I recently got back from a 7-day cruise to Alaska.
It was a little weird going back as a tourist, considering my husband and I lived there for several months last year. But it was also pretty nice to be able to enjoy the scenery with full appreciation, without the distraction of jobs and moving and fitting in to a new community. And, I might add, without having to cook or do dishes for a week!
Cruises are notorious for lavish spreads, round-the-clock buffets, and cocktails all day long. (After all, no need to worry about drinking and driving!) In fact, estimates figure that the average person gains 5 to 10 pounds while on a week-long cruise.
I think cruising to a cold climate ups the odds even more, because you don’t have any revealing beach-wear to help keep you accountable to the creeping spread! (Throw on a big sweater–they’re in style!) 😉 But when I vacation, it’s important to me not to let it become a total free-for-all. Being active and eating energizing foods make me feel my best, so I promised some of you I’d do a post on how not to gain weight on a cruise. Well, let me revise that–here are my top takeaways for how to avoid gaining too much weight on a cruise. 😉 (Oh, and how about that eye candy to my right??)
Tip #1: Set Your Intentions
I did not set out to eat 100% clean while on the cruise, but neither did I consider that because it’s vacation, all bets are off. If you think you won’t touch a taste of chocolate, you’ll just be setting yourself up for failure and then are more likely to slide downhill when you “mess up.” But you still have to live with the results when you get back, so don’t go gangbusters!
Tip #2: Pick Your Battles
Normally, I allow myself Saturday nights to eat whatever I want. On the cruise, I decided I could have two nights with no rules, plus a few treats. (And–full disclosure–the last night kind of turned into a bit of an unplanned splurge. No biggie though!) But I knew I’d regret starting my days with carb-heavy fat-traps like waffles and syrup, so I kept my breakfasts mostly clean and high in protein, with scrambled eggs and grilled tomatoes and fruit, or a veggie omelet with cottage cheese.
Tip #3: Don’t Dismiss Veggies
Hey, this is your chance to help yourself to as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible without washing, slicing, peeling, chopping, or keeping stuff from going bad in the fridge! This is a dream-come-true for people like me who naturally struggle to get in all my fruit-and-veggie requirements. And I had better things to do than cook on vacation–like checking out whales and glaciers from our private deck! (See above.) Lunch most days was a couple of veggie-burger patties open-faced with trimmings and a HUGE, colorful salad with either no dressing or a small drizzle of olive oil.
Tip #4: Check Your Clock Before You Sip
Just because you can start your day with a mimosa or bloody Mary, throw back a few beers at lunch, grab an afternoon glass of champagne, a few glasses of wine with dinner, and an after-dinner coffee drink doesn’t mean you should. Day-drinking can really sneak up on you, and because it seems like everyone around you is doing it, you can almost feel like a tee-totaller on vacation just for waiting until 5 o’clock! 😉 While I did start a little bit earlier than usual on a few occasions, I waited until at least 3 or 4 p.m. to have a drink, and then didn’t get anything else until dinner. (Always best to have food in your system when you drink to prevent alcohol from metabolizing directly to fat.)
Tip #5: Make The Most of Your Workouts with Intervals
While over time, I think weightlifting is one of the most efficient ways to burn fat, for short-term damage control against over-eating, you can’t beat cardio intervals. Alternating one to two minutes of all-out effort with equal intervals of slow recovery is proven to be more efficient at burning fat than steady-state cardio. (Plus, it’s over faster! You can knock out a legitimate workout in 25 to 30 minutes.) The best thing about cardio intervals is that they set your body up to burn more calories up to 24 hours after the workout. Which, if you’re planning on ponying up to the dessert counter at the buffet later, is a good thing. 😉 Cruise ships have really well-outfitted gyms, and usually offer fitness classes as well.
Tip #6: Take the Stairs!
Nothing gets your heart rate going faster than a big flight of stairs, and with 14 stories, the Norwegian Jewel offered plenty of opportunities to step my way to a good calorie burn! Whenever I could, I opted for stairs rather than the elevator.
So there you have it! The thing I’m most proud of sticking with was my workouts. (I worked out 6 of my 8 days on vacation.) I just feel so much happier and calmer once I’ve had a workout, which is important when your routine and familiar cues are off. Even vacations can have their own stresses, but checking back in with myself and getting oxygen to my brain helped keep me more in the moment. Which is the whole point of vacations, after all!
Before we say goodbye, let me leave you with a tool to take your workouts with you on vacation–my FREE 25-Minute Yoga + Cardio Circuit Workout.
(No equipment needed–heck, you don’t even need shoes.)
