Can I stick to my Weight Watchers diet?

[MissyBrenda]

I'm hoping that someone else has been on a DCL cruise and at least maintained their weight while on vacation. My DH and I joined WW in January, and now I'm stressed about my diet while cruising the 5/18 Magic. Do any of you wonderful DISer's have any helpful hints for me and the food dilema I'm now in? We'll be at WDW for a week before our cruise, so I'll be on vacation for 2 whole weeks. I think WDW will be easier to handle as you have to purchase everything you eat, but on the cruise, I'm just no so sure. Any tips or tricks are very much appreciated!!

Thanks!!

[MO64RN]

It will be very hard depending on your will power. I was also on a weight loss plan and the first few days I was very good. Then I couldn't take it anymore. I love sweets and the choclate chip cookies and other desserts are to die for. There is a fitness center on board so I worked out a little more than usual. It was so hard not eating. I already told my dh on our next cruise everyday will be a cheat day. I usually only allow one day per week. I want to really enjoy myself food and all. I read somewhere if you deprive yourself from what you want it makes you want it more and you are more likely to overeat. Just eat in moderation and go back to ww when you get home. One thing I don't plan on missing on my next cruise is the midnight dessert buffet.

[tiptoen]

I have been on a diet for a while now and just returned from our cruise. I enjoyed all the good food and lost 2 pounds. :) One thing my wife and I did was use the stairs and never the elevators. Sometimes it was hard but It may have paid off. BTW it is much quicker too.

[MissyBrenda]

I plan to do a little exercising while on board, but I'm not a fanatic, by any means. I also have a lot of willpower when it comes to desserts and sweets, they just aren't my favorite, though I can appreciate them most of the time. :) However, my downfall is eating too much of the main course or ordering appetizers. It's been very hard over the past couple of months to not order a pizza delivered at least once a week, as was the habit before. Anyway, I'm doing great on WW, I'm just a little worried about my self-control, and don't want to blow away all that I've lost before this vacation.

Thanks again!!
Brenda

[CamColt]

I usually jog 3 miles a day and watch my diet. After 4 days in WDW and 3 days on the Wonder(and another day after that) where I didnt exercise at all and I ate & drank everything in sight, I was back down to my lowest weight by the next week.

In general you will most likely gain some, but it should be easily lost once you get back on track.
Good luck, and dont forget it IS vacation after all. No need to be deprived. :)

[jennifersmith23]

You know...I brought up a question very similar to this one a few weeks ago. I am on Atkins and am a little concerned about the cruise and its effect on my weight loss. I have decided that while I will try to behave myself, that this vacation is supposed to be just that, and I am not going to stress myself out. I am going to eat what I want, when I want (which was never a problem with Atkins...just what you eat) and not worry about it. You are going to be getting ALOT of exercise on the ship with your excursions etc, so it won't be so bad. As long as you keep moving and don't eat and sit all day. I plan on working out EVERY morning in addition to the excursions...

Anway, that is just my opinion, so don't be to hard on yourself. Splurge if you want, just make sure that when you get home you promise yourself that it is back to business...

Jennifer

[plutojudy]

I just got back on Saturday and only gained one pound. I took the stairs, did the mile walk on deck 4 at 9:00am, and ate half of everything I wanted.

[Lisa F]

This is just my humble opinion, but to me, WW is a lifestyle change and not a "diet." What that means to me is that there is no such thing as "cheating."

One of the biggest lifestyle changes I have made since I joined WW is to really evaluate how much I want something before I eat it. Am I eating it because I am hungry? Then it is okay. Am I eating it because it's there? Not so good. Am I eating it because I know it will taste good and I only have it once or twice a year? Fine as long as once or twice a year isn't once or twice a week.

You could try ordering room service for breakfast in the mornings. You can have something light and continental like instead of the heavier stuff they have at the buffets. On our cruise we often had a pretty light lunch since it was so warm, all I wanted was an ice cream or some fruit in the afternoon (and soft serve is not that bad for you compared to say, ben and jerry's). In the evenings, we ordered whatever we wanted.

I have to say that portions on the cruise are pretty reasonable. They don't give you such huge portions that you feel like you need to leave half on your plate in order to have a reasonable portion size. One of our tablemates had a salad as an appetizer every single night, so that's one way you can cut back on your intake (I find that on vacation, I don't eat as many fruits and veggies and really start CRAVING after a couple of days). For dinner, you can review some of the menus before hand and figure out what might be lighter. They also have a sugarfree dessert selection every night.

You could always go the route of asking for things without sauces etc but I have to say, to me this defeats the purpose of treating myself to a vacation. Vacations are precious few and far between and part of what I enjoy about vacation is enjoying the gourmet foods that I don't normally have. I just try to be smart about what I choose (will more often choose fish and chicken rather than beef), will often get sauces and dressings (the full fat kind) on the side and dip my fork into the sauce/dressing before grabbing some food with it (you will be surprised how much less you use this way, maybe 1-2 tsp of dressing as opposed to tablespoonfuls).

Really, the two biggest things I do is 1) try to stay hydrated and drink lots of water (your body often confuses dehydration for hunger.) A corollary to this is to drink a couple of glasses of water before dinner so you don't show up ravenous and chow down on bread (for me, a waste of points unless it's really really good bread and then I will have one piece and savor it). 2) stop eating when I am full. Don't eat it just because it is in front of you.

My leader says that deprivation is the enemy and I tend to believe her, so don't deprive yourself. :)

Lisa

[abitjaded]

As a many years ago WW grad, I know you can do it. Since there are a couple of good sites that have the whole menus for dinner and sit-down lunches posted, you might read them and make up your mind ahead of time what to choose. It looks like there are plenty of sensible choices. Keep up your good work, take lots of laps and walking shore excursions. Do the old put the dressings and sauces on the side, add a bit for taste. Keep you mitts off the bread and butter (my personal downfall).

Carla

[taswira]

You may also be better off if you have main seating. I know the closer to bed time I eat, the more the calories (and pounds) seem to stick . . and I always have late seating! In any case, do take the stairs and walk the deck as much as possible. It will help even if it isn't agressive exercising.

[aprilgail2]

I have been on Wegt Watchers since last year and have lost 46 pounds so far. have decided that I am not going t be fanatical on this cruise and just let loose a little...my leader says to set a goal of say not gaining more than 6 pounds during your vacation and be happy if that is what you do.....we had someone come back from a cruise recently and they gained 18 pounds!!! I am hoping to keep it under 6 and I will be happy if I do that.

[ducklite]

I work very hard to keep my weight down and keep a nice figure, working out 3-4x a week, watching what I eat all the time. A couple days of slip ups and I go up a dress size. But when I'm on vacation, all bets are off! I'm planning on trying to get down to UNDER my target weight--which is basically an 800 calorie, 8 fat grams a day diet for the two weeks before we leave. That way I'll be able to put on some weight and it won't matter.

Anne

[jjgarv]

My wife and I both ar on WW and just did the seven day magic. We ate what we wanted, drank what we wanted, took a vacation. Did hit the treadmill a couple of times but overall just did what we went on a cruise for, to eat and relax. I put on about six, DW put on 4, we both have gotten back to our precruise weights, actually wife DW is minus a lb in two weeks. I agree with the earlier post about it being a lifestyle change, and for the time you are on the ship, it is a different lifestyle, so to try and keep up your lifestyle is near impossible. Unless you have to be at a certain weight when you get back, relax, you can burn it off when you get back.

[mickeynut674]

I'm also on weight watcher's, so far with a loss of 18lbs(hopefully more after tonights weigh in). I don't really plan on keeping a journal, but I think the most important things to do are: 1. drink plenty of water!!!! (that's a biggy) 2. Keep portions small & 3. stay active(which probably won't be hard, with so much to do on the cruise)
Good luck to you! Have a blast!!!:Pinkbounc

[goofysgirl]

Why in the world would you want to? I commend you for watchng your weight, and I think it is great that you want to continue your diet on the cruise. Stressing about gaining weight on a cruise? You shouldn't have a care in the world while you are on the ship. Eat sensibly, move around lots!!!!! Dance the night away. Please do not stress about a VACATION. You can always diet the day you get back. Life is way too short not to have the best time every moment of it! Have a great cruise.:smooth:

[MissyBrenda]

Thanks for all the great help!! I think I'm going to just take it easy, relax, enjoy my vacation, but not eat myself silly. I've learned how to eat sensibly through WW, and I'm sure that will stick with me. However, the lady that gained 18 lbs on her cruise scares me a little:) , but I think I'll be just fine.

Happy Cruising to all of you!!
Brenda

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by MissyBrenda
. However, the lady that gained 18 lbs on her cruise scares me a little:) , but I think I'll be just fine.

Happy Cruising to all of you!!
Brenda

Actually it was a man not a woman that gained the 18 pounds and I think a lot of it was from drinking, I know he said they drank a lot and those are lots of extra calories in beer and other drinks!

[Minnie's Guy]

I've re-joined WW in January, in hopes of reaching my goal till
August. I am so excited about this cruise, I don't want to give
up any of the foods offered. I know this doesn't make sense,
but I'm hoping to lose weight, to be able to eat! I like the suggestion
of using the stairs - thanks, that will be a major issue for me.
You are also right about WW teaching you how to eat, but I've
given up sweets for months, I want to enjoy myself for one week.
Two years ago we were on the Wonder and I was "scared to eat",
for fear of gaining, and I was really disappointed that I didn't try
foods I really wanted. This time, I don't want to give up
anything (Palo's souffle, get ready for me).:D

[kimber79]

Hi Brenda!

As a fellow Weight Watcherian, I would like to CONGRATULATE you for making an awesome decision to join! I joined WW in August, and have lost 30 lbs! I am within about 12 lbs (I am down to that "hard lard"!) of my goal weight, and am so excited!! This program is sooooo awesome, I know you have done well, and will continue to do so. The coolest thing about WW is that you can/will have off weeks, but that's okay! You just have to keep going forward.

I wanted to let you know that I was on vacation (not a cruise) in November for 2 1/2 weeks, and was petrified to weigh in when I got home. There were many nights that we didn't get dinner until after 10. I only gained 1/4 lb. in 3 weeks!! I know you can go on this cruise and be just fine! You will be so active, it will all come close to balancing out!! It's good for you to "splurge" once in awhile, so have fun and relax out in the sun!!

HAVE AN AWESOME CRUISE!! Keep up the good work!!

Kim:D

[kshabare]

Goodness, enjoy your vacation and don't fret about this. Don't worry so much about the vacation and IF you gain. Worry about getting back on track once you come back to reality. I'm a lifetime member and the cruise was no-way my problem. Getting back into it was the problem. Have fun. Remember, you paid for the food you take. If you want a taste of something - do that. Don't eat the whole thing. Do drink your water though - watch the drinks and watch the soda (sodium) intake. WW is a much longer commitment than one week.

Kim ºOº

[Joe & Joanne]

Hi Folks:wave:

Although I am sure I could loose a few pounds, and I can eat the whole plate:D I found on recent cruises that I actually lost weight. The only reason I can figure for this is that we walked up and down stairs, and I did not WAIT for meals. When I got up in the morning without the wife I would maybe go have some pieces of fruit and coffee and leisurly sit and watch the ship come alive. When the wife did get up we would go have breakfast together and maybe have an egg and maybe a sausage. You know there will be more food later, and you may want to sample that. Same thing goes during the day. We would split and burger and fries and have some soup or something. For dinner, it was water and a salad, steak and potatoes for me and Joanne usually had something off the menu we both liked and shared that rather than waste a whole portion.

If you nibble all day and WAIT for the next meal you will not be dissatisfied and will get to sample everything. Hope this helps.:)