Cruise Eating: How Much?

[dalitos]

Hi,

I am wondering how you are planning on not gaining weight on the cruise? I am certainly planning on enjoying the food, but being my first cruise (Feb 25th) I am a bit worried about all the comments I read about leaving you roomier outfits for the end, etc.. :( how much weight are people gaining in a week? How can I avoid it?

Thanks! :D

[BuilderMan]

Before and after my cruises I watch what I eat very carefully. But on my cruise I want to enjoy it, not overdo it. I allow myself any treat that I want but stay within moderation. I'll usually gain 5 pounds on a 7 day cruise as an average.

 

I always take the stairs instead of the elevator and try to get in a couple of workouts at the fitness center during the cruise. This helps.

 

Enjoy your cruise, don't fret over weight gain. You can take it off when you get back home.

 

Lynn

[WeirdEyes]

Before and after my cruises I watch what I eat very carefully. But on my cruise I want to enjoy it, not overdo it. I allow myself any treat that I want but stay within moderation. I'll usually gain 5 pounds on a 7 day cruise as an average.

 

I always take the stairs instead of the elevator and try to get in a couple of workouts at the fitness center during the cruise. This helps.

 

Enjoy your cruise, don't fret over weight gain. You can take it off when you get back home.

 

Lynn

I do the exact same thing. You're on a cruise....enjoy it!!

 

I do plan on making it to the fitness center on my next cruise....the key word is "plan," but I might be having too much fun!! :D

[gerif]

For me, it's not so much the food as the drinks on a cruise that do me in. At home, I'm always the designated driver so at most have a small glass of wine when we go out and don't drink at all in the house. On a cruise, I'll have a cocktail or two before dinner and split a bottle of wine with DH at dinner - not a huge amount of drinking, but every day those calories add up.

 

We did a cruise a year ago with DS, DIL and GS - I ate all I wanted - including two desserts at each meal and didn't gain an ounce. Figured out that because we were on early dinner, there was no late afternoon snack (usually cookies from Promanade or cheese plate from room service) and no pre-dinner cocktails. DS and DIL don't drink at all, so didn't always even have wine with dinner.

 

Last cruise with just DH and I, gained 5 lbs. even with trying to keep very active - BUT, they were gone within a week. I think the less time they have been on the body, the quicker they are to come off!

 

Just enjoy yourself - try to make reasonable choices, but eat what you enjoy. I might have more chicken and fish and less beef, but if I want a steak, I'll certainly have it. Plenty of time to watch when you get home.

[adoptmom]

I'm lucky? that I don't drink I guess so the alcohol weight isn't an issue for me. When I go on vacation, whether cruising or to resorts I make a pact with myself to never eat things that I could get at home. I'm a bit of an adventurous eater anyway so that meant eating fish every day for breakfast while in Jamaica or trying all the really exotic things on the menu while on a cruise. As a result I have eaten well and come home lighter on my last two vacations!

 

Oh, and I'm not a sit on the beach or deck chair kinda girl either. :D Take the stairs, walk around the deck to people watch, go for shore excursions that involve walking or other active sports, etc. I came home from Jamaica down 2 pounds and I think 4 or 5 down from our cruise/Disney trip.

 

Tami

[kalamari]

It's all about the attitude, I think. You have to go into the cruise expecting to have a great time. You have to focus more on the fun of the cruise, and not the food. What I've done in the past is take "little bites" of everything delectable, enjoy them slowly, savor them, and turn down the things I can get everyday (i.e, not have mashed potatoes, bread, etc.). I would rather enjoy and appreciate delicious, pretty foods that I rarely have, instead of overdo it on the normal stuff you can get at home.

 

I have seen some people who will go overboard and order 6 lobster tails "just because they can". Who in the world NEEDS to eat 6 lobster tails..just because they paid for the crusie does that mean one is entitled to a free for all with the food?

 

I think if you focus on all the other great things about the cruise, and deemphasize the food and gaining weight, you're in a better position to not gain weight. You are only going to gain weight if you go overboard with the food, when in reality, there's no reason to. The other tips people posted are great too, such as bumping up the exercise, etc.

 

Hi,

I am wondering how you are planning on not gaining weight on the cruise? I am certainly planning on enjoying the food, but being my first cruise (Feb 25th) I am a bit worried about all the comments I read about leaving you roomier outfits for the end, etc.. :( how much weight are people gaining in a week? How can I avoid it?

Thanks! :D

[adoptmom]

I also found that at least with the cruiseline we took (Carnival) when they SERVED you a meal the portions weren't huge. They were a decent sized with the appetizer being a few bites, the salad being a cup or two and so on. It's the buffets that get you. The more "sit down" meals you attend, the better off you'll be. Also I thought the food was better. Maybe other cruiselines serve more exotic stuff on their buffets but on the carnival ship we were on most of the buffet food was cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes hot dogs and that sort of thing. Bleh!

 

Tami

[Juanita462]

I'm glad I found this thread - excellent advice here!

 

We were on a 50 day cruise last year and I only gained 4 lb and dh gained none. We eat moderately just as we do at home and walk several miles a day for exercise and sometimes use the gym for extra.

 

Breakfast: fruit, yoghurt, hard boiled egg and one piece of brown toast.

 

lunch: salad only with a small dessert

 

dinner: whatever we wanted but I didn't eat the soups (unless they were my favourites and then just a spoonful or two) we always split a baked potato between us as it has no salt or sauce in it. Unfortunately, they salt the vegies so heavily that they are inedible anyway. I wish they would have a plate of steamed vegies with nothing added - a lot healthier and low calorie.

 

I never salt our food at home and find everything way too salty on a cruise. chefs seem to throw salt in by the handfull.

 

We weigh ourselves every time we are in port so that we stay on track. that is the only time the scale will register accurately - at sea you can weigh anything from nothing to 200 lb! Depends on how much the ship is rocking.

[Stragf]

I tell people that I was proud of the little amount of weight I put on during my first cruise. I only gained four pounds.

Unfortunately, it was only a four hour dinner cruise!

[caribbean dreams]

I don't eat everything in sight, I don't snack between meals, i don't order everthing on the menu at dinner, I only have 1 after dinner froo froo drink, I drink iced tea during the day instead if punch or juices, I never order dessert, (i just take tastes of everyone elses) and I always use the stairs.

So far this has worked for me, i usually end up losing a few pounds during the cruise.

[kalamari]

You have a great attitude. Sometimes I think people think a cruise is a license to have a free for all and eat "just because you can". I've said it many times, nobody NEEDS to have more than 1 or 2 lobster tails "just because they can". If you even have to DEBATE if you are going to gain weight, then you have already set yourself up for failure.

 

IMPULSE CONTROL! The portions that they serve you in the sit down dining rooms are actually correct portion sizes, for the most part. Why not enjoy and savor every bit of a beautiful meal? On a cruise that's what I love to do, is take my time to enjoy the meal, then follow with a tiny yummy dessert and coffee. As a society we are dictated too much by sizes, and convenience.

 

I don't eat everything in sight, I don't snack between meals, i don't order everthing on the menu at dinner, I only have 1 after dinner froo froo drink, I drink iced tea during the day instead if punch or juices, I never order dessert, (i just take tastes of everyone elses) and I always use the stairs.

So far this has worked for me, i usually end up losing a few pounds during the cruise.

[caribbean dreams]

Sometimes I think people think a cruise is a license to have a free for all and eat .

 

I totally agree, eveytime i go to the buffet to get something to drink, i always notice the same people sitting around eating day after day.

I Guess I'm just not a good eater because i can not even imagine eating 24 hours a day just because it is available.

But I do have quite a few friend that when you say "cruise" all they can think about is all the free food.

Also as a teenager i had an eating disorder so i think I am way more causious than the normal person.

[Juanita462]

Stragf - thanks for my laugh of the day!

[Stragf]

You're welcome Juanita. Thanks for the thanks!

[cjnky]

I have to agree with Juanita!! You had me rollin' on that one!! :D

[mochuck]

We are cruising the Mediterranean in October. I plan to pretty much eat whatever I want (I tend to go for the healthy options anyway). I also plan to do lots of walking in our shore excursions and hopefully they will balance themselves out.

 

Weight gain is caused by an imbalance of energy in (food) vs energy out (activity). So, if you want to eat more or eat different things that may be higher in kilojoules, you just need to increase your activity levels a little. It doesn't need to be strenuous exercise eg: gym activity. What could be nicer than walking the promenade a few times a day or dancing the night away, as well as walking on your shore excursions (you get to see more that way).

[Tamara2cruise]

Hi all,

 

New to this thread, but a topic that is near and dear to my heart, so I wanted to contribute what I've learned over 7+ cruises. The key for me is to focus on the non-food parts of cruising, and look forward to them, rather than to the food. The result has been that I've held steady or lost weight on every cruise other than the first one, when I didn't know how to handle the overwhelming amount of food available, and on our cruise to Alaska, when I learned that I apparently eat more when I'm cold and unable to laze away the afternoon by a pool!

 

The following focus/routine works for me:

 

• Get up early and enjoy morning coffee on our balcony soaking up the incredible experience of having the ocean at our feet.
  
• Spend 60 minutes in the gym running. This is non-negotiable, and sets the tone for me for the rest of the day.
  
• Return to room with a healthy buffet breakfast of yogurt and fruit. Again, the difference from being at home is that THEY cut up the fruit, offer lots more choices, and I get to eat it gazing out at the ocean!
  
• Walk whenever possible, EVERYWHERE. You get to see and experience much more of the local culture, find interesting places to photograph, meet people, smell the smells, hear the sounds and feel good while in motion. Also try to find active excursions because they are so much more fun!
  
• Enjoy a light lunch of salad or soup and a lite dessert. At home I'm much to impatient to prepare a salad so having umteen vegies to pick from is a complete luxury for me, and that is what I focus on.
  
• Mid afternoon light snack eaten poolside or on my balcony. The visual stimulation of water seems to be a motivator for me to refrain from overeating.
  
• Spa cuisine only at dinner for the most part, not rigid though, and will deveat if something calls out to me from the regular menu. My big splurge is dessert - I'll order whatever looks the yummiest, and I also use it as a motivator to not overindulge the rest of the day leading up to dinner. It also helps me if I bring well fitting clothes that make me feel sexy. Seems to help keep me in line.
  
• Show and dancing as often as possible. Too distracted to eat, dancing burns calories, is fun and I'm so tired at bedtime I fall asleep instantly.

I also bring a pair of shorts and use them as my scale each morning - if they fit I know I'm doing fine, if they feel snug I cut back a bit that day.

 

I've spent 20+ years trying to overcome my eating disorders, and have discovered that exercise daily is key #1 for me, followed by eating what makes me feel good (energitic, awake, etc.) rather than what looks good. Whenever I give in to what my eyes want, I pay by feeling lethargic and bloated - and who needs that when a new port beckons each day!

 

A saying I repeat often in my head might help "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels." I want to remember how much fun I had, not how much weight I gained.

 

I hope that helped! In spite of now being lean, I have to recommit to remaining so each and every day . . . I wish I could say its now easy but that just ain't so! Its a battle that never ends, although it certainly does get easier with time.

 

:)