Eating Healthy on a Cruise?

[Suzanne74]

Honestly, I eat and work out better on a cruise then I do at home. I usually lose a pound or two during the week, especially when I cruise somewhere warm in the winter. I never understood how people gain so much weight on a cruise.

 

I didn't go thru all the posts here but here are some reasonable helpful hints for you...

 

• Since you aren't cooking, it is nice to always have the options of fish, chicken, veggies, salad. Take advantage of the good food!
  
• Eat sit down meals or room service. The buffet can be tempting and there is no portion control. Plus at sit down meals you talk more then eat so you fill up quicker.
  
• If you do eat in the buffet, go straight to the salad bar first and fill up before browsing for more food.
  
• I am not sure about their low fat deserts but RCCL's sugar free deserts are VERY good.
  
• Eat small frequent meals - there is always fruit available to take and you can bring power bars on board to bring to port or to hold you over instead of snacking on junk.
  
• Take the stairs, never use the elevator unless you are in heels for formal night. You will save time and lose calories!
  
• Utilize the wonderful gym, take a yoga or spinning class too!
  
• Walk around the ship with DH after dinner. It is nice to work off some of the meal and very romantic.
  
• Do NOT drink foo foo drinks, or at least not many. That are loaded with sugar and calories. Wines, light beer, rum/diet coke and even flavoried martini's are all better options. The Key Lime Pie Martini is yummy!
  
• Don't forget to go dancing at night!
  
• Do some active excursions instead of just buming it at the beach all day. You can easily mix a little bit of both and have more fun in the process.
  
• Lastly, eat something if it looks good - don't deny yourself. Enjoy it but eat it in moderation.

Hope some of these help! :)

[jackietex]

I was very concerned that I would gain a bunch of weight while on our cruise but didn't gain a pound. I was more active than usual so that worked to my benefit. Also, I ate a pretty normal lunch--sandwich, veggie, and small dessert. Breakfast was usually a serving of scrambled eggs and maybe something else and juice. Dinner was fun, I always had an appetizer along with my meal and it gave me an opportunity to try foods that normally wouldn't be a first choice since I can always get something else. Even though you can get as many appetizers and main dishes (and desserts) as you want, the serving size is not the oversized portions we are used to in American restaurants--which is fine! I usually had an evening snack of a small sandwich and cookie, too. I'm over 40 and overweight so I didn't have youth on my side.:p I think you will do fine if you don't give yourself an excuse to binge and eat beyond comfort. Enjoy your vacation!

[nchpycampr]

All of the this info is helpful to me as well. I have lost 25 pounds since 1-2-08 and was starting to worry about gaining a bunch back on the cruise. I want to find a balance between enjoying the special food available and pigging out! Thankfully I don't drink so alcohol won't be my problem.

[Heatherco]

I make sure I eat a BIG breakfast. Even if I'm not hungry. But it is usually yogurt, some fruit, maybe a bowl of Raisn Bran...something with a lot of fiber. For some reason, if I do that I am much better the rest of the day. But I have to have the protein and fiber....otherwise I just keep heading for those yummy rolls and breads they have.

 

I also start each meal with either a broth based soup or salad.

 

But I've also gone and eaten like a cow!!! There are just times when my willpower seems to sail away when I do!!

 

Have an awesome time!!

[lady_cruiser]

My sister and I only gained 2 lbs each on our last cruise and we eat throughout the day. Whenever they would bring around the bread basket in the everning I'll tell my sister, No! Soon our waiter's assistant just skip bringing the bread basket to our table (we had a table for two).

 

When it came time for dessert our dear waiter, Harry, help us pick desserts that were not high in calories. My sister and I were each other's support during the cruise. Yes we did eat pizza during the day but we only had one slice each. Walking around the track twice a day and taking the stairs, from Level 4 where the DR was to Level 10 where our cabin was, also helped us keep the weight down.

 

Don't worry - you can do it.

[logan1_2000]

I have lost 60 + pounds since last August and DW has lost 25 pounds since October, and we just went on a week's cruise on the Mariner and did not gain any weight! So congrats to OP on your weight loss, and yes, it is possible to eat healthy and enjoy yourself.

 

We ate many green salads, stayed away from the high fat and high calorie salad items that sabotage a salad from being healthy, and we had lots of vegetable choices whenever possible. We had egg white omelettes with the pan sprayed with Pam instead of oil, and had veggies in the omelettes. I think I misspelled that word, sorry. You know, eggs w/ stuff in them. We looked for lean meats. Did not eat fried food. Stayed away from extra starches. Enjoyed the fresh fruit available. Had oatmeal for breakfast. Used portion control guidelines for ourselves. And found an hour a day on 4-5 of the cruise days to use the treadmills in the fitness center.

 

That said, sometimes you gotta enjoy. So a few bites of a single slice of cheesecake a couple times. A few bites of a slice of pizza from the cafe promenade when snacking with DS (12). Went to portofino twice and chops once, and enjoyed desserts there, too.

 

Portion control, and good common sense dining habits are possible. Consider the casual dinner at WJ where you can see what the food is and control the portion you take, and limit yourself to one plate. Drink the iced tea w/ sweet & low. Grilled foods, look for fish selections, avoid sauces. Plenty to enjoy.

 

Congrats on the healthier lifestyle. We had not enjoyed embarkation photos or formal night photos in years, but eagerly lined up for them this time, and those shots are some of our first "skinny" pictures!

[logan1_2000]

I'm over 40 and overweight so I didn't have youth on my side.:p

 

DW and I are mid-40's, and we'd been carrying the extra weight for a dozen years. Good for you for being healthy and not gaining on your cruise. If you want to make changes to change the part that you can (and none of can change our age, so...) I want to share with you the encouragement that you can do it and it turned out to be far easier than I ever imagined. I was in the mid 250's and joined a weight loss class and said my goal was eventually to get under 200. Hadn't seen that number since...W's father was president, I guess. NEVER expected I'd get there, but figured if I got halfway there that would be great, and after all, I was in my 40's and joints ache so I can't run or even jog much. All I do for exercise is walk--but I walk A LOT now! I got to the mid 190's in 5-6 months. DW joined me and took off 25 to look even lovelier, again something I never dreamed possible--the lovelier part, that is--in about 3-4 months. And as I often remind her--she's a year older than I am! Never dreamed it possible.

 

Whatever you do or don't do--keep up the healthy eating habits at whatever weight you are, and enjoy your cruises!

[KatieGator]

Personally, if I could live on a cruise ship, I think I'd be at my healthiest! I get tons of exercise because I always take the stairs, walk the deck and swim (not to mention all the walking in port!). I remember being so impressed with the variety of healthy foods: there was always plenty of healthy (and importantly to me, interesting) options. I know this isn't how everyone is, but when I have healthy food just as readily available as crappy food, it's not hard to chose the "good for you" stuff. Of course, portion control is important--but I'm not one to eat 6 lobster tails or try all the desserts in the dining room in the first place, lol. Good luck! And *woo hoo* for your accomplishment!

[Sequim88]

skip as much bread, pasta, and rice that I can. I save the carbs for DESSERTS!!!

 

This is my mantra (also the prior comment about nothing white).

 

I can easily maintain my boarding weight by following mos tof my usual low-carb lifestyle. Funny thing...that lifestyle was born right here at CC on the "Loose before you Cruise" forum and threads there about Atkins and low-carbing. I did that plan faithfully for a year before our Alaska cruise in 2002 and lost 45lbs. Some of that has come back as I have aged and slid into eating more carbs but mostly I have maintained that loss for 6 years despite many vacations to Disneyworld and Las Vegas.

 

Key for me is eating a high protein breakfast (eggs, meats & yogurt) along with low-glycemic fruits so that I don't have a mid-morning sugar crash. Then green salad and vegies with more meat for lunch...usually broiled fish if available. Unsweetened ice tea is beverage of choice. Then any time after 7pm the rules are out the window...except for no bread, potato, rice, etc...empty starches. Desserts, heck YES! If I have a post insulin sugar crash it will be after I am asleep and eat in my dreams where food has no calories. ;)

 

The killer for me is caving in to beer and other alcohol. Offsetting this though is the higher activity level than my mostly desk job and all the walking just to get anywhere....same reason I never gain in Las Vegas despite free drinks.

[Suzanne74]

but when I have healthy food just as readily available as crappy food, it's not hard to chose the "good for you" stuff.

 

I agree. I wish someone would serve me everyday at my house. I would be a size 2. :D I much prefer a lot of healthy foods - they are just usually expensive and time consuming to make as opposed to crappy food. My downfall is when I am starving and there isn't anything made in the house. I tend to look in the kids special snack drawer first. :(

[sustyse]

I have that "children are starving in Europe" mentality, but I'm still trying to learn not to eat something just because it's there.

 

 

I still use that mentality with my children when they don't finish their dinner, and the answer I get back is "Just because I don't finish my dinner doesn't mean starving people are going to benefit, or are you going to parcel it up and send it to them"!;)

[Toddcan]

Hahahaha

 

Oh, this is a serious question??

 

Ok, fine.. my 2 cents. I always plan to gain some weight on a cruise.

 

Option 1:Diet hard for 2 weeks before a cruise to lose 5 lbs and then eat what I want, when I want and gain the 5 lbs back in 1 week.

 

Option 2: Eat to maintain weight, as normal, all the time, even on the cruise.

 

My choice: Option 1. Mind you, some might correctly argue that this is an unhealthy relationship with food.

 

What I find helps me is this: Eat heavier protien portions for breakfast, and you might not even want anything at all for lunch, or maybe just something light. Dinner and evening time is when you can live it up. Skip the empty bread calories, and save for desserts.

[sea-cruise]

Congratulations! 40 lbs since January is a good amount.

[critterchick]

I still use that mentality with my children when they don't finish their dinner, and the answer I get back is "Just because I don't finish my dinner doesn't mean starving people are going to benefit, or are you going to parcel it up and send it to them"!;)

 

My mother sent me to my room for using that logic!

[siren]

Great Job on the weight loss.. and of course you can eat healthy. Obviously if you lost that much weight, you have great self control. I am a diabetic and have to watch everything I eat. It's a give and take kinda life style....no potatoes, but yes to the cookie!! There is a lot of fresh food, veggies, broiled fish on the ship. You will have no problems finding healthy eats, even in the dining with their lite version menus....and they always have a sugar free dessert !!! ENJOY.........

[abpmillsww]

Congrats on the weight loss numbers all of you. Did you use a particular program? Which did you find gave the most success?

 

I'm doing Weight Watchers. I like it because I can eat anything I want, just in smaller portions.

[Colorado Babe]

I just got back from the Serenade on the 29th. I gained 4 pounds and today I weighed myself, it was all off....During the cruise I watched everything I ate. the first few days of the cruise, I had french toast for breakfast and sausage. When I started to feel like I was putting on a few pounds, I changed my entree to oatmeal with skim milk.....

 

Lunch was usually a slice of Pizza and dinner was a light entree on the menu. I had desert every night.....Hubby ordered room service during most nights since we had main seating and I usually ate a couple of their chicken drummettes (they are awesome)...

 

When I got home and saw the weight gain, I immediately got back on track with my weightwatchers program and lost all the weight in 5 days.