Advice for Cruise?

I got a good tip for dealing with hotel buffets when I last went on vacation: Periodically ask yourself, "Am I really enjoying this?" If the answer is yes, do proceed. But don't mindlessly stuff yourself on mediocre food just because it is plentiful and available.

I travel a lot. Some advice:

Drink water unless you're drinking to have a drink. Don't waste calories.
Skip bread, cream sauces, and other things with lots of calories for not a lot of delicious.
Eat lots of plain veggies.
Figure out what their best foods are and make sure you eat that. That's what you're saving those calories for.
Eat dessert in moderation and skip the big chunks of frosting. A little is good, more is not better.
Jog in the pool.
Walk.

Have fun. I would definitely consider upping to maintenance calories for the two weeks you're traveling.

For my cruise I didn't log. First god only knows what the calories are. Second - I'm not paying the outrageous amount they charge for internet service. Third - I'm not denying myself the amazing food they have on board!

The ships are huge - you're going to be doing a TON of walking. You're going to Alaska - so pick some active shore excursions. Kayaking was one of my favorites. You'll do a lot of walking in Port (if you chose to). The ship will have a gym (I never use it but it is there for those who are more motivated).

If you do gain weight don't stress. I'd much rather enjoy my trip than spend the whole trip paranoid about gaining weight and making myself and my companions miserable.

I got a good tip for dealing with hotel buffets when I last went on vacation: Periodically ask yourself, "Am I really enjoying this?" If the answer is yes, do proceed. But don't mindlessly stuff yourself on mediocre food just because it is plentiful and available.

Agree with this 1000%!!!

If your cruise has a gym and exercise scheduled (early morning walks around the ship etc), then this could be a great opportunity to make some positive healthy changes, which you can bring back with you. You won't have the distractions of home.

I am going on a cruise next Friday. I will work out every day in the gym early in the morning before the start of my day. I always drink water before eating. However, I will not track as the Internet fees are too expensive and I don't have any intentions of walking around with pen and paper writing down my food. Just be mindful of what you are eating and for goodness sake, have fun and enjoy yourself. One of the good things about cruises is by default you will do a lot of walking while exploring so that will be a plus for those who don't stay in the cabin the entire time.

The wife and I went on a cruise for our honeymoon. I say enjoy it! If don't cruise alot than why not have fun and enjoy life for a bit. I gained some but it was the best time I ever had and I would do it again.

We went on our first cruise after I lost 50lbs. It was amazing, and I say enjoy every bit of it!! I gained 12lbs in the 10 days we were gone, and it was worth every ounce! The trick is to get back on track when you come home and don't let yourself slip back into old habits. That's what I did, and why I'm here now :-) The food on our ship was outstanding, and we didn't go to the buffet, only the sit down restaurants. We didn't get overly large portions, but the problem was if you couldn't decide, they would just bring both! That got out of hand quickly :-) It's a vacation, treat it like one. Enjoy yourself and then get back to work when you come home!

I agree with the above - life IS too short. enjoy yourself. Do you really want to stress about logging etc when you are away? Of course not! Enjoy yourself and get back to business when you return. This is a life long process and during that process you will want to enjoy yourself (or at least I would)

Congratz on your weight loss.


Imho you should have a good time, and not worry about the cals you eat ... just dont over do it, dont it every cake doughnut and french fry with mayo in sight .

This was not a cruise, but a few years ago I went on a tour of Italy and actually lost weight.

The trip included breakfast at a hotel and dinner at a restaurant. For lunch we were on our own because we were usually out doing some site seeing.

What I did was I ate a fairly normal but filling breakfast. For lunch, we ate pretty light, really more like a snack than a meal, and then I ate a normal dinner with wine and dessert. I didn't pig out, and I tried to choose healthy choices, but I enjoyed myself.

I didn't do any snacking between meals because we were so busy.

We did so much walking that over the course of a week I lost a few pounds.

You can do it. The main thing is to stay active and not pig out.

I actually LOST weight on both of my cruises!!

You'll be doing a LOT of walking. Take advantage of their gym. and when it comes to eating - well you'll probably go two weeks without logging and thats okay. You've been here log enough to know - smaller portions and balance your carbs with protein and healthy fats. Make smaller plates. Don't go back for seconds and limit your trip to the desert bar! Drink LOTS of water.

Work a little harder now until your cruise to allow a litle wiggle room. But enjoy the cruise - life is meant to be enjoyed not worrying about logging and weighing and measuring every.single.meal. After your cruise come home refreshed and ready to get back to work!!! Have a wonderful time!!!

First tip, take me with you.

Seriously though... I imagine you'll walk all over the ship, up & down stairs. So its likely to be an active vacation. There will probably be a fitness center and perhaps some group classes.

Check with the cruise line - they may make nutrition info available. If not, I'd think to keep things simple. Avoid creamy sauces. Eat lots of fruit, veggies, lean meats. Think about portion sizes. Enjoy sweet treats in moderation.

1 Stay away from the buffet and eat in the dining room. Plated food limits your portions and its often less cals/fat.
2 Only eat the foods that you actually enjoy. Take your time eating.
3 Walk after meals a lap or two around the ship.
4 Dont eat snacks unless you are actually hungry!
5 Don't buy the drink package option- drinks like alcohol and pop have lots of extra calories and paying for each drink will make you think. Water and the unsweetened tea will hydrate you just fine.
6 Only order the dessert if its something you actually enjoy and want. And if the dessert is served first, wait for the coffee to arrive. Waiting will help you realize you are satisfied.
7 Eat a sensible breakfast. Keeping on a routine will help with the better choices. On my cruise, if I missed the breakfast hours I basically had the option of chips or a no-so-healthy salad bar for a morning snack.
8 Develop food allergies. I can't have wheat or milk so I ended up eating a LOT of plain baked potatoes with my protein and veggies. Lack of sauces and butter really cut down on some of my extra calorie consumption but not every wants that option.

Honestly, follow the basic principles of eating when you are hungry, stopping when you are full and you should be fine. there are lots of opportunities to move- take them. Sometimes my friend and I shared 3 of the plated dinners if it was too hard to choose one option each but we also chose not to snack between meals most of the time. We were frequently off ship for lunch but either way we chose to eat a lighter lunch when possible.

I've been on four week long trips in my 16 month journey. Here are my experiences.

The 1st I logged religiously and tried to be as good as if I were home. I came home exactly where I left but really felt I missed out on enjoying my vacation like I had in the past.

The 2nd I logged loosely and allowed myself some treats. I came home exactly where I had left. I felt better about the trip than the 1st but still felt that I had missed out a little.

The 3rd was out of the country and I couldn't have logged if I wanted to. I didn't know what I was eating most of the time. I came home exactly where I left. I logged 2000 bare calories each day to keep my streak alive.

The 4th trip I had been stuck for awhile so decided to eat and drink whatever I felt like (which wasn't all that bad really) Guess what? I came home exactly where I left off but boy did I have fun!

Congratulations on your loss so far! Realistically you can't really do too much damage in a week or in your case (LUCKY YOU!) two weeks. Stay away from the stuff that you know is super high but please enjoy your vacation without guilt! Right back on program when you return. You may well have a gain but most of that will be water that will come back off in a few days.

Have fun!