Cruising while on Weight Watchers.

[bigdaddyvoges]

This may be a silly topic to post about, but I am just wondering if anyone has cruised while being on the WW program, and if you found it hard to stay with it. I will obviously be unable to track my points (due to not having nutritional info and the internet). I do plan to keep active to help, but it's the round-the-clock eating & buffets I'm a little worried about! I have lost 45lbs since January on the program, and I really don't want to de-rail. I know I know, "you're on vacation" but do i really want to throw my progress away on 1 week?

 

Would love to know any tips or tricks!

 

Thanks,

Enza (Mrs. BDV)

[Tree Hugger]

My wife is on WW (and doing great) and she just tries to get the better sides (veg instead of fries/etc.) and watch portion sizes when possible if points info isn't available. You aren't going to be able to track specific points really while on the boat, but you've probably been able to learn what some typical items are pointswise since January and you can take what you've learned as a mental guide. That being said, have fun and eat what you want, just don't go overboard. You shouldn't have to be stuck eating grilled chicken and steamed veggies for every meal in the MDR (unless you just want to), maybe look at sherbet for dessert instead of WCMC and make little substitutions instead of an overall "good food boycott".

[Redsfan]

my wife is on a no carbs/no sugar/no salts program...good luck to her!

[virginiab]

I also suggest that when you notice yourself being tempted by certain things, whether those are cocktails, soft-serve, dinners with lots of sauces, certain desserts, that you allow yourself the promise that you can have one or two later in the week. The longer you wait to have those goodies, the better. Get as many good days under you belt as you can (especially now that your belt is fitting nicely) and then, if you need to, have a few little splurges at the end, while still holding to mostly eating well.

 

The salad bar on the Lido can be your friend for lunch; you know what's good for you there and what is not, and you can fill yourself up in a very satisfying manner.

 

Most of all, enjoy your cruise!

[nwcruiselover]

I'm a dedicated WW lifetime member and when I'm on a cruise my goal is to gain no more than 2-3 pounds on the cruise. I have been able to do that on every cruise, and once I get home I go right back to my normal WW eating and whatever small amount I gained comes right off. I know if I wanted to I could stay 100% on the program while on a cruise, but part of the cruise experience is having some of the special foods, so this is how I handle it. It works well for me. Nancy

[Jenny in TX]

I have been on WW the last two times I have cruised and I have had no problems. I think the main thing is that we take the stairs everywhere. We have never gotten on an elevator. That helps a ton.

 

I have yogurt and a piece of fruit for breakfast. I usually eat a salad for lunch and more fruit and then I eat whatever looks good at dinner. I'm not usually a dessert eater but if there is something that I want I eat it when I'm on a cruise because it is vacation.

 

Both times I have come home the same weight I was when I left.

[spiritweevil]

I have been doing WW for a little over a year and went on a cruise last Feb. It was soooo hard. I wanted to be good but there are just so many yummy things that you only get while cruising. I tried to be good at breakfast and lunch so I could splurge at dinner. I always took the stairs and picked active exersions when in port. Tried to get activity points where I could. I did gain weight but I think a lot of it was due to the fact that everything is cooked with a lot more oil/butter and salt then I ever use. I think I gained about 7 LBS while on the cruise. Once I got back home I just buckled down and within 2 weeks I had lost all my cruise weight. Enjoying myself and not denying myself everything was worth it to me in the end. So far I have lost 44 LBS total. Only 9 LBS till goal!

[DontTreadOnMe]

Good for you on the weight loss. As a recovering fat gut (lost 130 over two years) I know your pain. Making "free" food available to me at any hour of the day/night is a very bad thing. What makes the difference for me is doing a cost/benefit analysis of the food item and subsequent weight gain (or exercise required to avoid weight gain). On Allure of the Seas last year I thought that I would have a hard time turning down "free" unlimited doughnuts at breakfast. However, after taking one bite I determined that the doughnut just wasn't worth the calories (it wasn't a Dunkin Donut or a Krispy Kreme level of goodness).

 

Likewise, the pizza available on the Promenade wasn't particularly tasty. But it got me a couple of times. Something about simply walking past and smelling pepperoni made me stop.

 

I actually gained 14 pounds (!) on the cruise. I lost 9 of it the first week back. The food was pretty salty so I think that there was a good bit of water retention going on.

 

At any case, at this point you probably know what you can eat and what the "cost" will be. My advice is for you to only eat it if it is worth the cost. Simply having it available isn't a good enough reason to take in the calories.

 

Good luck to you!

[MNelson486]

I appreciate all this info as I am also going to WW. I like the idea of putting off the good things I might like until later in the cruise and after I have a few good days under my belt. Also I see many stair climbs in my future.

 

25 pounds off -- hoping for another 5-10 by my departure. Thanks for the words of wisdom and inspiration!

 

Missy

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I am a WW member and lost 32 pounds before our honeymoon cruise last Oct. I did not track while on the cruise but did make a conscoius effort to try and eat somewhat healthy and take the stairs and use the walking track whenever possible. One thing that I did was to take the lid off our our room service plate, on our first morning, and turn it upside down to make a bowl. I then would grab and extra piece or two of fruit from the buffet and bring it to the cabin to make a fruit bowl. During our cruise, we got lucky and in addition to the normal apples, bananas and pears they also had peaches, plums and big globe grapes. The fruit bowl came in so handy for a quick snack in the room or before we went to bed.

 

The ship had really good oatmeal so that was my main staple for breakfast. Lunch was something different every day but I did try to start with a nice salad and then eat what I wanted but in moderation. The Deli was always a good choice as well as some of the carved meat selections.

 

I also brought a box of WW snack bars on board. I took these off the ship for our excursions. I also brought a box of Crystal Lite drink mixes to stir in my bottled water. This helped me from ordering fatty, calories laden treats while in the ports. If I really wanted to try something, I just had a bite of whatever my husband ordered.

 

In the MDR, the flat-iron steak is very lean and comes with steamed vegetables. I ordered that twice druing our cruise and it was a nice alternative to the fatty Prime Rib that was served one evening. For your salad, they do offer a fat-free honey mustard salad dressing. It was not listed on the menu but they do have it so just ask. The Spa desserts on the MDR menu are also very, very good. They are all make with Splenda and are very light tasting.

 

*** The real trick to doing well is getting right back on plan and start tracking as soon as your feet debark the ship. Don't wait !!!! I waited until we were out of vacation-mode and it turned out to be a big mistake. I only gained a few pounds on the cruise but added more than I wanted by waiting to get back on plan right away. Lesson Learned.

 

Good luck to you and remember nothing tastes as good as thin feels. :):)

 

 

 

 

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[cmjb4ever]

I cruised while on WW and continued to lose weight. I ate all healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, cereal, salad) for breakfast and lunch. I would include a bite or two of something yummy that caught my eye. For dinner, I usually ate the spa meal, which is fish and is lower calorie. I always ate bread and butter with dinner. And then I always ate the melting cake for dessert. It was my splurge! Plus I usually had one ice cream cone per day.

[LibrarianCruiser]

I've cruised on WW before, and lost 3 pounds during a 7 day cruise. YOU CAN DO IT, and still LOVE your cruise!

 

Here are my tips:

- Schedule the last dinner of your cruise as a Splurge. Know it's coming up, and look forward to it! You'll get your warm chocolate melting cake, your 2 entrees, whatever. Until then... stick to your good behaviors!

 

- Walk walk walk. Do NOT take the elevator. Take the stairs everywhere. Sign up for the benefit walk on deck. If you're a gym-goer, go to the gym. I'm not... so I didn't. But I did try to take a couple laps around the track every day.

 

- When you drink, drink smart. No drinks of the day... just rum and diet coke, vodka tonic, etc. LOTS of water or iced tea.

 

- SO. MUCH. FRUIT. It's ALWAYS at the buffet, and it is SO good and fresh on most cruises. Sometimes it's at a different place in the buffet. Head there FIRST, and fill up your plate. Then, go to the rest of the buffet and see if you want to try to squeeze a small portion of something else onto your plate.

 

- Fish! I swear, it's sometimes the best thing on the buffet line.

 

- Reward yourself. Give someone you're traveling with the authority to order you a massage (on your dime or theirs) if you've stuck to good habits for the first half of the cruise (or longer!).

 

- Choose excursions with physical activity. Hikes, kayaking, etc. No one minds exercising when it is part of an adventure!

 

- In the Main Dining Room, get the shrimp cocktail. Get the fish. Eat lobster. Get veggies. Sorbet for dessert. No need to skip dessert or courses-- you'll only feel deprived and then end up at the late-night buffet eating something worse than you would have chosen at dinner.

 

- Dress for dinner! If I'm wearing something that makes me feel great with the weight I've lost, I'm less likely to fall off the wagon.

 

- Put something tasty in your freezer for the first couple nights after you get home. No matter what happens on your cruise, your cruise eating does NOT continue when you get home. Be sure there's something healthy (*that you'll look forward to*) waiting for you when you return.

 

 

I'm not the world's best at losing weight or being disciplined. But I did manage to do this, and so can you! Do the best you can. Make good choices, and remember that any good choice you make is better than what you might have done a year ago. Your vacation is not about food, right? It's about relaxation, fun, people, etc. Keep the focus on that, and have a great time!

 

:)

[tea4ular]

Caveat - I did not read all the hints and tips so if I've repeated any...

 

Egg whites can be prepared fresh at the buffet in the morning at the omelet station - ask the preparer for 'no oil' and 'egg whites only' - tell them you don't care how pretty they come out (they always worry about that!) - have them toss in as many of the raw veggies as they have available - 3 egg whites = 1 point; veggies 1 point. Pass on the meat and potatoes. Enjoy one slice of any type of toast, and go ahead and put a little jam, it won't derail you! = 2 points. Fresh fruit and coffee/tea = 1 to 2 points.

Breakfast = 4 to 6 points

 

Grab a few pieces of fresh fruit (stay away from the bananas) and put them in your cabin fridge for those 'gotta have something' times. The pineapple on every ship I've ever been on is divine. (Must be the sea air)

 

Fresh broiled salmon and chicken breasts are ALWAYS available in the dining room. Ask for all sauces on the side, and dip your fork into sauce rather than pour sauce on food (same with salad dressing). What I've found from experience is if I ask for un-sauced veggies, etc. that my food is freshly prepped. They don't mind. Fresh fruit is available for dessert in the dining room too, as well as an appetizer.

 

Make a gigantic salad at lunch, and ask the sandwich maker for some tuna without the mayo. Again, watch that salad dressing, dip your fork. You'll get the flavor without the added calories. If your ship has a Mongolian wok station, gold! Tons of veggies cooked in the wok. Ask for easy oil, and go for the chicken breast (and if they have a white fish that's yummy too!)!

 

Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Walk the jogging track. I think 6 times around is a mile. My H, D & I walk it every evening before dinner. Make yourself go to the gym for 30-60 minutes a day even if you don't want to (or as I say it, especially if I don't want to!).

 

Decide ahead of time what is worth your progress.

 

One drink a day will not derail you, but decide which drink will do less. 4 oz of wine is 2 points as is one shot of liquor. Avoid the fru-fru drinks, and opt for one made with club soda and lime and orange wedges instead (try a gin and tonic with lime and orange wedges, squeeze the wedges, oh yum!).

 

I think the points program is much easier to follow when cruising than people give it credit for. When I don't know a point value, I claim 2 points per bite. Keeps me VERY honest! :p

 

Have a ball, and congratulations on your progress! :)

[Karmalady]

I've been on weight watchers since January and lost 21 pounds. It's a slow loss; a pound or half a pound at a time. I love the program and don't have trouble staying on it in my own environment. But I just returned from a cruise Sunday and am up Six pounds. :eek: Before the cruise, I was thinking moderation but, it's a vacation and I didn't make the best choices. For me, it's a booze cruise. :p I don't normally drink so much at home, but a DOD or a beer and then all control goes out the window.

 

I was active somewhat too. We took the stairs, walked the track, did the elliptical, took a Yoga class, climbed the Mayan Ruins to the top, snorkeled, and zipped!

 

I ate what I wanted but didn't overeat. (well, not much!) The one small difference I made was that the WMCC was too rich! I could only eat half. Is that an improvement or what?

 

I'm hoping some of this weight is just water and am back on track today as it really is much more fun weighing less. I really admire the determination some of you have but the "hey I'm on vacation" thought really got to me. If you can find a balance of moderation, that is ideal.

 

Good luck on your cruises staying on track. Honestly, there are lots of good choices to be made and it can be done even if I didn't do it. :o

[cruisercrazy69]

I'm a dedicated WW lifetime member and when I'm on a cruise my goal is to gain no more than 2-3 pounds on the cruise. I have been able to do that on every cruise, and once I get home I go right back to my normal WW eating and whatever small amount I gained comes right off. I know if I wanted to I could stay 100% on the program while on a cruise, but part of the cruise experience is having some of the special foods, so this is how I handle it. It works well for me. Nancy

 

 

i did a 10 day cruise when i was lifetime i went hog wild and u was 9 lbs from goal i weighed 175 goal is 184 :)

[brooklynfc]

The main thing is to realize that WW gives you wiggle room when it comes to food choices and that will make finding food easier on the cruise vs. people who do low carb/no sugar/etc. However, so many choices could be difficult and its true that you won't know the points for most food, but try (if you haven't already) to learn some basic point values.

 

Say 1/2 cup of mashed potaoes-5pts, which is about the serving size of a mashed potatoes with dinner on a cruise. Now, they may put more butter in it and it could be 7 points, but it gives you a starting point and a guide.

 

Also, there is a gym and a track with a view of the ocean to use when you want to. Stairs are also a great way to detour calories. On my last cruise, I wasn't really "watching" what I ate, but I did find that I just couldn't "put away the food" like I used to. My stomach just couldn't do it anymore. I gained 3lbs for a week. It took 2 weeks to get it off (I'm a slow loser and hitting a plateau too).

 

Even though I'm at a weight where I should be concerned with what I'm eating whether I'm vacation or not, I just like to not deal with it on my vacations, but I stay aware and my goal is to not gain more than 5lbs on vacation. I think that is reasonable between the extra salt intake and swelling etc.

 

And ALWAYS have a plan in play for when you get to get the weight off as quick as possible. I have a "start back" day. Like if my vacation was started On Friday (flight out) until Saturday (when my flight landed back home), then Sunday is my start back day. I don't say, "Oh well, its still the weekend....I can still splurge." Nope..........right back to it.