Camino after weight loss surgery

[LaoDaCamino]

Hello all!

I'm considering walking my first Camino this year, walking the French way in June. In November 2021 I had weight loss surgery and afterwards lost over 60 kilos. I have about 30 more to lose and still going!

I'm not at all worried about whether I can physically do the Camino as I can go my own pace and I'm in good physical shape. However, my food needs are quite different from the average pilgrim. I can only eat small amounts (an amount about the size of my hand) at one time. Therefore it's impossible to do something like eat a fulfilling breakfast and have it sustain me a few hours. To walk all day I would need to have lots of snacks of small meals. I'm also a little worried about being able to get enough caloric intake to walk multiple hours. I just came back from a snowboarding trip and was having trouble with dizziness in the afternoons and had to take periodic breaks for some food or electrolytes.

I think this will be doable but I'm hoping to find someone who can give me more information. My current plan is to try to always have some calorie dense, healthy snacks with me like nuts, cheese, fruit. I'm also going to use a bag transport service and part of my bag will be full of some nutrient dense food and energy supplements for if I really need it or can't find food at that location (I know albergues serve meals but I would need to eat food all evening to eat more than a couple hundred calories at a meal. I east extremely slowly).

Anyone able to offer any insights? Any sections of the camino I should watch out for that don't have food stores easily available? Appreciate any advice!

 

[David]

Interesting. At home I have breakfast at about 1pm, supper at 7pm and then no more meals until the next day so have a gap of some 18 hours - but! when I walk from morning that goes out of the window and I eat about 10 or 11 am!
I can see how you might want/need constant intake - do you eat meat? The Spanish sausages are nutrient dense and they don't go off - good sausage and good cheese is seriously nutritious intake in small portions. Add bananas ... good to go. Also, in many villages there will be a tienda where you can have a couple of rolls made up with whatever you want, they foil wrap them, are fresh, cheap, and good to carry as well.
I think that what you have to do is to stay well away from anything that is almost pure sugar, such as those terrible "trekking bars" (great marketing, awful product).

Hey! Camino?? Expect to lose more weight - and well done!!!! on what you have achieved so far - amazing!!

 

[LaoDaCamino]

Yes I do eat meat! Sausage or jerky kind of things are probably a good fit. I try and avoid "fake food" like granola bars as much as possible and eat real food. As far as I'm concerned protein bars are basically a snickers bar.

 

[good_old_shoes]

On the Francés there are many bars and cafés along the way to stop for a nice snack (tortilla de patatas, for example - spanish omelette with potato: lots of protein but also carbohydrates to keep you going). The portions are not very big usually, but you could eat one half and carry the other if it is still too much for you.

I like to eat small amounts while going and usually carry some sort of trail mix.

Maybe create your own trail mix version to eat in between café stops: different nuts, almonds, dried fruit... all available in supermarkets in the towns. When walking in the heat, salted nuts are especially good because you'll lose a lot of salt sweating. You can add a small bag for the trail mix to your belt or backpacks hip belt, that way it is easily accessible and you can eat a handful whenever you want to. Lots of calories but still healthy and natural.

Mentioned bananas are indeed perfect food for hiking.

Many french pilgrims I met always carried a small can of sardines or other fish with them as emergency food. In spain there's a huge variety of canned fish, even in tiny cans, available. So if you like fish, that could also be something you could carry with you inbetween towns.

All just suggestions of course, and you'll surely get more of those by others!

The Francés is really a good choice for your needs. You'll be fine! Buen Camino and happy planning

 

[J Willhaus]

We also like the little wax wrapped Baby Bell cheeses. The will last several days depending on the weather. Make a good snack with an apple.

 

[Katherine Radeka]

I think you are going to be fine carrying the amount of food you will need for numerous small meals. You should be able to replenish every day. So it’s really more about using your training walks to figure out what foods work for you, so that you know how much food you need and what options work well.

 

[dbier]

I would also carry tp and whatever you need to bury your wastes, as you're not likely to find enough baños along the way...definitely walk the Frances, and experiment beforehand with how your body processes high fat/protein snacks.

Buen Camino!

 

[SuefromVegas]

Hello, LaoDaCamino,
You should have access to a dietician if the hospital where you had your surgery has a bariatric program. If not, your surgeon should be able to refer you to one that they work with. A registered dietician who has specialized in bariatric patients should be able to guide you. Many, many years ago I was a part of a new bariatric program at a hospital I worked at and the dietician was critical to our patients success.

Buen Camino

 

[lt56ny]

Hello, LaoDaCamino,
You should have access to a dietician if the hospital where you had your surgery has a bariatric program. If not, your surgeon should be able to refer you to one that they work with. A registered dietician who has specialized in bariatric patients should be able to guide you. Many, many years ago I was a part of a new bariatric program at a hospital I worked at and the dietician was critical to our patients success.

Buen Camino

Best advice anyone can give is what you have said. Speak to someone who knows what they are talking about and have worked with patients who have had Bariatric surgery. I also do not think the person should walk without speaking to her physician also. It never hurts to err on the side of caution. Walking this distance, no matter how much you prepare can be a shock to the system for many first time walkers. I was walking 15+ miles a day before I went on my first camino and was still aching and sore and exhausted for about the first 10 days or so.
Find out what the dietician recommends that you eat and you should be able to buy things and carry them with you each day. But remember things that may be common in your country may be difficult to find in Spain.
I always advice new pilgrims to listen to their bodies and not their heads on when to eat, drink and rest. I know you know this about when to eat but you really need to listen in conjunction with resting.
Buen Camino

 

[LaoDaCamino]

Hello, LaoDaCamino,
You should have access to a dietician if the hospital where you had your surgery has a bariatric program. If not, your surgeon should be able to refer you to one that they work with. A registered dietician who has specialized in bariatric patients should be able to guide you. Many, many years ago I was a part of a new bariatric program at a hospital I worked at and the dietician was critical to our patients success.

Buen Camino

Yes I know I've spoken with a dietitian but I'm posting here because I'm specifically asking questions related to what is available on the camino.

 

[LesBrass]

When I'm walking I much prefer to snack rather than eat one or two large meals... so I have a light breakfast and drink... after and hour or two I might stop for a piece of tortilla and another drink. For lunch maybe just a couple of tapas size bites or a small picnic. In the afternoon my hiking staple of a few nuts and dried fruit or a banana... and so on.

Spain is tapas heaven which will be perfect for you. On the Camino Frances there are generally lots of opportunity to pause for a small meal or snack and if you carry a few staples then you will manage without a problem.

Good luck... congratulations on all your achievements so far... and buen camino

 

[Scott Sweeney]

Yes I do eat meat! Sausage or jerky kind of things are probably a good fit. I try and avoid "fake food" like granola bars as much as possible and eat real food. As far as I'm concerned protein bars are basically a snickers bar.

Sausages and jerky are also high in sodium which can result in water retention. Might I recommend nuts and trail mix also. And include fruit's with portioned amounts of bread.

 

[LaoDaCamino]

When I'm walking I much prefer to snack rather than eat one or two large meals... so I have a light breakfast and drink... after and hour or two I might stop for a piece of tortilla and another drink. For lunch maybe just a couple of tapas size bites or a small picnic. In the afternoon my hiking staple of a few nuts and dried fruit or a banana... and so on.

Spain is tapas heaven which will be perfect for you. On the Camino Frances there are generally lots of opportunity to pause for a small meal or snack and if you carry a few staples then you will manage without a problem.

Good luck... congratulations on all your achievements so far... and buen camino

Thanks this was really helpful. I would probably do something really similar.

 

[antepacem]

Just chiming in here to say kudos on all your hard work!! and yes, the Camino Francès is the perfect option for you. There are almost no stretches where you can't pop into a bar or tienda and grab a quick snack, and if you are sending your big bag ahead, you can easily stock up your day pack with everything you need. Half a slice of tortilla or half a bocadillo, with the other half stashed for the next snack time, is going to suit you just fine, alongside trail mix, bananas, and whatever else you're already accustomed to. Like someone else said, tapas is a dream for your needs. The only thing is it can sometimes be oily (fried potatoes, olives swimming in oil, etc., which I have heard can be problematic, gut-wise, so you might have to be choosy about which things you order. But the good thing is that you can usually see what you're going to get, so you can figure out what works best for you pretty quickly.

I also wonder whether it might be a good idea to have a couple of small containers to split up and take away pilgrim menus etc? Given that you are doing bag transport, you can spare the weight and you can nibble away all evening from your pilgrim meal. Again, fried and oily foods can be common, though, so you might find that you are better off ordering from a main menu (with roast meats and soups etc.) rather than the sometimes greasy pilgrim menu. I'll never forget, though, the pilgrim meal I had at Samos - three chicken breasts!!! Haha. Wished I had a container for that one.

I have a friend who is about to get bariatric surgery and she is nervous about all the dietary restrictions and so on - please report back and let us all know about how it goes for you, if you feel inclined. I'd love to be able to point her to your success and let her know that a camino is doable for her, too!

Buen camino!

 

[LaoDaCamino]

Just chiming in here to say kudos on all your hard work!! and yes, the Camino Francès is the perfect option for you. There are almost no stretches where you can't pop into a bar or tienda and grab a quick snack, and if you are sending your big bag ahead, you can easily stock up your day pack with everything you need. Half a slice of tortilla or half a bocadillo, with the other half stashed for the next snack time, is going to suit you just fine, alongside trail mix, bananas, and whatever else you're already accustomed to. Like someone else said, tapas is a dream for your needs. The only thing is it can sometimes be oily (fried potatoes, olives swimming in oil, etc., which I have heard can be problematic, gut-wise, so you might have to be choosy about which things you order. But the good thing is that you can usually see what you're going to get, so you can figure out what works best for you pretty quickly.

I also wonder whether it might be a good idea to have a couple of small containers to split up and take away pilgrim menus etc? Given that you are doing bag transport, you can spare the weight and you can nibble away all evening from your pilgrim meal. Again, fried and oily foods can be common, though, so you might find that you are better off ordering from a main menu (with roast meats and soups etc.) rather than the sometimes greasy pilgrim menu. I'll never forget, though, the pilgrim meal I had at Samos - three chicken breasts!!! Haha. Wished I had a container for that one.

I have a friend who is about to get bariatric surgery and she is nervous about all the dietary restrictions and so on - please report back and let us all know about how it goes for you, if you feel inclined. I'd love to be able to point her to your success and let her know that a camino is doable for her, too!

Buen camino!

Yes one thing I was considering was bringing a collapsing tupperware container and some cutlery so I can take some food away. I'm planning on ordering al a carte when possible because it looks the pilgrim menu is just a lot more food than I can ever handle. Otherwise I need to find some hungry friends who would appreciate my extra food.

Also, at least for me, I don't have any dietary restrictions other than being unable to handle ice cream or heavy cream. For some people this isn't the case but really I can eat whatever I want and feel fine. I just have to avoid junk/carbs because if I fill up on that there is no room for anything else.

 

[t2andreo]

I had a bariatric lap band installed on my stomach in 2005. I lost nearly 100 pounds (45 kg). In 2013 I did my first Camino. Because of our shared and unique dietary requirements, I was compelled to carry packets of protein powder. Having at least 20 gm of protein every 4 hours was a medical and nutritional requirement. You likely have similar rules to follow.

It is simply not possible to accomplish this sort of dietary control relying on cafes to be there every four hours, plus, the variety of protein rich food available is limited. Supermarkets will not likely have protein rich snack bars to buy. You can buy dried nuts, but that gets boring.

I recommend you consult with your bariatric surgeon to determine if powdered protein supplements will work for you on Camino. Mine were sourced in the US (where I live). I packed two weeks worth - three packets daily - in a zip lock bag. I found that hotels that I had reservations at would always accept a small parcel mailed ahead to await my arrival.

This allowed me to send two week "replenishment kits" of protein powder and nutritional supplements ahead to wait for me. Once I arrived in Spain, I went to the post office and sent these 'kits' ahead to one or two hotels depending on my itinerary.

More recently, now that my band has been removed (It broke in 2019 and had to come out), I learned that many Spanish farmacias carry local brands of powdered protein supplements. These come in containers, and sometimes packets.

Once you identify what your needs are, you might use google.es to try to isolate the necessary brands and which farmacias along your path of travel will have containers or packets of this supplement. Most of these will be in larger cities.

With careful planning, and maintaining an "emergency stash" in a Ziplock bag in your mochila, you should easily be able to resupply from local farmacias. Also, staff in farmacias almost always speak English at least at a basic level.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Gena]

Hello all!

I'm considering walking my first Camino this year, walking the French way in June. In November 2021 I had weight loss surgery and afterwards lost over 60 kilos. I have about 30 more to lose and still going!

I'm not at all worried about whether I can physically do the Camino as I can go my own pace and I'm in good physical shape. However, my food needs are quite different from the average pilgrim. I can only eat small amounts (an amount about the size of my hand) at one time. Therefore it's impossible to do something like eat a fulfilling breakfast and have it sustain me a few hours. To walk all day I would need to have lots of snacks of small meals. I'm also a little worried about being able to get enough caloric intake to walk multiple hours. I just came back from a snowboarding trip and was having trouble with dizziness in the afternoons and had to take periodic breaks for some food or electrolytes.

I think this will be doable but I'm hoping to find someone who can give me more information. My current plan is to try to always have some calorie dense, healthy snacks with me like nuts, cheese, fruit. I'm also going to use a bag transport service and part of my bag will be full of some nutrient dense food and energy supplements for if I really need it or can't find food at that location (I know albergues serve meals but I would need to eat food all evening to eat more than a couple hundred calories at a meal. I east extremely slowly).

Anyone able to offer any insights? Any sections of the camino I should watch out for that don't have food stores easily available? Appreciate any advice!

Hi. When I walked the Camino I took many 1 serving size peanut butter packets. I would go into a store or bakery and buy a baguette and cheese. I would break the baguette into 4-6 pieces and make little sandwiches of either cheese or PB (I brought a plastic knife from home or you can get them along the way). Add an apple, banana, or orange easily found on the Camino and I was set.

 

[LesBrass]

Yes one thing I was considering was bringing a collapsing tupperware container and some cutlery so I can take some food away. I'm planning on ordering al a carte when possible because it looks the pilgrim menu is just a lot more food than I can ever handle. Otherwise I need to find some hungry friends who would appreciate my extra food.

Also, at least for me, I don't have any dietary restrictions other than being unable to handle ice cream or heavy cream. For some people this isn't the case but really I can eat whatever I want and feel fine. I just have to avoid junk/carbs because if I fill up on that there is no room for anything else.

Sporks are great... and very cheap and light to carry... perfect for camino picnics

 

[hikentravel1234]

Hello all!

I'm considering walking my first Camino this year, walking the French way in June. In November 2021 I had weight loss surgery and afterwards lost over 60 kilos. I have about 30 more to lose and still going!

I'm not at all worried about whether I can physically do the Camino as I can go my own pace and I'm in good physical shape. However, my food needs are quite different from the average pilgrim. I can only eat small amounts (an amount about the size of my hand) at one time. Therefore it's impossible to do something like eat a fulfilling breakfast and have it sustain me a few hours. To walk all day I would need to have lots of snacks of small meals. I'm also a little worried about being able to get enough caloric intake to walk multiple hours. I just came back from a snowboarding trip and was having trouble with dizziness in the afternoons and had to take periodic breaks for some food or electrolytes.

I think this will be doable but I'm hoping to find someone who can give me more information. My current plan is to try to always have some calorie dense, healthy snacks with me like nuts, cheese, fruit. I'm also going to use a bag transport service and part of my bag will be full of some nutrient dense food and energy supplements for if I really need it or can't find food at that location (I know albergues serve meals but I would need to eat food all evening to eat more than a couple hundred calories at a meal. I east extremely slowly).

Anyone able to offer any insights? Any sections of the camino I should watch out for that don't have food stores easily available? Appreciate any advice!

I’ve seen some good advice so will most just add to previous advice. It would be best to avoid the hottest months for many reasons. One reason is that some people leave before or just after the sun can med up to try to finish by about 1 pm, Breakfadt is not really served before 7 so I always bought food (pastry was my fav) before supper the day before. I carried 1 plastic container with me and I was glad. At lunch, I usually couldn’t eat my food, so 1/2 went in the plastic container.
I‘m a snacked/grazer throughout the day. At night, depending on the village/city, sometimes the pilgrims dinners in the hostels are the best food choice (also to eat with other pilgrims). They don’t allow shared meals and it is a large amount. You would have to see if they will work with you to take some of your food (you would have to supply the containers and utensils). Take emergency food for back up, especially if in a tiny village with limited options. Because I eat small portions, on my third trip, I became very good at finding places that sold tapas, esp at night (as I hated to buy the huge portions of pilgrims’s dinners because I couldn’t eat them). Bottom line, it is so doable.

 

[BigT]

Congratulations on your success and your plan to Camino the Camino.
A few items to consider, of which you are probably already aware.
Your daypack might include spare underclothing, a few pairs of disposable gloves, TP, wipes, hand sanitizer, and plastic bags for disposal, as nature might call when no el bano is close, especially with your surgical history.
Carry some small denomination Euro paper and coin money for use of el bano, as the merchants will appreciate that you appreciate that you are able to avail yourself of their facilities.
Use your training walks to determine your optimal nutrition and fluid intake/output needs and stay well hydrated.
You plan to travel in June, so there should be more demand for all facilities, thus, potentially longer wait lines.
Though these considerations might already be known, this note is just intended to reinforce your knowledge of your unique situation, good thinking and a dash of common sense, so as to develop the habits that encourage and maximize your success and enjoyment.
Burn Camino!

 

[iamangelawilkinson]

Hello all!

I'm considering walking my first Camino this year, walking the French way in June. In November 2021 I had weight loss surgery and afterwards lost over 60 kilos. I have about 30 more to lose and still going!

I'm not at all worried about whether I can physically do the Camino as I can go my own pace and I'm in good physical shape. However, my food needs are quite different from the average pilgrim. I can only eat small amounts (an amount about the size of my hand) at one time. Therefore it's impossible to do something like eat a fulfilling breakfast and have it sustain me a few hours. To walk all day I would need to have lots of snacks of small meals. I'm also a little worried about being able to get enough caloric intake to walk multiple hours. I just came back from a snowboarding trip and was having trouble with dizziness in the afternoons and had to take periodic breaks for some food or electrolytes.

I think this will be doable but I'm hoping to find someone who can give me more information. My current plan is to try to always have some calorie dense, healthy snacks with me like nuts, cheese, fruit. I'm also going to use a bag transport service and part of my bag will be full of some nutrient dense food and energy supplements for if I really need it or can't find food at that location (I know albergues serve meals but I would need to eat food all evening to eat more than a couple hundred calories at a meal. I east extremely slowly).

Anyone able to offer any insights? Any sections of the camino I should watch out for that don't have food stores easily available? Appreciate any advice!

Hello lovely one!!! I am also a bariatric, my surgery was in November 2019. I am planning to walk the Camino next August and was just wondering about your experience? I haven’t found anyone in our situation to be able to shed light on this. I have no issue physically, just no idea how we go with food. Much love to you on both journeys xx

 

[Former member 92300]

Wow- I don't know how I missed this post! I know I was asking similar questions a few years ago. I had a VSG in Sept 2019 and had planned my first Camino for late May 2020 but due to COVID I had to postpone to June 2021 and just did it again this summer. Last year I did SJPDP to Finisterre/Muxia, this year I did Hendaye to Santiago combining the first part of the Norte with the Primitivo.

First off - congratulations on your weight loss and keep up the good work! I personally lost ALL of my excess weight pretty quickly and got down to the 120's (I think my lowest is 123 - and I am in the US so I am talking pounds not kg) but I hovered between 128-135 for the most part. Now I am pretty settled at 135ish.

Can you physically do the Camino after weight loss surgery? ABSOLUTELY! The beauty of the Camino is you can walk at your own pace and walk distances that are comfortable for you. The first week - don't be tempted to walk longer distances than the prescribed "stages". Get acclimated, get in a routine, and then after a week you can decide if you are capable of longer distances. But - if you feel you want to do shorter distances the first week, you can certainly do that. But - be flexible with your schedule. Try not to book too far in advance because you will find that you may want to walk different distances than what you planned and it is best to be able to do that. I prebook SJPDP, Orisson, Roncesvalles, and Zubiri - just because I knew that is what I wanted to do and didn't want to accidentally be forced to walk longer distances the first several days if things should be full. After that - I rarely booked more in advance than the morning of or night before.

Regarding food - I struggled a lot on the Frances last year, but moreso because of COVID and the Camino had just reopened but many of the bars had not. What I learned the hard way is that anytime I passed a grocery store - I needed to buy some foods to keep in my pack that I could eat throughout the day. What I found challenging on both Caminos is that the tiny grocery stores didn't have the right prepackaged foods and or already prepared foods that I could grab and go. The bigger towns have grocery stores that are better stocked with both. For example - for ready made protein I could get meatballs or other protein based foods that were pre-cooked in the bigger towns, but little towns had nothing of the sort. In bigger grocery stores I could find better protein snack options too. So- I highly recommend that you buy a few things before you start walking that you like that you can keep in your pack.

For both Caminos - breakfast is usually carb based if you eat at albergues/hotels that serve breakfasts. For that reason - I needed to skip breakfast at albergues/hotels a lot and either buy my breakfast the night before or stop at a bar along the way. One of the foods I ate a lot at the bars was the tortilla's which in Spain is an omelet and usually is offered as tortilla de potata (egg and potato omelet).

Regarding meals at the albergues - I participated any time I could - but I really had to pay attention to what they were serving. How are you now at tolerating foods like pastas? Because pasta is served A LOT at albergues for communal dinners lol. Are there foods you CAN"T eat? (like I still can't eat rice or my stomach hurts nearly 3 years post op). If so - be sure to check that those foods aren't on the menu.

Regarding eating at bars and restaurants - can be challenging at bars of the main food they serve is bocadillas. Lots and lots of bocadillas are the staple of many pilgrim's diet while walking - for 1 meal. I personally can tolerate some sandwiches - but the bocadillas are HUGE and it can take me 2 days to eat 1 bocadilla. You can ask for regular sandwiches - but I tolerate french and italian bread much better than I tolerate the soft white/wheat breads that most sandwiches are made of. Again - this is where shopping at a store is better - you can pick your cheese and meat and put it on bread you tolerate or eat without bread easily. Other meals at bars and restaurants - ordering the pilgrim's menu was nice - but they are HUGE. Especially when compared to a post bariatric surgery stomach. I did order from the pilgrims menu when they had something I can eat in all the courses - so I could have variety at meal time - but unless I was eating with another hungry pilgrim who I could share my food with - a lot went to waste. A lost of places have a "racion" menu and you can order just one item individually. I did that A LOT when I could. But I still had more than I could eat.

I think the biggest tip I can give you is to bring a reusable food container. I didn't on the Frances and I always wished I had one. Then this year I packed on but decided against taking it because of the extra weight and instead brought extra ziplock bags. The ziplock bags were helpful - but I really wished I had a small food container. The problem with Spain is they don't give "to go" containers they way they do in the US. And quite often I couldn't take my leftovers with me. If I could have - it would have saved me a lot of money in buying more food when I could have just saved part of my last meal that was thrown in the trash. If I go again - I will definitely bring a small food container that seals well enough to store soups or other foods in.

And are you picky about your proteins? I am. For example - I love chicken breast. I really dislike the other pieces of chicken. Most chicken in Spain is served as legs/thighs etc. So - I would order chicken dishes and rarely be able to eat the chicken. And unfortunately - I am picky about many other meat protein sources. Because of that - I really struggled. But - my fallback was when I knew I wasn't getting enough protein - you could usually find someone serving eggs in one form or another lol.

Anyhow - I struggled A LOT on my Frances Camino (was definitely malnourished too often) - but again - it was because I had limited access to food due to COVID, and the food I did have access too was too often what I couldn't eat. And also because the bigger grocery stores were spread further apart. If you plan in advance though - it shouldn't be a problem. Just be sure to stop at grocery stores as you pass them and don't wait until you NEED them. This summer I still struggled, but less so because I was more prepared. Both summers I had way too many carbs and not enough protein and vegetables - but it is less of an issue when you are walking 20+km every day for a month.

As for the physical part of the journey - I don't know what weight you are at now or what your current physical ability is - but start walking as much as you can and as often as you can before you get started. The start will probably be hard but you will get stronger with every passing week if planning a long Camino.

 

[Former member 92300]

Yes I do eat meat! Sausage or jerky kind of things are probably a good fit. I try and avoid "fake food" like granola bars as much as possible and eat real food. As far as I'm concerned protein bars are basically a snickers bar.

The "right" protein bars can definitely be good in supporting your bariatric diet - my dietician helped me find some quality protein bars. That said - I couldn't find ANY quality protein bars in Spain! lol

 

[Former member 92300]

I would also carry tp and whatever you need to bury your wastes, as you're not likely to find enough baños along the way...definitely walk the Frances, and experiment beforehand with how your body processes high fat/protein snacks.

Buen Camino!

Really - you shouldn't have to bury your food waste - bring an extra ziplock baggie for any trash and dispose of any waste in the next town. Super easy. Even on the primitivo where towns were much further apart.

 

[Former member 92300]

When I'm walking I much prefer to snack rather than eat one or two large meals... so I have a light breakfast and drink... after and hour or two I might stop for a piece of tortilla and another drink. For lunch maybe just a couple of tapas size bites or a small picnic. In the afternoon my hiking staple of a few nuts and dried fruit or a banana... and so on.

Spain is tapas heaven which will be perfect for you. On the Camino Frances there are generally lots of opportunity to pause for a small meal or snack and if you carry a few staples then you will manage without a problem.

Good luck... congratulations on all your achievements so far... and buen camino

After bariatric surgery the worst thing you can do is eat one or 2 large meals per day. We should be eating tiny meals every 3 hours or so (depending on our nutritionist recommendations).

Regarding tapas - I ate tapas frequently - but I can tolerate them post surgery and even maintain my weight while walking a lot - but many can't. Too often they are the wrong foods unfortunately. The "Racions" menu is a better fit for a bariatric diet.

 

[Former member 92300]

Hello, LaoDaCamino,
You should have access to a dietician if the hospital where you had your surgery has a bariatric program. If not, your surgeon should be able to refer you to one that they work with. A registered dietician who has specialized in bariatric patients should be able to guide you. Many, many years ago I was a part of a new bariatric program at a hospital I worked at and the dietician was critical to our patients success.

Buen Camino

This is good advice - but sadly not enough for a post op bariatric surgery patient who is planning to do any long distance hike. I talked to my nutritionist and a couple others before my first Camino - and their advice is always great for what and how to eat in normal circumstances - but not with regards to doing a long distance hike. For example - mine recommend I bring "protein shots". Um - I am going on a 5 week hike across Spain and am carrying everything I need on my back for 5 weeks. I can't bring 5 weeks of heavy/liquid protein shots and I couldn't find anything similar on either of my Caminos. I found the advice given would have been good for a regular camping trip - just not a long distance hiking trip that last a week or many weeks.

Anyhow - it is pretty standard (at least in the US) that all recent bariatric surgery candidates receive in depth nutrition counseling before and after surgery and yes - we need to learn what and how to eat from their guidance and attempt to consult with them before starting new activities. But to do a long distance hike like the Camino, it really helps to learn from others experience.

 

[lovingkindness]

Hello @LaoDaCamino

'Lista da Correos' may be useful in your situation, i.e.. Posting packages of essentials ahead to yourself along El camino . Here' a link:

"Correos offices along the Camino"

Buen Camino!