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Going on A Cruise... any advice?

00trayn
00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I'm leaving for a Caribbean cruise on Sunday for a week and I've been at my healthy lifestyle for 4 weeks now (on MFP for a little over a week now). So far I've lost 7 or so pounds by counting calories very diligently and working out about 6 times a week (EA Sports Active and the gym twice a week for 45 minutes, my swimsuit for the cruise already looks better!) I'm worried that a week on a cruise with lots of food and alcoholic drinks will be difficult to keep track of, since I have no idea how many calories are in what I'm eating. Also, I don't know how much time I'll have for exercising, although they do have a gym that I'm planning to get to (plus walking around a large cruise ship and shore excursions that involve walking).

Anyone have tips of how you handle going on a vacation? I'm most concerned about the food and drink adding up to lots of calories. Exercise is easier to keep track of. Thanks!

Replies

  • Mellie13
    Mellie13 Posts: 424
    My advice would be to drink water except for the very rare occasional glass of wine and just watch your portion sizes. I would also make hitting the gym a priority every day! Most importantly, enjoy yourself and relax!!
  • Hollycat
    Hollycat Posts: 372
    Just go to the gym every day and relax about the food. Have a good time!
  • sazziecee
    sazziecee Posts: 143
    I went on a 5 day caribbean cruise and gained 14lb!! no joke

    Is your cruise one with formal dining or more casual?

    I went with Royal Caribbean and we mainly went for formal dining. There were about 6 choices for starter, main and dessert every night and there was always a healthier option, I just never chose any of them!

    If you wanted to order 3 starters, 5 mains and 3 desserts then you could, they just kept bringing it! so the temptation to overeat is definitely there.

    There was a buffet restaurant too, so you could choose healthier food yourself, although I eat more at buffets so avoid them as a rule

    I did find the cocktails were VERY strong on the ship and are waaay more than a measure, so calories will add up that way too.

    a lot of the ships have gyms etc though to keep the fitness regime up
  • nikkolatwell
    nikkolatwell Posts: 30
    I agree with Hollycat. Vacation in not everyday, unless you are really rich and do vacation everyday then this point would be mute. Have fun you will probably be doing lots of stuff you dont normally do (excursions, hiking, swimming, shopping). I would say enjoy your vacation and get back at your diet when you come home. No one wants to diet on vacation and a splurg one week a year probably wont hurt you unless you quit all together.


    Have fun and soak up some sun : )
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    M cruise is with Norwegian Cruise Lines so dining is going to be casual for the most part. This is also my spring break trip with my college friends, so drinking is likely to play a larger factor. I've dealt with that lately by only ordering low calorie drinks (diet soda instead of regular). I'll definitely be careful not to overeat if there is a buffet and try and steer myself towards healthier sounding meals. It's a pain that everything isn't labeled with nutrition info like packaged foods are :(
  • MBH3
    MBH3 Posts: 30
    I went on a cruise a couple of years ago and only gained 1 lb. Here was my axn plan:

    1. Took the stairs whenever possible (avoided elevators unless I was all dressed up for dinner.)
    2. Limited myself to 1 dessert per day (for example, if I wanted dessert after dinner, I did not have ice cream or yogurt by the
    pool.)
    3. Exercised every 'at sea' day. I didn't work out on the days that we were docked b/c I wanted to enjoy the sites.
    4. Avoided the fruity or frozen 'drinks of the day'. Stuck with wine or vodka/light cranberry juice.

    Beyond the above, I ate and drank what I wanted and had a great time! I didn't feel deprived of anything!

    Hope this helps.

    Marcy
  • lilchino4af
    lilchino4af Posts: 1,292 Member
    My husband and I are planning a 7 day cruise and well and we plan on doing the formal dining w/1 starter, 1 main, 1 dessert per dinner. Lunch will be sandwiches and fruit and breakfast we'll keep healthy. We are not getting the soda package and I might allow myself 1 drink while there. We also plan to hit up the gym every day, longer on days when we're in port and back on the ship after we're done with our excursions since it should be fairly empty. I plan on taking my own low cal granola bars/similar snacks to help with afternoon cravings. Our excursions have lots of walking and when we're in port and shopping there's a lot of walking too! I think if I watch how much I eat and choose the somewhat healthier options I should be ok.

    Try that approach and let me know how it goes - we go a few weeks after you get back!
  • immacookie
    immacookie Posts: 7,424 Member
    I love cruises... going a 7 day (southern carib) in 32 days.... :love:

    I typically gain around 6-8lbs - and that's with NO restraint.... :noway:
    Be careful at the buffet - just get one plate and add some fresh fruit (also watch their yogurt and milk selections - they may not have low fat or fat free of either).
    On NCL you would "think" the chilled fruit soups would be ok for you (in the dining room for dinner), but they're probably sugar and cream laden...??

    On vacation I don't deny myself, it IS vacation..... although this time I am going to abide by the moderation and little tastes moto.

    Also agree about taking the stairs, the elevators are always packed anyway. Then after dinner walk around the ship for awhile, it's always nice on deck at night.

    HAVE FUN!!!! :bigsmile:

    p.s. hopefully they still have 2-for-1 martinis :love:
  • immacookie
    immacookie Posts: 7,424 Member
    Also - NCL typically has "cooking light" options on their dinner menus (unless you go to one of the specialty surcharge venues or just buffet it)... and don't be afraid to ask for a plain baked potato or steamed veggies - those are typically easy subs. The waiters are used to simple requests like that, just speak up! :bigsmile:
  • DoneWithTheFatGirl
    DoneWithTheFatGirl Posts: 173
    Every ship has a salad bar, so hit that up first and really pack on the veggies and then when you're ready to eat your main course you'll already be full! If you can, do an oil and vinegar dressing, but be light on the oil. Also drink lots and lots of water. My toughest meal was always breakfast because they have so many yummy things. First day I decided to have a bowl of cereal, yogurt and fruit every day and headed straight there without even looking at the eggs, sausage, bacon, french toast, croissants, etc. (Mmmmm, now I'm hungry, ha!)

    When it comes to drinks, rum has the least amount of calories. When I was on Jenny Craig and took a trip to Vegas, my counselor suggested rum and diet cokes.

    Have a great time and bon voyage!!!
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    I would say skip the booze. Enjoy some extra calories, but don't waste them on alcoholic beverages. That would be my plan of action.
  • Songbird146
    Songbird146 Posts: 46 Member
    I lost 5 lbs on my cruise. I ate a lot of fruit, Made sure to have a salad first at dinner and lunch, and took pilates classes the ship's spa offered. Also, my excursions were all very active (white water rapids, cave tours, hiking the rainforests, ect. Just don't stress about it. Stress is a vacation killer as well as a dieter's enemy. Just know you can make good choces, stay active, and enjoy yourself. DON'T FORGET TO SUN BLOCK! The sun is different there and even with block I turned into a lobster so be careful and remember to reapply.
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
    It's obviously all personal preference, but when I go on vacation- especially a cruise- I eat/drink what I want. I figure that 1 week out of the year is mine to do what I want with. We cruised last year for 7 days and I ate and drank what I wanted- gained 5 pounds in a week. Within 2 weeks of being home I had lost it again- totally worth it to me.

    But, if that's not what you want to do, which is fine, then I suggest making the best choices that you can while eating and drinking. Cutting out simple things like butter and sauces can save a lot of calories, as well as sticking to diet soda and clear liquor (diet coke and malibu, for example) rather than real sweet, frozen drinks.

    Whatever you decide, have A BLAST!! :glasses:
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    I do love rum and diet cokes. That has been my drink of choice lately. I'll be sure to keep lots of veggies on my plate so there is less room for more dangerous unhealthy foods. I like the advice to stick to one dessert as well. That's generally what I allow myself already, a little dessert after dinner as long as its under my calories for the day. As much as I love the fruity cocktail drinks, I'm planning on avoiding them or having just one on the cruise since I read online how many calories are in them (same for Long Island Iced Teas!). All this advice is great, thanks so much for the help! I'm less worried about going now than I was before.
  • themethod
    themethod Posts: 257
    My only suggestion would be staying away from sugary drinks and dairy in general. Eat the roasted, grilled, or baked meats and fish dry and keep the cheese and creamy dressing off your plate at the salad bar. (Plus, who wants to have an upset tummy on a cruise ship? Dairy always seems to make me feel yucky when I'm traveling.) And if you're trying to choose a pasta or something just for kicks, go for those that are more colorful! The more "beige" the food at a restaurant/buffet, typically the worse it is for you. I drink vodka/soda, but rum/diet is good, or a light beer.

    When it comes to desserts, since it's a trip with your college friends, get one to share for the table and everyone gets a taste!

    You can do it. And you better come back nice and tan! :)
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