How I "Resist Tempting Food" on Cruises

Cruises are one of my favorite kinds of vacations because it’s easy to practice good health habits.

On my latest cruise, I ate a lot of high-quality protein, fruits, vegetables, and got plenty of steps and sun. I never felt bloated or hungover because I hardly drank and came back feeling really good.

Afterwards, I got asked how I resist all of the temptations, treats, and snacks on the cruise ship.

I thought about it, and the best answer I could think of is practice.

I go on a couple of cruises a year. So, at this point, I’ve done 20 something of them. The difference between my first cruise and my last cruise is night and day.

My first cruise was essentially a booze cruise.

I was with a big group of people, single, and in my mid-20s. My friends and I snuck liquor onto the ship because we were too cheap to buy drinks on board. I drank a ton and let myself go at every meal. Anytime there was an opportunity for pizza or ice cream, I just went for it. I had multiple entrees at dinner and stayed up until 2 or 3 am every night.

My last cruise was the opposite of this.

Granted, my lifestyle has changed since then. Now, I have a family and don’t stay up late naturally like I used to. But in terms of nutrition, I still had the same opportunities to let myself go with free pizza, ice cream, breakfast donuts, pastries, and multiple entrees at dinner. However, I managed to eat mostly like I do when I’m not on vacation.

Of course, when you’re on vacation, you can indulge a little bit.

I had dessert with dinner every day but never felt like I overstuffed myself or got uncomfortably full. On this latest cruise, I ate until I was maybe 85 to 90% full and never felt bloated or uncomfortable after any meal.

Even now, after my habits have improved significantly, I still find little things I can improve.

For example, I could have eaten to 75 to 80% full instead of 85 to 90% full at dinner. But for the most part, my nutrition was really good.

I take a lot of “mini” vacations like short cruises and weekend getaways since living in Florida provides easy access to cruise ports and Disney World. While I'm grateful for this lifestyle, letting myself go every time would hinder my health goals.

For me, the key is to live as close to my normal weekday home life as possible.

With frequency, I've had the opportunity to get lots of reps in. Every time, I think about what I did well and what I could tweak for the next trip. Over the years, I've gotten used to addressing these small mistakes.

So that's my best advice for being healthy on vacation:

Be hyper-aware of your habits and let the practice build over time until it becomes second nature.

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