I took my wife on a cruise last week and I looked into how we could stay on track with Wellness that Works (formerly Weight Watchers) and still enjoy the vacation. Here are some tips I used to ensure we stay on track and meet our weight loss goals.
We sailed on the Carnival Cruise Line and the trip was amazing! There are tons of things to do and see. Ours was a short 4 day cruise to Catalina, California and Ensenada, Mexico.
Fitness While on Vacation
The planning I did beforehand really helped with staying on track during the trip. Planning is the key to succeeding in every walk of life, not just weight loss or fitness, but every aspect of life will benefit from a little planning. If you are not a planner. its okay!
Get into the habit of planning and you will soon realize it comes second nature and can make your life a little more fulfilled. This is the case for me. I get more done and and I began make strides towards my goals and dreams. I now strive to help others, specifically with weight loss but also whenever I can. I hope this helps you on your journey.
If you haven't started planning yet, I recommend starting with planning your morning routine. It's the easiest change to make and the most beneficial, too!
Pre-Trip Planning
We all have to plan for a trip at some point in our lives/ Regardless of what it is or where we are going, planning is a must. So in the planning process I took a little extra time (it was actually fun!) to plan where we were going to eat. I didn't plan the exact meals out but I did check out the menu items and sat down with Sadie to see what they offered so we could get an idea of what we would eat and where we would eat. This helped us to stay on track.
This was so important because when we sat down to eat we already had an idea of what we wanted, we estimated point values wrote it down in our journals and enjoyed the meal and each other's company.
Another good point to mention is that doing this ahead of time took the guesswork out of trying to figure out where to eat and then what to eat and then ordering and eating, and then finally figuring out the points of everything …..whew I am tired already! This also gave us more time to spend doing the tons of other things the cruise had to offer. I am sure this type of planning will also give you more time to do the important things on your vacation or even local family outings.
Fitness On the Cruise
There are so many distractions, that those of us who eat when we are bored are in for a treat. There is so much to do and see that you will have plenty of things to keep you busy. That being said, plan activities, plan your days out. It is a vacation so don't over-plan or try to do to much in one day. This happens to me when I go visit family in another state. I always try to visit everybody and I always forget someone or I spend to much time at one person's house and I miss someone else.
I have had to learn to plan some days and keep some days for myself. So keep it light try not to over book yourself so that you will have some openings for enjoying the person you are with or the family, not just rushing trying to see everyone and missing out on the quality time. Make time for exercise. On our cruise, there was a weight room as well as a track to run on. There was a swimming pool but it wasn't big enough to swim laps, and there was a mini golf area but again not really enough to get your heart pumping like you need it to.
Check out your cruise (or hotel) before you go so you can plan out your exercise each day before you get there. It's so easy to put it off and before you know it, you've gone the whole week without exercising! Make it part of the plan from the get go and it will be easier to stay on track. Cruise ships are so big that even without actual exercise equipment of any sort, you can create your own exercise by walking back and forth down the halls or up and down the stairs. Skip the elevator and you'll have your 10,000 steps in before dinner time!
While you are scheduling your days out, put some thought into getting your exercise in every day.o You will be surprised as I was at how many people actually used the gym that was provided. It doesn't have t be a full workout but do a little to help keep you in the habit. I chose to do a little workout in the mornings, this helped to keep my mind sharp and got my body ready for the days activities. A morning workout is a great way to stay on track for the whole day, too. You don't want to sweat and then go eat dessert, you want to keep those calories burning and not waste them on junk food.
Excursions – Another Way to Exercise on Vacation
The excursions were an important part of the trip so I planned excursions for 2 of the 4 days but I left time during each day as well as 2 days open for doing “whatever”, just some relaxation time. For those of you who haven't been on a cruise (this is only my 2nd and I didn't know what an excursion was so I am going to share here), an excursion is something you do away form the ship. Now there are some on board excursions offered also, but either way this usually means some extra walking.
When you plan to go on these excursions check to see how long they are so you can plan your meals around them. If you are getting off the ship early and breakfast is offered before that, plan to get up earlier to get that meal in and get you on your way. If you don't plan to eat on the ship then make sure you you estimate your points for the meals you eat while off the ship. I would recommend taking your journal with you to write down what you eat and before you go to bed that night adding up the points.
Don't beat yourself up if you go over your points, but don't make it a “free for all” either or you'll regret it once you're back home! Make sure you are ready and prepared for the next day keep your long term goals in mind and realize you are here to have fun and enjoy yourself but not set yourself back, either. Keeping track of the points is going to help keep you in the habit of tracking your points as well as helping you to stay on track losing weight even while on vacation.
Staying Fit On the Go
You've planned your vacation, got your meals planned now what? Well, go have fun! I knew from the previous cruise that the boat has a gym on it. The last cruise had a track as well which was nice for an early morning run.
I planned to get up and go workout while we are on the boat. What I realized is it was a little more feasible for me to get up, have breakfast and then go to the gym. Do what works for your schedule!
I was enjoying my vacation so that meant sleeping in a bit. 🙂 I still got my 10,000 steps in and a little light workout to keep me in the habit and moving towards my weight loss and fitness goals. This helped tremendously when we got back to our normal everyday life, we were still on track and we didn't ruin the habit of going to the gym and getting our 10,000 steps in. Awesome.
The Last Few Tips
Check out your hotel and see what amenities they offer like a workout room or an outdoor track, if you are going to the beach walk a little further , park a little further away to get those steps in. If you are going on a cruise a good tip I wish I would have thought of before this one is to take a water bottle with you.
This saves a lot of money and time. Look for opportunities to keep yourself on track, don't make excuses make it happen! Nike says just do it. So get out there and DO IT! make your weight loss and fitness dreams become a reality. Whatever you do keep in mind what your goals are and make plans to achieve them. Good luck on your journey please feel free to share your goals and successes here as well as any tips or ideas you have. Make everyday a smiley day.
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