Keto Camino

#1

Hi Dudes, Ruth here. I am from Brisbane, currently walking the 800 km Camino Frances as part of a religious and physical challenge. I am over half way done, mostly Keto save for Spanish Tortillas. I eat boiled egg, bacon, nuts, dark chocolate and have eaten several egg/potato tortillas. I don’t eat bread. I also have cured meat and some cheese. I have ample energy and don’t have to eat constantly. I have lost fat off my bosom, belly and bottom, possibly turned into leg muscle.

#2

Update. I finally had the opportunity to look in a full length mirror. I am skin and bones so adding carbs until the end of the Camino. I know that sounds wrong but I am fading away to a shadow. It is not enough for me - even 200 g of cashews disappears into the metabolic furnace. I have also decreased the daily distance until I pad a bit of fat on. Yes I have a carb headache.
If anyone has any suggestions I would be more than happy.
I am carrying an 8 kilo pack and now walk about 16-18 km every day, for the next few days.
Being so thin gave me a fright.

(Ivete C) #3

Hi there, I did the 860 Camino in 2014, 34 days walking … Totally keto, lived on Chorrizo and Manchego cheese ! Best adventure of my life. Good luck :pray:t2:

#4

Thank you! Despite the unseasonably cold spring, I am loving it. I did live on cheese, sausage, nuts and dark chocolate for the first 3 weeks but I started thin and just got thinner. I will likely gain weight but I intend to restart Keto when I finish.

(Mary) #5

This is incredibly encouraging (and I know you didn’t mean it that way :slightly_smiling_face:). Hubby and I plan to walk the Camino del Norte next year and I’m delighted beyond measure that there may be a “metabolic furnace” in my future. I could use one…

Best of luck with the rest of your Camino and I hope you enjoy that lovely Spanish food!

#6

Oh yes. My furnace is going well. And the Spanish food is fantastic. I have under 2 weeks left on the Camino Frances and I have just started eating more restaurant food rather than boil eggs and carry cheese and chocolate and nuts and meat. I still carry some food. The Pilgrims Menu at most restaurants is bread, first course, main course and dessert, and wine. I don’t drink wine, eat bread or have dessert. So I did not eat the full restaurant meal. Now I eat all the food I can, Keto or not, in a bid to maintain my weight.
Buen Camino.

(Ivete C) #7

Please keep us updated :clap:t2::clap:t2::clap:t2::clap:t2::clap:t2::clap:t2::clap:t2: Buen Camino

#8

Okay some tips on the fly.

  1. Cream is generally not available in Spain to have with coffee. I am having black coffee.
  2. Bacon and Eggs can be had in most cafes. I have mine with “Mantequilla” (butter) and as much as I can get.
  3. I four and a half weeks I have had three or four desserts (cakes) and about five slices bread. Desserts are not that sweet. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I lost weight so was cramming in any food.
  4. I have eaten many tortillas with potato. If I had my time over I would have had “Los huevos y beicon” every day for mid morning breakfast.
  5. Learn Spanish for mayonnaise, butter, eggs, bacon, ham, etc.
  6. Some cafes along the earlier Camino stages have glorious pork rind which they cube and fry. Eat that. Lots of it!

Buen Keto Camino.

Even if Bacon and eggs is not on any menu, generally if you ask you can get.

Remember to say no pan or you will get pan and lots of it!

(KCKO, KCFO) #9

Thanks for sharing this. What a great adventure for you.

I’m not planning to do the Camino trip, but the tips you gave are good to know for any trip to Spain and I hope to do one of those in the near future.

#10

Hello Ruth,

I am walking the Camino starting June 29th. I currently adhere to a fully Zero Carb/Carnivorous way of eating. It sustains me longer and means I don’t feel the need to snack. Plus the added protein keeps my muscles strong despite any physical output. You have given me some reassurance regarding eggs and bacon for breakfast with plenty of butter. That’ll work. I’ll use some cured meats but perform better with lower sodium levels so don’t want them becoming my main meal each day. I was wondering if many of the albergues offered their kitchens to prepare your own evening meals? and also if it was easy and affordable enough to pick up some meat/steaks in each village to do so?

I am not naïve to the fact that I might have to use some nuts for fuel along the way. I am actually completely open to that as I see it just like our ancestors would of survived such distances when other food was scarce. But I won’t be looking to fuel with any carbs/plants otherwise such as potatoes or bread mainly to avoid any unpleasant autoimmune issues that I suffer with. Appreciate anything you can share. Pork rinds sounds promising as well!

#11

Yes,
Just ask for los huevos y bacon con mantiquilla and most cafes can do that even if there appears to be no menu.

The tortillas contain potato, so be aware.

Check in with us now and then to let us know.

I carried boiled eggs, cured meat, cheese and cashews. I found cashews (anacardos) were the only nuts I liked out of the selection, but they are relatively high carb.

I found I burned off all carbs I ate.

The kitchen facilities are on offer but most have scratched Teflon pans, no lids and limited utensils.

Plus I could carry food in the cold weather. Once the warm weather hit, I was at the mercy of cafes and the Pilgrim menu.

If you have excess weight in reserve, this should not be a problem. I do not have excess weight, so I had to eat the carbs to pack on some fat.