HopefulCruiser123

Welp! I am up about a pound and half. I'm not surprised though. My diet during our vacation did not allow for my usual fruits and salads. Even my water consumption was down. Izena, I am glad that things are getting back to normal where you live. JustUs275 - looks like you and I are in the same boat. It will come back off though. I'm short on time this morning. I have to head out to my Portuguese class! Have a great day!

This is great information. Thank you all.

Does this sort of thing still exist? Is there a venue in New York that offers big band jazz? Or is that truly a thing of the past?

Jan, I am excited for you on your upcoming cruise. Mine is still a good 10 months away and I can barely stand myself I am so excited. Congrats on the 0.8 pound reduction. Add up all the increments and they can become big numbers. I am down a pound again this week. My Holter monitor came back negative and my stress test is being labeled "normal", though the ejection fraction was high, so I have to wait to hear from my doctor about that. I am encouraged by the "normal" part. I had my mammogram yesterday and the technician said that from last years mammo to this years, I have lost 27 pounds. (that's like a whole breast reduction 🤪). Next week I won't be weighing in. My husband hiked the Appalachian Trail 46 years ago. For the last 10 years or so, a group of the hikers from the year he hiked it, gather together for a reunion each year. This year we will be in Virginia. They all have a "thing" for Little Debbie's (the oatmeal pie cookie things). It's a good thing that I find them entirely too sweet. One of the group posted this to the site. I hope Izena is doing well and Belle and everyone else. Enjoy your trip Jan!

Oh my word, Izena! It looks like you dodged a bullet, but so many of your neighbors were not so fortunate. Sometimes it feels like the world is conspiring against you when one bad thing after another happens. The one thing you can count on though is that the pendulum always swings in the opposite direction (eventually). Hang in there. Will be sending positive vibes your way.

Thanks for starting the thread Izena. I weighed yesterday (no change)but haven’t been able to jump on line until now. It has been SO hot during the daytime, but quite pleasant in the evenings.

I saw the cartoon above and had to share. I'm down 2 pounds this week. Dad's starting to stop up again so I went on a creamed soup cooking binge. It's interesting. When I do my heaviest cooking, I don't eat much food at all. Because I am trying to put some good nutrition into him so that he can keep up his strength (he attempted to put an entire meal in the blender....that's one way to do it, but not the most appetizing), I have also been making smoothie cups for him and freezing them so that he can pop one in the blender with a little juice, or milk. I am using spinach, kale, avocados, fruits, yogurt, coconut milk, spices, and a heavy scoop of whey protein powder. Then I line muffin tins with aluminum foil and fill each cup and freeze them. Then I remove the foil and wrap each one in saran wrap. I made beef and barley soup (totally pureed), creamed asparagus soup and today I going to make a creamed vegetable soup. I told my mom that these things can live in their freezer, where the ice cream used to live! HAH! Anyway, Izena I am glad that you have picked up the baton and are ready to run with it. I think your kick off plan is solid and I will be rooting for you. I understand about the heat not incentivizing you to get out and walk. We finally got enveloped into the heat dome after eluding it for the first week. I haven't been able to use the pool because I'm wearing a heart monitor. I think it comes off today though. Woo-hoo. YouTube has some very good gentle pilates videos that you might want to take a look at. I started with some of those late last year and found that they were really good at loosening me up after many years of a sedentary lifestyle.

And today is the beginning of summer. For some here in the US, they are probably thinking "You mean it wasn't here yet?" We are fortunate here in SC that we live just a little south of the heat dome currently residing over portions of the US. So today I nervously stepped on the scale. Nothing has moved up or down and I say "DEAL!". I'll take it!. My father pulled through his health scare even though they say it is temporary and he will be back to the hospital with new blockages in the future, we had him for another father's day and we were all happy about that. My older sister came to stay with me and after several days of my diet, she started having intestinal distress, so we had to modify and bring in some extra carbs. So I was a wee bit worried. But apparently, I came out the other side unscathed. Tomorrow I get fitted for the Holter monitor so hopefully, we'll get some data to explain my low blood pressure and fainting episode at the gym. Izena, I hope things have smoothed out and that you too were able to come through that stressful time without a disruption to the diet. It is so hard, even on good days. Jan, I hope your week allowed for the scale to speak softly to you today. I've learned that the occasional normal eating doesn't impact the scale for very long at all as long as you get back to your more restricted diet after. For me, sometimes those little indulgences leads to one more and one more until my scale shows several pounds up and I finally have to cut everything out again. Those pounds take a lot longer to come off than an isolated indulgence. Solo- keep up the good work. I have full faith that at the rate you are going, you will meet your goal by December or at least by March. You've got some good momentum going. Terri - you sound a lot like me (and not just because my name is Teri). You are moving your body and watching what you eat and the scale just stalls. It can be frustrating, but I think everything is readjusting during those stalls. If you are like me, you step on the scale one day and find that you are down a pound or two. Then another stall. I think I read somewhere that the secret to weight loss is patience. I think it is a little more than that, but patience is a very significant component for sure. Belle, I hope all is well with you. Haven't seen you here lately and I hope all is okay. Tchau! (I'm learning Portuguese...can you believe there is a "T" in there?)

Boy, THAT can be taken a few different ways. I mean it as, if you set your body in motion, it will assist in your weight loss endeavors. Today's weight has my scale agreeing with my doctors scale from last week and I am down that full pound. I've been making ice cream to take to my parents house this weekend for Father's day. I am up to 5 quarts. 2 more to go. There has been a little wrinkle though. My Dad, 93-years-old, was admitted to the hospital last night with a bowel obstruction. Not good. My sister is driving up today and we'll head out this afternoon to go see him and then mom. They are about and hour and a half from here. I know stress, and limited dining venues can sabotage my sensible eating choices. I'll have to remain vigilant. I hope everyone's Thursday has some good news to report.

Hello SoloAlaska. That is a big loss in a year and from my perspective, ambitious for next March. My perspective comes from weeks and weeks and weeks of no movement on the scale no matter what I do, and then suddenly a nice little dip (emphasis on little). So.....inquiring minds want to know. What is your secret? I know what works for one will not always work for another, but I am always keen to learn from others experiences.

Thank you Jack.

It’s booked. I won’t cancel because it is also our ride home. My biggest complaint is that they continue to advertise it. Website maintenance is not that expensive. In fact, I could only find one specialty restaurant on the website this morning and I could have sworn there were others when we booked. Something called Bamboo something or other and I think an Indian themed restaurant ( not positive about that one). Either way, they have been removed so Cunard DOES have the ability to update their website.

Thank you Jack.

That may very well be. They should remove it from their product offering on the website. It's dishonest.

That is good to hear. There is a Qm2 Review for May 2024 by AMch titled The Bucket List Adventure. I read it this morning (after reading many other reviews stating that Illuminations did not work. He states the Planetarium in Illuminations doesn't work anymore and that it has not worked for years. I have not read ANY review that says that it worked when they were on board. There is also a thread from May 8 Planetarium on Queen Mary 2 that discusses that the Planetarium in Illuminations and one person who was on the ship at the time said that there are no planetarium shows and that there was a rumor that the sound system was not working. Another poster who was on the ship May 5-12 stated it was not working. One poster said that it was planned to have an upfit, but no time frame for it. Someone else posted that an office on board said that it would happen at the next drydock (anybody know when that is?) He also said that the upfit would actually transform the space to a multi purpose space that would include a dinner theater area, like "Bright Lights" on the QA. When asked if that meant scaling back or eliminating the planetarium, the office became very noncommittal.

We booked our cruise in November of last year, set to sail in June of 2025. One of the things that we got really excited about was Illuminations. It was described on the Cunard website as such: Wherever on earth our flagship Queen Mary 2 carries you, set off on an adventure through the stars. You know you’re on a special ship indeed when you can settle into your comfortable seat in the largest planetarium at sea on Queen Mary 2. More than this, Illuminations is a luxury 3D cinema and a classical music venue. The planetarium dome can send you on an epic voyage across the solar system, teach you to navigate by the stars, or show other science and natural history films, with up to four screenings on each sea day. With the dome retracted, Illuminations hosts 3D films and stunning concerts and recitals. This advertisement is still on their website as of today. Since booking I have read review after review that details that illuminations no longer works, and that in fact, it hasn't worked for a number of years. And now it is used as a room for lectures. The website also says this wonderful feature is included in our Cruise Fare. How long can Cunard continue to advertise this feature and yet not deliver? When does it become false advertising, or fraud (since they knowingly continue to advertise this feature when they know it is broken and that there is no way they can deliver on the promise) or since they are registered in Bermuda, are they not governed by these same rules? (is Bermuda a lawless place?) I am sure we will enjoy our cruise, but this is just so disappointing. And it doesn't bode well for good faith transactions going forward. Thoughts?

Thanks Izena for starting the thread. I sure am sorry that you are still struggling to get back to baseline. I have faith that it will happen. Jan, I SO loves me an ice cream cone! But I have been good. This evening I plan on beginning the first of my ice cream making for my folks. We'll go see them on Father's day and I hope to bring at least 6 quarts with me. My husband helps keep me honest by volunteering to lick the spoon after I have packed the quart containers. (he loves me, ya know). Terri, yep that water can really help move things along. I try very hard to have at least two liters a day. I don't always make it, but I make it more days than not. My scale said I was down about a half a pound this morning. I had my semi-annual followup with my doctor today and she informed me I was a full pound down (for a total of 12 pounds lost since I started working to lose weight). We discussed my fainting spell at the gym and she reminded me that my Physical Therapist earlier in the year had made notes in the chart that I had complained of some dizzy spells there as well (oh yeah, I forgot). So, I am going to be wearing a Holter monitor for a little bit and then in July I will go for a stress test. When they took my BP today it was very low (110/50). She did clear me to work out with my new technique of working with the trainer first, and then do the treadmill, since I have not had any dizzy spells with that sequence. Food - lots of fresh salads (of all kinds) with chicken, fish or Shrimp (even a little sliced steak). Spinach salads with strawberries, big fat blueberries, peaches, raspberries, goat cheese, bacon crumbles and almond slivers. I use Marzetti Simply Strawberry Poppyseed dressing. It is 50 calories for 2 tablespoons, but I bet I only use one tablespoon. The fruit juices just really make this a nice crisp and juicy salad. Some nights we have a piece of corn with sautéed spinach or a sliced tomato. Some nights we grill salmon filets and either pop them on top of salad or have a small helping of rice (wild, yellow, jasmine or brown). Salads with English cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, red onion, cilantro, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Breakfast, I still am eating the Keto yogurt many mornings with peaches, strawberries, blueberries and the coconut almond granola. Or a really spicy avocado toast. The melons have started coming in, so cantaloupe, watermelon, more strawberries or sliced peaches. I snack on a modest amount of nuts (cashew, hazelnuts, almonds, Virginia peanuts), slices of red bell pepper, olives. Also, my husband makes a killer guacamole (the base of my avocado toast) and I use it as a dip for fresh veggies. Yum. And full of fiber. You might be sensing a theme here. My diet is a heavily water-based diet. Low on starches, reasonable proteins. I keep the bread to a minimum, avoid sweets and processed foods. I do eat cheese, but avoid processed cheeses. I do not eat fast food. As I said in a previous post. This is the time of year that is easiest for me to lose weight because so many of my favorite things are available then and most of them are pretty healthy,

I am married to a paraplegic who uses a manual wheelchair. I remember early in our dating life, we'd experienced a particularly challenging night at a hotel that was billed as accessible, but really wasn't. We both got a good taste at what life would look like if we ended up staying together. He told me the next morning that "yes, I am limited, and if you stick with me you'll find that you are limited too". I never looked back. There probably isn't a person that has seen some of our difficulties that has not suggested that he might want to get an powerchair. The mere suggestion is a conversation killer with him. I get it. It's human nature that once you give up to convenience some ability that you have, you typically don't go back and reclaim that ability. We have a very ambitious cruise/land/cruise trip planned for Europe next year. There are a few adaptive devices, like the Free Wheel for his chair, that he has compromised and acquired for this trip. I tend to look a lot like a pack mule when we travel and I try to work out to stay fit so that I can handle the burden. I concur with Ko-Kopelli-AZ who suggested renting a scooter while onboard. He can use it as he wants or leave it behind if he doesn't. Either way, I hope you both are able to continue traveling and enjoying all the world has to offer.

Thank you ellasabe. This is good information. DH has a "Free Wheel" attachment for his rigid frame, manual wheelchair, so the cobblestones will be no problem. The semi-steep hill might be challenging because the Free Wheel doesn't do anything for gravity, but this weekend we took the chair and Free Wheel into our local National Forest and descended down into the forest using a stepped pathway created by tree roots. We "might" have bitten off more than we could chew and I had to worry "how the heck are we going to get back outta here?" While I got a really good gluteus maximus workout getting us back up the incline, we did make it and I have a little more confidence in my ability to handle the weight and under a worst case scenario. I turned 65-years-old this past Saturday, so I don't expect to be able to handle much more than that. We did our honeymoon cruise 11 years ago on the Silhouette (Western Caribbean). Every port except Grand Cayman (where we stayed on the ship) we hired a private taxi to give us a tour. It's always an option, but this time around we hoped maybe there would be some good ship sponsored accessible tours.

That has always been the case and they were horrible at room temperature. I didn’t know better and didn’t realize I could ask them to add ice.

This will be our first Equinox, but our honeymoon Cruise was on Silhouette in the exact same Sky Suite cabin number and before there was anything called Retreat.. Back then he wasn't able to go up to that deck (which really wasn't anything). But he really wanted to be able to be on a high deck that faces forward. We spent a lot of time in the sky Observation lounge, but it was indoors. It's a case of, "Wow, look at all we can see. I wonder what you might be able to see from "that" spot!" and then discovering it's not accessible to him. We booked this TA back in November (sailing is April 2025) and it was only this evening that I realized the Retreat Deck is that same area and that he still will not be able to access that space. Maybe they will let us out on the Spa Verandah, deck 12.

Never mind. I just googled an old thread that says that the main pool deck is accessible, but that wonderful spot for retreat guests at the top and most forward location, alas is not. Maybe we can get them to throw in an alternate perk of a second free scoop of gelato instead. 🙄

We are booked in The Retreat on Equinox. DH is in a wheelchair. According to Cruise Decks . Com it does not appear there is an elevator to this deck. Can anybody confirm this.? Will we be excluded from enjoying this Retreat perk?

Belle, congratulations on the 2 pounds. So sorry you had to cancel a cruise! That has got to be a real bummer. And I am sorry you are suffering some health issues. When we start experiencing two steps forward followed by one step back, it makes it feel like we need to step up the pace to out run something. I hope things level out soon. Jan-in-Maine….I am sorry to learn you are being treated for cancer. Please know that I am sending positive, healing vibes your way across the internet. I agree, after eating and fully clothed is not my most favorable measurement of my weight. I like the more biased accounting when I first wake up, have very little clothing on, and have evacuated all the “foul humors” from this worldly vessel. 😉 Today’s scale revealed I have neither lost nor gained. My arms, shoulders and back have recovered from last week’s extreme workout, however I think it frightened my trainer and I have barely broken a sweat in our sessions since. Saturday is my birthday and my husband is taking me to our favorite Italian Restaurant. Shall I tempt fate one more time?