Extreme Low Calorie

[mintypixie]

Has anyone been on a cruise whilst doing the 5:2 diet or similar?

 

For those who don't know the 5:2 diet is where you restrict yourself to 500 calories for 2 day and eat normally for 5 days each week.

 

I don't know how I will be able to be strict with my calorie consumption. especially as there are so many hidden calories in food, such as sauces or salad dressing. You think the salad is healthy but lo and behold you have just had your entire days allowance in 2 mouthfuls.

 

Not sure I I should keep with it or take a holiday from my diet too.

[MattInFLL]

There are plenty of options on board for fresh and healthy options. You can usually build your own salad at lunch and have control over the dressing. And there's usually a light option. At dinner they will go out of their way to fix something the way you need it. Just bring a food calorie guide or download an app to your phone for reference.

[Missus Makkem]

You can ask for your food to be served plain with no dressings or sauces and they will do it.

[RadioRob]

Sticking to such an extreme diet would be very difficult on a cruise. It's going to limit you to basically just salad and fruit in the Windjammer each day. (I would be too worried about anything else.... even the healthy restaurant choices are 500 calories for a MEAL, much less what you could eat in 2 days.)

 

You already know about avoiding the dressings/sauces, so you would be doing something like the salad bar and loading up with veggies. Maybe a slice or two of lean turkey, etc.

 

To be honest... you're most likely best to do just relax a bit for the cruise. Part of the enjoyment of going on a cruise is to let go a bit. Maybe instead of gouging, you can just eat only what you would do on a normal day instead of living "big"?

 

Good luck!

[bedazzler]

I've never heard of this diet, and I'm not one to normally give out diet advice, especially on CC. However, take this however you intend to, I have lost 65 lbs in the last year on my own, relying solely on diet and exercise - no crazy plans or books or diet fads. In this time I've learned a lot about nutrition. I've also taken a cruise in the last year with this in mind - and kept the weight off during the cruise.

 

I can't fathom limiting yourself to only 500 calories a day 2 days a week, on a cruise or not. This is not realistic or sustainable. Are you going to limit yourself to 500 calories a day 2 days a week for the rest of your life? If so, then ignore my warnings. If not, this diet will be futile - you will gain any of your losses back as soon as you stop this limit.

 

I can also imagine that the day after your 2-day limit you gorge. I could be wrong and you may successfully eat "regularly" but the lack of a definition of "regularly" is what concerns me. If you eat back all the calories you would've eaten the day before and then some, you haven't accomplished anything. Diet is not a 1-day-at-a-time thing, you have to consistently control yourself to see progress; under eating on Tuesday won't help you if you over eat on Wednesday.

 

Anyone is better off figuring out their Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and eating ~500 calories below that per day to lose 1lb per week. This should put you probably more in the 1200-1800 calorie per day range which is much more sustainable long term - as well as on a cruise. There are many resources on the internet to calculate this. Once you are close to your goal weight, adding in exercise and eating to your "macros" will become more important (there is also loads of information online about this as well).

 

Forgive me if I've overstepped the line, but I hate to see anyone try to limit their life, especially while trying to enjoy their cruise vacation. I suppose limiting yourself to 500 calories per day on a cruise is possible - and if I were limiting myself to such a measly amount of food I would certainly bring my own protein bars to make sure I get the correct amount of nutrients. If I had to eat on the ship, at 500 calories per day, I would be making sure to eat as much protein as I could - eggs & chicken primarily (no sauce) - and I would have a hard time eating anywhere on the ship that wasn't the Windjammer so that I could properly control the portions & condiments.

[Cruise Raider]

On the contrary to what someone else posted, I find it easier to restrict my calories on a cruise ... so many options and at your fingertips!! You can get grilled fish and vegetables and you can ask for it without any butter or sauces. Don't forget, also stay away from alcohol on those days.

I've lost weight on several cruises before ... just don't forget the stairs throughout the entire cruise. It is when I got home and back to work with all the sitting that the weight was harder to control.

 

PS - most fruit is far from being low calorie!

[DrD]

I've never heard of this diet, and I'm not one to normally give out diet advice, especially on CC. However, take this however you intend to, I have lost 65 lbs in the last year on my own, relying solely on diet and exercise - no crazy plans or books or diet fads. In this time I've learned a lot about nutrition. I've also taken a cruise in the last year with this in mind - and kept the weight off during the cruise.

 

I can't fathom limiting yourself to only 500 calories a day 2 days a week, on a cruise or not. This is not realistic or sustainable. Are you going to limit yourself to 500 calories a day 2 days a week for the rest of your life? If so, then ignore my warnings. If not, this diet will be futile - you will gain any of your losses back as soon as you stop this limit.

 

I can also imagine that the day after your 2-day limit you gorge. I could be wrong and you may successfully eat "regularly" but the lack of a definition of "regularly" is what concerns me. If you eat back all the calories you would've eaten the day before and then some, you haven't accomplished anything. Diet is not a 1-day-at-a-time thing, you have to consistently control yourself to see progress; under eating on Tuesday won't help you if you over eat on Wednesday.

 

Anyone is better off figuring out their Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and eating ~500 calories below that per day to lose 1lb per week. This should put you probably more in the 1200-1800 calorie per day range which is much more sustainable long term - as well as on a cruise. There are many resources on the internet to calculate this. Once you are close to your goal weight, adding in exercise and eating to your "macros" will become more important (there is also loads of information online about this as well).

 

Forgive me if I've overstepped the line, but I hate to see anyone try to limit their life, especially while trying to enjoy their cruise vacation. I suppose limiting yourself to 500 calories per day on a cruise is possible - and if I were limiting myself to such a measly amount of food I would certainly bring my own protein bars to make sure I get the correct amount of nutrients. If I had to eat on the ship, at 500 calories per day, I would be making sure to eat as much protein as I could - eggs & chicken primarily (no sauce) - and I would have a hard time eating anywhere on the ship that wasn't the Windjammer so that I could properly control the portions & condiments.

 

There's a lot of science behind this, please google it. It also helps insulin resistance and has many other benefits beyond weight loss.

 

I don't do it myself because I'd hate it, but it's not BS. apparently our bodies are set up for feast and famine, which was the normal routine for most of our history as a species.

 

To the OP, I'd say take a holiday from your diet. You're spending way too much money to not enjoy every single day to the max.

Edited March 9, 2016 by DrD

[soccerref]

Has anyone been on a cruise whilst doing the 5:2 diet or similar?

 

For those who don't know the 5:2 diet is where you restrict yourself to 500 calories for 2 day and eat normally for 5 days each week.

 

I don't know how I will be able to be strict with my calorie consumption. especially as there are so many hidden calories in food, such as sauces or salad dressing. You think the salad is healthy but lo and behold you have just had your entire days allowance in 2 mouthfuls.

 

Not sure I I should keep with it or take a holiday from my diet too.

 

 

Hi Mintypixie,

my DH and I have been doing our version of the 5:2 diet for nearly 2 years and have lost 5 stone between us (70pounds for our US friends). During that time we have done several cruises and have returned home having either 'stayed-the-same' or lost a little weight.

 

We have tended to do our 'diet days' on shore days where possible as there is less temptation as we are busy doing things. We have a very light fruit breakfast (we often use room service then we are not tempted while walking round the buffet!), a coffee/tea ashore, a Banana when we return to the ship (one of us does a buffet dash) and then early dinner. We brief our servers and have either a small grilled chicken breast or a piece of grilled fish with lots of plain steamed vegetables followed by watermelon. We drink black coffee/tea, water and diet soda throughout the day.

If our 'diet day' has to be a sea day then we do a joint buffet dash so we support each other in selecting the lowest calorie options and take our choices back to the cabin to eat so we lessen the danger of being tempted!

 

We realise that we may be a little over the 500 calories but it has worked very well for us and we plan to continue the 5:2 in some form for many years to come. My DH only has a couple of pounds to lose to get to his ideal weight so he will up his calories a little as a 'maintaining' strategy. I have another 2 stone to go but will get there eventually.

 

Good luck and happy cruising. SR

[DrD]

This was just written up in the New York Times:

 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/intermittent-fasting-diets-are-gaining-acceptance/?_r=0

[Jevsy]

We do 5:2 and wouldn't stick to it on holiday. However our body tells us 'no!' sometimes whilst on the cruise and just not feel like eating till evening dinner, or maybe skip breakfast and have a salad late lunch. We have come home having put 5-7 pounds on which is easily lost. To be honest it's the calories in the cocktails that make it not doable!!! [emoji4]

 

 

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[knittinggirl]

You can get cold cereal and oatmeal on a cruise. Also, nonfat milk. Load up on raw veggies in the Windjammer. Also fresh fruit. I bring at least one paper bag, grab some pears and take them to our room to ripen.

 

Be sure to find out which are the formal nights, because they have the best food in the MDR.

Edited March 9, 2016 by knittinggirl

[aviator1945]

This was just written up in the New York Times:

 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/intermittent-fasting-diets-are-gaining-acceptance/?_r=0

 

Good article. Thanks for posting!

[MattInFLL]

I have several friends that have done the 5:2 diet quite successfully, and have researched it and it seems like it actually fits our primitive roots pretty well (as someone else suggested). I feel the same way about Paleo which I have done successfully in the past while on a cruise.

 

Let's face it, there are so many food options on a cruise (and a willing crew), you can stick to your diet if you want to - or you can just relax.

[mintypixie]

Thanks everyone, shore days seems like a good Idea to restrict calories. Plus I will be running around too busy to feel hungry.

 

I have found on cruises there is a bit of food overload, and generally eat less than at home, but then there are lovely yummy cocktails.