Chris – Cruisin’ Without A Bruisin’
A long-time friend of Susan, I decided to work with her a little over a month ago, having reached a dead end with Weight Watchers. I’ve always appreciated her direct, no holds-barred manner and logic when it comes to weight. In the course of the first 3 sessions, I was pleased she recognized the problem of chronic “hunger” and had solutions such as cauliflower soup and other filling veggie snacks.
My very first challenge was a cruise, long booked. I could have blown it all, but I really wanted to follow Susan’s program, and set a modest goal of maintenance. Modest, for a cruise indeed. Well, Susan gave me some great tips that I decided to follow, since in the past, I never liked the way I felt in continually overeating “to get my money’s worth” on cruises. Her suggestions were simple: avoid the buffet line; eat in the dining room as much as possible; don’t snack; and plan your splurges. So, I took her advice–and while I didn’t keep my promise of tracking daily intake, I did eat a substantial breakfast, only salad at lunch, and then indulged by eating virtually every course at dinner. Cruises have gotten smart, and provide much smaller courses in return for the amount of courses (appetizer, soup, salad, entree, and dessert). Yes, I had them all. But I never ate after dinner and I even sometimes found myself hungry. With a bad back, I occasionally thought of going to have cookies in the afternoon but it was actually too much trouble to walk to the main all day dining buffet.
The bottom line? The day after my return, I was exactly the same weight I wrote down the day I left. My goal was accomplished, thanks to Susan’s great ideas. While I have a long way to go, not really having lost much if anything since beginning the program on January 30, I know I have made major changes in the way I approach food, and think about what works for me, and what doesn’t. Thanks to Susan, I fully expect to get back on track to lose my 10-15 lbs by summer.
Chris McMorrow, Waltham, MA