This post is long overdue. I have been home from my 4-day cruise to the Bahamas since March 9th. This was my first cruise, and I was excited to spend time with friends in the sunshine. I went with a general fasting plan and a willingness to be flexible with my fasting times so I could enjoy the meal package. I really didn’t want to obsess and have meal times be weird with my friends. I tried to choose lower-carb menu items as a way to keep my glycogen stores lower and to help curb between meal cravings. I did enjoy some desserts and cocktails along the way. I think I did pretty well.
Day 1-travel day-fasted 23 hours-Dinner
Fasting is so easy on a travel day. I don’t like the hassle of bringing food on a plane, and airplane food is never “window worthy” in my opinion. I drank plenty of water and popped salt crystals under my tongue to push away hunger and keep me alert. That all worked. Once I arrived in Miami, I joined my friends and enjoyed cocktails and dinner at a Cuban restaurant. I ordered a dish that had 5 different meats on it-low carb for me! It was delicious and a great way to start the trip. Of course a few mojitos helped too.
Day 2-On board-fasted 14 hours-Lunch, Dinner
I enjoyed the ship’s buffet at lunch time. It is really easy to go low-carb at such a huge buffet! An incredible variety of cuisines and everything was delicious. For dinner, we ate in a restaurant and enjoyed table service. The menu changed nightly so there was plenty of variety. Again, lots of low-carb options for me and substitutions for starches was never an issue. I stuck to Chardonnay at dinner and was able to bring a bottle on board too. I saved the carbs for dessert and cocktails before dinner.
Day 3-fasted 14 hours-Lunch, Dinner
Unfortunately we got hit with lots of clouds and winds for the rest of the cruise. We made the best of it. Similar fasting as Day 2.
Day 4-fasted 12 hours-Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
I ate breakfast for the first time in two years! It was well worth it. Again, I could keep it low carb and eat until I was full. I enjoyed lunch and dinner in the same way.
Day 5-travel day-20 hours fasted-Dinner
Travel days are easy with fasting. Got home and enjoyed a home cooked meal!
How did I do?
As I had heard in the various fasting Facebook groups and read in Delay, Don’t Deny, fasting while on vacation should be flexible. I was prepared to see a higher number on the scale at the end of the trip. But, I was confident that any weight gain would be water weight from drinking more often and from the added carbs at mealtime. And, I knew that if I didn’t go crazy with carbs my body would respond as it should and burn through my glycogen stores once I got back into my typical fasting pattern. Being fat adapted is a huge advantage when the scale goes up on occasion.
Well, my body did not let me down. I lost 1/2 pound while away. I was amazed. I never felt that I denied myself anything I wanted while on the trip. I enjoyed the food, the drink, and most of all, I enjoyed my time with my friends.
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