Cruising low carb on the Oasis

[sojodave]

My wife and I are cruising on the Oasis and I am trying to eat low carb. We're having a blast, but it's a challenge finding low carb options. I'm writing this thread to help low carbers to let them know what the can eat on the Oasis.

 

Last September, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was put on Metformin and went low carb, high fat. After 6 months, I lost 50 lbs and I got off Metformin. I reduced my A1c from 8.9 to 4.7. I eat less than 30 carbs a day and I try to get 75 percent of my calories from fat.

 

As soon as we got on board, we went to the Solarium. I had fish and salad with ranch dressing. Probably only 4 carbs. That evening, we ate Inn the MDR and I had filet of beef with broccoli. The beef had a sauce on it, but it didn't seem to raise my blood sugar. I got hungry around 10pm,and I discovered that the Promenade is the only restaurant open and they had nothing but high carb food. I went to bed hungry.

 

In the morning, we ate in the Windjammer. The scrambled eggs weren't real eggs, but I found some fried eggs and bacon. Lunch was in the Solarium and I had salmon and a salad. The salmon had a teriyaki sauce on it, but it was probably 10 carbs. Dinner for first formal night. I had beef with broccoli and asparagus and Ceasars salad. I had a sugar free desert called chocolate pot creme.

 

For breakfast, we ate in the MDR and I had an omelet with bacon. Lunch on Labadee was rough. Jamaican jerk chicken with a sauce on it and ribs. Salad with a carby dressing. Sometimes you have to eat carbs or starve. More to come if you haven't fallen asleep yet ☺

Edited September 14, 2015 by sojodave

[snorkelman]

 

In the morning, we ate in the Windjammer. The scrambled eggs weren't real eggs...

 

Really? Did you ask the chef? If yes, what are they? I always thought that they were made from powdered whole eggs, which are pasteurized whole egg with a very small amount of sodium silico aluminate added as an anti-caking agent.

[Langley Cruisers]

Hi Dave,

 

I absolutely hear you. I was diagnosed 5 years ago and put on Metformin like you. I lost 45 pounds and my sugars and my blood pressure went way down to very respectable levels. Doctor was pleased. :)

 

My advice to you is to not panic... this trip is not going to harm you, OK? Yes, sometimes it is difficult to stick to "the plan" but just do the best you can and enjoy yourself. I would advise you to watch the sugar-free desserts as they still contain an indeterminate number of carbs. You can ask for a bowl of fresh berries for dessert in the dining room. :)

 

Try the WJ for other meals, dinner included. I think you'll find the choices are wonderful. You just have to open your eyes, look around, and make wise choices. For lunch I can fill up on a huge salad and a plain chicken breast, or make my own sandwich with one slice of bread and plenty of low-carb fillings. Same thing at dinner - you can carefully choose your items and fill that plate for very few carbs.

 

If you don't mind me saying so, less than 30 carbs per day is very low, I mean really low.. too low, in my opinion. :o I am not a physician or a nurse, but I did take Diabetes Nutritional counselling following my diagnosis and the nurse said that a man can have 30 carbs per meal to lose, and 40 per meal to maintain. Just some friendly advice.

 

You can do this! Remember that if by chance you find you have gained a few pounds on vacation, they should slip off again once you get home and back to your normal routine.

 

Have fun.

[marci22]

They probably have oil and vinegar available if you don't want to eat their prepared dressings.

[s407o]

I am a type 1 diabetic, I also do less than 30 carbs a day and have been for years. The reason for the less than 30 for me is so my insulin needs are less. I wear an insulin pump. This is approved by my endocrinologist. It's certainly not for everyone.

[RocketMan275]

My wife and I are cruising on the Oasis and I am trying to eat low carb. We're having a blast, but it's a challenge finding low carb options. I'm writing this thread to help low carbers to let them know what the can eat on the Oasis.

 

Last September, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was put on Metformin and went low carb, high fat. After 6 months, I lost 50 lbs and I got off Metformin. I reduced my A1c from 8.9 to 4.7. I eat less than 30 carbs a day and I try to get 75 percent of my calories from fat.

 

As soon as we got on board, we went to the Solarium. I had fish and salad with ranch dressing. Probably only 4 carbs. That evening, we ate Inn the MDR and I had filet of beef with broccoli. The beef had a sauce on it, but it didn't seem to raise my blood sugar. I got hungry around 10pm,and I discovered that the Promenade is the only restaurant open and they had nothing but high carb food. I went to bed hungry.

 

In the morning, we ate in the Windjammer. The scrambled eggs weren't real eggs, but I found some fried eggs and bacon. Lunch was in the Solarium and I had salmon and a salad. The salmon had a teriyaki sauce on it, but it was probably 10 carbs. Dinner for first formal night. I had beef with broccoli and asparagus and Ceasars salad. I had a sugar free desert called chocolate pot creme.

 

For breakfast, we ate in the MDR and I had an omelet with bacon. Lunch on Labadee was rough. Jamaican jerk chicken with a sauce on it and ribs. Salad with a carby dressing. Sometimes you have to eat carbs or starve. More to come if you haven't fallen asleep yet ☺

 

Thanks for the wonderful review. Wife and I are going back on the low carb diet. Everytime we go off, we gain weight. Time to lose a few. Just a suggestion, but in an emergency, you can always grab a hamburger and ditch them bun.

[sojodave]

I'm in the MDR right now and I'm having antipasti, Cesar salad, no croutons, and pork shoulder with broccoli. No desert tonight. I know that food is subjective, but I think the food in the MDR is excellent so far. My blood sugar gets high if I'm over 30 carbs a day. I brought Postum and coconut oil with liquid stevia. I add butter, but water and I have bullet proof Postum.

Edited September 14, 2015 by sojodave

[sojodave]

[mark22mac]

I agree with a low carb high fat diet I follow it all year except when I cruise. I do gain probably 6-10 pounds when I cruise but when I get home it comes right off. I'd rather enjoy myself for that one week while on vacation and get back to normal when I get home. One week of cheating will not cause any harm. I've been living this way for years and years my numbers are always good. I eat A tablespoon of coconut oil every morning when I wake up and also use it for a moisturizer.

[xxoocruiser]

Windjammer has a Made to Order egg station at breakfast and have always been able to have freshly made scrambled eggs.

 

Sorrento's - you can always ask for a plate of toppings only if you want a late night low carb snack.

[Clarea]

Windjammer has a Made to Order egg station at breakfast and have always been able to have freshly made scrambled eggs.

 

Sorrento's - you can always ask for a plate of toppings only if you want a late night low carb snack.

I don't believe Windjammer on Oasis class has made to order eggs. However, they are available in the MDR, Johnny Rockets, Wipeout Cafe, and Coastal Kitchen.

[ksuds]

We were just off the Freedom and Sorrento's always had salami and pepperoni available late night. I love to roll them up together. Makes a great late night snack. On the last night, I even took a plate of the meat and stuck it in our fridge so I could have some protein early in the morning before getting off the ship.

[packedandready]

You could go to the windjammer around dinner time and take something back to your cabin for a late night snack. Have done this many times.

[caseymorgan]

Wipeout Cafe does have made to order eggs of any kind.

[dbvirago]

Hit the park place cafe for some of their roast beef without the bread. They also have salads

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Oasis does have some good low carb choices. I plan to ask for my food served without the sauces they use so heavily when we go on the Jewel next month. I hope they will do that. We will be on the ship for 15 nights and I do not want to gain back the 107 pounds I lost this last year in two weeks!:eek:

 

I am not diabetic, but I am very sodium & carb sensitive, and if I am not careful I can swell up like a balloon very easily. I was on the Oasis in May and I avoided pasta and breads with no problem. I also asked our waiter for some vinegar only for my salad and he brought me a bottle of balsamic every night. I still gained weight, but as others have said it came off easily after the cruise, so I know it was the sodium I still had.

[kevinyork]

Just to add some info here re a University study here in the UK which 'cured' my OH of Type 2. I will post the link but in summary studies showed that if people undertook a diet of under 800 calories for a number of weeks that in 4 to 8 weeks, and after a 20% loss in body weight the effects of type 2 could be reversed.

 

My OH was diagnosed 30 months ago. He undertook the diet and after 4 weeks his blood sugar levels were normal. Not just that but his ability to process blood sugar returned to normal. Even running the glucose test on him after drinking 500ml of a glucose sport drink shows normal processing of sugars. After a further 2 years his Doctor has removed the diabetic label from his medical status. He still eats healthily but a balanced diet. However he can cruise and eat what he wants and as he processes sugars normally his blood sugars remain normal.

 

Its tough to stick to 800 calories a day during the process but the end result is definately worth it.

 

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm

 

The above trial was conducted by Newcastle University for the National Health Service in the UK.

 

Hope this helps some people.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[FlyStef]

30g of carbs a day, does that mean zero fruit? An apple has 25g of carbs.

[gypsy mom]

I will be on Serenade next summer for a Baltic cruise, can't wait!

 

I am also a Type II Diabetic and follow a very low carb diet as I am sensitive to even a normal diabetics carb diet despite taking two different medications to lower my blood sugar. As soon as I try to add more carbs, my sugar shoots right up. It is difficult to follow the diet while traveling sometimes, but I just do the best I can.

 

I love the idea of picking up some salami or pepperoni in the evening to save for later. I need to eat some protein before going to bed, so this is a great idea even if the fridge is not that cold. I'll be sure to pack some plastic baggies to take with me.

 

I too wish some low carb salad dressings were available, the balsamic vinegar is a good idea, usually I end up asking for lemon wedges to squeeze over my salads.

 

I agree about the sugar free desserts not always being low carb. Things like the key lime pie might be enjoyed if you leave the graham crust. Anyway, the first few bites taste the best, so have a few bites and leave the rest if you are worried :-) I plan to enjoy a few more carbs than my normal 30-40 grams a day, and take a nice stroll on deck after my meals to counteract them. I don't like to forget about my diet totally on vacation, it makes it harder to get back on track when I get home, but an occasional treat is nice.

 

Sharon

[Sunny AZ Girl]

30g of carbs a day, does that mean zero fruit? An apple has 25g of carbs.

 

Yes. A low carb diet does not usually include fruit. I do not try to do a low carb diet on a daily basis, instead I do limit my carbs to 40% of my consumed calories (120 g). My eating pattern is calorie control. At the present time I have 1200 calories a day. But for two weeks after a cruise I will eat a very low carb diet to detox", so to say. Low carb not only helps bring blood sugar levels back to normal, but also is a great diuretic and helps me get back to normal quickly. I do lose weight quicker on a low carb diet. However, I cannot make a very low carb diet my lifestyle long term. My hat is off to those who can do it. As I said, calorie control is my long term weight loss plan. But if I had to deal with diabetes my perspective may be completely different. If my weight loss stalls for a period of time I will adjust my carbs down another 10 - 20% to get things moving again. 107 pounds down - 53 to go!

 

Just a heads up - I have found that in some restaurants asking for meals to be gluten free helps with both carb and calorie control choices. Not always, but at some of our local steak houses asking for gluten free means that they will not add the seasoning to the meats that have starches and sugars and also they will give you fresh steamed veggies with no extra seasoning. We also went to a dinner theater in Vegas with a set menu where if you specified gluten free the chicken, which was normally served with BBQ sauce was served with none, they substituted a tossed salad with gluten free dressing (I just use vinegar anyway) for a bowl of soup and fresh fruit for dessert instead of cobbler. It was a better choice for me, so that is what I asked for. I am debating whether to specify gluten free on the ship. I know it does not mean low carb, but those hidden carbs and sugars in the cooking are what I am concerned with.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Sunny AZ Girl

[rudeney]

Luckily, I do not have any medical issues with diabetes or blood sugar, but I follow a low-carb (actually, low glycemic) diet. About 16 years ago, I found my weight approaching the 280 pound mark. My brother-in-law is a heart surgeon, and he his practice partners had just discovered the Sugar Busters diet. They all went on it and lost a lot of weight and at the same time, saw their cholesterol and blood lipid counts go down, even though they were eating what they would have considered "unhealthy" amounts of fats.

 

After seeing his results, I bought the book and began to follow it, too. I quickly dropped a lot of weight, and after about two years, I actually dropped to 199lbs. My "numbers" were also good. Over the years, I have put back on about 30lbs, but I can take it off as needed by following the diet closely. But I am comfortable at this weight and my numbers have stayed good, so I enjoy the occasional desert, fast food, or other "bad foods".

 

I highly recommend the Sugar Busters book for anyone needing to lose weight or manage blood sugar (which is one and the same in their book). What I learned from the book and my BIL is that all calories are not created equal and all carbs are not, either. It's all about the glycemic index of the food. Glucose is 100, but beer is 105! The goal is to eat foods that are 50 or under.

 

Ironically, on my last cruise (Freedom of the Seas in 2007) I lost weight. I think it was a combination of being able to choose to eat what I wanted and some daily exercise. Each morning, I'd go up on deck first thing and walk a lap, then swim a few laps in the pool, and enjoy the hot tub. For meals, the Windjammer buffet was great because I could load up on good proteins and fats. Even in the dining room, I'd ask for substitutions of things I should avoid (beans instead of potatoes) and I was always asking for the sauces on the side or to be omitted. Of course the servers were always very accommodating. I was never hungry (most always miserably full!) and still lost weight.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Ironically, on my last cruise (Freedom of the Seas in 2007) I lost weight. I think it was a combination of being able to choose to eat what I wanted and some daily exercise. Each morning, I'd go up on deck first thing and walk a lap, then swim a few laps in the pool, and enjoy the hot tub. For meals, the Windjammer buffet was great because I could load up on good proteins and fats. Even in the dining room, I'd ask for substitutions of things I should avoid (beans instead of potatoes) and I was always asking for the sauces on the side or to be omitted. Of course the servers were always very accommodating. I was never hungry (most always miserably full!) and still lost weight.

 

I am glad you could ask for the sauces on the side. I would like to ask for them to be eliminated all together! Since they mass produce the MDR meals I was not sure if this could be accommodated. I will do that on the Jewel next month.

[Lionesss]

I don't believe Windjammer on Oasis class has made to order eggs. However, they are available in the MDR, Johnny Rockets, Wipeout Cafe, and Coastal Kitchen.

 

 

Bob, you are right about made to order eggs in the windjammer, the closest we came to them are the "easy over eggs" made fresh at the grill.

And then they are put in a warming tray for the taking.

 

And also like others posted the MDR, wipe-out cafe, and JR you can get fresh to order eggs.

 

Our DD has PCOS, and is on a Low Carb, Modified fat no added salt diet.

It was hard but managable on the Oasis.

Spoke with one of the chefs the first day and all her entres were picked a head of time (day before) and every attempt was made by her to eat healthier (except for the pizza in promenade, she selected gluten free).

 

It can be done, but in addition to their help you need will power.

 

Sea Ya

[rudeney]

It can be done, but in addition to their help you need will power.

 

LOL! Yes LOTS of will power! :)

[rudeney]

I am glad you could ask for the sauces on the side. I would like to ask for them to be eliminated all together! Since they mass produce the MDR meals I was not sure if this could be accommodated. I will do that on the Jewel next month.

 

I had no problem with my requests for side/no sauces, but that was years ago on Freedom. Hopefully nothing has changed. And one side benefit is that you may get a "fresher" plate of food.