I feel like at higher elevations I have zero appetite and I literally have to force myself to eat. Am I alone in this? I’m considering taking a meal replacement shake and a few snacks instead of debydrated meals. I have no problem drinking water and figured it would at least be a way to get some sort of nutrition. Has anyone tried this or have experience with a powder?
High elevation appetite
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Scott85
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Find stuff that taste good on the couch. The more time you spend on meal prep the greater chance you are going to have eat and enjoy your meal on the mountain.
another No.
Mallardsx2
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I loose my ***appetite*** as well.
Then, when I kill something I find the sudden urge to drink its blood….
Strange?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Then, when I kill something I find the sudden urge to drink its blood….
Strange?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Last edited:
elkduds
Well-known member
I'm guessing this means "lose my appetite." Because loosing one's aperture means you'll miss with your peep sight.
I'm at high altitude a lot. Up there I graze on high calorie stuff like trail mix all day and pound water. Then for evening meal I don't need or want that much. My personal version of high altitude begins about 10K elevation.
D
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I get a little sick about 9500’ and up for the first couple of days, every time. It’s been that way for 20 years and pretty independent of fitness level or work load. Nothing terrible, just mild headache and loss of some appetite. If I’m up and back down bagging a peak or something it’s almost unnoticeable.
I’m not a super skinny guy, I don’t sweat a calorie deficit for several days as long as I’m getting electrolytes. I’ve found some personal snacks that always sound good just through trial and error. Coconut stuff, trail mix, Oreos, summer sausage, apricots, powdered Gatorade or similar, a few other go-to’s.
Really no way to know but try IME. My best advice is don’t put yourself in a box with food options, whatever sounds good, it doesn’t need to be fancy.
I’m not a super skinny guy, I don’t sweat a calorie deficit for several days as long as I’m getting electrolytes. I’ve found some personal snacks that always sound good just through trial and error. Coconut stuff, trail mix, Oreos, summer sausage, apricots, powdered Gatorade or similar, a few other go-to’s.
Really no way to know but try IME. My best advice is don’t put yourself in a box with food options, whatever sounds good, it doesn’t need to be fancy.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
Sounds like you may get altitude sickness. I can’t seem to eat enough when I’m hiking and hunting.
David58
Well-known member
Honestly I have not noticed. But the more tired I am up there, the less I want to eat. I know I need to, so I try to take foods that I crave and otherwise wouldn't eat at home due to high calorie content.
David
NM
David
NM
I found the white powder to be beneficial, I was at the top of the mountain in no time...
shannerdrake
Well-known member
I’m with you. Put me on the couch watching TV and I could eat a fridge full of food. But on the mountain I have to force myself to eat.
I’ve found that if I drink something sweet like Liquid IV or drink packets helps to stimulate my appetite. I also am a sucker for peanut M&Ms and I tend to only eat them while hunting. So I usually carry a big bag of them when I hunt and find they stimulate my appetite as well.
I’ve found that if I drink something sweet like Liquid IV or drink packets helps to stimulate my appetite. I also am a sucker for peanut M&Ms and I tend to only eat them while hunting. So I usually carry a big bag of them when I hunt and find they stimulate my appetite as well.
FairWeather
Well-known member
I lose my appetite anytime I fly/travel anywhere. Typically get pretty nauseous for days afterwards, too.
Vacations are LOADS of fun
Can’t speak for hunts, I’ve only hunted close to home, 3000’ and less.
Vacations are LOADS of fun
Can’t speak for hunts, I’ve only hunted close to home, 3000’ and less.
NAHMINT
Well-known member
What do you mean by ''high''??
living literally at a couple hundred feet above sea level, I get head aches if I don't drink gator aid and water steady above 6-7000ft,.
I'm always ready to chow down in the ''wilderness''.
commercial fishing, I Always got seasick /severe headaches and NO FOOD PLEASE for the first couple/3 days.........again ,lots of fluids, their just real easy to ''heave overboard''.
living literally at a couple hundred feet above sea level, I get head aches if I don't drink gator aid and water steady above 6-7000ft,.
I'm always ready to chow down in the ''wilderness''.
commercial fishing, I Always got seasick /severe headaches and NO FOOD PLEASE for the first couple/3 days.........again ,lots of fluids, their just real easy to ''heave overboard''.
millerkiller77
Well-known member
Came here to post this. It sounds like mild symptoms of altitude sickness
Bullshot
Well-known member
Oh yeah do peanut M&M’s go hand in hand with high altitude hunts. Buy the big bag. You’ll thank me!
I would consider 9000 and above high altitude for my flatlandish self. I was thinking it was also altitude sickness and it is after a strenuous hike where I hunt. I was “in country” a few days before my hunt to try and adjust. Hoping it would help, I ended up hunting around 9600-10k for part of the hunt.
I survived off of cosmic brownies, water and hot tomales lol. I had lots of other food with me but believe it to almost be a fear of not having food or running out of it during the week. Its quite the conundrum really. But I like the advice of just eat whatever sounds good. My brain says I need to eat but my body is saying no. This year I’m packing less food and think I might try some meal replacement powder.
I survived off of cosmic brownies, water and hot tomales lol. I had lots of other food with me but believe it to almost be a fear of not having food or running out of it during the week. Its quite the conundrum really. But I like the advice of just eat whatever sounds good. My brain says I need to eat but my body is saying no. This year I’m packing less food and think I might try some meal replacement powder.
I agree with the altitude sickness part but also if you are working a lot harder to hike, walk, just breathe your body is going to shunt blood to your legs and the muscles you are using. First place the body always pulls the blood from is your gut. Your digestive track slows way down as the bodies defence mechanism.
Like others have mentioned take food you would normally eat at home. Don't get so caught up on what the "experts" say should be in your pack.
The other thing I started doing that really helps with eating enough calories and saving room. Is get a vacuum sealer and vacuum seal each day's food allotment into a bag. This way you know what you have to eat and also makes you not over eat. Has help me a ton!
Like others have mentioned take food you would normally eat at home. Don't get so caught up on what the "experts" say should be in your pack.
The other thing I started doing that really helps with eating enough calories and saving room. Is get a vacuum sealer and vacuum seal each day's food allotment into a bag. This way you know what you have to eat and also makes you not over eat. Has help me a ton!
Ive done several hunts between 9500-11500 ft and coming from home at 800ft I definitely get affected.
Best thing I've found to help with it is hydrate like crazy starting a couple days before and then during the trip.
I pack each days food into its own ziploc or vac bag and label them, and put some variety into the food plan so it's not the same every day. Some "treats" every other day or so helps me (I don't eat Lil Debbie Honeybuns at home but I mow em down on the mtn)
Grape Propel packets help get flavor into water and help me drink enough daily.
I shoot for 1.5-1.75 lbs of dense calorie food a day and still wind up with some extra.
YMMV
Unless you live up there I think everyone fights the same issue.
Best thing I've found to help with it is hydrate like crazy starting a couple days before and then during the trip.
I pack each days food into its own ziploc or vac bag and label them, and put some variety into the food plan so it's not the same every day. Some "treats" every other day or so helps me (I don't eat Lil Debbie Honeybuns at home but I mow em down on the mtn)
Grape Propel packets help get flavor into water and help me drink enough daily.
I shoot for 1.5-1.75 lbs of dense calorie food a day and still wind up with some extra.
YMMV
Unless you live up there I think everyone fights the same issue.
Outdoor-enthusiast24
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There are a few studies out there that suggest when the oxygen level in the blood falls at higher elevation a hypoxia induced factor (HIF1) hormone is released that stimulates the hormone, Leptin, to be produced from your fat tissue. Elevated Leptin levels in the blood can reduce your appetite as that’s its role in your metabolic system for equilibrium.
