Dieting while cruising...Tips please!

[Mum2Mercury]

I eat low-carb, which is a sub-set of healthy eating.  I don't pay attention to calories at all.  What works for me: 

- Skip the bread basket 

- Pile on the vegetables 

- Beware of what you put on a salad -- the wrong choices can negate the effort

- Skip or minimize potatoes, noodles and other starches 

- Stick to simple meats /beware of sauces 

- Have dessert, but make it small 

- Don't drink your calories 

- You can have anything you want -- just not much of "the bad stuff", and you must balance your "bad choices" with ample "good choices" 

- At breakfast you're safe with eggs and bacon 

- Make a rule that you always have a salad or vegetable plate for lunch 

 

And don't forget that you have lots of opportunity for exercise onboard: 

- Take the stairs instead of the elevator 

- Choose a cabin at the front of the ship

- Plan active excursions 

- Go to the gym 

- Use the running track, even if you're just walking 

 

[jsn55]

On 10/27/2021 at 9:41 AM, WindinmySails said:

So I thought this would be "beauty" issue here.  I have been on a diet, 1500 calories a day and it has been pretty easy for me to stick to, however, I have a cruise coming up in November, the day after Thanksgiving.

My question is how do you make good choices with all those amazing choices of food on the ship.  How do you keep the calorie count down?  I would really appreciate some tips from you!

I solved this issue years ago and can cruise without gaining weight ... never lost any tho, I think that's a bit much. 🙂 If you're dining in the MDR, never order a starter, enjoy half your entree, then excuse yourself and go for a walk for ten minutes.  When you come back, dessert will already have been served and you can just enjoy your coffee.  We prefer to dine at the buffet where it's easy to have a plate full of small things that are healthy instead of rich.   My downfall is breakfast pastries, so I have a couple with a glass of skim milk and a big bowl of fruit.   My secret is pretzels ... I'm never without a bag of them so I never come back to the ship ravenous. 

[jsn55]

On 11/9/2021 at 6:54 AM, awhfy said:

Another thing I do is after the first night we request no bread basket…that really helps

I knew someone was going to mention this ... I would sooner cut off my foot than be in a restaurant and not enjoy dinner rolls or sourdough bread, since we eat very little bread at home. 

[ams1130]

12 hours ago, jsn55 said:

I knew someone was going to mention this ... I would sooner cut off my foot than be in a restaurant and not enjoy dinner rolls or sourdough bread, since we eat very little bread at home. 

Lol, to each their own; I feel the same about getting up mid-meal and taking a walk lol. It's good it works for you, though.

 

[Mum2Mercury]

On 6/21/2022 at 10:00 PM, jsn55 said:

I solved this issue years ago and can cruise without gaining weight ... never lost any tho, I think that's a bit much. 🙂 If you're dining in the MDR, never order a starter, enjoy half your entree, then excuse yourself and go for a walk for ten minutes.  When you come back, dessert will already have been served and you can just enjoy your coffee.  We prefer to dine at the buffet where it's easy to have a plate full of small things that are healthy instead of rich.   My downfall is breakfast pastries, so I have a couple with a glass of skim milk and a big bowl of fruit.   My secret is pretzels ... I'm never without a bag of them so I never come back to the ship ravenous. 

Yes, I'm happy enough to maintain on a cruise -- I'm not going to try to lose weight.  

Knowing your own "downfall" is smart.  When you know it, you can plan around it /avoid it.  

Pretzels?  They're not low in calories, and they're quite high in carbs.  

On 6/21/2022 at 10:06 PM, jsn55 said:

I knew someone was going to mention this ... I would sooner cut off my foot than be in a restaurant and not enjoy dinner rolls or sourdough bread, since we eat very little bread at home. 

I love-love-love good bread and have trouble making myself stop at a small serving -- but I haven't found the bread basket on the ships to be all that tempting.

[broker1217]

Carbs are the enemy for me! I try to eat low carb and high protein while also avoiding cholesterol and fats.

On vacation I somewhat ignore cholesterol. I normally avoid eggs and bacon but that is a better choice for me than pastries or things like pancakes or waffles. 

Breakfast is egg white omelette with spinach and mushrooms if possible, or greek yogurt, maybe some smoked salmon and some cruise lines have salad at the breakfast buffet. I always make sure I have a high protein breakfast---keeps me full until lunch.

Lunch is fish or chicken with a salad. I don't normally eat red meat but if that's what looks good on a cruise, I will eat a small portion. Avoid sandwiches and pasta at lunch.

Dinner is also usually seafood appetizer or entree (not both) and salad. I rarely eat pasta at home or on a cruise. I never eat dessert at home or on vacation---just not a temptation for me. I will have some good wine though--that is my carb cheat. I will occasionally have a small portion of bread at dinner if it is really good bread, especially if served with olive oil instead of butter.

My downfall--I love potatoes in any form. I avoid at home but on a cruise I will have some, but try to do a very small portion, like a couple bites once a day. 

I eat like I do at home except I do better because there are no in between meal snacks thank goodness! Plus I am not cooking which causes tasting and nibbling.

 

We use the stairs and avoid elevators (good with COVID anyway) and walk every morning for 30 minutes.

[crystalspin]

Another low-carb eater here. On sea-days I will visit the pasta bar for lunch, but I have the chef give me double the meat and veggies and a small scoop of the pasta of the day. It's a change from my at-home diet, and since the make-to-order station has been separate it saves me cruising the rest of the offerings!

 

ETA: For dinner in the MDR, you can request double-vegetable, no starch in your entree.

Edited July 22, 2022 by crystalspin