Battling weight gain onboard boils down to choices

Jul 10, 2017 by Angela Orecchio

Many stewardesses gain weight while working on board a yacht and then become unhappy with themselves after a while. It seems unfair since stews are always running around and working up a sweat. How can we gain weight so easily on board? Gaining weight mostly boils down to our daily choices, but the good news is that we have complete control over changing them.

Food consumption

With so many options for sweet, savory and fatty foods on board, it’s easy to make unhealthy choices. However, if you want to stay healthy and fit on board, you must resolve that you will take care of yourself first no matter what the temptations are.

You don’t have to miss out on everything, just make sure the majority of your diet is made up of lean, clean and green plant foods.  Build your lunch and dinner plates with healthy whole food carbs, veggies, greens, healthy plant fats and protein.

Recognize that you have complete control over eating healthy snacks and breakfasts, and make sure you plan ahead.

Try drinking water before indulging in a craving because it’s easy to confuse hunger with thirst.

Lack of exercise

As strange as it seems, stews often don’t get the kind of exercise we need to stay fit.  Sure, we may be moving around all day, but if our heart rates aren’t raised to a cardio state we might not be burning off as many calories as we should. This is true especially if we’re overeating throughout the day.

When guests are not on board, be consistent with your fitness. Exercise 3 to 5 days per week, targeting different muscle groups and mixing up your cardio. Try alternating between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts and steady state cardio, such as running or swimming, throughout the week for max results.

Additionally, don’t underestimate the power of building muscle. Building muscle burns fat, so don’t be afraid of it!

Alcohol

We all know alcohol has calories, but are you aware of how much you’re consuming in a week?   One bottle of beer can be up to 250 calories or more, depending on the beer.  A glass of wine can range between 100 and 300 calories, and cocktails vary considerably.

Apart from the calories, reducing your consumption of alcohol will have other obvious health benefits.

Are calories the enemy?

We need calories to survive and thrive, so they are not the enemy.  Counting calories relentlessly is not the goal either. Having a healthy lifestyle over all is our goal so that were vibrant, fit and healthy for the long term.

Angela Orecchio is a chief stew, certified fitness instructor and health coach. This column was edited from her blog, Savvy Stewardess, The Smart Girl’s Guide to Yachting (www.savvystewardess.com). Comments are welcome at [email protected].

 

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About Angela Orecchio

Angela Orecchio is a chief stew and certified health coach. This column was edited from blog, Savvy Stewardess, The Smart Girl’s Guide to Yachting. Contact her through www.savvystewardess.com.

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