Everyone, even if you’ve never been on a cruise, knows there is food available somewhere on the ship 24 hours a day. We had seven venues available on the Carnival Miracle to choose from and two of these were open around the clock.
We could eat at:
- Dining room
- Steakhouse
- Lido Buffet
- Pizza Bar
- Taste Bar
- Room Service
- Fountain Cafe
Before leaving I made some “rules” to follow to keep me from going overboard … with food.
Rule 1: One Bread Per Meal
Cruise ships make all their own breads and I love them starting with cinnamon rolls at breakfast and baguettes for dinner. In the past, I would have 2-3 breads per meal. I would also come back with 10 or more pounds additional baggage…. on me!
I decided ahead of time I would only have one bread per meal and stuck to it. If I had a sandwich that counted as the one bread. Same with tacos. I’m keeping this rule for our next vacation.
Rule 2: Limit Buffet Dining
Buffets bring out the worst in me. I want to try a little bit of everything and before you know it I’ve eaten enough for 2-3 meals. I also take more because after waiting in line I don’t want to have to do it all over again if I decide I want to try something else.
Eating in the sit-down dining room results in a more disciplined approach. I order one of each course and at a more leisurely pace.
Rule 3: Oatmeal Every Other Day
My husband enjoyed big breakfasts every day whether it was steak and eggs, eggs Benedict, or french toast with eggs. I would have an egg option only every other day alternating with oatmeal and fruit. When I had eggs I usually made a one-egg and bacon bagel sandwich and skipped the potatoes.
Results
I’ll share the specific weights tomorrow in my Tales from the Scale post, but let me just say it’s the least amount of weight change I’ve seen after such a long vacation. Between our focus on stairs and these rules, I did pretty good.
I know there’s room for improvement because I was rarely hungry. We ate because it was time to eat and the dining room would be open only certain hours. We’re trying anytime dining on our next cruise instead of an assigned time and that should help with this issue as well.
What strategies do you use to manage your behavior around so much food?
If ever I’m on a cruise? I’d probably lose it. I mean, with all the delicious food.
Cruises are difficult as are all inclusive vacation stays. You did very well!
Thanks, Haralee. I have found the all-inclusives to be harder because most meals are buffet versus ordering from a menu. Maybe I need to stay at a more expensive all-inclusive?
Great tips, and not just for cruises but for anytime you find yourself away from home. Thanks!
Mom and I are going on our first cruise this July to Alaska! I can’t wait, but have thought a lot about the food and sedentary activities. Plan to be active every single day. Even if that means running laps around the ship.
Kari, the cruise ships have really nice gyms now. It was too windy several days on our way back from Hawaii for people to use the outside deck. I know you’ll do a great job staying active!