The Cruise Diet

Since Dr. Bishop is away we thought we'd send out somthing we give to a lot of our clients this time of year who are going on vacation.

The Cruise Diet
Adapted from: Fifty-Five Plus Magazine, November 2006.
Article: "The Cruise Diet: How NOT to gain 10 pounds in 10 days” by Catherine Morisset.

Going on a cruise is a fantastic way to spend a holiday. You travel to a variety of exotic places, relax in a comfortable room, and have a whole array of activities available to you 24/7. However, it is the constantly-available food and beverages that many of us associate with a cruise. While having endless food & drink at our fingertips is a surefire way for many of us to gain weight, there are ways to avoid over-eating when the focus is on food.

Unless you would like to be rolled off the plane once you get home, think prevention. Enjoy fun times, new friends, great views and the good life (without gaining weight) by keeping a few things in mind:
• Living well is NOT about eating too much of the wrong foods. You can enjoy great food in a wonderful atmosphere as long as you know that portion size counts and that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.
• Be selective: There WILL be marvelous food again at your next meal – and just as many enticing choices.
• Walk off those calories and enjoy the view. Walk the deck, walk on excursions, and take the stairs as you wander on the ship.
• Do one fitness activity each day. Exercise a minimum of 30 minutes – it can be a brisk walk on deck or visiting (and exercising in) the fitness centre. Go for a swim, take a fitness class – do whatever it takes to burn off those calories and make it fun!
• Avoid mindless eating. So NO absent-minded eating of bite-sized calorie-loaded thingies as you sip a drink and chat with new friends.
• Watch what you drink. Drinks can pack a lot of invisible calories: the infamous pina colada is 300 calories per 100 mL or less than half a cup; daiquiris are 250 calories per can. Even sweet fruit drinks and juices contain a lot of calories. Choose well: unsweetened iced tea, sparkling water with lime or an occasional alcohol-based drink (choose a see-through drink such as a mojito or a glass of wine).
• Mix food and alcohol. Alcohol can make you lose the little willpower you are taking with you on a cruise. Even one drink can make you more prone to overeating. So if you choose to have alcohol, have it with a meal – not on an empty stomach (and no, the bite-sized appetizers don't count).
• Get enough sleep. Short nights and too little sleep make you more likely to overeat.
• Make the focus of your trip something other than food. If 50% of your comments or thoughts are about food, you have chosen the wrong trip – you are bored mindless and you should have something better to do with your time. Living well is about having fun, feeling useful and engaged, and having a ball every day.
• SIT DOWN for meals. For example, try to eat meals at a la carte restaurants so that you can make healthy, portioned choices. Avoid buffets, or kiosks that serve pizza or ice cream. There are always healthy choices available on menus at restaurants or dining rooms where you sit down to eat and are served.