TRAVEL WELL

by Lisa Davis

Club Med Offers Vacation Weight Loss Strategies that Work

I was skeptical when I first learned that Club Med, the all-inclusive resort company known for its beachy locals, fruity cocktails, and rumba dancing under star-filled skies, was launching Club Med Diet. I wondered: Is it possible to lose weight on vacation? Is that an oxymoron: Diet and vacation?

While reinventing its image from the party palace of the 1980s to a more family-oriented and health-conscious vacation destination, Club Med launched Club Med Diet last September at its Columbus Isle resort on the Bahamian island of San Salvador. For now, the program is only offered at Columbus Isle, but there are plans for expansions to other resorts next year.

Known for outrageous buffets with every food imaginable—from the naughty temptation of white chocolate bread (for breakfast, no less), to just about every type of fish, meat, carbohydrate, cheese, and dessert you desire—Club Med created a nutrition and wellness program that encourages healthier buffet grazing, with lean meats and fish, vegetables, and fruit, and by incorporating exercise into your vacation routine.

But again, I wondered: Can I really lose weight, or at least maintain my present weight, with the temptations of buffet-style eating and all-you-can-drink bars?

The answer is “yes.” Here is how I did it.

The program began with an orientation with the Club’s fitness G.O. Tamara (G.O. is Club Med speak for “employee”). She gave me a Club Med Diet booklet that contained healthy eating advice, some of which was specific to eating at the Club Med buffet; exercise goals; a food log; and healthy recipes to make Club Med-inspired cuisine at home. Tamara also assigned me a pedometer that I calibrated to count my every step; calories burned; amount of time exercising; and mileage walked. And, she inspired me with a challenge: Whoever walks the most steps wins for the week. Hint: I am really competitive so you might guess who won. With a pedometer hooked to my pants and booklet in hand, I went back to my room to create my Club Med Diet strategy for the week. Surprising, I walked almost a 1,000 steps just going from the club’s fitness center to my room.

Some really important tips I learned from the booklet:

• Your plate should be half fruits and veggies; ¼ protein; ¼ carbohydrates.

• Try and eat grapefruit at every breakfast. It burns fat.

• For snacking, slice up cucumbers and tomatoes, and add pepper.

• Never use salt. It causes you to retain loads of water. Instead, season foods with pepper, hot sauces, or Dijon mustard.

• Ask the cook not to grease the griddle when making your omelet. There is enough grease on the griddle from the previous omelets.

• If you love cheese, bacon, pizza, French fries, and desserts, limit yourself to once or twice a week.

• Choose broth-based soups. Be sure to ask if the soup was made with oil. Even broth-based soups can be loaded with fats and calories.

• Add lots of color to your plate with vegetables and fruits.

• Walk at least 10,000 steps daily for maintenance; 15,000 or more to lose weight.

The booklet also pointed out healthy foods offered at the Club Med buffet including:

• Salmon encrusted in rock salt.

• Low-fat Danishes.

• Watermelon and feta salad.

• Spinach salad with ricotta and oranges.

• Arugula salad with grapefruit and avocado.

• Tabolue

• Low-fat yogurt and hummus dips for veggies. The hummus was one of my favorites.

• Seaweed bread.

• Conch salad – half of which is a great afternoon snack.

What the booklet lacked were instructions on alcohol, which was especially necessary given that bottles and bottles of wine were offered at lunch and dinner, as well as the all-you-can-drink bars that serve pina coladas, margaritas, and more. From my own nutritional knowledge, I know two servings of alcohol per day is the max.

The program also included a personal training session. There Tamara helped me set exercise goals. For me, my goal was to learn a workout routine I can do at any hotel gym or in any hotel room if a gym is not available. Some great exercises I learned were:

• Tricep dips off of a bed.

• Holding two bottles of water and doing squats or lunges.

• Walking or running up the stairs to get to my room.

• Using books or water bottles to do shoulder raises and bicep curls, among other arm exercises.

Exercise options at Club Med Columbus Isle were top-notch. In the mornings I did Pilates, strength training, step (about 3,000 steps), and water aerobics. During the day, I swam, took walks on the beach (about 6,000 steps) or on the treadmill (It rained a couple days while I was there.), and played tennis (about 3,000 steps). At night, I walked again along the beach or did yoga. In all (six days), I walked more than 101,000 steps; burned 7,399 calories; exercised for almost 14 hours; and walked 38 miles. And, I lost two pounds!

For more information on Club Med Diet, log onto: www.clubmeddiet.blogspot.com/.

To book a Club Med vacation, go to www.clubmed.com or call 1-888-932-2582.

Lisa Davis is the former editor of Frequent Flyer magazine and editor/publisher of Mileage Pro: The Insider's Guide to Frequent Flyer Programs. As a writer, Lisa covers business travel, spas, golf, adventure travel, destinations, and health and wellness on the road. In her monthly spa column, "Travel Well," for Justsaygo.com, Lisa reviews luxury spas worldwide. As a radio personality, you can find Lisa on Sirius Radio where she's a regular correspondent for a travel show. She's also a correspondent for a syndicated newspaper column called the Business Travel Report, and she contributes to New York Resident and Hamptons Resident magazines.