chocolate-buffet.jpgEvery December, articles appear with tips for keeping weight off during the holidays.  Like most people I barely glance at the headline since I prefer recipes for eggnog, pies, cookies and candy.  This year it occurred to me that the holiday season is like taking a cruise: both are wonderful opportunities to put on unwanted pounds.

Of all the articles I’ve read about cruising, I think I’m one of the few who has penned a story about keeping weight off during a cruise.  According to urban legend the average weight gain is five pounds per week.  While I prefer not to ruin a cruise by weighing myself when I reach home, I’d guess five pounds is about right based on the fact my clothes seem to have shrunk a size.

The executive chef of a cruise ship confided that passengers rarely order lower-calorie dishes from the “Spa Cuisine” or “Lean and Light” menu options.   So I’m not the only cruiser who would rather indulge than deny myself something swimming in butter.

cruise-ship-dessert.jpgSince my problem is sweets, I once decided my next cruise would be sugar-free.  Since there were ample sugar-free desserts available aboard ship I didn’t obsess about the deprivation.  And, this time I weighed myself and was thrilled to discover I didn’t put on one pound!

Today I have a better strategy: I’ve found a fabulous crash diet that enables me to drop pounds quickly.  I go on this diet a few days before boarding a ship so that I can pig-out and not worry about it.  A colleague adopted a better strategy: he decided to hire a trainer in the ship’s gym and used a treadmill daily.  A 12 pound weightloss at the end of the week!   

Do you find it’s nearly impossible to maintain your weight on a cruise?  Any tips for keeping pounds off you want to pass along?