Vacation Prep

Weary33
Weary33 Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone,

I am looking for some tips in preparation for my vacation / Honeymoon. I will be going on a cruise, and I have come to terms with some of the food....but I still have some apprehension. I will still wear my fitbit, but I will be unable to log into MFP (and I'll lose my huge streak :( ), and I will not be able to sync my fitbit, as I won't even be able to turn on my phone.

There is a gym on the cruise ship, so I do plan to utilize that. I also plan to have a big salad before I have lunches (buffet style), in order to try and curb what I will end up eating. There are some foods that I stay away from....for fruit I will only eat bananas, I love apples, but they only have macintosh, which I hate. They don't have a lot (if any) whole wheat options or fiber rich options (pasta, rice, etc)...so I try to stay away from white bread, and white pasta, but it's practically impossible. I won't touch the yogurt, the brand they use is full of tons of sugar, and just don't taste good.


There are a few things that I am worried about:

1) Salt Content - The food on cruise ships are laden with salt! Last time I went I gained 12 pounds in water weight, due to water retention. My body doesn't seem to do well with hot, humid weather, combined with salt....so I expect to be swollen. I try to drink a lot of water...but it doesn't seem to help much. Any tips?

2) Getting back on Track when I get home - I am afraid that when I get back, I'll be lackluster getting back on track, and I already know I generally have a propensity to be like 'ah, screw it'....and I absolutely don't want to do that. I can get discouraged easily, and I want to get right back on track when I return home. Any psychological tips I can use to prep for this?

Thanks in advance!!

Replies

  • HutchA12
    HutchA12 Posts: 279 Member
    Salt content will be fine unless you have a medical condition limiting it. If you've been tracking a while just use a mental guess count and try to eat good portions. Find you maintenance caloriez and aim to eat there is you want to indulge.

    Why can't you have a phone? If you can then a pen and paper are adequate tools.
  • Weary33
    Weary33 Posts: 14 Member
    I am in Canada, and if I dare turn on my phone for a duration, it would be hundreds of dollars in roaming charges. I am not sure much worried about the portions, just what they do to the food. For example, fish. They typically laden it will butter and other things that make it as nutritional as an ice cream sundae lol.
  • Coley88
    Coley88 Posts: 114 Member
    It's your honeymoon, enjoy it!
  • HutchA12
    HutchA12 Posts: 279 Member
    Weary33 wrote: »
    I am in Canada, and if I dare turn on my phone for a duration, it would be hundreds of dollars in roaming charges. I am not sure much worried about the portions, just what they do to the food. For example, fish. They typically laden it will butter and other things that make it as nutritional as an ice cream sundae lol.

    Can't you just turn off mobile data a not make phonecalls. I've never heard of getting billed because I took my phone over a border. Some have WiFi.

    It comes to guessing and using you best judgements. If you want to eat something really calorific guess high and move on. Maybe have two snack meals and only one big meal. Then when you're back give yourself a couple weeks back on your counting to adjust before going OMG I gained.
  • aliciamunday7
    aliciamunday7 Posts: 40 Member
    On a cruise there are always healthier options. Check out the spa menu options. You can always ask for a regular menu item prepared without the higher calorie ingredients
  • stazed657
    stazed657 Posts: 19 Member
    I would enjoy the honeymoon/ vacation and just get back on track afterwards! You will automatically try and do better when away because you've been at it for a while but don't deny yourself the pleasure of the vacation by overstressing about food! It's only for a short special time and we are all in this for the long haul!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    its a vacation and HONEYMOON (you have my condolences, by the way ;) )

    go. enjoy it. eat the foods. have the sex. do whatever floats your happy little wedded heart.

    real life comes back and youll get back on track.

    i dont count anything when i go on vacation, and the last time i only gained 2 pounds, and it was gone within a week and a half.
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
    Weary33 wrote: »
    I am in Canada, and if I dare turn on my phone for a duration, it would be hundreds of dollars in roaming charges. I am not sure much worried about the portions, just what they do to the food. For example, fish. They typically laden it will butter and other things that make it as nutritional as an ice cream sundae lol.

    I'm also Canadian, and when I travel out of country, I put my phone in airplane mode and then just turn on wifi if/when I have access to internet service. That way no roaming charges, but you can still check email/MFP etc. As for what you can and can't eat. You're on vacation...it's your honeymoon! Relax a bit and enjoy your time with your sweetie. <3 You can get back to your regular routine when you get back.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,974 Member
    I worked out and ran on every cruise I've done and stayed within a 5lbs gain even though I didn't count much. I was aware of how much I ate, but didn't worry too much because I WAS ON VACATION. Enjoy.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Hi I cruise at least once a year. (Celebrity)
    By the time I get off the flight from BC to Florida my ankles have swollen and after 2 days at sea sailing around the Caribbean I have put on water weight all around. On a 14 night cruise I can count on 5 lbs of water weight and less than 2 lbs of fat weight.

    It takes about 5-8 days for be to drop the water. The 2 lbs I don't worry about it will be gone in another couple if weeks.

    I plan my wardrobe so the clothes at the end of the cruise are a little more floaty and loose than those at the beginning.

    Food I don't worry about. The salad options at the buffet are wonderful, and if I should happen to have a big breakfast or lunch I just have something a little lighter for dinner. I don't worry about bread, pasta, rice or yogurt. They may not be the choice I make at home, but they are usually good and tasty.

    It is a shame that the salt levels are higher than what I cook with, but most restaurants are the same. I just up my cooking salt at home a few weeks before so my palette is more accepting.

    Don't worry about the food, enjoy yourself and keep active.

    It is the wonderful calorie laden cocktails that do me in. I try to keep to 1-2 a day and drink fizzy wine the rest of the time.

    Don't restrict yourself too much it is your honeymoon and you want to have the best one you can.

    Where are you sailing?

    Cheers, h.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    edited January 2016
    It's your honeymoon... Enjoy yourself!

    I have been on one cruise, so of course I am now an expert, hahaha!

    I went on a carnival cruise & the food wasn't that compelling. I'm from northern CA, which is a food paradise. Breakfast was easy because I had boiled or poached eggs every day with ham, sausage or bacon and a little fresh fruit.
    I tried not to eat lunch on the ship, but if we were at sea I had some sort of salad or a rice bowl with a stir fry you individually pick all the ingredients for.
    I did not drink any of the free soda. If I was sitting out in the sun by the pool I had one fruity mixed drink a day. I don't think I would now because I'm sort of off sugary flavors. Each evening we had wine or beer.
    The dinner proteins were surprisingly good. I had some sort of fish almost every night, and one steak, almost always just grilled or seared. The sides were kind of cafeteria style gross. Salad was reliable. Have them give you your own oil & vinegar to avoid gloppy dressings. You can also ask for them to just give you the entree alone. The desserts were what you would find at a place like Applebee's EXCEPT the night they did the midnight dessert buffet it was a lot finer quality and craftsmanship.

    I walked around the ship a lot. I was stuck in terms of swimming because I had to go to the kids pool to supervise my kids & never made it to the adults pool. In port I was very, very active with walking and a snorkel outing. I did not gain any weight, but flights kill me too in terms of water retention & inactivity. It will go away without much effort when you get home.

    It was the REAL food in ports that was heavenly: Cuban grouper, Jamaican curry meat pies, conch cooked in butter and white wine in perforated tin cans on the beach... Mmmmmmm

    Again: on your honeymoon, enjoyment and pleasure are jobs #1 & #2. Don't let us down on this!!
  • CBooth5033
    CBooth5033 Posts: 11 Member
    If you really need to track put your phone in airplane mode and then your entries will sync locally on your phone. Once you can get wifi it should upload to your account. But as most have said I would just keep active and enjoy your time on your honeymoon!
  • Traveling_Kimw
    Traveling_Kimw Posts: 38 Member
    I have been on 15 cruises and gain at least 7 pounds every time. And most of it is water retention. If you chose to relax and enjoy yourself you can still only be up a couple of pounds of real weight. Splitting dessert could help with that. Take fluid pills if you want to avoid the swelling issue. For me the bigger issue is getting right back on it after the cruise. I also struggle with the thoughts of screw if after I get home from vacation. I have decided that next vacation I will write myself a letter reminding myself of how great I feel when I am being disciplined with my food. I will also include in my letter that I know how easy it would be to just extend the vacation from counting and logging. When I return home and read the letter, hopefully the tough love coming from my pre-vacation me will snap me back into my mojo. Congrats on your wedding and have an amazing honeymoon!!!

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