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

[Toddcan]

First off, this thread is intended for those of us who just go on a cruise with the full expectation of gaining 3-4 lbs. Yes, I try to keep in shape, and I will lose those ls within a month of returning home, blah blah blah.

So, here's the question..
Of course there is TOO much food on a cruise, but you don't have to eat it all

So, how do YOU eat? What are your eating patterns on a cruise? I love to eat, I really do, but I am simply not hungry enough for a big breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Maybe some of you are?

Me?
Sea Day: I normally eat a decent, but light breakfast. Some yogurt, fruit and maybe a bowl of cereal - nothing big like a stack of pancakes, bacon, eggs, etc.
Port Day: Big breakfast because we will eat a light lunch

Lunch -Sea Days - johhny Rockets
Port Day - I just grab a drink, or small treat somewhere

Dinner: always a full dinner. Most times with dessert.

Evening - usuaally just drinks, but maybe a cookie or two from the promenade cafe

How do you guys do it?

[bigeagle12]

I am on a pretty strict low sugar, low fat, low cholesterol diet and vacation is my time to SPLURGE. I eat enough to gain 5 to 10 lbs in a week but I am up early, stay active, stay up late .. and use the stairs .. no elevators allowed Usually don't gain an ounce .. although once in a while maybe a pound or 2.

[Cigar King]

I pig out. I'm on vacation. I usually gain between 5 and 10 pounds per cruise. That being said, I am not over weight to begin with and I do lose the extra pounds over the Summer...although that's getting harder.

[cb at sea]

I love big breakfasts, when I don't have to cook it! I usually have scrambled eggs, sausage and french toast....some fruit, juice and coffee.

I don't do much for lunch...maybe a 1/2 sandwich or fruit.

Dinner.....I will usually eat almost everything I order....WITH dessert, if there's something I like.

I'm not a "snacker" at all...and I don't eat "just because" whether on a ship, at home, or anywhere!

I once read, "If you aren't hungry enough to eat an apple, you aren't hungry!".....I try to remember that when tempted by something I really don't need....

[cruisee<3]

I usually lose weight PRIOR to the cruise just to gain it back and maybe only an extra lb or two .. but I NEVER use the elevators .. even if I'm wearing heels on formal night and totally exhausted at midnight I still drag myself up the stairs .. with some breaks in between to admire the drawings that always seem to be different b/c I can never tell which part of the ship I'm on haha

I pig out .. i LOVE food .. and if it's REALLY yummy seconds please!! Just talking about food is making me smile ... hehehe

[FiveDifferentNachos]

In my daily life, I don't ever have time to really sit down and eat a meal. It's always a snack on the go. It gets really hard for me to transition towards a full sit down meal during a vacation because everyone else likes to sit down and take their time. I usually inhale my food and get all fidgety and end up making up an excuse to leave. Rumors have gotten started that I have irritable bowel syndrome.

It also doesn't help that I usually stop by what ever is on the way to the room after an activity on the boat and pick up a little something to munch on. On the upside, this usually means I'm snacking 4-6 times a day. Yay metabolism.

On the Carnival Magic, I really wish that they'd relocate that Tandoor kitchen that serves up some decent Indian food. It's all the way at the back of the boat... ain't convenient for nobody.

[Bookish Angel]

I am not a big fan of cruise food, so I pretty much eat what I eat at home; mostly fruit, veggies, white meat chicken, nuts, oatmeal and well-cooked eggs and lots of water. I don't like 99% of desserts, dislike wine and other most alcoholic drinks except margaritas so my sugar intake is low. I don't like beef or seafood so neither ever tempt me.

My weaknesses are cheese, toffee cookies and Mexican food but I don't worry about the occasional dietary lapse as my weight to height proportion is fine. I power walk almost every day, swim a bit and never take an elevator.

[cruisin'tex]

Originally Posted by Toddcan

First off, this thread is intended for those of us who just go on a cruise with the full expectation of gaining 3-4 lbs. Yes, I try to keep in shape, and I will lose those ls within a month of returning home, blah blah blah.

So, here's the question..
Of course there is TOO much food on a cruise, but you don't have to eat it all

So, how do YOU eat? What are your eating patterns on a cruise? I love to eat, I really do, but I am simply not hungry enough for a big breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Maybe some of you are?

Me?
Sea Day: I normally eat a decent, but light breakfast. Some yogurt, fruit and maybe a bowl of cereal - nothing big like a stack of pancakes, bacon, eggs, etc.
Port Day: Big breakfast because we will eat a light lunch

Lunch -Sea Days - johhny Rockets
Port Day - I just grab a drink, or small treat somewhere

Dinner: always a full dinner. Most times with dessert.

Evening - usuaally just drinks, but maybe a cookie or two from the promenade cafe

How do you guys do it?

DH loves to eat on cruises and usually gains a pound per day. I eat as I would at home - no excesses. Always reminding myself, "a second on the lips, a lifetime on the hips"!

[DiverDownAZ]

We just got back, we did protein shakes for breakfast a full lunch then gorged ourselves at dinner. With working out alot I managed to not gain anything on a 17 day vacation.

[Keith1010]

Eat lots of healthy items that we also enjoy very much.

Keith

[ducklite]

I don't really change my eating habits much. Eggs or egg whites and fruit for breakfast, a light lunch or even just a snack, and I pace myself at dinner, skipping courses if I'm getting full or just not that hungry.

I'll splurge for one breakfast for French Toast and if I'm truly hungry, I'll have a full lunch but will only eat until I'm full, seldom finishing everything on my plate.

[SMSACE6]

The only time I gained a lot of weight on a one week cruise, was when I got a free drink card in the casino, and I made good use of it! Gained 9 lbs on an 8 day cruise! So it was the alcohol that made me gain the weight.

My eating practice on a cruise is;

Breakfast, continental, either room service croissant, fruit and coffee, or buffet same plus I may take a sausage or strip of bacon to go with it, but always fruit! I dont normally eat breakfast always at home, so this is a bonus for me.

Lunch, salad bar...I love salad bar, and they are not always low cal, depending on what I put on my salad. I like to put all the good stuff on, so honestly my salad is not usually a low cal one, but I love salad bars!

Dinner usually if not always in the MDR, consist of an appetizer, main course and dessert, or sometimes an appetizer, and soup, and main. Occasionally I will miss dinner in the dining room, and get a sandwich, or visit the buffet and will depend on what they have there.

Im not into late snacks. Once Im done with dinner, Im not hungry any more till next day, so dont even think about food.

bottom line....if you dont want to gain weight; watch the alchohol, and maybe even the carbs, though for me it usually is only the drinks that make me gain weight. Enjoy yourself though, and try to enjoy whatever it is that your want in moderation.

[tinkerbell_82]

I usually eat three square meals a day on a cruise. I spend so much time researching and planning and looking at food pics that by the time I get there there's so much I want to try. On sea days Ill grab something small from the buffet then maybe eat half a burger. In port ill usually research somewhere to have lunch. I eat in moderation but I like to try lots of things.

[want2bcruizin]

I always start out with good intentions of not over doing it. I try to always have lots of fruits and vegetables. I also find I retain more water when I am cruising so stay away from salty foods as much as I can. I choose fish once or twice a week and stay away from creamy soups and pastas. That being said I love my sweets and always have desserts but only once a day. If it is not that good I will not eat it and even if it is good I try not to finish it all. I may have a waffle for breakfast one day or an ice cream one afternoon. I seem to eat more as the time goes on during the cruise and I get into the vacation mode.

I like wine with my dinner and a fruity drink by the pool.

I walk the decks and take the stairs and I even try to walk the treadmill sometimes.

My DH eats everything he wants and lots of it but does not drink much.

In the end I always seem to put on weight but most of it comes off pretty fast. My hubby never gains. It is not fair but that's the way it is. I am on vacation and I will not pass on everything just so not to gain weight. Good thing we only cruise every year or two.

[adira]

On our first cruise dh and I were definitely of a scarcity mindset and we both ate WAY too much and gained weight. On this cruise, I might gain weight, but I have a different mindset. In my everyday life, I try to eat healthy and exercise daily. On the cruise, I plan to do what I want, but what I actually WANT, and not what I feel like I should have.

For example, you always hear people on CC saying that they wouldn't eat a burger on a cruise because they could get that at home. Well, I'm thinking about the grill station and how I could get a burger, fries and put molten cheese food on those fries! I NEVER eat that at home, so that is decadent to me. I was fantasizing (during my run!!) of having soft serve with my coffee.

However, I found that I tried to have salad on my last cruise because it is "healthy," and at home, it IS, as my salads are chock full of veggies and low in extras. But on the cruise, I piled on the olives and sunflower seeds, etc.....all the fatty stuff. And I ate food that wasn't that good because I felt like I should.

On this cruise, I would prefer to eat pizza at every meal if that is what I truly want rather than eat a mediocre steak because I'm on a cruise in the MDR and that's what I SHOULD do.

That said, I'm a drunk and dh is a gambler, so we might hit the free drink magic number in casino early, which will definitely up the calorie count!

Oh, well....there's always boot camp when I get home!

[Cindibear2]

Hubby and I have been on several cruises and we've discovered we really like the ones that are a bit more port intensive. Why? Because we're up and moving around all over the place, exploring, wandering, walking... just moving waaaay more than we do at our desk jobs in real life. This being said, we eat what we like on the ships but not to the point of going crazy. With me being diabetic, I have to be good with the sweets but I do treat myself sometimes at dinner with a decadent dessert. Breakfasts aren't heavy foods that might make us sluggish in our adventures and lunch is almost always pretty light and local to whatever city/port we're in. Dinner is a full meal with whomever we are lucky to meet at our table. Not a lot of alcohol consumption but a few glasses of red wine never hurt anyone. Isn't it good for you? We usually come home a few lbs. down from when we left. All that port exploring can burn a lot of calories!

[uncleboo]

i EAT WITH A KNIFE AND A FORK I FUND THAT WORKS AT WELL FOR MOST OF US

[pinkdiamond13]

I love the finer dining options.... especially the Teppanyaki, Lobster, a good steak stuff like that, not too much into the desserts. Definitely don't worry too much about my intake on a cruise, although I do usually use the stairs, not in heels or anything

[OCruisers]

When I get FULL, I just quit eating. There will be more tomorrow!

LuLu
~~~~

[latebloomer56]

Originally Posted by Cindibear2

Hubby and I have been on several cruises and we've discovered we really like the ones that are a bit more port intensive. Why? Because we're up and moving around all over the place, exploring, wandering, walking... just moving waaaay more than we do at our desk jobs in real life. This being said, we eat what we like on the ships but not to the point of going crazy. With me being diabetic, I have to be good with the sweets but I do treat myself sometimes at dinner with a decadent dessert. Breakfasts aren't heavy foods that might make us sluggish in our adventures and lunch is almost always pretty light and local to whatever city/port we're in. Dinner is a full meal with whomever we are lucky to meet at our table. Not a lot of alcohol consumption but a few glasses of red wine never hurt anyone. Isn't it good for you? We usually come home a few lbs. down from when we left. All that port exploring can burn a lot of calories!

I love trying new foods. That said I generally lose between 5-10 pounds. Why because of all the walking and swimming. We use the stairs mostly because I don't like waiting. I can graze all day, but only take a taste of this and that so I'm not wasting anything. We don't swim at home much so doing this every day makes a difference and the added walking to the food .