Guide to Losing Weight on a Cruise
It’s really not true that sea air shrinks your clothes despite what you might read on the internet . . .it is true that you can enjoy yourself on a cruise without gaining weight and starving or depriving yourself is not required. And this is according to the weight loss experts at Weight Watchers.com.
Before you set sail, focus on taking good care of your body through physical activity and healthy eating. Acknowledge that food will be everywhere – after all, cruise ships are the biggest buffet of them all – and drop the notion that you have to eat everything in sight to get your money’s worth – you don’t! Just think of the added value of your fare if you had a wonderful, relaxing vacation and you lost (or at least maintained your) weight. Priceless!
Top Ten Slimming Strategies for a Cruise
- Don’t eat at every presented mealtime. Start your day with a continental breakfast, breakfast in the dining room, the breakfast buffet or our personal favorite room service – but not all four! Choose the one you’ll most enjoy and that well best meet your dietary needs.
- Grab fruit from the dining room or off the buffet table for between-meal snacks. After all, if you go too long without eating that innocent cup of afternoon tea can turn into tea, tea sandwiches, cookies and scones.
- Make special food requests. Ask that a plate crudités to be put on your table each night in the dining room. Rolls and butter will be much less tempting that way. Remember the cruise line staff is there to please you.
- Discuss special dietary needs with the restaurant manager. Can you get steamed lobster tails (with lemon juice, not drawn butter), poached salmon or extra steamed vegetables?
- Check out the “spa cuisine”. Almost all cruise ships now have a set menu each night featuring healthier and often lower-calorie dishes.
- Mix and match. In other words, order a double shrimp cocktail for a main dish and a vegetable-based soup or consommé as an appetizer – yes you can do that!
- In general, request a lovely fruit plate for dessert instead of soufflés, pastries or chocolate. But make sure to plan for a few indulgences so that you don’t end up feeling deprived. Simply decide what you’d most like to indulge in before you set sail – desserts, hamburgers and fries from the poolside grill or Johnny Rockets or some options from the midnight chocolate buffet – and log a few laps around the deck or spend a few more minutes in the gym on board to help “pay” for them.
- Take advantage of the variety of light fare on buffets – tropical fruits, an endless array of cut-up veggies, shrimp, freshly carved turkey breast and so much more.
- Focus on the endless activities on board – not just the food. If you’re afraid that pre-dinner drinks may lead to too many cocktail nuts, go to a pre-dinner lecture or an art auction instead. If the midnight buffet is too tempting, spend the wee hours dancing or at the late night movie.
- Be active! Take part in morning walks on deck, bike in the gym and boogie in the disco. Use the stairs, not the elevator to get from deck to deck. And be sure to stroll around the ports-of-call and take advantage of exercise-oriented excursions.
Oh and when you get home brag about the great vacation you had and show off that hard, tanned body of yours.
Bon Voyage!
