<p>Regarding the low-carb diet findings: Any time I’ve tried to limit carbs, I feel very sick. I get headaches and feel weak. It’s as if my body doesn’t derive any energy from what I’m eating. Am I doing something wrong?</p>
What? Who me? A 5K in downtown Manchester? I dunno. I’m thinking I can find more scenic places in the Granite State! I checked and they do have a walkers wave, so who knows!
I’m contemplating a little different fitness challenge. A hike to the top of one of NH’s gorgeous ski mountains. There are any number to try, but I’m thinking Mount Sunapee overlooking Lake Sunapee might be fun. There are more popular hikes up the ski lift side of the mountain, but it looks like the real hikers prefer the backside of the mountain. You end up at the same place (summit lodge), but hike through deep woods, past isolated lakes, etc.
I’m not quite sure I’m ready. It’s 3 miles to the summit, with a 1600 foot elevation rise (definitely “hilly”). Six miles round trip. Sounds like people spend 4 or 5 hours including multiple stops for scenic views. Probably have to wear my new day pack with plenty of water and some snacks. I guess all I can do is try, right?
[Photo</a> slideshow of one of the trails](<a href=“http://www.jimblockphoto.com/trails/kearsarge-trails/newbury-trail/]Photo”>Newbury Trail and SRKG Trail 1 - Jim Block Photography)
[More</a> photos of the Andrew Brook Trail](<a href=“Login to Meetup | Meetup”>Login to Meetup | Meetup)
Hike description of a trail:
[Hike</a> New England - Mount Sunapee](<a href=“http://www.hikenewengland.com/Sunapee001007.html]Hike”>Hike New England - Mount Sunapee)
Looks like it would take me just over an hour to get there from here. Probably better on a weekend when there might be some people around since I’m not much of a “woodsman”. 
But, judging from the people in the second set of photos, I think I should be up for it…
<p>That looks great, and I think you would do just fine. Just take plenty of fluids. I wish we all lived closer. It would be a fun meet-up and we could all do it!</p>
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<p>Some people really do struggle for one to four weeks as they adapt. Varies from person to person and depending on how low they are trying to go. Basically, a “carb burner” is programmed to live on short term fuel and top up the tank every couple hours. Adapting to a really low carb diet requires reprogramming the body’s metabolism to release and burn stored fat.</p>
<p>If you have the need for a critical intervention (diabetes diagnosis, morbidly obese, really bad cholesterol markers), then it might be worth suffering the adjustment. If it’s just a desire to shift your long term diet, then it might be preferable to ease down by simply cutting out a few carbs here or there and then cut again a month down the road. Both ways can end up at the same place. I did it more the second way.</p>
<p>This is more important for anyone who is insulin resistant as they will respond most dramatically to a lower carb diet. Basically, triglyceride to HDL ratio of above 3 to 1 is the poor man’s test for insulin resistance.</p>
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<p>That’s me. I eat small amounts every three hours or so.</p>
<p>Here’s a set of hikes that don’t involve a lot of altitude change:</p>
<p>[NH</a> Hiking Trails on the Kancamangus Highway | Kangamangus Highway Trails](<a href=“http://www.kancamagushighway.com/trails/hiking_trails_2.htm]NH”>Kancamagus Highway Hiking Trails NH – Kancamagus Scenic Byway: The Kancamagus Highway)</p>
<p>The Manchester race is half walkers. You and your closest 5,000+ friends. There’s a lot of great corporate advertising too on t-shirts.</p>
<p>Went and got 15 minutes on the elliptical. Not much, but I might fall asleep if I try anymore ;)</p>
<p>iDad, my hubby used to do a fair amount of hiking and has experience with doing athletic stuff at different elevations. His suggestions: For six miles don’t pack up too much. Small light daypack with water and snacks. Didn’t think the elevation mentioned was much of a concern (not that high).</p>
<p>Oooh. Thanks for the link. The Kangamangus Highway was my all-time favorite motorcycle destination. It is spectacular.</p>
The only concern with the elevation is that it’s walking uphill for three miles! 
I’m thinking a couple of water bottles, a bag of nuts, some fruit, and a cellphone (in case I get mauled by a bear or whatever…)
<p>^^^And a bandanna to wipe the sweat off your brow. (Can also be used as a tourniquet in case of bear mauling . . . )</p>
<p>The cellphone is when you’re hiking in 4 feet of snow and you need a search and rescue team. Happens every once in a while with college students.</p>
<p>10 miles, 7 @ 9:06, 3 @ 9:21.</p>
<p>The cellphone is so he can post here on CC during the hike!</p>
<p>There’s no getting out of this hike now, iDad.</p>
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<p>There’s no need to go keto and consume little to no carbs. In all reality, the true fat-loss benefits of keto really only kick in 3-4 days into the diet as the majority of weight loss during the first few days is due to water loss from glycogen depletion.</p>
<p>It’s all about calorie balance. Make sure you are consuming less calories than you are burning, and weight loss will occur.</p>
<p>By the way, I would highly challenge the notion that has been mentioned many times of the “eat every 3 hours” and “keep insulin steady” and other similar ideas. You may want to consider Intermittent Fasting (IF). Basically, you are in a fasted state longer than a fed state, thus most would have an 8 hour feeding window. Personally, I find it easier to eat a few large meals in 8 hours than a bunch of small meals throughout the day. </p>
<p>No promo or anything, but if you are interested or want to kill some time while reading something intelligent, [Intermittent</a> fasting diet for fat loss, muscle gain and health](<a href=“http://www.leangains.com%5DIntermittent”>http://www.leangains.com)</p>
<p>Oh. I’m ready. I’m checkin’ the weather! </p>
<p>The only question is whether I want to do another tune-up hike, pushing it to maybe six miles on a little less challenging terrain first.</p>
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<p>I would like to do one or two a month and start exploring some of the NH mountains. I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful the area around the Kangamangus Highway is in the summer and fall. The White Mountains are spectacular. </p>
<p>Hiking is really good geezer exercise, so it’s a win/win. Who knows, maybe the ol’ (formerly) fat guy will hike up Mt. Washington some day. I rode a motorcycle up that road to the summit, which was challenging enough and…in places… terrifying…</p>
<p>[Monday</a> June 11, 2012 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“Monday June 11, 2012 | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr”>Monday June 11, 2012 | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr)
[Ride</a> to the Sky June 14 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“Ride to the Sky June 14 | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr”>Ride to the Sky June 14 | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr)
[Monday</a> June 11, 2012 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“Monday June 11, 2012 | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr”>Monday June 11, 2012 | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr)
[Mountain</a> tops appear from nowhere | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“Mountain tops appear from nowhere | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr”>Mountain tops appear from nowhere | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr)
[Just</a> below the clouds | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“Just below the clouds | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr”>Just below the clouds | Mt. Washington Auto Road | Flickr)</p>
<p>Fun seeing the pics. Beautiful, but yeah, I wouldn’t want to be getting to close to the edge there… Yikes…</p>
<p>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</p>
<p>30 mins. Windy today.</p>
We went up Mt Washington once. On a coal-fired train.
[Mount</a> Washington Cog Railway - Climb to the Top of Mount Washington on the world’s first mountain-climbing Cog Railway trains!](<a href=“http://www.thecog.com/]Mount”>http://www.thecog.com/)
It was early September and it was below freezing at the summit. It was in the 70s or 80s at the base. Good thing we brought winter coats along. Some people went in shorts and t-shirts. Very, very windy too.
<p>Changed my mind. Found a different hike for later this week, depending on the weather.</p>
<p>It’s supposedly the most popular day hike in the White Mountains. A 4.5 mile loop up and across the summits of two 3000 foot mountains. 1600 feet of elevation climb.</p>
<p>[Hike</a> New England - Welch Mountain and Dickey Mountain Loop](<a href=“http://www.hikenewengland.com/WelchDickey080816.html]Hike”>Hike New England - Welch Mountain and Dickey Mountain Loop)</p>
<p>What makes this one so popular is that much of it is across exposed granite slabs, so the views are spectacular.</p>
<p>It’s the same elevation gain as the Sunapee hike I want to do, but a good deal shorter (4.5 miles versus 6.5 miles) so I’ll be seeing how I do with increasing the climbing, but not the distance at the same time. I want to see how long it takes me in this kind of terrain. Also, bit more heavily travelled trail with more people, so less chance of going out and getting lost in the woods the first time out. All in all, should be a good first foray to the hills. Hey, I started 90 pounds ago huffing and puffing up a hill to the half-mile mark turn-around on my second 1-mile walk. Might as well keep walking the hills. Something tells me this one will get my heart rate up a little bit:</p>
<p>Some flickr photos.</p>
<p>[Welch-Dickey_DSC0045</a> | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/greylock/4851426585/]Welch-Dickey_DSC0045”>Welch-Dickey_DSC0045 | Heading up to the top of Welch, Grey'… | Flickr)
[Welch-Dickey_DSC0042</a> | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/greylock/4851422121/]Welch-Dickey_DSC0042”>Welch-Dickey_DSC0042 | Heading up to the top of Welch, this … | Flickr)
[Welch-Dickey_DSC0041</a> | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/greylock/4852031842/]Welch-Dickey_DSC0041”>Welch-Dickey_DSC0041 | Sam Feinsilver | Flickr)
[05.27.2012</a> | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/k8monster/7290636970/]05.27.2012”>05.27.2012 | vegk8 | Flickr)
[05.27.2012</a> | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/k8monster/7290639500/]05.27.2012”>05.27.2012 | vegk8 | Flickr)
[05.27.2012</a> | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/k8monster/7290702144/]05.27.2012”>05.27.2012 | vegk8 | Flickr)
[P1020566</a> | Flickr - Photo Sharing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/54775134@N06/5073367591/]P1020566”>P1020566 | mjsharon | Flickr)</p>
<p>This one is about a 90 minute drive, on road to Waterville Valley ski area in the White Mountain National Forest.</p>
<p>Watch out for goats ID, they can get pi$$y.</p>
<p>[Tripster</a> Blog](<a href=“http://www.seattlemet.com/blogs/tripster/tag/olympic-national-park/]Tripster”>http://www.seattlemet.com/blogs/tripster/tag/olympic-national-park/)</p>