Am I too fat to thru hike?

Oof.

Hoping it’s ok to post here, I posted on r/thruhiking. I don’t know any thru-hikers and would love your expert advice and experience.

I’m starting Te Araroa SOBO in 2 weeks, my first thru hike and I am starting to really panic I’m too heavy.

My husband has also mentioned a few things about being concerned about me being overweight and maybe I should do it next year but he’s mostly been good at not making “comments”. I’m determined to go.

But I’ve gotten to a scared mental state where I’m wondering if I am kidding myself thinking I can do this. I’ve started meal replacement shakes today frantically trying to lose some pounds but am aware this is disordered eating behaviour!

I’m a woman in my late 30s, 5’5”, 180lb. I did not do as much training and prep as I wanted due to kids and work reasons. I’ve spent last 3 months getting about 5 hrs sleep a night cos of this. Not ideal.

I see pics of all the young fit people on trail and panic. Do you think I can do this? My imposter syndrome says no, my usual inner confidence (or delusion) says yes.

The facts:

I walk for an hour a day usually on a gentle incline. I am an experienced hiker and have all my proper gear. I’ve done lots of multi day overnights on tough terrain. I was a runner once. Up until Sept I was walking 3 miles twice a day which was all I could get in.

My blood pressure is 124/70 which has improved from august 128/78 and my bloods are fine. My doc has no health concerns about me. My resting HR is 55-60.

My most recent hike last week was a 2-day, hiking 11 miles with 3200 feet elevation gain and returning down another 11 miles the next day, I was fine afterwards tho quite sore.

My base weight in my pack will be about 17lb. I’m taking dehy and will be going high protein.

My podiatrist is happy with my new trail shoes and I have a great (expensive!!) insole.

My physiotherapist has given me good exercises to strengthen a piriformis pain I have had for many years.

Other stats are a body comp that shows I have high skeletal muscle mass (64lb) and high fat mass (64.8lb). Total body fat % is 35.5%. My visceral fat is 8.1lb (4.5%) (too high). Subcutaneous fat is 56.6lb (31%, too high). My lean body mass is 117lb (that’s the skinny me screaming to be let out). I don’t know if these are bullshit or not, I’m trying to triangulate all of these random parameters when really I should’ve just been doing the walking.

I was planning to start really slowly and take a rest day every couple days in the beginning. No pushing through to catch up with younger trail fam. I just need to finish. I have no time limit.

What do you think? Anyone like me succeed?