A friend of mine was given the opportunity to go on a Cruise to the Caribbean. You would think she would be excited about this fabulous trip, however, that was not the case. All the food, parties, tropical cocktails and socializing by the pool and beach were too much for her. She would rather skip spending time with family and friends than put herself in harm's way of tempting tropical food and drink for a week.

It doesn't have to be that way. Denying yourself of food and drink on a daily basis is not a sensible eating strategy to stay healthy, lose weight and keep it off. Getting ready for a trip to the tropics should not mean going on a "diet" in preparation for your trip because eventually you have to "get off" the diet, much like the cruise ship.

Eating less food in order to find your "abs" for the trip is the last thing you want to do because your body will burn away muscle to maintain itself and survive. You will lose weight and body fat too but the minute you go off your "diet", you will start to put weight back on – the kind you do NOT want – FAT! When your body has gone into starvation mode, it stores fat for future use, just in case, you decide to "diet" again. This is the roller coaster ride so many embark on when they try to lose weight, often referred to as "yo-yo" dieting.

The goal is to lose body fat and keep the muscle which will allow you to keep the weight off for life, without feeling deprived or starved. I want you to feel healthy, strong and ready to take on your trip to the tropics. You can become a fat-burning machine instead of a fat-storing one.

Eating a complete meal of protein, fats and carbohydrates every 3 hours will support muscle and release body fat.

Blaze a new path to a healthy body with this combination at every meal:

• 60% CARBOHYDRATES – leafy greens, spinach and other green vegetables, berries, oats, whole grains
• 20% PROTEIN – turkey, chicken, fish, tuna, egg whites with one yolk, whey protein powder
• 20% FAT – extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, peanut butter, almond butter

Get ready for your Caribbean Cruise with these delicious meals you can prepare easily at home. Every time you eat a meal, you will help your body lose weight and keep the muscle. Having the foods listed above on hand makes it easier to make a healthy meal any time of day so you will not skip meals or be tempted by sweets or junk food.

Be sure to try out some of my favorite tropical recipes.