Back from 2 week cruise!!

[Maerow]

I am back, and YES it is possible to take a two week cruise to Hawaii for a honeymoon and not gain weight!!

I hit 130 lbs and called maintenance, and my safe range is between 130 - 135 lbs, and I tend to bounce around in that range depending on water weight. I left for the cruise weighing about 133 lbs, and came back weighing 132 lbs. That doesn't technically make it a loss over the honeymoon, due to the fact I bounce around, but let me tell you how awesome it is to see that number on the scale. :P I didn't gain weight!!

Cruising is something I have decided is a definate vacation I will want to do again and again...DH and I will be going on another one to mexico next year. Since I have had this experience I know I will be able to field them without problems.

The food is buffets normally, but on our smaller cruise ship the Zaandam, the food was served to you over the counter after you select what you wanted in the resturant we went to most often. The staff was absolutely awesome.

Anyway, here's what I did, and it worked:

I decided I wasn't going to worry about portions or the amount of food I was going to eat, but that I was going to try to stick to an induction type menu. If I saw it, and wanted it, and it was a meat or veggie, I ate it, no questions asked. I avoided most of the sauces when asked if I wanted it, due to sugar (I could actually TASTE the brown sugar in one sauce!) but if it was cooked in a sauce, I didn't worry about it.

I decided any and all veggies were ok to eat, with one exception, potatoes. I didn't stress about any other veggie, and for the most part the veggie options were pretty much low carb anyway. I also took the opportunity to sample a ton of new meat (duck, phesant, etc) that I would not have tried on my own.

I also sampled soups, if they looked like a variation of meat and veggie or just veggie.

For breakfast I had eggs or visited the omelette bar, and bacon, sausage, steak, cottage cheese etc. If I saw any type of strange omelette or different type of meat, I would try it. There were only two times I added something to breakfast, I found some nice plain yogurt and strawberries, so I had that (yey for no sugar options!) and I tried their diabetic blueberry muffin. That one was a no-no due to the flour, but I decided to try it. It ended up tasting very bland, and wasn't worth it.

For lunch I loaded up on meat and veggies again. They always had excellent cuts of meat. That or had huge salads from the taco bar, omg they had this incredible shredded chicken there, it was awesome.

Dinner was mainly tons of different cuts of steak, just because I LOVE steak. I have been avoiding it for months, eating low calorie chicken or tuna to lose that last few lbs, this cruise was heaven on earth to me, and the steak was soooooooooooooo good!

I had dessert every night and sometimes after lunch too, but I always had the sugar free deserts. Ice cream, pudding, jello, etc. I avoided the sugar free breads as much as possible. I was very happy with the desert selection (it was sooooo funny too...another person on the cruise was complaining about the sugar free deserts, she turned and said to the woman on her right "they say its sugar free, but you know they aren't taking out the cream and fat!" ....I just nodded and smiled. :P

I also took my scale with me, but only under the condition that I wasn't going to worry about it, and it was only there so I could watch what was happening. At first my body freaked out. I had been keeping my carbs at around 20 - 30 and my calories at 1,200, which may have been a bit too low. As soon as that steak and all that low carb food hit my stomach, it was PANIC PANIC SAVE THE FOOD OMG OMG OMG FOOD FOOD FOOD!! and I gained weight fast. I just ignored it, figured I was only going on a honeymoon once in my life and I was only eating low carb foods anyway, so...pffft.

Once my body started to realize that food was coming, reliably and happily every single day for over a week, it started to relax, and let go. I was still eating the heavy meat and about the same large portions, and my weight started to drop back down to a more normal range, about 132 - 133 lbs.

The day ofter I got back, scale read 132 lbs.

Anyway, if you are going on a cruise, and worried about staying on your WOE...relax. Stay away from the breads and ENJOY all that meat, and not having to cook or clean up! It's completely doable.

[sallyseachange]

Welcome back Maerow and hearty congratulations on maintaining so well on your honeymoon. It sounds like you took a really sensible attitude and enjoyed yourself without going overboard (ha ha... just noticed that 'sort of' pun!).

Glad you had a great holiday!

[SandyL2002]

Welcome back.. I hope to go on a cruise to Hawaii in 2009 for my 40th birthday Did you like the cruise ship you were on and would you go back on that one?

[Maerow]

Heya Sandy!

The ship was a Holland America one, the Zaandam. It's a smaller ship but very fun! The staff is very helpful and nice! The dining room is beautiful, and the food is very good. I would definately reccomend and use them again.

[Theperfect10]

Hi Maerow! What a great report. DBF and I went on our first cruise earlier this year - a short 4 day cruise to Bahamas. We absolutely loved it and were only discussing when we could go again! We are both now on this woe - early days for us - currently on OWL, but its wonderful to know that this woe is something we could do with ease, should we start cruising.
I thought it was interesting that you didn't put on any weight, despite increasing your calorie intake. That's reassuring!
Congratulations on your marraige - I wish you and your husband every joy and happiness.

[Kawispice]

Maerow,

You are an inspiration!

I love to travel but never have been on a cruise yet. I walk a lot at new destinations, last year in Paris I walked 10 hours a day just to experience the ambience of the city.

As soon as I read that you took the scale I knew that you were DEAD serious about maintaining your weight. As many trips I have been on, including with the car it has NEVER occured to me to take a scale. But it makes excellent sense.

You rock, girl!

[skinnymom!]

That is great and I am SO glad you posted this!! Dh and I LOVE cruising and are going in Sept and I am already worrying about keeping my weight steady as I will be in Maintenance by then. I have already decided to skip dinner rolls, sandwich rolls, potatoes because I don't miss them at all now. But dessert....omg, I'm terrified of the dessert tables LOL!

[gonnabskinny]

Maerow, thanks for posting this. Cruises have always been my downfall in the past. We cruise a couple of times per year and it is good to hear somebody that has had success. It gives me hope.