Taking a cruise. What do I eat?!?!?

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Replies

  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
    I agree with a lot of posters here - stick to lean grilled options and enjoy your fruits and veggies. But don't be afraid to enjoy a few drinks and desserts as well. Just don't use your vacation as an excuse to completely blow off your new lifestyle. You shouldn't be crash dieting so going on a cruise shouldn't really change what you eat on any normal day IMO.

    Have fun!!
  • bryionak
    bryionak Posts: 110 Member
    Probably not much help but...

    I was worried about losing ground on my vacation and was mindful of it but didn't really log. because i had done so much walking I actually lost about .5 pound on vacation. the problem I had was getting back into the routine after vacation. That has taken me a few weeks and I gained a few pounds.
  • brittany0859
    brittany0859 Posts: 23
    I actually just got back from a carnival cruise. Surprisingly they had lots of healthy options. In the buffet for breakfast they had oatmeal, lots is fresh fruit, whole grain/wheat toast, bagels, and muffins. They had light butter as well. For lunch I usually ate at the pizza, burger places. Im not sure which ship you're going on but if it's 2.0 and you have the Blue Iguana Cantina I think they have healthy options but I never ate there. For dinner in the main dining room they have a caesar salad every night and on the 'today' menu they often had another type of salad. They even had light desserts that people raved about. Hre you can find your ship and look at the menus they have.

    http://zydecocruiser.net/menus/CarnivalCruiseLineMenus.htm

    Stay on track, but PLEASE treat yourself and indulge sometimes as they have really good food. And please try the warm chocolate melting cake at least once. You are on vacation so enjoy it! And have FUN!
  • Michelle_Nicole
    Michelle_Nicole Posts: 95 Member
    Cruises do offer a lot of really good food and it is normally all included. Just remember to portion yourself, don't have the mentality of I'm on vacation I can eat anything and you will be fine! They should also have a nice gym on board that you can stop in for a half hour to an hour to keep up with your routine. You will be walking around so much and being active that you should be fine!
  • boatsie77
    boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
    Eat whatever and whenever you want, but keep in mind your body has been used to good, healthy food and might rebel:-)

    I went on a 7-day cruise in April and gained 2.2 pounds--came off in a week after getting back into my healthy lifestyle.

    One thing that helped me jump right back into healthy eating and exercise once I hit dry land was that I signed up for a 5K Mud Run scheduled for 2 weeks after the cruise. It kept me from continuing the 'cruise food mentality' when I returned.

    Enjoy your trip--MFP will still be here when you return.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    I generally lose weight on vacation because I eat at odd intervals and walk a lot, but I have never been on a cruise. From what people say, you eat all the time! LOL. So good luck.

    I would try to stick with stuff like fish and veggies and fruit most of the time, but splurge every now and then, or maybe save those splurges for off ship. I rarely eat ice cream normally but on vacation during the summer I always like to buy some. Enjoy your vacation!
  • soxx226
    soxx226 Posts: 89 Member
    It's a cruise, live it up and eat what you want. It's all about relaxing and taking time off from normal everyday life. It's only 5 days, 5 days can't undo what progress you have done, then come back into your routine. At least this is my plan when I take my 7 day cruise over Christmas this year.
  • jjenks3
    jjenks3 Posts: 45
    I say do what you want :) It's a cruise. The whole point of taking a vacation is to relax, and it's hard to do that when you are worry about calorie minutia. Give yourself a week off as a reward for being faithful to your routine, and enjoy yourself.
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
    Cocktail Shrimp!

    Enjoy yourself, but don't go crazy. If it were me at a buffet, I would get tiny portions of several different dishes. If someone said that something was amazing, I'd try it. New dish I've never had before? I'd try it. If it's on my plate but it doesn't taste amazing, I wouldn't eat it. Be picky and save your calories for the stuff that makes you go DAYUM! After all, it is a vacation. :happy:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,984 Member
    Hello MFP peeps! I've had a great 6 months on MFP and have been very successful eating my normal foods on my routine and logging in everyday. I am going on a 5 day Carnival Cruise in July and I am feeling super nervous about not being able to log in and not knowing what to eat on the ship. Does anyone cruise frequently? Any suggestions on what I should stick to eating? Any suggestions on what is really good, but healthy? Thanks guys!
    Carnival? I'd be more concerned with completing the cruise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:laugh:

    Hope that's not the case, but it's a week and if you're just aware that eating the junk food and desserts are WAY higher in calories, just stick to eating more "whole" foods. DON'T fill your plate a common mistake like at buffets. And hit up exercise daily to help control calories.

    I've went on 3 Disney cruises and worked out every day (6 am) then enjoyed myself. I gained maybe 3lbs each time, but once I was back on my routine, they were gone in a week.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    Go Norwegian. The food on the whole line ( we've been on six or seven different Norwegian ships) beats the food on most other lines hands down. They had vegetarian and lower cal choices every meal, they also had a huge midnight all-chocolate buffet. Go swimming, snorkeling, swim with the sting rays, use the onboard gym, don't worry about the effing calories, just have fun. I'd give an arm and a leg to be able to go on another cruise.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    Dude it's a cruise! Enjoy yourself.

    Whatever weight you do or don't gain can easily be lost when you get back.


    This.

    One thing I've learned here, putting off my loss of weight by one week or two weeks because of a vacation or fun weekend isn't going to be the end of me. So I gain a pound or two, or even stay the same...no big deal. I'm not in a hurry to lose my weight, I know it will happen and I'm going to enjoy myself while it does. Would I weigh less now if I had not made some the choices I've made in the last year? Sure, I may be down another 5-10 lbs then where I am now...the thing is, I can honestly say that I have had a great time losing what I've lost so far. 70+ lbs in less than a year...not too bad in my book. This hasn't been painful or difficult, I haven't beaten myself up for having lunch with friends or eating tons of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving or over indulging at my last bike rally. I can sustain this lifestyle, easily, and almost without thinking about it. I log my foods and stay within my goals 90% of the time, the rest of the time life just happens.
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
    There's a lot of variety - just don't get into the mindset of having to try everything or "get your money's worth" out of the food.

    There's always fruit, plain eggs, and omelet stations for breakfast, salad bars and carving stations for lunch and dinner, and healthier options for the sit down dinners.


    Make good choices, but enjoy yourself. Try not to get midnight pizza every night, and don't sign up for the all-you-can-drink card, and you're golden. ;-)
  • mkathib
    mkathib Posts: 22 Member
    Main dinner...more portion control and wonderful entertainment.
    Walk, walk, walk....get up and walk the track, and use the gym in the morning...might help you fight the urge to binge on the sweets that are a free for all!
    Take the stairs...plus its quicker than waiting on the elevator.
    Remember...its just a week, enjoy and get back on track when you get home!
    I'm looking forward to a Christmas cruise already!!! Have fun!
  • rgrin
    rgrin Posts: 67 Member
    I got back from a 7-day cruise on the 8th. I had gained 10.6 pounds by the time I got back. I lost 8.3 in the first three days upon returning home to my regular routine. It was water weight. Then TOM hit and messed me up. :grumble: But today I hit and surpassed my pre-cruise weight. So, it took me 13 days to get back on track, but for a true VACATION, one that was very much needed, I can deal with that. I enjoyed my self fully, had two desserts a day, several free drinks in the lounge each night, and didn't drink nearly enough water (it tasted BAD). But it was a wonderful vacation.

    Tips:
    Skip the elevators, use the stairs all the time.
    It's lots of fun to walk and explore the ship, especially if the gym is full.
    Take active shore excursions when possible.
    Drink as much good-tasting water as possible on shore!
    Stick to the main dining room, even for breakfast and lunch - better control over your intake.

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