How to go on a cruise (or vacation), enjoy yourself, eat what you want, and not miss a beat!

I went on a cruise and I ate Creme Brulee, Tiramisu, Lobster and Shrimp, Bacon, French Toast, Chorizo, Cheesecake, Pina Coladas, Margaritas, Wine, and other yummy foods!

Homemade Chips and Salsa

I ate all of this without guilt, came back, got right back to business, and the next week fit into pants I haven’t worn in 2 years! How did I do it?

By Eating what I wanted without restriction or guilt and following some simple Guidelines.

Create Boundaries

One of the boundaries I gave myself was that I wasn’t going to eat in between meals if I wasn’t hungry. On a cruise ship food is available ALL THE TIME but that didn’t mean that I needed to eat it ALL THE TIME. Because of this, I didn’t get to try the pizza on the ship (which I heard was fabulous) but that was fine, I ate enough at meals.

Eat what you want

People who end up overdoing it on vacation or on cruise ships usually do it because they don’t eat what they want. They eat what they think they should be eating and end up bingeing on what they really wanted in the first place.

You have the people who want to be martyrs on vacation and come up with rigid rules and regulations. These people end up saying, “Forget it! GIVE ME ALL THE THINGS”

Listen when I was in Mexico I wanted a taco, homemade chips and salsa, a Pina Colada and Margarita so I had all of that.

I wasn’t interested in settling for the “healthy” version of these things. I wanted what I wanted and that’s what I had.

I did not want fruit for dessert because it may have been better optics as a health and fitness professional. I wanted Creme Brulee so I ate creme brulee. Had I eaten the fruit to keep up , I most likely would have eaten the fruit, creme brulee, and something else because I deprived myself of what I really wanted in the first place.

Watch Alcohol Intake

I had Pina Colada and Margarita all in the same afternoon but it was Mexico and that’s what I wanted but on a cruise and on vacation, the alcohol is flowing. My advice is to watch your intake and drink water on the days when you have quite a few drinks.

Eat Vegetables

If you’re anything like me, the more rich foods you eat the more you start wanting a salad to balance it all out. I started eating salads at lunch or as my first course to keep things moving along (if you know what I mean…constipation is super common on cruises and I am not about that life) but also filling up on vegetables will balance out all the rest of your fun foods.

Keep Up Your movement practice

Yes I went to the gym 3x on the ship but it wasn’t to burn the dessert off. It was because I genuinely wanted to move, keep up my strength training routine, and there was a great facility available. I was really encouraged to see so many of the 50+ crowd up in the gym doing cardio, strength training, or taking classes. It was really great to see that we train for life!

I also enjoyed seeing everyone dance at the nightclub as well! Lots of older people were getting their groove on at Abba night but also to Bruno Mars!! You gotta train if you still want to tear up the dance floor.

When we got off of the ship, we made a point of walking EVERYWHERE and not taking cabs or taxis. The reason you train is SO THAT you can have these experiences.

At the Santa Barbara Courthouse I decided to take the stairs and the man in front of me said, “Whew! This is a workout but if I can still do this at 73, then I’m doing pretty good”

He’s exactly right!!

Santa Barbara Courthouse

Drink Lots of Water

On Vacation you are eating foods with higher sodium than you’re you used to so make sure to drink plenty of water while you’re on vacation and especially when you get back as well! Most of the weight that you gain on the scale is water retention

Tips for when you get back home

Coming back home can be rough as you get back to reality but here are a few tips that should get you right back into your rhythm and routine.

Drink plenty of Water (64 – 128 oz of water per day)
Realize that most of the weight that you gained is water retention so drink up!
Give your digestion a break: Protein Smoothies, Veggies, and Light Protein will work for the first few days. Avoid hard to digest foods like beans, dairy, and red meat for the first few days
Bloating and constipation are normal. Fruit with skin on, Veggies, Water, Apple Cider Vinegar, Probiotics (Kombucha is great) are great for alleviating gut troubles
Get back on schedule and routine as soon as possible. The sooner you get back into the rhythm of your routine, the easier it is. The more you wait, the harder it will be to get back into schedule