I won’t scare you with posting a before I walk photo. I will have one taken though, so I can post it at the end of my walk. Before and after photos can be pretty funny. A long walk will drastically change your body. Hiking 2800 miles will put on some serious stress. When I get back, I’ll have testing done to identify any deficiencies, so I can address them immediately. 

I will put my 238.6 pounds out there. I have to be careful not to lose too much weight too quickly on this walk. Protein is a specific concern. I’m taking several eating precautions to try to slow down the inevitable. 

Beans, rice, and cheese

This dinner staple is full of protein. I’ll be eating it three to four times a week. Before you say, “You’ll get sick of that,” please remember you’re talking to the guy who can eat Vidalia onion and tomato sauce sandwiches for a month straight. Food is food for me on the trail. I’m happy that I’m just eating. 

Nuts and nut butters

Peanut butter and cashews are staples. Peanut butter ends up on tortillas for lunch and in peanut noodle dinners. Cashews and almonds show up in breakfast, snack, and dinner mixes. 

Oil and butter

Lots of my pre-packed meals have individual .5 oz packets of olive oil. When I don’t have those to add to each meal, I’ll buy butter. A plastic container holds a butter package fairly well, and the calories are awesome to add to each meal. 

Milk

I have whole powdered milk in each mail drop. Whole powdered milk is good stuff. Three heaping tablespoons makes a creamy cup of milk. I will add it to my oatmeal and my Carnation Instant Breakfast packets. 


Underway

On the SS Badger headed across Lake Michigan. Took a scenic route through Wisconsin and spent the night in Duluth. 

Now waiting for petco to open because Althea “Bad Dog” Toldme chewed the zipper on her crate and rendered it useless for containing her. Margaret might have had a bit of lax supervision going on at the time that facilitated the infraction. Both were almost summarily executed at the AmericasBest Inn, but Michelle intervened before I could get it done.