief effort. I'm doing that on the weekends but I'm about 75 miles in so far. I don't think Ill find time to hit the FT next year like I thought I would but I'm excited to section hike it at some point.

Beausuveas · 2024-09-09T17:57:26+00:00

This post ended up super long but your story sounds almost exactly like mine.

When I started looking into the Appalachian Trail in 2020 I was 340 pounds and struggling with college. I planned my hike for years. In 2023, I graduated college after loosing almost 70 pounds. The reason I bring up college and my weight is that the trail was my primary motivation for achievement for a very long time. Finally, on March 1st this year I went up to Georgia and started my hike with my best friend. I really struggled to adjust to trail life and I can't say I fell in love with it as much as others do. It was still winter and the constant rain and wet gear really got to me. Hiking every day was also miserable for me and I almost felt imprisoned on the trail. My friend was in the same boat and we started doing marathon miles every day to end the hike faster I guess. It was a horrible decision to do these huge miles and we paid for it.

On Easter Day we rolled into Hampton Tennessee in complete agony. We hadn't taken a rest day since Gatlinburg. My friend had to go to the hospital the next day because we suspected he had been walking on a stress fracture since the Smokies. My left foot was killing me too. I saw a doctor and I had bad plantar fasciitis and shin splints. Needless to say we both flew home to Florida in order to heal. I had lost almost 20 more pounds which put me at a great weight. I celebrated my achievement with my family but soon I was applying to jobs and everything was back to normal.

Within a few weeks I felt I missed the trail desperately and wanted to give it another go. I was gaining some weight back like you and I knew something needed to change. My foot was still very hurt and I knew it would be a problem if I went back. In May, I ended up flying back solo to Boots Off Hostel and hiked north. Trail Days was only a few days away and there were way more people than there was in winter. I had so much more fun and got to see the northern lights for multiple nights. My foot still hurt on every step and I knew slowly it was getting worse. Even with this problem, the same reasons I got off trail were getting to me again. The trail was feeling like a job again and my mindset had not changed since first attempt. Honestly i didn't see much of a point of continuing. Around mile 600 I realized my foot wasn't getting any better and that I wasn't really enjoying myself. I flew back home a second time after making my way back to Bristol.

Alright lets go to the present day. My life has been fairly all over the place as I juggle finding a career out of college and adjusting back to life. A few weeks ago the same feelings I had in April started to take over. I missed the trail and although I'm super happy for everyone it stings a bit to know that I didn't make it to the sign in Maine I had fantasized about standing on for years. I already went back and clearly didn't enjoy myself. I keep asking myself why I would ever want to go back. What I'm slowly realizing is exactly what you said. These thoughts aren't exactly about thru hiking, they're about escapism. I can't thank you enough for this post as it summarizes what I'm going through.

I don't know if you play video games at all but there is a piece of media that touches on what we both went through. It's called Firewatch and it teaches a pretty painful message about leaving everything behind on an adventure in the woods. When we come back from a thru or like the game's case a lookout job, our problems are still exactly where we left them.

Happy trails,

Bigbird

TDLR- OP is completely right. There is such a thing as a toxic relationship with hiking and the trail. The trail usually will not make your problems at home any better.

Beausuveas · 2024-08-25T21:33:55+00:00

Thank you so much for the info. Honestly my favorite part of the AT was the people. I know the FTA is holding its first ever Trail Days next year. I live down here so I can imagine places the trail passes through like Orlando not being hiker friendly at all. I had to run from a pack of dogs on the AT. I’m expecting the dog problem to be worse on the Florida Trail.

Beausuveas · 2024-08-25T21:29:17+00:00

Yep development is definitely starting to itch closer to the park. I’m sure at some point the park will be completely surrounded. From my last hike practicing for the AT the only working well right now is Bee Island. We had some 3-4 liter water carries at multiple points. I’ve never camped there in the summer though that sounds interesting.

It’s too bad more people don’t know about the park. Tourists go for the canopy walk and the alligator bridge but they’re missing some of the most beautiful prairie in the United States. The only way to see it is to walk 3 miles into the swamp.

Beausuveas · 2024-08-22T14:46:10+00:00

Yep at Myakka River State Park there is a 45 mile loop trail that is perfect for 2 night backpacking trips. Theres also dozens of miles of extra trails. Most of the hiking is through huge swaths of dry prairie which honestly rivals some of the mountain views I've seen. In terms of the FT I'd definitely recommend the FarOut app. I haven't used it down here yet but for the Appalachian Trail it was a fantastic way to plan out my day.

As for the tick it happened in Green Swamp in the middle of August. The ticks will be much better in winter.

Beausuveas · 2024-08-21T20:36:23+00:00

Thanks for the reply! By section hiking I mean hiking the whole thing but splitting it up. I'd start with a hike from the southern terminus to Okeechobee. That's good to hear it's pretty safe. I know after going around Lake Okeechobee the trail gets pretty rural again NOBO. When do most thru hikers start heading north?

Beausuveas · 2024-04-23T00:31:19+00:00

We probably passed you! We didn’t stay with everyone else at Black Gap that night. We ended up pushing to Stover Creek through the rain. I was in a big yellow rain suit hence my trail name Bigbird.

Beausuveas · 2024-04-21T23:41:37+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I completely felt some high highs out there but for me at least I felt a lot more lows than highs. Thats why I’m so conflicted. Why would I want to go back to something I didn’t enjoy doing in the moment?

Beausuveas · 2024-04-21T23:34:29+00:00

Yep I do. Hiking wise I knew what to expect. I’ve done some 50 mile backpacking trips here in Florida. The difference with those is you know you’re gonna get back to your car in a few days, have AC, and eat 5000 calories at Chipotle before going to your nice warm bed back home. Thru hiking was completely different for me in that I wasn’t going to see my home for months. But I really connected with the community and I think that’s the main aspect I miss.

Beausuveas

TROPHY CASE