Tom, I was born and raised in WV and now live in eastern Ohio. Appalachian (sp?) trails will wear off some of that weight. I do conditioning hikes in Wayne NF in Ohio as often as I can. I'm 63 and have weight troubles as well. I do Atkin's Diet most of the time and when I stick with it, loose weight. Problem is, I get cravings for Ho-Ho's, Entemans chocolate glazed donuts, a plate of spaghetti, the list goes on. Anyway, Jan to Feb I stick to Atkin's and get some of the weight off for spring hiking and camping. Then I'll hit the trails and the exercise works wonders. Usually by Oct I'm in pretty good shape... for 63. Then I fall off the wagon and load up on carbs and ruin everything. Its an endless cycle for me. In my case the extra weight in the spring causes knee problems more than anything. Shake off what you can with diet and hit the trails. Send me a PM and we'll hook up for a trip.