I was sleeved on 1/20/15. To date I have lost some 48 lbs in the 11 weeks since my operation. I hope this will inspire some of you that this operation is not something that will handicap you but will actually free you to a much more enjoyable side of life.

One of the things my wife and I enjoy is cruising. Pre sleeve it was all about the food and the beer. Life has changed now as my 2XL body is just now adjusting to a “lumpy” but comfortable “L” size. My eating habits have become healthier and less the big part of my day. The thing is…. I couldn’t in all fairness to my wife stop vacationing (my wife is not overweight). Veterans of 23 prior cruises over the past 16 years, I had to see if it was possible, and as soon as possible. We booked a cruise on NCL Sun out of Tampa to coincide with my transition into stage 5 (solid foods). I learned a lot this week. And I like what I learned. BTW it was the best cruise ever. No alcohol, small portions…. I had my doubts. But I stuck to the plan. It was easy and doable. Here is what I learned, how I coped, what I did, how I ate and how I did weight wise.

1. I decided on day one that everything I ate would be quality….no bread or Pasta. I ate steak, shrimp, chicken or pork for lunch or dinner, no sandwiches , no sweets… I want to emphasize that there are and to my surprise always were good options on every buffet…..especially for sleevers!

2. Breakfast everyday was eggs, cottage cheese (yes the had it) and if I had room a little yogurt. After which we sent for coffee from room service to enjoy later on the balcony.

3. My day started on deck six everyday with my wife ….which has an open air walking track (on most boats ) for 8 to 10,000 steps….about an hour of leisurely walking. By day 3 I was actually jogging small stretches of the track.

4. Dinner every night was a small bite of an appetizer or a few bites of salad and about half the portion of meat. No dessert, instead I would treat myself to a single espresso after my wife finished her dessert

5. I drank ice Water, skim milk and occasionally made myself an ice coffee in my waterbottle everyday.

6. I drank no….yes zero alcohol!!! It did not bother me a bit. My wife did drink and I got all the exercise going to the bar for her….lol

7. At night we took in as much of the activities and shows as possible.

8. Late night occasionally we would get a small bite at the late night buffet. Most nights.

9. I challenged myself to do a shore tour ( I never liked doing things because of my weight ) We did cave tubing in Belize and snorkeling in Roatan Honduras. Which is “not” like me.

10. I think the toughest thing on the cruise is the looks the waiters give you when you don’t finish your meal….I got a lot of…. “you no like? I bring you something else?” I gave a simple “I’m fine…it was delicious!” which works everytime.

11. I think my smartest idea was though to bring a nice water bottle… it was very handy.

12. I bought a new T-shirt in every port in my new size “L” That was a great feeling.

So what was the end result? I was never hungry, slept great, ate some tasty things, met a goal of at least 10k steps every day and still lost 3.2 lbs. It was the first cruise that I actually fit in the clothes that I came on the boat in. I hope this blog encourages you to get out there……but you have to follow the plan and be strong enough to stick to it. It wasn’t hard at all.

LOVING MY SLEEVED LIFE

John M

So glad you posted this. Me and my fiance are cruising at the end of August (I was sleeved on the 1st of April) & I was concerned about whether I would be able to enjoy lunch/dinner.

Great job cruising and losing weight! I, too, have been lucky enough to cruise to far off places ( caves and bats in Belize were fun). I like the walking deck and add we always took the stairs.... Always...

Also sometimes we paid a nominal fee to eat in the nice restaurants where they serve you almost anything, anyway you want it. I thought there were good choices available in the main dining room

Most ships have gyms and classes if that interests others

And lots of shore excursions were not hard... Tho often the pamphlet said so... (I think that may be due to a lot of older crowds on our line)

Bon voyage !!!

Awesome cruise review! What did you think of cave-tubing in Belize? I did this several years ago, and absolutely loved it! Reading your review makes me want to book another cruise! I miss it!

Wonderful post !!

Very inspiring! Thank you.

Awesome! We also love cruising and try to take 1 or 2 per year. I've been worried because eating and drinking are a large part of our entertainment! Thanks for the great post, it encourages me that it can be done! I look forward to my first cruise that I don't gain 5-7 lbs! Great idea about bringing a Water bottle too!

Heading to Mexico for all inclusive vacation in a few weeks. I will post the results of that in a few weeks time.

Thank you for that. While I'm not an experienced cruiser like you. It is something Hubby and I enjoy! So here's to cruising with my sleeve and new self!

John M, GREAT POST! Thank you for posting. I'm going in for my surgery May 18th and we've actually got an 8 day camping beach trip planned 5-1/2 weeks after, which I'm prepared for taking my blender and sticking to my diet. We also love to cruise, try to do at least 1/2 a year. Your story gave me inspiration to know that I can do this and succeed!! Glad you had a great time. Good luck and Thank you again for your post.

Brenda R.

I was sleeved on 1/20/15. To date I have lost some 48 lbs in the 11 weeks since my operation. I hope this will inspire some of you that this operation is not something that will handicap you but will actually free you to a much more enjoyable side of life.

One of the things my wife and I enjoy is cruising. Pre sleeve it was all about the food and the beer. Life has changed now as my 2XL body is just now adjusting to a “lumpy” but comfortable “L” size. My eating habits have become healthier and less the big part of my day. The thing is…. I couldn’t in all fairness to my wife stop vacationing (my wife is not overweight). Veterans of 23 prior cruises over the past 16 years, I had to see if it was possible, and as soon as possible. We booked a cruise on NCL Sun out of Tampa to coincide with my transition into stage 5 (solid foods). I learned a lot this week. And I like what I learned. BTW it was the best cruise ever. No alcohol, small portions…. I had my doubts. But I stuck to the plan. It was easy and doable. Here is what I learned, how I coped, what I did, how I ate and how I did weight wise.

1. I decided on day one that everything I ate would be quality….no bread or Pasta. I ate steak, shrimp, chicken or pork for lunch or dinner, no sandwiches , no sweets… I want to emphasize that there are and to my surprise always were good options on every buffet…..especially for sleevers!

2. Breakfast everyday was eggs, cottage cheese (yes the had it) and if I had room a little yogurt. After which we sent for coffee from room service to enjoy later on the balcony.

3. My day started on deck six everyday with my wife ….which has an open air walking track (on most boats ) for 8 to 10,000 steps….about an hour of leisurely walking. By day 3 I was actually jogging small stretches of the track.

4. Dinner every night was a small bite of an appetizer or a few bites of salad and about half the portion of meat. No dessert, instead I would treat myself to a single espresso after my wife finished her dessert

5. I drank ice Water, skim milk and occasionally made myself an ice coffee in my waterbottle everyday.

6. I drank no….yes zero alcohol!!! It did not bother me a bit. My wife did drink and I got all the exercise going to the bar for her….lol

7. At night we took in as much of the activities and shows as possible.

8. Late night occasionally we would get a small bite at the late night buffet. Most nights.

9. I challenged myself to do a shore tour ( I never liked doing things because of my weight ) We did cave tubing in Belize and snorkeling in Roatan Honduras. Which is “not” like me.

10. I think the toughest thing on the cruise is the looks the waiters give you when you don’t finish your meal….I got a lot of…. “you no like? I bring you something else?” I gave a simple “I’m fine…it was delicious!” which works everytime.

11. I think my smartest idea was though to bring a nice water bottle… it was very handy.

12. I bought a new T-shirt in every port in my new size “L” That was a great feeling.

So what was the end result? I was never hungry, slept great, ate some tasty things, met a goal of at least 10k steps every day and still lost 3.2 lbs. It was the first cruise that I actually fit in the clothes that I came on the boat in. I hope this blog encourages you to get out there……but you have to follow the plan and be strong enough to stick to it. It wasn’t hard at all.

LOVING MY SLEEVED LIFE

John M