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Love to eat on a cruise? How do YOU do it?


Toddcan
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For some metabolically fantastic reason, I always LOSE 4 lbs every single cruise! I don't know why a)that I lose and why b)it's always 4 lbs!!! Actually, I suppose that I do understand why I lose - 2 reasons, one being the extreme amount of walking that we do - first, on board the ship, just to get from point a to point b, back and forth, etc, burns a lot of calories. Plus, our biggest secret is that we never ever take the elevator - I mean NEVER, even if we get on the ship on Deck 2 and have to go up to our cabin on Deck 11 - use the stairs! That is HUGELY key in this whole formula. I know of course if that you are mobility impaired or have some sort of health issue, that is not possible! When we travel with our daughter who uses a walker, but is otherwise totally great, she takes the elevator and we take the stairs with the prior agreement that we will meet her at our destination - the cabin, a lounge, dining room, etc. So, right there, you have the walking across the decks and the no-elevator plan. And of couse I don't even need to mention all of the walking during all of the shore excursions - more exercise! Plus, some insight is that my husband and I are gym rats to begin with - we love to workout, we love to see our cholesterol numbers improve, we love to believe that our efforts are giving us a greater chance to live longer and to cruise more often!

 

Couple all of the walking and stair climbing with the huge range of ALWAYS EASILY and READILY available healthy food - and so we begin to see where the weight loss comes in. At home, I think, wow, it would be so lovely to have a bowl of fruit, but then I realize how I have to go to the store and buy all of the various fruits, wash them, cut them up, then have a TON of fresh fruit salad that will take days to eat and won't be fresh for long! (yes, I know, I could buy the precut fruit salad, but that is exorbitantly pricey!) Whereas, on board, BINGO, beautiful fresh fruit salad all day every day every venue, just waiting for me, just sitting there, love it! Grilled salmon? - all I have to do is ask, and my wish is my command. We always sail Celebrity and usually eat in Blu, which generally gives a wide range of healthier options, though that is really more hype than fact - but in any case, if I don't want a sauce, then have it on the side, or simply put, the chefs will make pretty much anything, so just ask! And there are so many healthy dessert options - yes, it is very easy to eat healthfully and to exercise even more than at home by simply walking and using the stairs, so to lose weight on board is not difficult at all - eat the healthy food that abounds, it is so fresh, so delicious, so easy because you are not cooking or chopping it!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I start out the cruise sticking to my low carb diet. But, by the end of the cruise I have given in to the bread basket at dinner, and dessert. I do eat a lot of the fresh fruit, and salads. I stay away from the pasta and potatoes. I don't drink much, mostly wine, an occasional beer and drink of the day.

I haven't gained more than 5 pounds on a cruise and lose it quickly when I get home. We do use the stairs often, but more than 2 flights is difficult for DH.

But, ultimately it is vacation and you should enjoy it. Just remember all things in moderation.

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If all of you are using the elevators then why is it so hard to find any room in one? Just asking. I eat what I want when I want on a cruise.

Breakfast in the MDR, I get my egg, maybe a slice of ham, lots of protein, little fat. But then I hit the Lido, grab some of that great guava fruit juice, and a croissant.

Lunch, I try to eat in the MDR when possible, get a salad and dessert. At least this way I am eating and not just grazing. But oh, there are better desserts on the lido deck.

I always attend tea.

Dinner-soup, entree, dessert, aoh but then I know about coffee and desserts up on the lido deck.

I think about walking laps. I do swim when I am in port, but unless everyone is in port, I dont use the swimming pool on the ship. Thing is I dont sit still for long. I am too old and achey, so I am constantly on the move. Drives the DH crazy. Will go down stairs, will walk all over the ship, will go up two levels on stairs, or three, and will walk a mile a day on the track-I take two sizes dresses, because it's the water that makes you gain weight, there are no calories in cruise food.:D

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I pretty much eat all day a little at a time. Love trying new foods. Very few things I won't eat, cooked spinach comes to mind but love it fresh in a salad. I'm blessed with a metabolic rate that is in permanent overdrive. 4 or 4000 calories a day and never gain or loose any weight. Been a pound or two off of 150 since I was in my 20's and will turn 60 next April while on a cruise.

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I love the service on cruise lines. Being served breakfast on china with sliverware makes it feel special. It's all the little things that add up to make a fine dining experience. With so much good food available, it's nice to be able to have a taste here, a bite there, and enjoy all the little nibbles. I love eating multi-course dinners served with panache, the showmanship of a tableside Caesar salad or a flaming dessert! The pageantry makes me feel like I am away from my normal life and enjoying the moment!

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  • 2 weeks later...

We love to try new things when we cruise including the food. In the buffet I will get small portions of several things. So a full breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not much snacking in between. Usually gain 5-7 pounds on a 7 day cruise.

 

It would be more if we didn't stay active. We prefer to use the stairs as much as possible and do a lot of walking and exploring on our shore excursions.

 

We enjoy eating lunch onshore. Again it's fun to try new things, including the local drink.

 

By the time we are close to the end of the cruise we seem to eat less, guess we stuffed ourselves too much in the first few days.

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I'll usually have some fruit for breakfast and then the buffet for lunch (i'm a sucker for salad bars).

Usually a specialty resraurant for dinner, i skip dessert but love having a midnight snack at O'sheehans.

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  • 1 month later...

There is way too much food on a cruise. We order room service for breakfast (because I don't want to start my day over eating). Keep fruit in the room for midmorning snack and afternoon snack. Eat what we want for lunch and dinner. No elevators, walk everywhere we can and visit the gym. I have lost weight on cruises and I have gained weight on cruises..... have to say it is way easier to gain, then to lose :)

 

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For me, the only way I can stick to a diet is not having tastier options. Hence on cruises I don't even try! Generally have a small but fatty breakfast - a pastry or a pancake.

 

Lunch is buffet bits, and portion control only happens because I know -

 

Late afternoon - buffet again! Sushi as soon as available, or cake and coffee.

 

Dinner - 3/4 courses, whichever look yummiest. Luckily I don't love creamy sauces, but my choices are based on taste not health.

 

11/midnight - sneaky snack time - cookie, mini cake, or a luxury hot chocolate, it always happens!

 

And none of this mentions the drinks! Lots of sugary drinks with or without alcohol, piling on the calories with abandon!

 

The reality is that only fullness stops me eating on a cruise. I'll generally put on a few pounds, and rely on all the extra exercise (dancing all night, walking or swimming all day - nothing on purpose!) to keep me from ballooning. But hey, with 51 weeks til the next cruise I will generally lose it all again!

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We did very good on our last cruise on eating and basically stuck with what we do at home/work which is a continental style breakfast, sandwich of some sort for lunch with a side and an evening meal in the main dining room or buffet. The food items on the buffets and other venues are sometimes hard to resist but what the heck we're on vacation. The comment from our head waiter Viroch to me one night was when I said "I'll pass tonight on the desert menu" he opened it and handed it to me again and said "I do not see I pass on the menu". Everyone at the table got a really good laugh out of that one and I ended up with desert after all. So enjoy yourselves and work it off when we get home or use the on board gym

Edited by Shellback
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I love this thread! I totally enjoy the food on a cruise. I usually work hard a couple weeks prior to the cruise so I am under my "fighting weight" by 5 lbs or so. I also work hard on the cruise (walk on the track in the a.m.), burn 750 calories in the gym once a day. I always take the stairs, usually 2 at a time. I don't drink a lot of alcohol so my calories are mostly consumed by things I want to try. I don't eat a lot of bread normally, but I love that bread basket that comes around at dinner so I do indulge. I also ALWAYS have dessert at dinner, even if it's just ice cream. I try to eat when I'm hungry and if I'm not hungry, and I still want to try something, I have a small portion knowing I can have more if I decide it's worth the calories. I also indulge in soda on a cruise. Just don't attend one of the "flat belly" seminars or you'll feel so awful about drinking the soda you may not have another one :).

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I always eat what I want on a cruise, after all I'm on vacation. A week or two of veering away from my regular eating habits at home will not make me ill. I usually put on about 5 pounds but I use the gym a couple of days on the ship and will lose all of it when I get back home. DH usually does the same but never gains any weight. Different metabolism I guess!!!:D

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I've always struggled with my weight and tried pretty much every diet out there . My last cruise I was on ( and still am because it really does work :-) ..) that program that JHUD promotes .. I was so determined NOT to gain wait I downloaded ALL of the menus and planned out all my meals for the week, made sure I exercised everyday on vacation and jogged up the stairs not walk I jogged haha .. Yes overkill I know .... BUT THEN ... I was introduced to Thirsty Frog Pints ... Mmmmmm delicious :-) ( and I HATE beer , but thus is so good especially when it's really hot out ) so yes I ate very sensibly for my 7 day cruise but ended up gaining 2 lbs because of all the beer I drank . So will I plan every meal I eat on my next cruise ?? Probably .. Will I drink as much alcohol as I did .. Probably not Maybe only 1 glass a day . Haha

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  • 2 months later...

I go on a cruise for a guilt free fun time and that includes the food. It's vacation! I was told that there are no calories on vacation. All that weight I gain is water weight, right? lol. Food to me is all part of the experience of a cruise. I mean, who goes on a cruise and doesn't think about all the gluttonous food they're gonna devour? It doesn't take me that long to lose after a cruise so if I want 2 desserts, I get 2 desserts. If I'm eating those 2 desserts and my husband is raving about the one he got, I'll get one of those too! And wash it down with my 3rd or 4th drink of the day! I sometimes eat until I'm ready to explode and go back and take a nice little nap before dancing for hours with another drink of the day in hand of course! I don't always eat to bursting, but I never go away hungry. We keep pretty active on the boat and off, but we don't do anything that I consider exercise. I don't like that word. I do enough of that at home. I do FUN stuff! Snorkeling, zip lining, para sailing. Vacation is all about doing what you don't do on a normal basis. I watch my weight on a normal basis... blah. Come on Cruise Time!!!!:D

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  • 1 month later...

Personal Rules to follow:

Drink water all day & night and with every meal (and that is why I live in a bathroom :D), no soda, as many stairs as possible, the walking track

 

On the cruise we typically have:

The GOOD:

Breakfast-smoked salmon, egg whites with veggies & lots of Frank's hot sauce, ( I will be bringing my own bottle), fruit,

 

Lunch-big salad with healthy protein & oil & vinegar, fruit

 

The BAD:

Dinner-anything we want, but usually skip dessert. Dinner is the dessert!

 

The UGLY:

Bacon, those awesome breakfast potatoes, tacos, cheesy French fries (usually once a week)

 

Lots of White Wine and Vodka sodas with an occasional martini-after all we are on vacation!!!

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My meal schedule on a cruise usually runs like this. The examples will be largely Carnival-specific, since that's the only like I cruised on so far.

 

BREAKFAST is pretty much the same on each day. It almost always includes eggs, meat or smoked salmon, toast with butter, hash browns or friend potatoes, and coffee.

LUNCH varies, depending on if it's a sea day or a port day. On sea days, I always eat in the MDR. On port days, I eat exotic local food in port; this is where out-of-pocket costs help me limit how much I eat.

DINNER is where I really cut loose: two appertizers, two entrees, and two desserts, although I do try to order something light for at least one of those. Unless, of course, it's a late-evening port day, in which case, I just eat a big snack on the ship before going out, and my dinner consists of Senor Frog's margaritas :D.

SNACKS vary. I kind of graze on whatever looks good throughout the day. Then I finish off with a slice of pizza before turning in for the night. Or a big greasy fourthmeal, if I partied in port all evening.

 

Despite pretty much pigging out every day of my cruise, I noticed that I never gained weight during any of my cruises. I think it's because of all the physical activity I end up doing. During the day, it's the non-stop walking and swimming, pretty much from breakfast 'til dinner. At night, it's the dancing until early morning. In the end, I manage to burn off whatever I ate.

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Eating habits when not cruising-lean proteins and veggies

Eating habits while cruising-non stop

 

Breakfast is my fav. Loads of bacon, eggs and omlets, potatoes, English muffins, cinnamon pastries.

Lunch is light maybe. A sandwich and something from the wok unless there is a guys burgers.

Dinner is light mainly because I'm still full from breakfast. Unless it's lobster night or steakhouse!

 

 

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Yeah right!

 

Breakfast is usually room service - coffee, fruit and croissant. Only the last day is in the dining room

 

Lunch is just a burger or sandwich, even on port days.

 

Dinner is always the dining room & it's whatever we want. Usually appetizers, salad, entrée & dessert.

 

One last meal almost ever night is room service (again!) DH is always a BLT & I usually have a shrimp salad sandwich.

 

I haven't gained any weight yet on any of our cruises (knock on wood!!!) and I agree with most, it's probably because of all the walking etc we do during the day.

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On a cruise I am grazer. Since there is basically always something available and a large proportion of it is quite good, I tend to never fill up on any one thing, so I still have room for that next item. Dinner is still usually my biggest meal on the cruise, but even then I won't power through my plate like I would at home, knowing full well I will probably be eating another meal come midnight. I would say I am just constantly snacking throughout the day on a sea day, and just have a tiny breakfast, medium lunch and diner, a fourth small meal and some snacks along the way when in port.

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We have only been on two Carnival cruises and I have yet to eat the pizza or the ice cream!!!! But I eat everything else....!!! Breakfast last week was a pastry and banana yogurt....lunch was Guy's burger or salad bar at the buffet.....the buffet wasnt realy good on the Glory so I bypassed that....dinner main dining room every night....plus dessert if I had room'...I miss the desserts like the Bitter and Blanc bread pudding.....THAT is delicious!!!

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