Overcoming Temptation Onboard

It’s a scenario we all know well.  Working long hours getting the boat ready for a guest trip. Being down to the wire to make it to your pick up location.

A long, bumpy passage where you haven’t slept or eaten much, and then hours of squaring the boat away before you can finally relax a bit, eat a proper meal and have a good night's sleep.

You're feeling exhausted and the guests haven't even arrived yet, and the season has only just begun.  

This hectic schedule may be unavoidable in the busy world of yachting, but how you look after yourself within this scenario is completely up to you.  
When you’re overly tired and hungry it’s easy to want to indulge in comfort foods, drinks and other stimulants to change how you feel.  It’s also easier to talk yourself out of exercise for the day or allow yourself to become irritable with other crew.  

Yet with a few easy changes, you can prepare yourself for those tempting moments and reduce that tiredness and irritability. 

The best way to get back on track toward your goal of health, happiness and fitness is to recognize that a big part of how you feel now is a result of your choices, not just your circumstances.

 

• Don’t skip meals and let your blood sugar get so low that you are willing to eat anything and find yourself getting upset about everything.

• Make the best food choices (even if they're not optimal) in the moment.  Start now. Don’t fall into the trap of telling yourself you’ll do it later.  Later is just a time when you will have wished that you started today. Do this by choosing whole foods versus processed foods at the very minimum.  To feel even better, choose whole plant-based foods.  And to feel EVEN better, choose whole, plant based, high carbohydrate foods such as fruit, potatoes, rice, gluten free grains and as many veggies as you can as staples. 

• Reduce or eliminate coffee altogether and replace with 2-3 liters of still water a day. You should drink the first liter as soon as you wake up, before you consume anything else. 

• Get at least 10-30 minutes of exercise a day. Even if it’s only 10 minutes of squats and pushups in your cabin, you will feel your mood and energy improve significantly. 

You'll be amazed at what a difference these few simple steps make, and at how much easier and happier your season will become by following them. 

Read more tips like this on my blog: The Yachtie Glow, or contact me through the 'Contact Author' button below.   

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About the author: I love being at sea and traveling as much as I love health, fitness and making this planet a better place to live for all of us. I am currently a Chief Stewardess/Purser on a 50meter yacht and have a certificate as a Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

 *Image credits:  Camilla Torres via Shutterstock, flickr/Honolulu Media (CC 2.0)