10 Reasons Why I Will Not Be Losing Weight

1. Gluten Free Bread: there have been several places now that carry GF bread, and it is way better than the commercial GF bread in the States. It looks and tastes like a baguette, and it travels well. This has been one of my go-to trail foods.
2. Low Kilometers: because I'm not walking as far as many pilgrims, I'm not getting as much exercise each day.
3. Not Carrying my Backpack: while I realize that this a a personal necessity, it means that, even when I am walking, I'm burning fewer calories.
4. Cafe con Leche: dude, this stuff is like crack... espresso, steamed milk, and a tiny bit of sugar... I could drink it all day, except that it also has a much higher caffeine content than coffee at home, and it keeps me up if I drink it too late.
5. Wine: wine is part of the price of pilgrims menus, as well as many menu del dias. Add to that the fact that much of the Camino goes through the middle of prime wine country, and that local wine is usually very inexpensive.... I think you get the picture.
6. Menu Peregrino/del dia: if you order either of these, you get 2 courses and dessert. This isn't that big of an issue if you are walking 20-30km/day....you are burning upward of 4000 calories. And, the food is VERY good.
7. Roadside food/beverage stands: there have been several places where someone has set up a stand in places that are very far from the next town, or where my guide says there is nothing for 6-15 km, depending on the place. I feel that it is important to buy from them so that they continue to be there for future pilgrims. Besides, I love their pluck.
8. My dang sweet tooth: when I DO get dessert, I can't just say, no thanks, or choose something with fewer calories, like yogurt. Nope--if Flan is an option, I'm choosing it.  At least I've been staying away from the ubiquitous chocolate bars this time around.
9. Not drinking enough water: this is something I really need to work on.  Theoretically, because I'm using a water bladder, I should be able to get enough because I can keep walking while sipping my water. However, unless it is a day when I feel like my brain is going to cook inside my skull, I tend to forget that I'm carrying water, and I'm drinking about 1/3 of my 1.5 liter bladder. I feel stupid to say this, but I'm seriously thinking about setting an alarm for every 15 minutes to remember to drink.
10. The heat is curbing my appetite: this is kind of on the other side of the spectrum, but I'm noticing that really hot days both saps my strength and makes me not hungry AT ALL. On those days, I don't touch my trail food, and often skip lunch altogether. If it's hot enough, eating dinner can be a struggle as well. Thankfully, it has only happened once or twice, but I haven't gotten to the Meseta yet. 

There you have it. I suspect that I will gain weight this trip.