Healthy eating on a cruise. MUST be better advice!

[macruisefan]

Has anyone read the cover story "7 Cruise ship diet busters"? I'm a little appalled. Suggestions like "perhaps not eating for two day to prepare" for the Chefs Table, and "simply avoid all the for-fee establishments" are just pathetic.

 

There are healthy and reasonable ways to eat, behave and even responsibly indulge on a cruise. This came across as a sophomoric and hastily prepared attempt at something more than it is. Totally lacking substance.

 

So, how about we do it better?

 

What are some of your tips for enjoying a cruise vacation without going overboard?

[Shekim]

Stay away from the buffet. Order only one starter, entree and dessert. Take the stairs if you can...

[WetToes]

The only 'tip' I have is ... if it doesn't taste really great don't finish it.

Save the calories for something that you really enjoy. Works for me.

The first few cruises we took we'd get 2 desserts each and share. They all 'looked' so good. They weren't worth the extra 6 lbs. I carried home. Now if it doesn't taste as good as it looks. I leave it.

That's all I've got. ;)

Yes ... and take the stairs when you can.

[RoyalDiamond]

I go to the fitness center and treadmill EVERY day for an hour on the ship. That helps me feel better about indulging....LOL

 

Peter

[euphio]

The only thing I've ever found that works for me is to track ALL my calories - input and output. I use an APP to track my exercise and my food and it has tons of food in it so it makes it easy to do. It doesn't have to be perfect - when you know about what you're eating it really makes you eat less.

[knittinggirl]

We eat one dessert a day, so if we have a cookie in the afternoon, no dessert that night.

 

Sent from my KFJWA using Tapatalk HD

[PattyG12]

Walk as much as you can on the ship and in port. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. SWIM!!

[hollyberry]

The only thing I've ever found that works for me is to track ALL my calories - input and output. I use an APP to track my exercise and my food and it has tons of food in it so it makes it easy to do. It doesn't have to be perfect - when you know about what you're eating it really makes you eat less.

 

What app are you using? I am looking for easy.

[luvscruising2007]

We take the stairs as often as possible.

We also don't go overboard at the buffet or in the MDR.

Watch the fruity drinks, they are full of sugar and calories.

Try to eat the way you do at home even though that is hard.

Most important, have a great cruise. And if you go crazy with

food and calories, just get back on track as soon as you get home.

[micmacmissy]

How about...DON'T get an alcohol package? :eek:

 

I know, I know...but I personally would rather eat my calories than drink them!

[pasodancer]

WALK everywhere you can and always use the stairs instead of elevators (at night I have a large dress bag in which I carry my "dress shoes" to change into from my sneakers when I get to correct floor for my desination.) And, if you are pool bums like us - every 30 minutes take a walk around the deck - bypass the soft-serve ice cream machine or if it calls you name too loud just fill the soft serve to the top of the cone. :p

[UCF_Knight]

I watch what I eat 51 weeks of the year. If I'm on a cruise I am not going to deprive myself of something I want to eat.

[jpolm]

Try to diet before I go and when I come back. This way I enjoy on vacation but not over do it! Walk, exercise when I can I ship. I plan on going to the gym to run 30 min and do my daily body weight exercises (10 min) so 40 min a day of all that and ill be fine.

[Onessa]

I've discovered that the portion control offered by the dishes in the MDR helps -- so yes, avoid the buffet.

 

If you are getting an appetizer that is fried and/or heavily sauced, look for an entre that is 'healthier' (or vice versa). If you are looking forward to a higher calorie entre and dessert, get a low impact first course -- salad with dressing on the side, consumme. Or if you've gone whole hog throughout the meal, go light on the dessert -- share one or find something with lots of fresh fruit or skip it.

 

Avoid the bread -- or at least limit yourself to one peice (and it is possible to use no butter or at least only half a pat!).

 

Drink plenty of water prior to the meal and throughout the meal.

 

Drink water to quench your thirst. Enjoy the special coffee drinks, soda, alcholic beverages for their taste -- don't "chug" them just because you are thirsty!

[srlafleur]

We pretty much avoid the buffet (breakfast, only, usually).

In the MDR, we tend to go a little crazy with having an appetizer AND soup AND salad AND entree AND dessert, particularly on the first days. We don't eat like that at home, for sure. But we're on vacation, and a little indulgence isn't horrible, and realisically, the portion sizes aren't excessive. I do try to be sensible about it, avoiding cream sauces, deep fried, high carb - as much as possible, anyway. Most of the time I'll just have a few bites of dessert. Or I may have one of the fruit soups for dessert, rather than the heavier offerings. If I know I'm going to absolutely want a high-calorie can't-live-without-it dessert, I'll try to make lighter choices for the rest of the meal. I strive for balance over the course of the day.

We also take the stairs nearly 100% of the time and walk a whole lot more on excursions and, heck, even to various parts of the ship and back (we book aft-facing cabins and they are really far from some things.

I don't think I've ever gained weight on a cruise.

[Lynandgio]

Go ahead, Pig Out! You are on vacation! When you come back home it is time to Low carb, work out and drink plenty of water. Works for me everytime. I also do heavy lifting in the cruise gym every other morning to burn more calories during the day. Another tip is skip on the sugary "Foo Foo" drinks and have your alcohol Neat, on the rocks or with a zero calorie mixer. But if it calls your attention and you must have one, then Go ahead!:cool:

[spink21]

I always try to eat a fruit and or vegtable with every meal, and I also try to eat the fruit and or vegtable before I touch anything else on my plate. This way, I know that I have at least eaten something with good nutritional content. :o

[pasodancer]

I always try to eat a fruit and or vegtable with every meal, and I also try to eat the fruit and or vegtable before I touch anything else on my plate. This way, I know that I have at least eaten something with good nutritional content. :o

 

great advice - one I will try my best to follow!

[Raptor2010]

Has anyone read the cover story "7 Cruise ship diet busters"? I'm a little appalled. Suggestions like "perhaps not eating for two day to prepare" for the Chefs Table, and "simply avoid all the for-fee establishments" are just pathetic.

 

There are healthy and reasonable ways to eat, behave and even responsibly indulge on a cruise. This came across as a sophomoric and hastily prepared attempt at something more than it is. Totally lacking substance.

 

So, how about we do it better?

 

What are some of your tips for enjoying a cruise vacation without going overboard?

 

Always use the stairs and don't wear a sea sick patch ;) THAT will keep you from eating too much :D

[kruzerci]

Use the stairs, not the elevators.

 

Work out every morning and have a light breakfast (egg whites, fruit, healthy cereal, etc).

 

Eat a light lunch. Eat some lean protein and vegetables or a salad for lunch. They usually have salmon or other fish and grilled chicken in the WJ for lunch.

 

Avoid stopping for a snack whenever you walk by Cafe Promenade, Sorrentos, and such!

 

Drink lots of water.

 

Drink a full glass of water before eating dinner. It won't kill you to enjoy some filling meals at night if you are doing all of the above. You're on vacation! Just stop eating when you're full and don't stuff. Leave off dessert or get something light if you're full.

 

I also stick to liquor instead of beer and fruity drinks as much as possible. Keep in mind that those pretty margaritas, daiquiris, and sweet drinks can easily be 500 calories a price depending on how it is made:eek:.

[kruzerci]

I should say I don't always strictly follow that advice. Sometimes I follow it strictly, sometimes I slip a bit.

 

I do enjoy a number of drinks every day... and by the fourth day or so, I may grab a piece from Sorrentos or skip a morning working out ;). But it's a good base plan to try and stick go.

[Let'sGo!]

Frankly, I've found I've lost weight on the last couple of our cruises. I have a pretty sedentary desk job plus go to school at night, so I have little time for really, good activity. That all changes once I get on board a ship!

 

We tend to book aft cabins, and those are some pretty long hallways. We try to take the stairs as often as possible, and we really do a lot of walking, swimming, etc in ports.

 

I've also tried picking some of the "vitality" menu items for dinner and tend to eat lots of salads at lunch - mostly because that's what I like. I also tried some of the sugar free deserts and found them to be very tasty. I don't eat a lot of sweets anyway, so trying something I may not like usually works our for me.

 

My downfall is the foo-foo drinks. I rarely drink at home, so when someone comes 'round touting a "miami vice" or other non-such, it's hard for me to say no!

 

The way I look at it, I only cruise once a year... even if I do gain a few pounds, it's not going to cause the world to end. I just get back into the groove of life when I get home!

 

Enjoy!

Ann

[mrsfuzzmo]

I tend to lose weight on a cruise because of the activity level. I too watch my diet at home and refuse to do so on vacation.

 

Swim in the pool, snorkel in the ocean, walk on the beach in the sand, walk the streets in town, hike in a rainforest, climb the stairs, rock climb, flow ride, ice skate, dance at the pool, dance in the lounge, dance in the disco, you get the idea.

[drmomsc]

I eat fruit for breakfast.

Salad with low fat dressing for lunch.

Whatever I want for dinner.

Don't take the elevator.

If it's not worth the calories, stop eating it.

[WhenIsLobsterNight]

I tend to gain a couple pounds on a cruise, but it is mainly just because I drink that week and rarely drink when not on vacation. The cruise food is often salty as well, so water weight is also in play. The weight is gone within a week or so after the cruise. Here are my tips:

 

1. Take it easy for one meal a day. I am not a breakfast person, so this is where I go light. A bowl of oatmeal with some raisins and I am usually good. If I am real hungry that day, I might have a bit of smoked salmon on the side. Salmon is a treat for me, and that breakfast smoked salmon stuff is really good. Pick a meal a day and eat sensibly.

 

2. Workout. I am a runner so working out is part of my life. I will workout for an hour or more of cardio at least 4 times during a seven day cruise.

 

3. Start with a salad each night at dinner and don't let the waiters put tons of dressing on your salad either. You at least fill up a bit on some healthy stuff each night.

 

4. I live in Kansas and rarely get fresh fish. I will eat fish as my main entree each night of the cruise simply because it is a treat for me.

 

Outside those four tips, I enjoy eating the rest of the week and do not worry about gaining those couple brief pounds. Enjoy your vacation.