Cruise Eating

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Ellitamaria
Ellitamaria Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!

I am going to be going on a cruise next week (first time) and that means tons and tons of food! Any tips and suggestions on how to make the best choices possible?
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  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Enjoy yourself.
  • mom2nicknat
    mom2nicknat Posts: 56 Member
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    I try and stick to the dining room for the major meals - serving sizes aren't too big..and I try to avoid the fruity alcoholic drinks by the pool or limit them to one a day. Besides that just enjoy! You can get back on track when you get home.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    To counter that, I would say I found the dining room on the last cruise to have immense portions. I actually ate less at the buffet when people weren't staring at me to choose a starter, main, and dessert (and comvincing me to get dessert every time). I could literally have a little bit of everything, and mostly fruits & veggies.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    randomtai wrote: »
    Enjoy yourself.
    I agree with this. If you follow your calorie goal for 51 weeks out of the year, I see no reason to stress about eating for a vacation. If you are so concerned that not having some kind of plan will actually add stress, then you can follow some very basic tips. Try and eat more protein. Going for a larger portion of protein and cutting down on sides almost always saves on calories. It usually keeps you full longer as well. Just because they offer food 24/7 doesn't mean you need to eat food 24/7. If you usually eat 3 meals a day, try and do that on the cruise. Don't eat 6 just because its offered. When it comes to alcohol, liquor and 0 calorie mixers will help keep the calories in check.

    Again though, its 1 week. You are not going to undue a years worth of work in a week so just enjoy yourself. You can worry about food all you like when you get home.
  • stephaniemenzies
    stephaniemenzies Posts: 2 Member
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    I actually end up losing weight on cruises, even going to the buffet. I actually find the buffet easier because I can control what I eat, and how much I eat. Even in the dining room in the evening, knowing that there isn't a large dining bill coming at the end makes it easier for me to not finish everything. On all of our cruises (we've only been on RC) there are always menu notations on the low calorie/low fat options, even on the dessert menu :smile: Most importantly, have fun, take the stairs and explore all of the ship!!!
  • las07s
    las07s Posts: 150 Member
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    The easiest way is to make sure I keep moving. I will want to indulge a bit, so by using a cheap pedometer I can work on getting 10,000+ steps in a day by exploring the ship. When the ship is docked at a port I am not interested in, I take a long swim in the empty pools. Leaving the ship involves walking and swimming and hiking, even! Go for the active activities! They also have gyms, but I know many people don't have the motivation to work out on vacation (me, that person is me). At dinner, I rotate between the tastiest sounding option of fish, lobster, chicken, veggies, etc.. It is always really tasty! I will have one dessert and one drink a day if I make my steps. I drink lots of water (I pack my own large bottles of water to refill/replace as needed) and wear sunscreen to avoid dehydration. When I am dehydrated, I always crave sodas and sugary drinks. At night they have clubs to go dancing, and interactive entertainment and that keeps you moving, too!
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    randomtai wrote: »
    Enjoy yourself.

    This.

    On both of my cruises (both party style, rather than traditional), I would typically eat lunch on the deck where they served pizza and burgers, and I would go to the restaurants for dinner. Typically ate the buffet for breakfast.

    Don't feel obligated to eat everything you take or are served. This will keep portions under control and you can enjoy the food.
  • theawill519
    theawill519 Posts: 242 Member
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    My husband and I cruise a lot. I usually don't even attempt to log while we're gone. I just try to make good food choices, eat sensible portions, and visit the gym for a 30-60 min workout on the days at sea. I almost always lose or at least maintain. Good luck and have a great vaca!
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
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    For me I would just enjoy and would try to not go with the whole 24/7 eating, follow my usual eating habits of 3 main meals and an afternoon snack.
    But seriously enjoy and don't feel guilty!
  • tekkiechikk
    tekkiechikk Posts: 375 Member
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    Take advantage of the gym and fitness center... plus do a lot of walking (ships are HUGE). I also find that the buffets are better at helping me control things, like portion sizes, as opposed to the dining room.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    As others said enjoy yourself first and foremost - all that food available is just fabulous, speaking from experience I usually gain 7lbs on a 2 week cruise but in recent years I be a little more mindful, I enjoy everything I just watch portion sizes and came back recently from one with just a 2lb gain. For me personally its hard to lose pounds gained on holiday so I prefer to be more mindful these days. I would say though, if its a one off just enjoy it and you can tackle any gain when you return.

    And the dining room is where you get the most fabulous food but in small portions, I never hold back there - its just too wonderful to pass up :smile:
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    Eat all the food. That's half the fun of a cruise!
  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
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    While it's important for overall health to eat reasonably and get some exercise each day - there is no point to doing that if you aren't going to enjoy your life. Just make reasonable choices but don't worry about it the whole time, it will ruin your trip.

  • BringingSherriBack
    BringingSherriBack Posts: 607 Member
    edited August 2015
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    We cruised in May on Carnival and I maintained. Typically we would do the breakfast and lunch buffets and then dinner in the dining room. The buffets are easy and have lots of healthy choices and never feel the need to eat everything they serve you in the dining room.
    We found that we did alot of walking and we limited our drinking to just one or two a day (don't buy the unlimited drink option if you are trying to lose/maintain lol) so even with the occasional late night panini or pizza or ice cream, I still managed to maintain.
    And yes the food in the dining room was delicious. I tried several things I normally would have passed on so feel free to try new things.
    Just have fun and enjoy your cruise!
  • JoshLikesBeer
    JoshLikesBeer Posts: 88 Member
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    I just got back from a cruise. I always took the stairs, never the elevator, and I used the gym facility. My excursions were pretty active. I ate sensibly from the buffet for breakfast and lunch. For supper, I ate in the dining room, had all three courses of whatever I wanted, and I drank like 2-3 beers per day or maybe rum and pineapple juice. I gained maybe three pounds while I was gone, but I was on vacation and needed a break. I got back Saturday and I've already lost two of those pounds.
  • ncbeachybum
    ncbeachybum Posts: 107 Member
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    Kexessa wrote: »
    While it's important for overall health to eat reasonably and get some exercise each day - there is no point to doing that if you aren't going to enjoy your life. Just make reasonable choices but don't worry about it the whole time, it will ruin your trip.

    This. Enjoy the food. I just came off of a cruise this past Saturday. I was on vacation in Florida for 4 days prior to that. I decided I would enjoy vacation and refocus when I got back. With that being said, I tried to make decent choices....tried. When I got back, I was up 4 pounds. Since then, 2 are off. I am glad I enjoyed vacation and didn't stress my family out because I was stressed over finding the healthiest meals. I am also glad that when my son wanted ice cream at 2am, just he and I, that I went. I did eat frozen yogurt instead, though ;)

    Also, not sure which cruise line, but if it's Carnival, at the buffet line near the pool, they will cook you a grilled chicken breast or veggie burger if you ask. Takes 4 minutes. It's written very small on the menu at the front of the line. :) Happy cruising!

  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
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    do walking laps around the boat every day to burn those extra calories off.
  • fjrandol
    fjrandol Posts: 437 Member
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    What cruise line are you taking?

    We were on Celebrity in December, and the ship had a breakfast/lunch restaurant geared specifically towards healthy dining - fresh fruit smoothies, poached salmon, etc. It really made a difference in helping avoid the bloat typically associated with cruising.

    If you have traditional dining, you also have the option of ordering appetizers as your entrée, or ordering off menu. Our dining menus also indicated which options were of the healthier sort.

    Many lines also offer complementary room service, and ordering in for coffee/fruit/poached eggs early in the morning also helped us to keep from overeating when faced with the bacchanalia of treats that is the buffet. Be smart, keep tracking, and don't be afraid to treat yourself occasionally. After all, it is a vacation! :smile:
  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Ellitamaria wrote: »
    Hello!

    I am going to be going on a cruise next week (first time) and that means tons and tons of food! Any tips and suggestions on how to make the best choices possible?
    I went on a 7 day cruise...and after every meal, I walked all the decks which took 40 minutes.
    I ate most anything I desired, and after 7 days all I gained was 5 pounds.
    We had a great time, and I deprived myself of nothing.
    Sometimes life is to be lived.
    :)
    have a great cruse!

  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
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    fjrandol wrote: »
    What cruise line are you taking?

    We were on Celebrity in December, and the ship had a breakfast/lunch restaurant geared specifically towards healthy dining - fresh fruit smoothies, poached salmon, etc. It really made a difference in helping avoid the bloat typically associated with cruising.

    If you have traditional dining, you also have the option of ordering appetizers as your entrée, or ordering off menu. Our dining menus also indicated which options were of the healthier sort.

    Many lines also offer complementary room service, and ordering in for coffee/fruit/poached eggs early in the morning also helped us to keep from overeating when faced with the bacchanalia of treats that is the buffet. Be smart, keep tracking, and don't be afraid to treat yourself occasionally. After all, it is a vacation! :smile:

    Huh? I really do not understand how people can keep tracking while in a cruise?
    Is the feeling of oh I'm tracking so I must be doing it ok that works or the fear to see those mfp red numbers, cause I would assume that the rate of inaccuracy would be up in the sky

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