Weight Gain on Cruise

[lladybug01]

Does anybody else worry about gaining weight while on a cruise. There is such an abundance of food. I would not eat buffets for 2 meals a day at home and then a three or four course meal at dinner every day. For a 12 night cruise I am seriously considering bringing a couple of outfits in a bigger size!! LOL It's only my second cruise. The first one was 6 nights and it was not a big deal, but 12 nights could be deadly.

[lilianani]

It's true, I eat more and different foods than I have as part of my everyday diet at home. Consequently, I usually gain about 7 lbs on a 2 weeks holiday and put my mind to getting back to my normal weight when I return.

 

Our last cruise was also our first, I was stunned at the sheer amount of food available. But...just because it's there doesn't mean I have to eat it.

 

I ate a small "European" style breakfast - two pastries and a coffee in Cova Coffee. Some fruit or two of those gorgeous small sandwiches from Cova Coffee for lunch and then dinner in the main dining room. Sometimes, there was just no room for dessert.

 

As long as you keep a sensible eye on what you eat, you shouldn't need to panic, it is a holiday after all.

 

You can also do other things to minimise the extra food e.g. we only took the lift (elevator?) twice in the two weeks. Once to experience the scenic elevator when at sea (that was great) and on embarkation day when we had our carry on baggage. Those stairs really kept us toned!:D

[oncerfan]

That's what I'm worried about as well. I figure, if I walk enough around the ship and the ports, I should burn enough calories. At least this way, I know for sure I'm getting way more exercise than I normally would get at home. It'll even out in the end, at least, that's what I keep telling myself. :p Bottom line for me is that it's a vacation, I should get to relax and enjoy it (and try lots of yummy foods). :D

[Gonzo70]

The potential is definitely there to pack on the pounds. I have managed to generally just gain 1-2 pounds per cruise by utilizing the following:

 

*Almost always take the stairs

*Utilize the gym and/or running track at least every other day

*Take a couple of days where I skip the booze

*Only order dessert if it is something I really, really like

*Try to do a couple of active excursions that involve a lot of walking and/or sporty activities

 

Using this guidelines I am able to indulge in a lot of tasty food and pig out a few times, but keep the weight gain more or less in check.

[TeaBag]

I never gained any weight no matter what I ate till I reached 40 and then the party was over. I usually gain a bit of weight on a cruise and we have a 24 day booked for Nov, so I'm dieting now, so I can eat most of what I want. We book a cabin a long ways from anywhere and we take the stairs too, I try to keep to the sugar free desserts which are often way better than the calorie laden ones, if I have any at all. I turn the other way when we pass the ice cream. We also frequent the Aqua Spa cafe for lunch. It is wonderful and usually not very crowded as few seem to find it. We really have good intentions about the gym, but somehow or other get busy doing other things. We walk a lot in the ports too.

[derf5585]

It is not your fault

The salt in the salt water of the ocean get mixed into the air. Then breathed in the lungs witch causes liquid retention in the body that causes the scale to go bonkers

It is not your fault

[packedandready]

I don't like to worry about weight during a vacation....eatting different things and having more snacks is just part of the fun.

 

Just back from a 10 day cruise and I lost 10lbs prior to the cruise to "make up" for what I'd be eatting. Only gained 5 lbs so I'm still 5 lbs in the good :D

[klingoncruiser]

Actually.... I rarely gain weight. I tend to eat much healthier, I do not have a car to get around in or a desk to sit at. You walk everywhere and those darn stairs are everywhere. :D

 

You can make out of a cruise what you want I think.

[astrocat]

Agree with Klingon ... also to the point that on a cruise, I do not tend to 'snack' between meals as I do at home since there is no food in the stateroom fridge ... :D

[Gracie115]

It is not your fault

The salt in the salt water of the ocean get mixed into the air. Then breathed in the lungs witch causes liquid retention in the body that causes the scale to go bonkers

It is not your fault

 

 

That's right....it's not....so I don't care....what goes on....comes back off...just not as much fun getting there....

[digital_curator]

I gained a lot of weight on my first Celebrity cruise but lost it in about a week after getting back to a normal diet and exercise routine.

 

Don't worry about it. You are on vacation- enjoy it!

[ricew001]

I gained 2 lbs on our 7 day cruise in January. We did a lot of walking but we also drank a lot of Carnival Cosmos and other great drinks. And we ordered room service every night for grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for our "4th" meal of the day!!!

But it was a great vacation with wonderful memories for years to come...totally worth the two pounds in my book!

[Texed]

I only eat low calorie, healthy foods, like waffles. :D

[BrusselsGirl07]

My hubby and I both thoroughly enjoyed our first cruise and gained heaps of weight! But as we take more and more cruises, we gain less and less. I think you just get used to seeing all of the food and realise you don't have to eat it all at once!!! But we certainly enjoy ourselves and eat what we like, and make sure that after the cruise we have a couple of light weeks to lose what we have gained. Eating differently to at home is all part of the adventure!

[High Seas Texan]

For what it is worth, here is my experience with weight on a cruise: I have lost almost 30lbs cruising extensively sine I retired this past June. At first I thought I would indulge and eat anything and everything I wanted. Beginning with early morning coffee and pastries on the Lido, then breakfast (eggs, meats, sauces, juices) in the MDR, followed by mourning bouillon on deck, then lunch, followed by afternoon tea. Then move onto cocktail nibbles, dinner and the late night buffet. Finish off with cookies and milk through room service before bed.

Could not do it. First morning, got up, enjoyed a bagel and coffee, was full (my usual breakfast), had lunch, and then just dinner. I find it hard to eat when not hungry. The meals, although multi course, are controlled portion size, and smaller than I would serve myself. Also, you have to walk (more distance than you realize) to get to the food venues. Factor in more activity with shore excursions and such, and I just lost weight without trying. Weight has been a struggle all my life, so this is a good thing. Now I weigh myself first thing in the spa, and check every other day, so if I get off course, I can take steps to keep in target goal. Good luck to you all and enjoy the cuisine.

[tcook052]

I half expected the maximum capacity of the elevators on the Solstice to be revised during the cruise due to the weight gain of passenger based on my own experience. Day 1 maximum was 20 while day 3 would be 18 and day 7 down to 12. :D Alas the sign didn't change but I'm still working off the 5 lbs I put on a month ago.

[4774Papa]

Does anybody else worry about gaining weight while on a cruise. There is such an abundance of food. I would not eat buffets for 2 meals a day at home and then a three or four course meal at dinner every day. For a 12 night cruise I am seriously considering bringing a couple of outfits in a bigger size!! LOL It's only my second cruise. The first one was 6 nights and it was not a big deal, but 12 nights could be deadly.

I have been on two cruises in the past year and didn't gain weight of either. I lost 2 lbs on the one last Summer in the Med. We did a lot of walking on that cruise.

 

1) I avoid desserts for most meals. Perhaps 2-3 times in a two week cruise I will have a dessert. Sugar is not your friend.

 

2) I eat salads (I like salads) for lunch instead of burgers.

 

3) I go the fitness center on sea days or days where we arrive at port in the late morning or early PM.

 

4) We generally use the stairs instead of elevators, unless we have many stories to climb and we are in a hurry.

 

5) I avoid sodas, even diet sodas and generally drink red wine in the evening, with perhaps a beer in the late PM.

[4Grandcats]

It's good that the cruise line doesn't charge you for extra weight when you leave the ship - and why doesn't the ship sink a little lower in the water with everyone gaining extra weight.

 

Just came off the Solstice last week - was totally shocked at my weight g ain - I but know most was water weight - my ankles were really swollen and I lost 8 pounds in two days when we got home.

 

Started out good - normal breakfast - salad and grilled chicken for lunch - but that slowly ended in few days. And honestly - the seas were so rocky - I couldn't do planned walks around the deck on sea days.

 

I'm still in the process of losing weight - have lost 90 pounds - maybe when I see 'the new me' - overeating on a ship will not be that important - but that has always been my weakness - indulging in Swan Puffs, Chocolate Souffle, etc.

 

Start now - gradually lose a few pounds before November - then you may even out when you get back. You have to enjoy yourself on vacation. Please do so.

[Valley Girl of VA]

Does anybody else worry about gaining weight while on a cruise. There is such an abundance of food. I would not eat buffets for 2 meals a day at home and then a three or four course meal at dinner every day.

 

We just came back from a HAL cruise and we would get up in the morning and walk the ship (three laps was one mile) and then go to breakfast. We also try to use the stairs as much as possible, eat healthy salads and fruit for lunch; stay away from the delicious waffles for breakfast and away from the pasta and pizza areas. I also go to the weight room and walk the treadmilll or ride the bike (but not as often as I would like). I find just running around the ship from one activity to another helps me keep my weight in check.

[Hollywood Traveler]

Actually.... I rarely gain weight. I tend to eat much healthier, I do not have a car to get around in or a desk to sit at. You walk everywhere and those darn stairs are everywhere. :D

 

You can make out of a cruise what you want I think.

Worked for me. I lost two pounds on a 7-day cruise. Ate in Blu, almost no snacks, took the stairs, walked on port days, etc. Had a wonderful time and never felt hungry. Of course, after eating in Murano, it was almost 24 hours before we could eat again because we stuffed ourselves so much. :)

[CTraveller]

My husband and I didn't gain any weight on our recent cruise. As others have said, you walk A LOT on the ship, and there are lots of healthy options in the restaurants and buffet. We also enrolled in a boot camp class in the fitness center. The class was held on sea days and was a great (and quick) way to get in a hard workout. I'm sure it helped us keep our weight in check.

[lilianani]

From reading the posts of others, I suppose one of the issues to consider is how your shipboard/excursion activity compares to what you would normally do at home.

 

I take one and a half hours of exercise each weekday at home; walk a lot and only use the stairs at work (5 floors each time) which I use many times during the day. So our excursion walking and walking around the ship was not really any different to what I normally do. However, I'm not a gym person; never have been and exercise at home. Consequently, I didn't get my usual amount of toning/aerobic exercise in each day.

 

Now....if each stateroom had a Wii Fit.......:D

[NHRedSoxFan]

I just got back from a RCCL cruise and lost seven pounds.

The ship was so crowded that it was hard to get to the food in the Windjammer, and then by the time you found a table the food was cold. The dining room food was mediocre, so no tempation there.

There's so much walking on those huge ships, that you burn off calories without skipping the elevators. It was like the Royal Caribbean weight loss program. There were four of us and we all lost a few pounds.

[Scotoco]

It is impossible to gair 7-15 lbs. on a cruise. Most of it is water weight which you will eventually lose (unless you keep eating that way when you get home from the cruise). Eat sensible meals and do not overload on things that are bad for you. I usually eat a 4 egg-white with whole wheat toast and some fruit. Lunch I will have some grilled chicken with grilled veggies or a salad along with some fruit and possible a small dessert. Dinner I stick with fish (no sea bass which is full of fat), with salad, soup (non cream based) and a dessert. I try to hit the gym every morning unless I have an excursion. Take the stairs and limit your alcohol intake. I have never gained weight on a cruise.

[jcrandle]

:sarcasm on; The weight gain is due to the fact that since you are at sea level, the atmospheric pressure is higher than at home (Unless you live in Death Valley, in which case you should be darned glad to be on a ship). The higher pressure causes in infusion of atmospheric molecules into your system, resulting in a weight gain!. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! :sarcasm off;