I am currently on the trail. I am at 1733 miles and have just gone into NH from Vt. I have absolutely no energy and no appepite. I use to hike 12 mile before noon now it takes me all day. I sleep well because I am exhausted. If anyone could suggest a solution I would appreciate it, thanks. I am going to see a doctor on Monday.
happy
Sounds kind of like me before I ended up in the hospital with Ehrlichiosis. I felt weak and feeble for about 2 weeks before the full-on sick hit.
Perhaps getting a prescription for doxycycline (takes care of Ehrlichiosis and Lyme’s disease) couldn’t hurt. Of course I’m not a doctor 
Tell it like it is
The answer may be as simple as your diet. I knew two individuals who were hitting the wall around Vermont during my 2002 hike. One was a female who had not been eating enough calories throughout the entire hike. We finally convinced her to take it slow for awhile and eat as much as possible. After about a week of intense eating, she was back on her feet and feeling better than she had for a long time.
Another was a male who had been growing weak for a few weeks and eventually began vomitting and would not keep any food down, as his body was rejecting it. He had to take over a week off the trail, resting and attempting to eat as much as possible. At first he could only drink liquid foods such as smoothies or juiced drinks.
In both cases, I think the answer was a lack of nutrition. It can take the body quite a while to deplete all of its reserves. You may have no body fat left for your body to feed off of to compensate for the deficit of your intake versus output. As you do not have an appetite, your body may not have enough energy to hike, much less digest your food.
I would recommend taking several days off, rest, and pig-out like you have never before. How much do you generally eat in a day and how many zero days have you taken recently?
Hotrad
Many hiking foods are filling but not very nutritious, and often very short on iron in particular. Lack of iron can make you feel chronically tired.
Taking a multi-vitamin can help.
I’m not a doctor or a nutrionist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express for like three weeks in July.
Just Jeff
“persistent fatigue that does not resolve with bed rest and that is severe enough to reduce average daily activity by at least 50%…”
I am glad that others have pointed out diet, because most of the dis-ease in the body is related to imbalances of chemicals and nutrients. One of the recommendations for chronic fatigue is to stay away from junk foods and processed foods though, “you may find this difficult – people with CF (as well as hikers 
) generally have cravings for sugar and carbohydrate products – but it is important”
So, if you take the time to eat, eat well. The diet should consist mostly of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, plus raw nuts, seeds, skinless turkey and some deep-water fish. These quality foods supply nutrients that renew energy and build immunity. Acidiophilus leads the list of nutrients to add to your diet at this time, as well as essential fatty acids and electrolytes.
If you email me, I can fax you the entire list & recommendations.
quotes taken from “Prescription for Nutritional Healing” by Phyllis A. Balch
Wild Hare
Way to go, man! I’m about 200 miles behind you. I often carry fresh broccoli up and cook that in my meals for the first two nights out. It’s great nutrition including iron. I would have thought lyme disease, but you’re too far north for that. I had a similar exhaustion problem, and on occasion I’ll take zero days not because I really want to, but specifically to pig out and eat as much as I possibly can, and that has helped a ton. Hope you start feeling better soon. Push on!
0101
I flip-flopped the AT in '01, and boy what an eye-opener that was! Hiking down south was nothing like hiking up north. It was more strenuous, and much more exhausting up north. I remember how frustrated I was not being able to do the high mile days I was so accustomed to doing down south.
I agree with Hotrad, you aren’t eating enough calories to keep you going. Make sure your food bag is well stocked with highly nutritious food. Take some zero days, get some sleep, pig out, and regroup mentally and physically.
The heat and humidity along with the tough terrain took its toll on my energy and appetite, too. Drink plenty of water. If you’re not well hydrated, this is a major cause of fatigue.
Good luck!
Almost There
A lot of people start hitting walls in that area. #1, because of malnutrition. #2, because you’ve gone through 3 easy states (MD, PA - albeit rocky, NJ), and you’ve got a great pace going; probably 3-4 MPH. Then, you suddenly get thrown back into some tough hiking, but you feel the need to keep up the pace that you built up. So, you try to keep up that pace, do the same mileage per day/per hour, but it simply just wears you out.
That being said, it’s not a horrible idea to go to the doc, just to make sure that it’s nothing else. Most likely, however, it’s just malnutrition and fatigue.
If the doc says you’re fine, then take a few days off. Eat lots, and eat WELL. Don’t eat crap, eat good foods. Whole grain breads, fruits, veggies, meat (if you eat meat, then LOTS of it, or lots of anything w/ protein), and keep up with the vitamins.
bearbait
I wonder if this is “HAPPY” as in HAPPY and "G.G.?
I think you should cut back on all that outside sex and concentrate on just hiking,. Good Job on your hike anyway-
and see the doctor, and I concur what the other guys say on this forum; and keep it up! - hee hee
1/4 of the way
Hi Happy,
My son Goldilocks and I summitted Katahdin 8/8, completing our nobo thru-hikes. He was feeling bad since as early as Rutland VT, and felt really tired and crappy towards the end, with a constant low grade fever in the 100 mile wilderness. After the hike he was diagnosed with BOTH Lyme and Ehrlichiosis, which I was surprised at since I would have thought he was too far north for deer ticks. So I recommend getting tested.
Also, everyone hikes differently, but I really benefitted from plenty of zeroes and town food almost every day, one way or another. I only carried 1-2 days of food between Waynesboro VA and the 100 mile wilderness in ME. Some people call me “motel moosie” :). Consider taking an electrolyte supplement (like salt tablets or Ultima Replenisher). I found this useful in the afternoons of particularly sweaty days.
Reduce your pace and daily mileage to perhaps 16s, feed yourself well, relax into it and I hope you enjoy the rest of your hike.
moosie
I’m no expert, but I have a stressful job. I take a Kirkland (Costco) multi vitamin, and a B-50 pill once a day, and I eat dried fruit and calcium rich foods. If I don’t, my energy level drops noticeably
Other long distance hiker nutrition articles and hints I’ve read mention protein, iron and calcium deficits after a long time on the trail.
Any sports stores, coaches or clubs in Hanover with nutrition expertise? Maybe running types?
There’s a lot I don’t know!
I Like B’s
I like B Vitamins