Intermittent Fasting

[bonsai3s]

With this pandemic, "stay at home" policy, and no cruises...we decided perhaps it's the best time to lose some weight before cruising starts again.

 

We started "Intermittent Fasting".  I has worked for us.  We've lost 24 and 17 pounds respectively.  We are genuinely happy and soooo much healthier.

 

Our questions is: Has anyone used/done Intermittent Fasting while on a cruise?

 

Specifics: We started with 16/8 then 18/6.  We fast for 18 hours and eat only during a 6-hour span...typically skipping breakfast and eating from about 2pm to 7pm or 3pm to 8pm.  Seriously thinking this may be difficult to sustain while on a cruise. 😊

 

Sarcasm: Who would want to skip meals on a cruise? 😁

[pacruise804]

Please join us on the "Lose Before You Cruise" Board if you want some accountability 🙂 

 

I haven't done IF (apart from fasting lab work 😉 ) but think you could do at least do a 14/10 on board depending on your drinking habits.  If you are a late riser and don't have lunch until 11 or 12, then stop eating after finishing dinner by 8 or 9 there would be a good fasting period.  Drinks would throw it off though probably.

 

Personally I try to eat reasonably healthy but still allow several indulgences on cruises.  We also exclusively take the stairs and walk a lot.

[bonsai3s]

52 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

Please join us on the "Lose Before You Cruise" Board if you want some accountability 🙂 

 

I haven't done IF (apart from fasting lab work 😉 ) but think you could do at least do a 14/10 on board depending on your drinking habits.  If you are a late riser and don't have lunch until 11 or 12, then stop eating after finishing dinner by 8 or 9 there would be a good fasting period.  Drinks would throw it off though probably.

 

Personally I try to eat reasonably healthy but still allow several indulgences on cruises.  We also exclusively take the stairs and walk a lot.

 

Great ideas...thanks.  You are correct, the drinks/alcohol will be something we need to really be careful of.

We've abstained from any alcohol since starting Intermittent Fasting...we were thinking of drinking red wine during dinner on cruises.

[onetimearoundtheworld]

IMHO a bad idea for a couple of reasons. Hard to have a regular schedule on cruises with different port times, changes in environment, possible temperature and humidity, .... But most importantly it is difficult enough to get high quality nutritional value food on a cruise. Limiting the eating window in that environment makes it so prone to deficiencies. Especially as it is close to impossible to properly track the food. Unless it is a 21+ trip I wouldn't even bother sticking to any eating plan. 

Apart from that I always cringe when people use IF for weight loss. That is such a slippery slope into disordered eating. IF is great but more a health tool than a weight loss tool.

[FeliciaLee]

On 5/12/2020 at 2:03 PM, bonsai3s said:

Our questions is: Has anyone used/done Intermittent Fasting while on a cruise?

We did pretty well on our 12-night b2b. Nothing for breakfast until about 8:30am. Went to dinner as soon as they opened the dining room at 6pm and nothing afterwards.

 

The last 36 hours we cheated a little, but it was something to look forward to, and helped us stick to relatively healthy eating beforehand.

 

Hubby gained about 5 lbs, but worked out so much that his body fat was still only 17% at the end!!! Pretty good for mid 50's, he is a beast! I gained 2 lbs.

[bonsai3s]

23 hours ago, FeliciaLee said:

We did pretty well on our 12-night b2b. Nothing for breakfast until about 8:30am. Went to dinner as soon as they opened the dining room at 6pm and nothing afterwards.

 

The last 36 hours we cheated a little, but it was something to look forward to, and helped us stick to relatively healthy eating beforehand.

 

Hubby gained about 5 lbs, but worked out so much that his body fat was still only 17% at the end!!! Pretty good for mid 50's, he is a beast! I gained 2 lbs.

 

That's excellent!

 

With this pandemic, and at home, we have changed our eating habits...and have limited our "eating hours" from about 3pm to 9pm.  Working great so far.  We don't even think about breakfast anymore.  That said...

 

It will take a bit more discipline when cruising starts again.  We are in our 60's and exercise everyday at home and when cruising.  Admittedly, we tend to drink and eat way too much when cruising...moderation next time.  Note: We have eaten "late dining" for years......we'll do "early dining" like you.😃

 

[FeliciaLee]

39 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

That's excellent!

 

With this pandemic, and at home, we have changed our eating habits...and have limited our "eating hours" from about 3pm to 9pm.  Working great so far.  We don't even think about breakfast anymore.  That said...

 

It will take a bit more discipline when cruising starts again.  We are in our 60's and exercise everyday at home and when cruising.  Admittedly, we tend to drink and eat way too much when cruising...moderation next time.  Note: We have eaten "late dining" for years......we'll do "early dining" like you.😃

 

At home I follow more of an 18/6 like you. But earlier starting time!

 

We had to spend a lot of time in the fitness center in order not to gain much weight. This was the first time we'd ever been on a cruise which offered all of the fitness classes for free...so we took almost all of them, which meant several classes per day.

[bonsai3s]

Just a quick update.

All our cruises cancelled for 2020.

Intermittent Fasting still working quite well at home.

Went to as low as 131.4 pounds.

Decided to eat a bit more and celebrated birthdays and anniversary with a couple of drinks.

Now up to a very manageable weight...138 pounds.  Goal: Maintain my weight between 135 and 145.

[mjmalino]

We did a7 night cruise in January 2020, and it was our first while doing IF. For the most part we were able to keep up with it during the cruise (we usually only eat in a 6 hour window) I think there might have been a day where we ate something small before our tour as it was going to be a late lunch for us. It should also be noted that I am used to working out in the mornings before I eat, so I am used to being active without a recent meal.

[BobTanya]

I saw this thread and it addressed something I was concerned about.  We have an upcoming cruise in January 2025 and my wife and I have started an IF.  We are eating mostly in a 8 hour window.  Looking at the Royal Caribbean meal times it looks like we can have our early dinner at 6:15.  It looks like the buffet breakfast is served till 10:30.  This approximates our typical eating window, so I think that will work.  It is tempting to think that it is a cruise, so we can take a short break from the fasting, but with a few adjustments I am hoping we do not need to break the routine very much.

[Francinv]

Just keep an eye on what you eat during those times, and you should be good to go.

 

I get it—cruises are tempting, and it’s easy to want to take a break from your routine. But you can still have a great time without completely ditching your fasting plan. Maybe grab a light snack before your window closes, so you feel satisfied.

 

Enjoy the cruise and the food!

[bonsai3s]

Nice to see that this thread is still alive. 

 

We continue to do IF when at home and on land tours...but it has definitely been difficult when onboard a ship.

 

* Waiters find it strange (but understand) when we order food. No bread, cut down on alcohol, and only order 1 salad to share, 1 soup to share, and 1 appetizer to share...and same with dessert.

 

 

[Francinv]

37 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

 

* Waiters find it strange (but understand) when we order food. No bread, cut down on alcohol, and only order 1 salad to share, 1 soup to share, and 1 appetizer to share...and same with dessert.

 

 

I think so many people do this that they are already used to it. I mean, sure, there are some people who can indulge themselves as much as they want, but I would guess the majority don't.