Lose the All-Night-Buffet-Weight You Gained on that Cruise

If you have ever been on a cruise ship, you know that the selection and variety of available foods are virtually endless. Food is a huge part of the overall cruise ship experience and they offer the best, most sumptuous foods for passengers. Not only is the selection incredible, but they make sure that you can get the best tasting dishes from breakfast until late into the night.

Whenever you want a snack, a meal, or just want to "pig-out", the cruise ship is there to make all your over-eating dreams come true. Making a decision to head to the buffet instead of the gym is going to cost you in added weight and extra pounds. By the time you return home, you could actually weigh more than when you left on the cruise. Don't despair, there is a plan to help you get back to your original pre-cruise weight.

Facing the Weight Loss Challenge and Making a Plan

The first thing needed is a written commitment to a diet and exercise plan. Get a pen and paper and actually write out your daily plan, weekly plan, and weight loss goals. In other words, make a list that can be seen each morning that outlines the necessary diet and exercise plan for a particular day. The Mayo Clinic says a firm commitment will greatly increase your chances of losing weight.

Make sure you understand exactly what is needed to meet your weight loss goals. You must burn at least 500 to 1,000 calories more than you eat in order to lose one or two pounds of weight each week. Plan a diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. Make sure you include two or three low-calorie snacks to eat in between meals throughout the day to satisfy any hunger pangs.

Lose Weight by Getting Out of the Cruise Grazing Mentality

Cruise ships encourage "grazing" throughout the day and there is no one there to tell you you're over-eating. A written weight loss plan will help you to get back into a healthy daily eating pattern. It's virtually impossible to know the exact calorie counts in restaurant food so make sure you eat out infrequently. Get back into a routine of cooking and preparing healthy food at home.

When preparing and eating food at home, be sure to carefully monitor the nutrition information in the food prepared. It may be hard to go from the rich and unhealthy foods served to you on a cruise ship to a preparing healthy, low-fat food at home. The trick here is to make gradual changes. Use less salad dressing each time or decrease portions gradually at each meal until you get back to healthy levels.

Cruise Ship Elevator vs. Taking the Stairs

Cruise ships make it so easy to get around with elevators, escalators, and access ramps. You may have gotten used to getting around easier and using less energy to get around. Lowering the level of physical activity will contribute to weight gain. Well, it's time to get back to the real world and start taking the stairs once again.

While you're at it, find other ways to add more activity to your daily routine. When you go to the mall, park at the far end of the parking lot and walk further to do your shopping. If you're a runner, go an extra half-mile on your daily run. Walk to the departure gate at the airport rather than taking the moving walkway. Take a walk around the block each evening after dinner. All of these seemingly little exertions will add up to some serious weight loss.

Remember, the ultimate goal is to get back to your original weight before you left on that cruise. OK, so you did some serious grazing and you consistently ate way too much of the wrong foods. It was great while it lasted, but if that type of eating continues, you're going to start putting on serious weight and heading straight toward obesity. Make a commitment to lose weight, take charge of your eating, exercise each day, and monitor your progress. Do this and you'll be back to your pre-cruise weight in a short time.

Sources:

WebMD.com; Weight Loss Basics

Livestrong.com; How to Lose Weight After Being on a Cruise