Tackling the Grand Traverse - Carb Free

Happy to share what the details were in order to complete the Traverse on a High Fat Low Carb (HFLC) diet.

Hi Greg
Would love to know what you ate, how much you took and how you packed it / kept it from spoiling.
I started Banting (LCHF) about 6 months ago but haven't tested it with any sort of endurance activity and possibly have a hike coming up soon so any pointers would be welcome.
Thanks

I'm also interested
I've started putting more emphasis on proteins and fats than carbs in my meals.

Hi, I would be very interested in how you tackled the GT on a low carb diet. I am currently on a low carb diet and plan to do the hike in June this year, please send details.

I have been following a LCHF diet for over 7 years now so I am well accustomed to this sort of food. I’m also a sucker for chocolate and don’t grow tired of eating the same food every day. This is not advice or a suggestion for everyone but just an example of what can be done. 
 
The below is my rough daily intake and easily sustains me on hikes of 30km+ every day. Did a GT on this and now I use it on every hike due to the calorific content and very light food weight. 

Breakfast:
3 tbsp peanut butter (no salt no sugar variety) = 45g
Butter and cocoa powder (premixed at home) added to roughly 300ml boiling water for a chocolate shake = 75g

Lunch and snacks:
3 tbsp peanut butter (no salt no sugar variety) = 45g
60g cheddar cheese
75g fatty Italian salami

Dinner:
3 tbsp peanut butter (no salt no sugar variety) = 45g
Butter and cocoa powder (premixed at home) added to roughly 300ml boiling water for a chocolate shake = 75g
Couple pieces of Lindt 90% chocolate for dessert = 20g
Double tot of my favourite peaty scotch = 50g

Total daily food weight under 500g! 

On longer hikes I increase the butter/cocoa mix for the morning and night time shakes. I also premix a small amount of Nutella/similar into my peanut butter for extra chocolateyness if I want something with a touch of sweetness on the hike. 

Ps, yes I have my cholesterol checked every year and I pass with flying colours 

Eish Grandeur!
Did you weigh yourself at the start and finish?
Were you blown over by the wind at the end?
i’m feeling guilty just looking at peanut butter now. 

On my first DGT (incidentally 10 years ago today we passed half way on it - also the day I finally climbed Popple and Mafadi) I ate a generic junk food diet and still ended up 13kg lifter than I started

Fat adapted hiking definitely work. I've tried it a few years back, could manage a typical 3 day hike (i.e. day 1 from campsite to escarpment, day 2 walk around on top and day 3 descent back to the start) averaging around 25kms with 750g of fatty food for the total 3 days. On non-fat adapted hikes I eat more than this on a single day.

Adapting to the high fat low carb diet took me quite a while - like, about a year. My performance initially fell dramatically, if I remember correctly by about 50%, and then gradually it came back. You carry huge amounts of energy in your fat reserves, so why not use it?

My biggest problem was that with kids in the house, it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to stay away from carbs and sweets. It didn't help that I have a sweet tooth either! I really like carbs and anything sweet, so I canned the no-carb diet. Consequently I carry a heavy food bag on every hike. But, going no-carb is definitely possible.

wrote:

Eish Grandeur!
Did you weigh yourself at the start and finish?
Were you blown over by the wind at the end?
i’m feeling guilty just looking at peanut butter now. 

Went back in my messages to my mates that did the GT with me. I lost 2.4kg over the GT which we did in 6 days but that could also be mostly water weight loss.
I completely understand that this isn't a traditional way of eating but hey it works for me. 
This whole way of eating was derived from a mission to save backpack weight so now I literally weigh everything (food and clothes) and take only what is necessary plus a bit of a safety factor.

My quantities listed above give me a fraction under 3,000 Cal or 12,000 kJ per day.

It would be interesting to see what the daily calorie intake of everyone else is and what the weight of their food is too. Anyone care to share their stats?

Some more LCHF menu options that I have used for 3 years.
One noticeably snack much less, no need to keep the energy levels up with constant replenishment via sugar/carbs.

For breakfast and during the day;
black coffee, biltong, salted almonds x raw pecans, full fat cheese.

Evening main mail;
Freeze dried beef mince (single ingredient from Back Country) x freeze dried chopped onions ( foreverFresh ) x Dried Mushrooms x any selection of Indian curry spices.
Homemade bitter chocolate: mix 100% cocoa paste ( order 1kg slabs from CocoaFair ) x macadamia butter ( Crede Oils ) x virgin coconut oil

USN zero carb rehidrate and rooibos tea as required.

repeat as required

Did Groot Winterhoek peak 4-day trek over Easter on this specific diet... all good.