I went on a one-week Mexican cruise (Carnival line) and got back about a week and a half ago. I did some things well, and some things not so well, but in any case will share here some lessons learned.

For one thing, the Optifast Kaiser group that meets right after mine (theirs is still product-only but nearing transition) has someone in the group who is going on a cruise this summer and was asking my advice. So for her and everyone else, read on!

Things I did well:

• I knew there would be a lot of food, so tried to put myself in the mindset that I was NOT going to eat it all, or even most of it, but would concentrate on the high end, the quality or best food available. That meant yes to lobster tail at dinner, for example, and to the fresh pineapple dipped in the chocolate fountain, and no to the 24/7 pizza bar and the hamburger grill.
• Since food is more or less unlimited, and you can order as much as you want off the menu, I decided to never eat something if it wasn’t really good. So the first night, trying to be good, I ordered the diet orange cake. It was a tasteless sponge cake, so after a few bites I left the rest.
• And since you aren’t paying for the food (as you would at a restaurant), it’s fine to order, taste, and then not finish or share with someone else at the table. Yes, it may be wasteful. But these are unusual circumstances. So I ordered the “chocolate melting cake” but only had three bites. I wasn’t hungry, the cake was rich, and three bites was plenty. (It helped that I knew it would be on the menu every night, since it’s a Carnival dessert specialty!)

Things I could have done better:

• I went to the gym the first morning at sea for the 7 am stretching class. And I used some of the machines and the treadmill afterwards. But, that was my last trip to the gym that week. Good intentions, poor follow-through. Be better than me! The gyms have a great ocean view, even if their equipment is usually limited. Ask the staff the best time to come to avoid the crowds, so that you have access to the machines. Don’t forget to pack shoes and an exercise outfit.
• Our ship didn’t really have the nice promenade that most ships have (poor design IMO). There was a very shortish promenade that my friend and I did a few laps around once. But it was on Deck 12, and it can be very breezy on the ship when it is moving. We didn’t do it more than the one time, partly due to wind, partly to laziness. Again, beat my record for walking on the ship!! The view can’t be beat…
• Alcohol. Alcohol on the ship is expensive. That made it easy to not buy. BUT, there were opportunities for free champagne (art auction, etc.) which my friend and I took ample advantage of. And then there’s alcohol in port. In fact, we had one shore excursion with unlimited margaritas (though we didn’t know that when we signed up for it) and one that toured two Tequila-making businesses with mucho tasting (well, we did know about that). As we all know, not only does alcohol have calories, but it loosens your inhibitions so you eat more as well. Resist! At least more than I did.

My clothes were tight by the end of the week – the scale was up 6 or 7 pounds when I got home. (There may be a scale in the gym but there was nooooo way I was going to weigh myself on the trip. If you do that, you are definitely a more dedicated dieter than I am!) But the good news is that it has almost all come off. Thank goodness the cruise wasn’t any longer, so that the fat didn’t have time to get settled for good! If your cruise is longer, try to pace yourself.

Cruises are definitely a challenge when dieting or after losing weight and trying to maintain. But, I think they can be survived with the right attitude and some healthy behavior, even in the presence of all that unlimited food. If you go, have fun while being as healthy as possible, so that the post-vacation, back-to-work depression (that I ALWAYS have) isn’t compounded by a really scary weight gain.

And I’m always available as a travel companion, who will be happy to go to that 7 am stretching class with you, and help keep you motivated!