I lost 14 pounds on a 12 day cruise, find out how.

The average weight gain for a person on a 7 day cruise is 7 - 14 pounds, so how did I lose 14 pounds on a 12 day cruise?  I actually went on 2 cruises back to back, a 5 day and a 7 day cruise in the Caribbean.  I set sail at 209 pounds and at the end of the cruise I weighed 195 pounds and cut 3 inches off my waist.  At 6'1'' inches tall, 209 pounds is not over weight for me but I wanted to lose some inches around my midsection.  I work out 6 days a week at home and enjoy eating, but December caught up to me and decided it was time for me to start my weight lose program aboard the cruise ship.  While everyone else was gaining weight, I was shedding it at a pace of a little over a pound a day.  So what did I do differently than most people on a cruise to help me lose all that weight?

Let me share with you my secret.  First you need to know that I have been on several cruises in the past and each time I lose about a pound a day.  I have figured out a cruise is an excellent venue for a weight loss program.  Everything you need to lose weight is on a cruise ship.  So here are my 7 secrets to lose weight on a cruise.

1. I made a decision that my body was not going to own me and that I was going to own my body.  I made a decision it was time for me to start losing weight.  I choose to stop drinking diet soda's, Monsters and other drinks that contain caffeine (with a minor exception of black and green tea). I choose to eat sensibly and be consistent with my workout routine.  I choose to get up and move and stay moving and involved.  We all choose what we eat and drink and what activity we engage in.  I wanted to think consciously about those choices and start making healthy choices. I went on a cruise knowing I would lose weight.  My goal was to lose 18 pounds, I ended up losing 14.  So my first decision and goal was to use this time on the boat to start a healthy routine in multiple areas of my life.  

2.  Drink plenty of water with fresh squeezed lemon throughout the day.  I also include tea with caffeine, honey and lemon in the morning at breakfast and with dinner.  I stayed away from alcohol, coffee, soda of any kind and stuck with lemon water throughout the day.  A person needs to drink half their body weight in ounces each day to help facilitate the release of  toxins in the body.  Drinking water also keeps you hydrated in the hot sun.

3.  I used the stairs and walked the stairs everywhere I went on the ship.  I did not use the elevator even a single time.  This keep my metabolism working and was a great little workout throughout the day.  My mother told me that when I walked up stairs to skip a stair to help build up my quad muscles, smart woman. So as I walked the stairs, I skipped a stair and I walked briskly.  This mini burst of exercise gets the heart pumping.  You may find yourself winded, just carry on, in the end you will benefit.

4.  I exercised 10 of the 12 days on the ship.  My exercise routine lasted 1 hour and consisted of both cardio and weight training. 

Three of the days were pure cardio and I spent my time on a recumbent bike and watched TV.  Three of the days were pure weight training using free weights and the exercise equipment.  The other four days were a combination of weight training and cardio.  I don't live to exercise, I exercise to live.  I enjoy spending time in the gym and sweat from my body helps release toxins and salt which helps reduce water weight.

5.  While everyone was sunning themselves each day, drinking and eating I got involved and choose to get involved in the daily activities provided.  I call it "get up and move and get involved."

Each day the cruise line gives you a daily planner with dozens of events, activities and fun things to do.  Instead of lying around, I choose to do as many of these activities as I could each day.  I scheduled my day to include as many events as I could and participated in many of the tournaments.  This lasted throughout the day until midnight.  When you are busy, it gives you less time to think about food.  Bottom line, stay busy and involved.  Many of us each and drink because we are bored. If you lounge around each day, guaranteed, you will be bored.   I spent very little time working on my tan by laying around. 

6.  While on shore at various ports of call, I leisurely walked as much as I could.  I must admit, I did not go on any of the tour opportunities the boat offers and choose instead to go to the beach at 4 of the 5 port of calls.  I enjoyed splashing around in the water and used my time in the water to do a little water aerobics. 

7.  Last but not least, I ate sensibly.  Let me share with you what I ate.  For breakfast I ate 6 slices of watermelon, 2 cups of fruit yogurt, 12 prunes and 3 figs, a 4 egg omelet with bacon, ham and cheese, a cup of tea with lemon and honey and a glass of water.  Occasionally I would substitute the water melon for other fruit choices.  I did not eat lunch and around mid day I would have some kind of snack.  I enjoyed pizza, desserts, ice cream and frozen yogurt cones.  Dinner was wonderful.  I dined on 1-3 appetizers, 1-2 entrees and 1-3 desserts and again, a cup of tea. I only finished the protein in my dinner and enjoyed tasting multiples of each food group, not finishing most of my choices.  I also ate bread before the meal, no butter.  I was plenty full after both breakfast and dinner.  I choose to eat the early dinner so I would have the balance of the evening to work off what I ate.  I did not snack after dinner and did not eat again until breakfast around 10 in the morning.  As you can see I did not starve myself, quite the opposite, I was pleasantly full throughout the day.  The food on a cruise is amazing.  There are so many choices right before you that you don't have to prepare.  Choose wisely and you will see the weight just melt off.   

A cruise is the perfect place to break old habits and start new ones.  Think of it as an incredible weight loss center.  Just think, no cell phones, no email, no texts, no one telling you what you should or shouldn't do, no one questioning you as to why you aren't in your typical routine.  A cruise is a perfect venue to start the new you.  When you arrive back home, your friends and family will notice a difference in you and maybe they will be inspired to cruise with you.  In order to make new habits, we need to break the old ones,  what better way to do that than on a cruise.  

So there you have it, 7 tips to help you lose weight while cruising instead of gaining weight.  I choose to use the cruise as a way to have fun and lose weight.  Each of us gets a choice on how we use our time on the boat.  The next time you cruise, I hope you find these tips a helpful. Isn't it time for you to book your cruise?