Suggestions - weight loss

[riatolken]

Hi, I wonder if anyone have suggestions on the food that can help you to loose weight on the Camino, what is available? & I hear that you eat a lot of bread, not to good for me!

 

[CaminoGen]

The Camino is not a place to diet. First, you'll need the energy (carbs and proteins) to be able to walk 25 km every day. That said, I would always eat half the bread of bocadillos...more meat per bite.

 

[piogaw]

hello riatolken,
you will need to eat bread, pasta, some chocolate maybe, some nuts for the carbohydrates and proteins. you will not walked far if you don't have any energy. remember you will be walking at least 15-25 kms per day everyday for as long as you are on the camino.

don't worry about eating on the camino, you need to eat to be able to walk. but don't worry, i guarantee you will lost weight at the end of your camino. you will be burning up more calories than your food intake.

this is my second camino. my first camino, sjpdp to sdc in 31 days last spring/summer, i lost more or less a stone. at the end of the camino my pant is so loose that it is falling down without any support.

my second camino, this past winter, vdlp 1000 kms in 36 days, i again lost about a stone.

so why worry, enjoy your camino. you will lost weight and at the same time feel healthier.

 

[riatolken]

It sounds wonderful! Pasta, chocolates and bread & still loose weight! Thanks, it seems that I am going to enjoy it! Xx

 

[Thomas1962]

Me and my wife have been walking on parts of the camino for a few years. Besides that, my wife walks the camino on her own for like two months a year for the last three uears now.

My experience is that woman don's seem to loose weight so much, but the body gets much stronger en more healthy. On the other side, me and many other man I met seem to loose a kilo a week.

Do more people experience this?

Sorry Riatolken, I wished I could inform you about the opposite effect...

 

[AussieJo]

just don't drink lots of colocau hot chocolate nor red wine. I would have lost more kg had those two things not tempted me so....

 

[lukedarracott]

Don't diet. Drink wine. But I suppose if you're really keen, take sweeteners with the coffees if they have any and order the salads and soups for main courses and don't eat the chips that come with the meat or fish in the main course.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I eat whatever I want on the Camino, including a lot of bread (which I cannot eat in the US due to the bromine spraying)... and I lose an average of 20 pounds each year that I walk.

Of course, I come home and gain it back, but that gives me yet another reason to go walk again!!!

 

[peregrinacathy]

Annie, that's my experience exactly. I not only lose 15#, but I'm strong and fit , walking into Santiago. Next time, I 'm going to try to start my Camino that way!

 

[jpflavin1]

It is hard for me to believe that everyone doesn't lose weight on the Camino. It just does not seem reasonable that you can replace all the calories you burn on a daily basis.

I usually lose 15lbs, 7kg or a stone^^.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[FatmaG]

I always lost weight as well - but curiously I found out that I easily can condemn a meal per day: good breakfast, some fruit (or few bread) in the middle of the day or a cereal bar or simply some almonds, and a good energetic dinner in the evening.
And, Jesus, for nothing, I would leave out the good cold beer at the end of the day, nor the wine during dinner.

Enjoy the camino and the lovely food and drinks
FatmaG

 

[karenfromcali]

I eat whatever I want on the Camino, including a lot of bread (which I cannot eat in the US due to the bromine spraying)... and I lose an average of 20 pounds each year that I walk.

Of course, I come home and gain it back, but that gives me yet another reason to go walk again!!!

Bromine spraying??? Now that doesn't sound too yummy ....

 

[Cejanus]

Me and my wife have been walking on parts of the camino for a few years. Besides that, my wife walks the camino on her own for like two months a year for the last three uears now.

My experience is that woman don's seem to loose weight so much, but the body gets much stronger en more healthy. On the other side, me and many other man I met seem to loose a kilo a week.

Do more people experience this?

Sorry Riatolken, I wished I could inform you about the opposite effect...

I agree with this. Whilst I lost 10 kilos, my walking partner lost none.
My doctor was more than impressed. He recommends "this journey" to his patients who should lose weight and who have a mind set about not being able to. Walk the Way to lower blood pressure, perhaps lose a little weight and also in my case lots of weight off the mind. Now thats a prescription for a healthy lifestyle, healthy thinking and a happy and healthy life.

 

[Magwood]

As a mature woman I could not face all the stodge that was offered by the pilgrim menu, although my daughter enjoyed all the carbs. There is usually a salad option for starter, and the main usually comes accompanied by chips, which in Spain are for the most part excellent. It is often possible to prepare your own evening meal in the albergue and buy provisions for a picnic lunch. So much depends on the weather, we started off in glorious sunshine and picnicked every day, but when it became cold and wet, al fresco dining is not so pleasant and we would have to depend on what was available in bars.

I hoped to lose weight and expected to after reading about other pilgrims' experiences. I did eat a lot more bread than I would normally, drank beer which I don't at home, and ate chocolate almost every day. I lost about 7 kilos after walking SJPP to Finisterre and Muxia, and then spending three days lazing and over-indulging in Santiago (highly recommended).

Four and a half months later I have regained 2.5 kilos which brings me to my pre-camino 'ideal weight', which I had long ago given up hope of achieving. I am hoping not to put too much more weight back on and am taking a 20+ km hard hike once a week to keep me walking fit for my next camino in 2014.

.....Camino Frances with my daughter: http://magwood.wordpress.com

 

[MendiWalker]

You can lose weight on the Camino as you can at home.But you can also gain it. I´m no doctor but I don´t think that starting a diet on the Camino is a good thing.
A varied diet is essential at home as on the Camino.
You can eat whatever you wish BUT on a dessert plate.

Buen Camino!

 

[stevenjarvis]

I think the challenge is to eat a balanced diet. As others have suggested I'm not sure that the Camino is the place to pursue a weight loss programme. I suspect that for may of us the balance we achieve whilst walking is far better than that we return to.

 

[Anne100]

I can't imagine trying to diet while walking a Camino. I am losing a fair amount of weight (I had extra to lose so I'm fine with that) and I'm eating all that I can. My body doesn't do well on starches so I minimize the bread and potatoes. There are plenty of other ways to get good calories: fruit, veggies, eggs, cheese, nuts. I also drink protein shakes every day using whole milk and a high quality protein powder I brought with me from home.

You can diet if you want on your Camino but I don't think you'll have to! It's difficult to eat enough healthy calories for walking 12+ miles a day.

 

[MendiWalker]

When my wife and I are on the Camino we start the day with a Cola Cao and toast. Then at lunchtime we try to have a menu of the day lunch. Then for dinner we just have fruit ( plenty of it).
Depending on how we feel we might stop midmorning and have another Cola Cao and toast or some fruit.

Buen Camino!

 

[jirit]

You will eat far more than you would eat at home and probably lose weight.

Plenty of people lose weight on the camino simply due to the fact you are walking 6-8 hours per day.

The challenge is when you get home, to adjust your camino eating style, back to something that makes sense for your back at home life style.

 

[piogaw]

Normally you will lost quite a bit of weight on your camino. Just be careful when you get back home as you will pick them up again. If you practice your eating habit and exercise you will still pick up a little bit of weight. But why worry as long as you don't pick up excessive weight.

You can also do another camino.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

You can also do another camino.

That's a very good idea.

 

[AJ]

This year in France I had to eat two three course meals and drink a bottle of wine and a couple of beers every day just to maintain my weight. I usually lose 10 kg or more if I eat "normally".

 

[wayfarer]

When I left for the Camino I was 94kilos, I am six foot four ins tall so this is about right. When I returned I was 89kilos despite eating two breakfasts, two lunches, dinner and snacks in between. We ate like hobbits and still lost weight probably due to the cold and walking 25 k every day, you burn lots of calories.

 

[StuartM]

I always lost weight as well - but curiously I found out that I easily can condemn a meal per day: good breakfast, some fruit (or few bread) in the middle of the day or a cereal bar or simply some almonds, and a good energetic dinner in the evening.
And, Jesus, for nothing, I would leave out the good cold beer at the end of the day, nor the wine during dinner.

Enjoy the camino and the lovely food and drinks
FatmaG

That's pretty much what I did too. I usually stopped for breakfast around 9 or so, I became addicted to omelettes and Colacao (ditched caffeine during the Camino). Bananas, nuts and cereal bars during the day. Either a decent lunch or decent dinner. I found I couldn't do both.

I found bread easy to avoid if you avoid bocadillos. I dont like bread, even the amazingly good Spanish bread, it screws up my insides.

I'd really not try to diet on the Camino. Through bad luck and bad planning I didnt eat properly on the first couple of days of the Salvador and never recovered from it. Even later on I struggled with energy despite eating huge amounts. Not replacing calories properly takes a huge toll on you.

I was a ski bum in Canada for a while and would easy lose about 25-30lbs over a season. When you burn a lot of calories every day it is incredibly hard to replace them. I couldnt physically eat enough food to maintain weight. I'd say just go with it. Eat as you feel, you'll lose weight more than likely. Or you might end up neutral where fat loss gets made up by muscle gain. I still remember being shocked when I saw my legs in a full length mirror on my last night, I had thighs like Chris Hoy at the end of it.

 

[Al the optimist]

I lost 10lbs, which I have seen from other's posts is quite common. Unfortunately I have since visited the Spanish lady who I finished my Camino with. She is a good cook and during the visit I gained 6 of those ponds back despite walking 2-4 hours most days while with her.

 

[biloute]

I'm planning to cook for myself whenever possible on the camino, starting in Le Puy. I figured I'd try to eat as healthily as possible, with balanced meals instead of just meat and carbs. Does anyone know how readily available whole grains are (quinoa, wild rice, etc.)?

 

[w cleveland]

I walked 24 Km per day with four rest days and carried a 20 pound pack. I ate like it was the last supper though most meals consumed in early afternoon. Trust me when I say you WILL lose weight. I lost 21 pounds...

 

[Harington]

Hi, I wonder if anyone have suggestions on the food that can help you to loose weight on the Camino, what is available? & I hear that you eat a lot of bread, not to good for me!

You will lose weight naturally. Hiking with a 10kg backpack (incl water) burns about 600kcal/hour. Eat all you can - it's not the place to be picky.

 

[indyrem]

Hi, I wonder if anyone have suggestions on the food that can help you to loose weight on the Camino, what is available? & I hear that you eat a lot of bread, not to good for me!

I walked from SJPP to Santiago in June to July of this year. I knew I've lost weight I just didn't know how much until I got home & weighed myself. I lost 10 lbs ! I did not watch what I ate, in fact I ate every thing while on the Camino. So don't worry about gaining weight- you will be walking a lot of kms everyday & you will need energy to tide you over. When you're finished with your Camino, look at your picture at the start of your Camino and when you arrive at Santiago- you will understand what I'm talking about. Happy eating and Buen Camino!!

 

[piogaw]

I lost 10lbs, which I have seen from other's posts is quite common. Unfortunately I have since visited the Spanish lady who I finished my Camino with. She is a good cook and during the visit I gained 6 of those ponds back despite walking 2-4 hours most days while with her.

al,

you better stop eating all those good spanish dishes your lovely lady cooks for you. you don't want to be like most spanish men with big fat bellies. i do envy you, i wish all my spanish ladies friends are good cooks like yours.

buen provecho.

 

[annelise]

I lost a bit of weight - not overly much though. I would rather say that my weight nicely re-distributed itself. So the effect was that I would constantly have to pin in my waist-band in order for my trousers not to fall down and embarrass me (and others!). So, good folks, don't forget the safety pins in your packing list!

annelise

 

[Alena]

I join the others in saying that you will lose weight. I ate all the bread I wanted, chocolate, pasta, fried eggs, chips, empanadas, of course red wine with dinner and so on and so on, and by the end my trousers were falling down on me. You need these calories to get going!

 

[susanawee]

Hi, I wonder if anyone have suggestions on the food that can help you to loose weight on the Camino, what is available? & I hear that you eat a lot of bread, not to good for me!

Yep, you are right, there is a lot of bread, ie. bread with every meal you have, but, one does not have to eat the bread....it is you choice. I just ate a normal diet during the entire walk. I did lose quite a lot of weight but that was not at all intentional. I think that the regular diet and the exercise combined, will help you lose weight.