Dieting and cruising. Mixed emotions.

[Carrie in AZ]

I am in love with food also. I am overweight by at least 50 lbs. On our cruise, I feel like I ate quite a bit, sometimes two different appetizers, and tried many things. But my opinion is the portions are very small. Small appetizers, small entrees and very small desserts. Not these huge plates of food like at our local chain restaurants. We took the stairs. At the end of our 7nt cruise, I hadn't gained any weight. I did not deny myself one thing. I think you might be surprised how it all turns out! Have an amazing time!!

 

[mmouse37]

OP, I also will chime in and share that I love food!!!! I started my "journey" this past February 15th and I am delighted to say I have lost 41 lbs. since then. I started going to a weight loss doctor and she is amazing. Her approach is based on physiology and science and it works if you follow it. It is all about how your body responds to foods. Number 1 rule (which was the absolute hardest for me) is NO CARBS AT ALL FOR YOUR FIRST MEAL OF THE DAY. Even if you eat at 11:00 am for your first meal do not have carbs. I am not saying you have to do this but it works for me. I absolutely loved having toast or bagels, or danish or cereal (even oatmeal) in the am. I would find I was looking for more food 2 hours later. Now I can go until 1:00 pm without feeling hungry. Another principle I am following is no carbs after 4:00 pm and no snacks after dinner. No tropical fruits like pineapple or bananas or mangoes or grapes (too much sugar). If I want I can have a very limited amount of carbs like from beans or ezekiel bread or sweet potato but I need to have it at lunch and only if I hit my 10,000 steps. This plan is very little sugar and no processed foods....nothing from a can or a box. For breakfast I can have an egg or any protein like low fat/no fat yogurt. I can only have one egg yolk a day but can add as many egg whites as I like to make a decent omlette. I can have low fat cheese like Jarlsberg lite swiss (which is yummy).

I recently got back from an Adventures By Disney river cruise and hate to admit that I did go off plan quite often. I came back with the scale showing 8 lbs. heavier but lost it all within one week of going back on plan (I think the scale showed so much because of salty foods). I walked well over 15,000 steps each day so that helped.

I often wonder how I will eat on my next DCL cruise. I worry I will go overboard but I think if I follow my no carbs for breakfast rule and take the stairs and hit my steps goal I will be OK. I also find I walk way more on vacation than I do at home. I will also skip my daily chai latte from Cove Cafe.

Everyone has to do what is right for them. My doctor suggested the mindset of saying "don't" instead of "can't" like telling myself "I just don't eat bread" or "I just don't eat desserts" instead of saying "I can't" have those things since it has a negative spin to it and makes it sound like I am denying myself. Honestly, a lot of it is mindset. We are headed to Portugal and Spain in 3 weeks and I am a bit nervous how I will handle food, especially since all meals will be out. We are going with a bunch of friends as well so more social drinking and eating than normal.

Good luck on your cruise and let us know how it goes.

MJ

 

[Cackyschmackers]

My doctor suggested the mindset of saying "don't" instead of "can't" like telling myself "I just don't eat bread" or "I just don't eat desserts" instead of saying "I can't" have those things since it has a negative spin to it and makes it sound like I am denying myself.

This is so true and also very freeing. When I realized how some dietary choices I was making were exacerbating a medical condition, it was much easier to say. "I don't eat xxxxx anymore" period. A lifestyle change. Also, I realized how many mystery calories I was packing in after dinner, after I was supposed to be finished eating for the evening. It's very easy to eat your kids' leftover food, eat some of that lunch you're packing the night before, eat just a handful of {fill in the blank} that someone else is snacking on. Mindless.eating that seems to have no consequence at the time. Saying "I don't eat after 8pm" was very freeing in some aspects for me. Also, I find focusing on what you can eat rather than what you can't eat is a huge help in setting yourself up to succeed. A lot of people make excuses saying, "I could never not eat bead or pasta." Why start off with that mindset when you can rattle off all the things you can have. (I'm not saying you, I'm just using an example ).

 

[mmouse37]

This is so true and also very freeing. When I realized how some dietary choices I was making were exacerbating a medical condition, it was much easier to say. "I don't eat xxxxx anymore" period. A lifestyle change. Also, I realized how many mystery calories I was packing in after dinner, after I was supposed to be finished eating for the evening. It's very easy to eat your kids' leftover food, eat some of that lunch you're packing the night before, eat just a handful of {fill in the blank} that someone else is snacking on. Mindless.eating that seems to have no consequence at the time. Saying "I don't eat after 8pm" was very freeing in some aspects for me. Also, I find focusing on what you can eat rather than what you can't eat is a huge help in setting yourself up to succeed. A lot of people make excuses saying, "I could never not eat bead or pasta." Why start off with that mindset when you can rattle off all the things you can have. (I'm not saying you, I'm just using an example ).

Totally agree. Another thing my doctor told me which was a light bulb moment for me was "stop eating when you are no longer hungry, not when you are full" I realized being no longer hungry and being full are two different things. Eating until I was "full" added tons more calories than if I stopped when I was no longer hungry.

MJ

 

[o&smom]

Thank you so much for the caring and understanding replies so far. As a pre-diabetic I do not eat pasta, rice, potatoes, or bread at home anymore and don't plan to have any on the cruise except the one hashbrown a day. I also really limit my added sugar and don't eat desserts made from sugar, only non-calorie sugar alternatives like stevia. I really miss coca-cola. It's been five months since I had one of those and I still miss it. I want to have them on the cruise but I know that will wreck me for months more. When it comes down to it I think I'll take a wait and see approach.

Absolutely plan to take the stairs as we'll be on deck 6 and if I'm not getting in my steps then I'll hit the gym on sea days. Also planning to do the CC 5k. The day at Disney should also help with any exercise issues!

Don't waste your time with the Coke! For some reason, they are nice and fizzy on day one and then flat for most of the rest of our cruise. I just get unsweetened ice tea with lemon now. When you REALLY need a Coke cheat, go through the drive through at McDonalds ( so you do not smell the other food). They always have good, cold, fizzy pop! That will be worth it. I also agree about using the stairs and no elevators. No weight gain in eight cruises.

 

[belac]

We are headed to Portugal and Spain in 3 weeks and I am a bit nervous how I will handle food, especially since all meals will be out. We are going with a bunch of friends as well so more social drinking and eating than normal.

Oh have so much fun in Portugal & Spain. I know, to my own detriment, how wonderful the food is and yes they eat carbs and a lot. But they also have a ton of green leafy veggies. The pastries and the cafes. I truly miss all of it. You will be there at prime vacation season (July to end of August). Again lots of walking to take care of calories.

Out of kindness (don't know if you know) beware of the pastry shops, cafes, and all that wonderful bread .... All of which can do me in. It is almost irrestiable not to order something to go with my coffee. YES, Portugal is a carb haven... But so wonderful.

I suggest the sharing method lol. If you are going with a group order 1 less pastry (assuming 1 per guest) and all share and take a taste. It helped me not eating the whole thing myself. .

 

[mevelandry]

I honestly think I eat better when I am on a cruise than when I am home. There are a lot of healthy choices so it's easy to find something delicious and healthy.

You can get half-portions on a cruise so you can still have the "cheat food" and make the rest of your meal healthy, skip dessert, etc.

Also, we use the stairs.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We walked the stairs-all the time. Our legs ached! But we logged miles a day. Run/walked deck 4 in addition to the stairs. Stayed active. That helps. One dessert a day. watch the bread and fries- 1/2 the portion or skip. No appetizers for me, but salad, entree, and a taste of the dessert. Not the whole thing. But also don't deny yourself. That is going to make you miserable. I must say the last day was my Krispy Kreme day from cabanas we disembarked (such a depressing day!). I knew that was my last chance to have one- we don't have a shop around here. Enjoyed every bite! Hope you have a wonderful cruise, can relax around having lots of choices and your ability to eat what your body needs and what you will enjoy!

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

It may sound crazy, but a cruise can be a great place to lose weight. As PP said, you can ask for smaller portions, and I found that the portions were smaller than most restaurants anyway. Plus, since there isn't a bill at the end of each meal, I found it easier to leave food behind because I didn't feel I had to get my "money's worth." Plus no doggie bags, so any food you don't eat won't haunt you later.

I know no one likes to waste food, and of course, I try not to take/order more than I want to eat, but I also try to eat slowly, so if I do find that I have more food on my plate I can realize it and leave it go. (If you ask, the server will take it away quickly so it can't tempt you further.) When I am trying to lose weight, I always remind myself that extra food that I eat when I'm not hungry is even more of a waste than throwing it away.

I found that I could eat lots of tiny meals and tiny portions (choices choices!) and feel like I was "splurging" but actually not eating that much food. Plus all of the exercise, as other mentioned, meant losing weight, not gaining it.

Have fun, and keep up that positive attitude!

 

[jrabbit]

here is what I have discovered over the course of 20 cruises.

• Sea Days - Try to walk a couple of miles on deck 4
• Take the stairs - my deck 2 climb up to deck 9 is quite a workout, even on day 7 (exceptions: going to Palo and in Alaska when going to a glacier - don't want to get sweaty before going outside)
• Breakfast - portion control is easier in the MDR, but we usually end up in Cabanas - so I make sure that I'm NOT taking a little of this and a little of that, because IT ADDS UP QUICKLY!! Small portions of just a couple of things, well that and a Chocolate Croissant
• Lunch: just say NO! Sometime in the afternoon, maybe a slice of pizza or better if on the classic ships - Shawarma - WITHOUT the Pita - just ask. Some protein and some veggies.
• Dinner: whatever you want. And remember about the desserts - they sound a lot better than they really are. Last cruise I actually noticed that they were better than normal. But the Sundaes are consistently good.
• Late Night Snacks: Just say no - because by day 2 you are usually so stuffed that eating more just doesn't sound good.
• And Finally, Remember that you are probably eating better on the cruise than at home (except for your salt intake). Less "junk food" and no candy dish nearby, so don't worry so much about the "diet"

BTW: I'm 6 feet tall and 250lbs - and I can't eat it all. Even on this last trip - I ate too much, by day 4 it was almost "Dinner time already ... sigh" On the last day of the cruise I had Palo brunch - and really wasn't that excited about it, and then at dinner, thankfully it was the Drawn to Animation menu so skipped the Appetizer and just nibbled at the entree.

In the past breakfast was the thing that broke me: all of that "a little bit of everything" was way to much. Then Add lunch - if going to Cabanas it was more of the little bit of everything. By dinner "why bother" but it never stopped me

 

[Shelby109]

you have gotten such good advice/tips. I totally understand your thinking. I also struggle with making sure I don't overindulge. I have lost 80lb over the past 5 years so I worry about not just falling off the wagon, but getting stuck in the wheels for awhile..haha. I have been able to lose and keep off most of the weight despite doing 6 cruises in those 5 years.

I just got off 9 nights on the Wonder last week. Here are a few things that helped:

1. Finding all the spots with healthy options. Daisy's DeLites was my friend (fresh fruit, salads, wraps, etc). Whenever we ate on deck I went here.
2. Having a plan for the whole week vs. just day by day. For example, I LOVE Mickey Waffles and Mickey Bars. I knew going in that I would have a Mickey Bar the LAST night on the cruise and a waffle in Cabanas the LAST morning. If I had started the cruise with those I would have eaten them all week.
3. Stairs, gym, running/walking on deck 4 - I wish I had done the gym and running/walking on deck 4 more, but I did manage to do some and it helped.
4. Remember all week: There is always more food...do you REALLY want some right now?
5. Picking the things I REALLY wanted. For example, I love the Grand Marnier souffle...so Yes, I enjoyed it and didn't skim on that. Don't 100% deprive yourself as you may go overboard later, but be really choiceful on what you indulge in. Make sure it is amazing!
6. This may be weird, but due to cruises and trips to WDW, we end up doing a lot of buffets. I have a 3 plate buffet strategy (I can only go up there THREE times): 1 trip is for salad and veggies (fresh ones...)and fruit. #2 trip is lean proteins (chicken, shrimp, etc)..with little to no sauce/no breading, etc and trip 3 (if I get that far) is 1-2 items I really really really want. On the Wonder it was usually ONE chicken strip or a chocolate chip cookie. Often I am so full by plate 3 that I really just get a bites worth of something "indulgent". Three trips helps if you are with a group that goes often and spends time at the buffet...I had to get a strategy as often times I kept eating just because we were still sitting there!!
7. I choose either an app or a soup/salad, never both UNLESS I am getting an app + soup or salad as my meal (and no entree). I love the MDRs, but it really is a lot of food in every sitting.
8. At breakfast grab a fresh apple or other fruit as your snack later.


Also, as much as you can - try to get some sleep. I do find that the more tired I am, the hungrier I get. Sometimes I get caught up in all the evening activities and don't sleep enough (we have a DD that gets up early). You get to that mid-day, "hmmm...maybe some ice cream would be good", moment...try a nap!

Hope these were helpful as well as all the other great responses. Good luck and CONGRATS on your journey. It is worth it.

 

[darnheather]

I was so worried to post this and all of your responses have just been fantastic. Thank you.

 

[AquaDame]

I've been on the smaller side my whole life but I certainly have found my metabolism slowing down as I age. When I notice the scale creeping upwards I try to be more deliberate about what I eat. As my habits have changed I've actually found a lot of what I thought I couldn't live without I really can. You may find that food that used to taste delicious to you before now isn't appetizing at all. I try to be mindful of how many sweets I have on the cruise (ideally one dessert item a day - a reaaaaally good one) and go heavier on the protein than I do at home as it keeps me fuller longer. I only choose one item from the appetizer, soup & salad side of the page if I am having an entree and get whatever dessert I want being mindful of how full I feel. Then, once we are done we go back to the room and fill out the room service slip for breakfast - this keeps us ordering a small amount and not get tempted by the buffet! We also choose not to do second dining so we have more time to digest and not go to bed full. We choose to live by the antiquated 'no food after 8pm' as much as possible so there are about 12 hours of 'fasting' where we are asleep not noticing if we feel hungry.

 

[kiford]

Yes, my tastebuds were reset by desserts. I had to consciously stop myself for looking for a meal finisher when I got home.

For those who really feel like they need something sweet to finish off dinner, try asking for some fruit. They usually have no problem with that. I don't like the desserts and I'm not really into sweets (I'm more the fat/salt kind of person) so I rarely eat dessert but I will occasionally ask for some fruit.

Take a look at the menus in advance (you can see the entire cruise menu lineup on the Navigator app). Select in advance at a time when you're not hungry and stick to it when you get to the restaurant.

Drink lots of water. It will help you to feel full (especially if you eat protein shortly beforehand) and you may not realize that you're dehydrating when it's hot out. Sometimes your body will think it's hungry when you're really thirsty. And some of the foods are fairly high in sodium so it will help to flush some of that out. I routinely use some of the liquid water flavour enhancers or a touch of a sports drink powder (just enough to flavour it and not the ones with lots of sugar or sweetener) to make me drink more water. When you get home, remember that some of the weight you might gain on the ship is water weight and will drop off after a few days.

I definitely have to endorse the stair-climbing thing. Not only is it good for you, but it's a pain waiting for the elevators. They're slow and usually by the time one comes it's full or there's tons of other people waiting. Just take your time and stop if you have to. If you're on the Fantasy or Dream, play the Midship Detective game. It will have you going all over the ship. Lots of walking but because you're distracted by the game, you may not realize it so it doesn't feel like exercise. Commit to not taking the elevator during the game.

At the buffet, if there's something you like, take one spoonful and tell yourself you'll go back up for seconds if you really want more. Often by time you've finished eating you may not need to go up again. If you take a wide variety of foods, you'll feel like you indulged because your tastebuds have had a more varied experience and that may help you to feel more full. Where possible pick healthier items. You may eat more than normal, or more calories than normal, but at least it's good foods so you'll feel less guilty which will lower stress levels.

If you do end up eating more than you intended, or more not-so-good foods than you intended, do NOT make yourself feel guilty about it afterwards. That will be detrimental to your ability to move forward. Yes, try to stay on track on vacation, but don't beat yourself up about it if you don't. If you fail to stay on track one day, reset for the next day and try to stay on track that day.

 

[Jess_S]

My vacation food philosophy is to splurge on things only if I'll really enjoy them. I don't eat dessert for the sake of eating dessert, but I will have a dessert if it's something I really want. I don't know if this is an issue for you, but my husband was taught to clean his plate and that causes problems for him. He feels like if he orders something, he needs to eat it. If I order something and I am not enjoying it, I have it taken away. I'm not going to spend my calories on something that isn't delicious. I do the same at the buffet. I'll grab a plate with lots of different things on it, but only eat a bit of each one and then get rid of the plate so I am not tempted to keep picking.

I also schedule in time for at least 3 30 minute cardio workouts for every week of vacation. It's not just for the calorie burn. I start to have circulation issues if I don't get my heart rate up and I find that the saltiness of vacation food makes it worse.

So my summary is that whatever you decide to do, you shouldn't feel guilty about it. One week of eating less healthfully in the context of an overall healthy lifestyle will not make that much of a difference. Just make sure that you go back to your healthy eating plan when you get home.

 

[Tractortom]

Boy! A lot of good advice here! My wife and I joined Weight Watchers at the beginning of this year, to lose some weight and get in shape for a cruise we are taking in February of NEXT year. Yes, we plan to work on it for more than a year, and by then, I hope that the eating patterns that we follow at home are well enough established to allow us to follow them on the ship. I'm a great one for stairs, and for laps around the ship in the mornings if it's a sea day, or in the evening if it's not. I'm training for the 5K at Castaway Cay, now, today and the trip is still six months away. But I have a lot of the same feelings about the food on board. We live in the deep south, and eat very simply day in and day out, so when we get on-board and have the choice of a lot of great food that I can't even begin to pronounce, I tend to let myself go. Drinking on board is another thing. I try to keep it to just a couple drinks a week, but on board, with all the bars and clubs, it sure is easy to get a drink of the day or a couple of beers and over-do it. So, I expect to come back from the trip a little heavier, and then buckle down and take it back off after I'm home. I have never been able to lose weight on a cruise, and usually will gain 5 or so over the week of sleeping late and eating all those things.

Good luck with your plan, I hope you do well with your cruise and the foods that are there to tempt you...

Tom in Okeechobee, FL

 

[cadien]

I find that decaf with Bailey's or another liqueur is a satisfying end of dinner alternative. Far fewer calories and practically fat free, but still very indulgent. The dessert martinis are too much though.

 

[kiford]

I'm not sure I can even find something to eat in the DR - do they even make egg white omelettes?

I seem to recall an egg white omelette in the MDRs or perhaps it just said that you can ask to substitute for all egg whites. I know it's definitely possible at the MDRs and not just in Cabanas.

Even if you eat at 11:00 am for your first meal do not have carbs. I am not saying you have to do this but it works for me.

What's important is knowing your own body and that does take some time to figure out. Vacation days and normal days may not have the same requirements. I need more brain power (which requires more carbs) on a work day and I'm more stressed than when I'm on vacation so fatigue may set in if I don't have enough carbs. At work my routine helps to control what I eat as does lack of access to snacks. Take those factors into account when determining what you need to eat and the not-normal temptations that may arise but give yourself a little bit of a pass if you indulge a bit more when on vacation.

Eating until I was "full" added tons more calories than if I stopped when I was no longer hungry.

This is great insight! Your brain takes a while to catch up to your stomach so you can easily eat more than you should before your brain says you're done. That's why taking small amounts from the buffet helps me. I can trick yourself into believing that I'll go up for more but by the time I've finished the smaller portions on my plate, I have less incentive to go up a second time because I'm no longer hungry. I don't have so much food on my plate that I would be full" but I don't feel the need to get more once I'm done.

 

[Neptune's Fork]

I honestly think I eat better when I am on a cruise than when I am home. There are a lot of healthy choices so it's easy to find something delicious and healthy.

You can get half-portions on a cruise so you can still have the "cheat food" and make the rest of your meal healthy, skip dessert, etc.

Also, we use the stairs.

I agree with this. I probably have more fruit and veggies during cruise week than any other. The downside (in terms of diet) is probably more drinking than usual.

 

[mevelandry]

I agree with this. I probably have more fruit and veggies during cruise week than any other. The downside (in terms of diet) is probably more drinking than usual.

I have to admit that I'm disciplined in that area. I give myself a limit of 1 drink in the afternoon and 1 drink during or after dinner...because I am on vacation. At home I allow myself 1 drink per week.