My plan has been working!

I have been on three long cruises (between 14 and 19 nights) and haven't gained a pound. Before you roll your eyes, know that I have ALWAYS been somewhat overweight and have a lifetime of up and down experiences and am in my mid-sixties where one's metabolism is like that of a sloth. I wanted to share how I do it but realize it may not be for you.

1. I have learned to NOT eat a farmer's breakfast. I have lots of fruit, the equivalent of one egg, grilled tomato, coffee with skim milk, and about two "breakfast bakeries" each morning. I know that whole wheat toast may be a better choice but then I would feel deprived.

2. I usually work out on sea days about 30 mins. in the fitness center and put about 15,000- 23,000 steps on my fitbit and climb stairs (no more than 3 sets at a time). We also like to dance and usually do so each night.

3. I have pretty much what I want at lunch and dinner with an appetizer, nice entrée and a dessert at each meal. I make sure I get two good desserts a day, once again so I don't feel deprived.

4. I don't drink any sugary sodas and have very little alcohol, just some wine and/or beer if the occasion arises.

I try to lose "excess weight" before I cruise (usually 5 lbs.) so that I can fit comfortably in my cruise clothing. I guess the secret is to up the activity level and that would be hard to do if you aren't feeling well or have an physical problem. I wish I could maintain this cruise discipline when I'm back at home, but it is nice to return home and find that I haven't gained any weight!

My last nine day cruise goal was to eat only a big salad for lunch on the lido buffet. It worked well and I eliminated my problem of trying everything in the buffet and then going back for seconds. Also no dessert for lunch as my stomach was full of veges. Found this worked out well for me.

Congrats! I try to take only a couple of bites of the desserts. Doesn't always work. I have found that the longer the cruise the less likely I am to gain weight. I think it is because a 7 day cruise is a short trip and it is easy to say yes to indulgences whereas I am more aware of the cumulative affect of those indulgences on longer cruises.

Just like Mark and Donna above, I have discovered that a typical cruise breakfast can slam you with an entire day's calories or even more. I now limit my cruise breakfasts to the same thing I would eat at home. That one thing alone has made a big difference in controlling cruiise weight gain. I just marvel at how much people put on their plates for breakfast at a cruise ship buffet.

I always finding myself not eating on the ship what I typically eat at home. I only will have a reasonable spoonful just to ttry what looks interesting!

I do have weaknesses like......scones! They are from the devil!:eek:

We also eat our lunches and dinners pretty much only in the dining rooms. The plates start to fill up when I visit a buffet. I also try to stay away from the rolls and butter. I try to not put anything in my mouth that isn't REALLY worth it.

Once, again...to have that same discipline at home...!

I think different things work for different people. I'm one of those people piling up my breakfast plate because I like to eat a large protein packed breakfast because it sets me up for the day and I don't feel like eating again until lunch time. I do this at home every day and through restricting carbs and sugar (while not eliminating them altogether) have lost considerable weight. I think this will work well on the ship, particularly on port days. Rather than eating lots of sugary treats or sodas I'd prefer to eat a good quality dessert maybe once a day. Dinner tends to be smaller -that's my preference. I like to try different things but I don't need to eat a huge plate of food at each meal. I think it's important to enjoy food and not be too restrictive and that's where managing portion sizes helps - thankfully there's enough choice on a cruise to be able to pick and choose. The key for me is to be in a good routine at home before the cruise so I'm over the carb cravings before I start it (then I'm far less tempted to over indulge). It's never going to be easy though with so many wonderful options available!