Advice for Cruise?

Hi everyone! I've been on MFP for about a month now, lost 41 lbs since December when I started my WL journey. Now I've got a BIG two week cruise to Alaska coming up in about a month *ya!* and I need some hints/tips/suggestions on how to keep from gaining weight while on board!

How do you track your food when nothing has labels? Recommendations for easy (i.e. stress free) workouts? Ideas for resisting temptation?

Thanks! I can't wait! :)
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Replies

  • ahoier
    ahoier Posts: 312 Member
    Interesting. I will be watching this topic. Since I have a cruise planned in my future.....everyone I talk to says it's a diet nightmare.....since you're basically stuck on a floating city, and what better than to eat, socialize, swim, sun bathe, eat some more......rinse repeat haha.

    Does/will your boat have a gym/sauna? Perhaps you can find time to sneak off into that end of the ship lol.....to at least burn some calories before/after you eat? :)
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,551 Member
    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.
  • dt3312
    dt3312 Posts: 212 Member
    Congratulations on your weight loss! Keep your great progress in mind while you're on the cruise. That in itself will be motivation to not overeat too much.

    My friend went on a cruise and actully lost a pound. She was so worried about gaining weight that she said she was very careful about what she ate and portion sizes, and she did as much walking around on the cruise ship as she could.

    Another friend went on several cruises. On the 8 day cruise, she gained 8 pounds. On the 13 day cruise, she gained 13 pounds!

    On the internet, if you do a search on Portion sizes hand, numerous website tell you how to estimate portion sizes with your hand and fingers. You would need to take into account how big your hands are, but it will help you get a general idea. For example, a fist is about a cup. A tablespoon is the size of your thumb, etc. Have a wonderful trip and again, congrats on your weight loss.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    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.
  • ajhatkin
    ajhatkin Posts: 10 Member
    We take a lot of cruises and are always trying to keep our weight the same as when we left home. Some hints are: take the stairs, not the elevator, Princess cruises has some choices at every dinner that are on the healthy side (no sauces, garden vegetables), ask for berries for dessert, ask the headwaiter in the dining room what he/she recommends that is healthy, stay away from the snacks (tell yourself ahead of time that you will not eat those chocolate chip cookies), use the gym as often as you can, walk around the deck as long as you have time to, take excursions that include walking, not sitting in a bus all day, have a salad entree for lunch. I don't drink, so can't help you with that. Just keep in mind how you will feel when you get home and weigh yourself and find that you weigh less or the same as when your cruise started :) You can have a good time and not gain weight!!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
    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.
  • vcuchick
    vcuchick Posts: 29 Member
    Interesting. I will be watching this topic. Since I have a cruise planned in my future.....everyone I talk to says it's a diet nightmare.....since you're basically stuck on a floating city, and what better than to eat, socialize, swim, sun bathe, eat some more......rinse repeat haha.

    Does/will your boat have a gym/sauna? Perhaps you can find time to sneak off into that end of the ship lol.....to at least burn some calories before/after you eat? :)

    Yes, the ship (Celebrity Millenium) has a gym which I will be using every day if I can swing it, I plan to take stairs rather than elevator, and have excursions planned for hiking/kayaking. I plan to wear my fitbit so my hope is that just because of the large amount of walking to get anywhere on the ship and because it's alaska where people are more 'activity oriented' so there's going to be more of a chance to get my 10,000 steps/activity in. (although there will be a day of loafing in the spa *grin*)
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    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.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    suggestion...enjoy it.

    I took an 8 day vacation and didn't log (no internet) and just enjoyed myself...

    did I gain weight yes...4lbs...lost it in 2 weeks...

    it's a vacation, treat it as one...

    You will find you wont want to eat very much anyway...now the drinking might be another story that is what did me in.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    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.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    I actually lost weight on my last cruise. Every morning I went to the gym and did HIITs on the elliptical, a little arm work with free weights, and when the weather was good, the ship I was on had a track on one of the balconies. I also danced every night with my husband at one of the dance parties and walked a ton on the shore excursions.

    As for food, I was very choosey at the buffets. I only took a microscopic amount of each food item (literally, 1 noodle) to try everything first so that I wouldn't just pile on big plates of mediocre pasta that I would eat because it was there. I also really enjoyed all the fresh fruit.

    Drinking: I drank a lot of water and red wine. I avoided the sweet blended drinks because they're never as good as you expect them to be anyway.
  • TheUnwritten
    TheUnwritten Posts: 158 Member
    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.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    It's two weeks....eat, drink, enjoy.

    The last cruise I went on was a 7 day, I gained 8 lbs. I lost it all after 4 days back. The weight you'll gain will be mostly water.
  • mrswoolsey3
    mrswoolsey3 Posts: 10 Member
    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!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Hi everyone! I've been on MFP for about a month now, lost 41 lbs since December when I started my WL journey. Now I've got a BIG two week cruise to Alaska coming up in about a month *ya!* and I need some hints/tips/suggestions on how to keep from gaining weight while on board!

    How do you track your food when nothing has labels? Recommendations for easy (i.e. stress free) workouts? Ideas for resisting temptation?

    Thanks! I can't wait! :)

    I NEVER track when I'm on vacation!! Life is too short and vacations too far and in between......I allow myself a handful of days out of the year when I don't track and just enjoy life. And........the food on most cruises is amazing!!!!! My suggestion -

    relax and enjoy your vacation with your family
    rely on intuitive eating...don't feed yourself till you're about to bust
    most cruise ships have healthy tasty options too...have a nice balance between functional food and treats
    BE ACTIVE....when we were on our cruise we never stopped going it seemed!!!
    most cruise ships have gyms...work out!!!
    and all that willpower you were going to use to abstain from that delicious cruise food....save it and use it in full force when you are back from your vacation!!!

    Life is too short ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!
  • petefromguelph
    petefromguelph Posts: 84 Member
    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)
  • majica8
    majica8 Posts: 210 Member
    I personally wouldn't bother logging or tracking. I'm going on a 2 week cruise in July and have no intention of worrying about what I'm eating. Doesn't mean I'll go overboard every day and eat thousands of calories, but I'm not going to deny myself anything I want just because it might not be healthy or might take me over goal for the day.

    If you really do want to stay on track while away, then you'll do it. You've done it so far and being on holiday isn't much different. Perhaps the temptation to eat more/less healthily is a bit harder to resist but you just tell yourself "no." I'd still go with the don't bother worrying about it option though :)
  • mcspiffy88
    mcspiffy88 Posts: 90 Member
    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 .
  • mombie2six
    mombie2six Posts: 157 Member
    I agree. Be mindful, don't overdo it... but have fun! Try new foods. Walk, swim, use the gym. I wouldn't let it all go, you've worked hard to get where you are, but don't overly stress about it to the point of not enjoying yourself.

    Have fun! Alaska is next on my cruise wish list!! :-)
  • beaches61
    beaches61 Posts: 154 Member
    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.