My husband and I just returned from a 7 night cruise from Baltimore to the Bahamas on the Carnival Pride. Since we’ve been back, several people have asked me the million-dollar question: “How much weight did you gain?” Since this article is about my experience, I’ll tell you: about 3 lbs. So let me rephrase my title:
Sailing with a dietitian: how to gain “just a little” weight at sea.
See, not being able to gain weight would be unrealistic and just not fun! I must admit that I am a bit of a foodie and we enjoyed many of the culinary adventures the ship and ports had to offer: the “Chef’s Table” tour of the galley and the 7-course tasting menu, an evening at ” David’s “steakhouse, several slices of molten chocolate cake and fried conch in the Bahamas. I even enjoyed a couple pina coladas while lounging in the hot tub.
My measly three pounds really isn’t much considering the stats. The personal trainer at the ship’s gym quoted me a figure of 7 to 14 pounds per cruise. A UK survey published last year by the Daily Mail quotes £1 a day. CruiseReview.com found that the average weight gain on a 7-day cruise ranges from 5 to 10 pounds. Judging by some of the eating behaviors I witnessed on the boat, I’d say this might be right for those who really “let loose”.
Here are my top 10 tips for minimizing weight gain while boating:
1. Be a “picky” eater. No, I’m not saying you should order chicken wings at every meal like my son does. What I mean by “picky” is regarding the quality of the food. “Picky” really means two things: 1) not indulging in chicken fingers, mac and cheese, soft serve ice cream, and other items you can easily get while you’re not on vacation. Save your calories for more epicurean adventures. On my cruise, there were quite a few unique options including Rockefeller oysters, escargot, and cold mango soup. 2) “Picky” also means not eating something unless it’s REALLY good. If the fish is dry and cold, don’t finish it. If the buffet food is tasteless, let the waiter take it away. If the cake is tasteless, just take 1 bite and stop. Remember: the “clean plate club” is not in session on cruise ships. Only clean your plate if you really enjoy the food and if it is a “4 star” dish.
2. Use the Gym. Not having enough time cannot be used as an excuse while you are at sea! You should exercise more, not less. Most ships have cardio equipment, free weights, and exercise classes. Sign up for a fitness class. One day, my husband and I signed up for a group cycling class at 4:00 pm, saving us a few hundred calories from afternoon cocktails. If you don’t fancy the gym, there is also usually an outdoor track for walking or jogging. Walk through the corridors and explore every nook and cranny of the ship. Use the stairs as much as possible instead of the elevators. Think of the cruise as a “spa vacation”: pamper your body, exercise, use the steam room, enjoy a massage, etc. All these activities are free of food.
3. Opt for the dining room in front of the buffet. Yes, you can order whatever you want, but you have to wait for the different courses. Shortening the meal time will decrease the amount you eat. It can take 10 to 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain that it’s full, so it helps to have some down time between each plate. As a bonus, the portions served in the dining room on many cruise ships are small – just don’t order 2 entrees! For most meals, I ordered a salad, a soup, an entree, and shared a dessert with my husband.
4. “Explore the buffet line.” If you must go to the buffet, explore your options. Choose 3-5 total items that you want to eat the most. Remember that there will be another buffet and more things to try for the next meal. Food researcher Brian Wansink writes in the April 2013 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine: “Skinny people are more likely to reach for food. They’re more likely to search for alternatives before they pounce on anything: obese people just tend to pick up a plate and look at each item and say, “Do I want it? Yes or no”.
5. Eat dessert only once a day. On cruise ships, desserts are offered 24/7: before breakfast (in the form of sweet rolls), on the menu after brunch, at the lunch buffet, after dinner, 24-hour soft serve ice cream, chocolate buffet midnight etc You can “have your cake and eat it too” but only once a day. Personally, I didn’t care much for the dry cakes, jello, and soft serve ice cream from the buffet line. I saved the calories from my desserts for the evening desserts in the dining room, which were more decadent and often served hot (molten chocolate cake, bread puddings, crème brule, etc.). If you have a sweet tooth like me and can’t decide on 1 dessert, split 2 (or 3) with your partner, but only have a few bites of each!
6. Substitute an appetizer for your main meal. On many nights I found the appetizers much more interesting than the food options. They usually had 2 interesting soups, salads and bites to choose from. If you want to order the high-calorie French onion soup, do so and pair it with a salad and a small appetizer. Chances are, 2-3 appetizer servings are lower in calories than an entree.
7. Limit alcoholic beverages (and stay away from all-you-can-drink packages). Alcohol is the number one source of empty calories for cruise ships (a typical Piña Colada is over 600 calories!) Try not to consume alcohol until after 5:00 p.m. This will limit calories and also allow you to be more active more early in the day. Who wants to take the stairs or run down the track after a couple of beers? Trust me; A cold beer tastes so much better after a hard workout at the gym. Speaking of my good friend, the Pina Colada and other delicious frozen fruity drinks, try to limit them to 1-2 for the entire cruise and stick to dry wine, beer or spirits mixed with water or soda as they are a fraction of the calories . . Our ship had an unlimited alcohol plan that was $49.95 per person per day. Assuming the average cost of a drink is $7, you would need to have 7 drinks to break even! Drinking less sure saved us money and calories!
8. Pass the basket of bread. Each meal in the dining room was accompanied by a basket of bread and a cute little silver bowl of sculpted butter. For breakfast, several danishes were served before the meal. None of the breads or rolls were anything special. Avoid them! Enough talk!
9. Eat only at mealtimes. Pack yourself to eat only at meals. Our ship had a fairly large window for lunch and dinner buffets, as well as a 24-hour pizza and soft serve station. Some ships even have nightly chocolate buffets. Stay away from the buffet room and hang out somewhere else between meals.
10. Drink lots of water. Be sure to drink 2 glasses of water with each meal and 1 glass of water for every alcoholic beverage consumed. This will fill you up, keep you hydrated, and help combat the ill effects of too much alcohol. Forcing yourself to drink a glass of water with every alcoholic drink will keep you from increasing your calorie total. On most cruises, soft drinks are extra. My advice is not to buy this pack and instead fill up with water and herbal teas. You can get soft drinks everywhere, why would you want to drink your calories? Save them for the good things about the cruise. The same rule applies to juices (which are also free): avoid them and go for fruit instead!
When you get home, don’t weigh yourself for at least 3-4 days. Cruise ship food tends to be salty, so give your body a chance to get rid of excess water. I usually find the week after the cruise a great time to “get back on the train” with a healthy eating routine. Your body may be craving lighter meals as it tries to adjust and cleanse itself from the previous week. Think of your cruise indulgences as a way to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle rather than a setback!
There’s an old quote in the cruise industry that “customers board the ship as passengers and unload a week later as cargo.” Hopefully, by following the tips above, it can be offloaded as a little “tote bag” rather than cargo.