Going on a Cruise Soon, Need Suggestions

I didn't gain on the cruise I went on because there's so much more activity, probably. The off-shore excursions and sightseeing, etc., really changed my pace, I guess, enough so that I could handle the delish meals. I did do one trick. I ate the soup before the meal. They offer soup or salad. I went with the soups, which were nearly all low-cal. That might have helped me avoid eating too much bread, etc.

It sounds like fun! If you can look at some of the buffet menus that are onboard it will give you an idea of how/what to eat and when. These might be available on the cruise line's website. They may even offer some healthy alternatives, since a lot of people are more health-conscious these days. Plus you could also write down what you plan to eat for each day to help make more informed choices. Have fun

What line will you be going on? I know that Celebrity has the Aquaspa Cafe that is available for breakfast and lunch. It features healthier dishes. In the Main Dining Room, you can always ask for healthier alternatives, like a different vegetable instead of mashed potatoes, or sauce on the side instead of on an item. Breads are always a tough one for me, as they are PHENOMENAL.

I went on a 10 day cruise back in May. I really didn't overly restrict myself at all, except that maybe I had more salads than burgers and fries. When I got back I was up about 5 or 6 pounds, and it was gone within a week. So remember that when you get back, you'll likely have some water weight regardless of how strict you are, because you have no control over the salt being used to prepare the food.

My most important advice: don't sweat the small stuff, visit the onboard gym and hit the treadmill a couple times, and ENJOY YOURSELF!

When I went on a carnival cruise the food was poor enough quality to not make over eating an issue. El Siboney, a 1950s Cuban cafe on key west however could have been a BIG problem in the most delicious way!!! Hahaha

If you don't have one already, I'd suggest getting a fitbit or some other activity tracker. Chances are you will be moving a lot during the trip, and those extra steps can add up to give you a nice buffer so you don't have to restrict yourself as much or feel guilty when you want to indulge. I've found that most days I earn more extra calories through my daily steps than I do through my planned exercise. Every little bit helps!!

Enjoy your trip!!

Well, my first instinct was to say, "Don't go!!!!" But then.... all kidding aside..... You're taking the cruise to have fun and perhaps you won't stick to your diet perfectly, but that's OK. One week is not going to destroy you when there are 51 more weeks in the year to be "good". I've been on many cruises and came back weighing the same as before. Why? Because I was active.... I walked around in all the ports and did a lot of walking on the ship too. You'll be fine and then just jump right back on your program when you get home. You'll have a great time!

I am going on a cruise next month, and I am about halfway to my goal weight, so I have given this subject a lot of thought!

I like the buffet because you can pick exactly what you want - for example, I will load up on salad and steamed veggies, skip (or take a very small portion of) potato/rice, take a smallish portion of lean meat. If there are dessert treats that look especially appealing, I will take one, but so often things look better than they taste, so most are not worth the calories! I try to save some calories for beer before karaoke :-)

If you choose to dine at a set time in the dining room, don't hesitate to tell your server if you would prefer plain veggies, no sauce on the fish, no potato or whatever else might make it easier for you to reduce the calories in any given meal. They are very good at accommodating their customers' needs, and will likely offer you variations on the day's meal once they get to know your preferences.

Many people subscribe to the philosophy of "you're on vacation, let go and have fun," and that is fine if that is what you want to do - I agree that you would likely drop any pounds acquired on the cruise pretty quickly when you got home and back into your routine. On the other hand, if you have good momentum going now and you don't want to let it go, you absolutely can have a great cruise without gaining weight. I will concede that you are not likely to lose weight on your cruise, especially if you are not able to be as active as you might like to be due to your MS.

A cruise is a wonderful vacation, and I'm sure you and your wife will love every minute of it regardless of how many calories you consume.

If you are truly serious about making a change in your life then how you look at food must change regardless of vacations, holidays or special occasions. Our lack of portion control is what got us into this mess in the first place. So when you go on a cruise I'm not saying you have to sit around and count every calorie but you should be mindful of exactly how much you are eating and how often. It is not a free pass just because you're on a cruise. I went on two cruises since I've started my diet and I continued to lose weight even though I went on them. Also you can get a lot of exercise while on the boat. They not only have a free gym but there is a lot of walking from one side of the boat to the other. And then there is like....10 decks to walk up and down. I didn't use the elevator the entire time I was on my trips. On my cruise is actually the only time I've ever gone over 20,000 steps in a day according to my Fitbit. So eat less and move more. You can still have a great time on vacation without overeating.

I would honestly probably take my food scale... It has been the best thing for tracking and losing.

shellinut wrote: »

. We will be doing some fun excursions while on the cruise such as swimming with the dolphins and two snorkeling excursions but I do have MS so my mobility is somewhat limited.

Anything you can do in the water, especially with limited mobility. The water also helps with the heat, if you're symptoms are elevated by hotter temperatures. For any on-shore excursions, if you haven't already, try a walking stick or trekking poles. They're great!
Most importantly, like everyone else has already said, relax and enjoy yourself. Vacation is meant to be fun, not stressful.

I am a seasoned cruiser (4th carnival cruise booked for March!!), I started calorie counting a couple months before my most recent cruise and I'd like to offer another opinion.

On my most recent cruise, I ate whatever I wanted (Midnight pizza anyone?) and drank whatever I wanted. This meant a big pile of bacon, pancakes, syrup and eggs for breakfast. Mountains of buffet food for lunch. Three course dinner (sometimes with two desserts or two entrees!) A million sugary sweet cocktails inbetween. Chocolate, midnight pizza etc.

What happened? I stepped on the scale the day after I got back and I had gained 5kgs. Two days later it was saying only 2kgs extra. Four days after that (once all the extra salt and carbs had left), the total damage was only about 1.2kg which was dropped less than a week after that.

I wasn't particularly active (I did, however, generally take the stairs due to my elevator phobia) but I had a great holiday with very little damage. I know I wouldn't have enjoyed myself half as much if I didn't eat and drink whatever I wanted. For me, the small gain was totally worth it and this holiday-only eating habit is something I can actually maintain for the rest of my life.

The only thing with this is you need to make sure you don't go into holiday mode before you get on the boat and be able to get "back on the horse" right away. In the past, my "holiday eating" started a week and a half before the holiday and ended a week afterwards. Limit it to just the days you are on the boat and you won't have much damage done.

What I did was write down what I ate, even though I couldn't actually log online. (we weren't about to pay the super high fees for dial-up speed wifi!) Yeah, I couldn't get the actual calorie amounts, but just noting down what I ate was enough to make me keep accountable to myself. The other thing is to make sure you go on active excursions. Having a walking tour or something similar will burn a lot of calories! On sea days, walk the ship up and down on your deck. Do it a couple of times if you can. Take the stairs when you can as well. There were times we had to take the elevator because of how the ship is layed out, but we did a lot of walking even with that!

The main thing to keep in mind is that you're on vacation. Don't stress it! If you make it back and didn't gain anything (or only a pound or two), you're still ahead! Do the best you can to make sensible choices and be as active as you can and you should be fine. Hell, even on our honeymoon cruise BEFORE I started MFP, I ate a LOT of food, but with the excursions I didn't gain any weight that whole week. So focus more on having fun and don't spend a lot of time focusing on the calories.

PinkPixiexox wrote: »

Personally, if it were me - I'd enjoy my holiday/vacation
That's not to say you have to throw all common sense out the window - of COURSE be aware of the choices you make and of course eat until you're body says 'Ok, I'm full' - but I wouldn't personally track and log every calories during an event which doesn't come around that often and which is supposed to be a break from 'normal way of life'. Again, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to rebel against the system and spend all day every day eating chocolate, but have a little of what you enjoy, use your common sense, don't go utterly overboard but know that you'll be getting right back on track when you're home anyway.

that is the most important advice on a cruise