Best ideas to not gain weight on a HAL cruise?

[Minoushka]

Push away from the table ......seriously avoid desserts at lunch ...enjoy only at night share.....do not waste.... and only eat half of whatever you order

[kacurl]

congrats! I know how u feel I have last 15lbs since march and my cruise is in a week. I lost it doing low carb so I don't eat any bread pasta or potatoes. If I really want dessert I will order it take 1 bite and if really worth it take no more than 3. I walk alot and try to always take the stairs. GOOD LUCK

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

No soups , bread , cake ...:):):)

[sail7seas]

Gazpacho is a healthful, low calorie, fat free soup.

A bit of salt but not usually too much.

Whole wheat or whole grain bread and pasta are good in a balanced, healthful diet but to be eaten in moderation.

 

No healthy diet eliminates all carbs...... one should have brown carbs and skip the white food.

 

;) I think we're starting to get close to the "Lose Before you Cruise" forum in this thread. :o

 

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

This advice will work for some' date=' but if one has hip and knee problems, stairs can be difficult. I concur with many of the posters - eating lots of fruit and vegetables, and doing lots of walking both on board ship and in ports. Sometimes I would have the fruit appetizer for dessert.

 

[b']On my last cruise, it was very windy some days, so I walked inside down the corridors, instead of outside on the promenade deck.[/b]

 

KK- You are fortunate that you don't like bread pudding. I love it, but try to eat small portions. It was Passover on my last cruise, so I couldn't have bread pudding for 8 days, as we don't eat anything made with flour during that time. Otherwise, I would have indulged a lot more than I did.

 

I've done that. I'll go to the lowest cabin deck, walk a circuit, then go up to the next deck, walk that circuit, and so on. I don't want to walk the same deck over and over in case somebody thinks I am "casing" the joint or stalking someone. :eek:

[Seavoyage]

We leave next week and I'm having something of mixed emotions. While I'm very excited for our cruise, I've lost nearly 25 lbs since January and I don't want to gain it all back on my cruise. :)

 

I can't find calorie counts anywhere online. I do know that HAL has Spa Menu options and sugar free desserts, but I don't know what those calorie counts will be. My weight loss is mostly thanks to really keeping track of calories through the free Lose It! smart phone app. Does anyone know if HAL makes its nutritional info available anywhere?

 

Absent HAL nutritional info maybe someone knows where I can find current menus and I can estimate what the calories might be. I also plan to do lots of walking and may even make it to the gym.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Hi There Adventuregrrl -

 

Congratulations on your success!!!

I don't think HAL has nutritional info available on the menus but you may want to call Seattle to check....

 

With that - I am a foodie at heart - was heavy and lost it - always have to watch my weight....it's a struggle - and I get what you are thinking. I live by this theory....you have worked so hard to get the weight off - so you know by over eating it will jeopardize your success - so why would you do that to yourself and your hard earned accomplishment?

 

I submit...you will be on vacation - eat what you want however do it in moderation - just believe in yourself and have the will-power to eat for your health!! Given you have lost 25lbs (WOW - so AWESOME) you know what foods are bad for you - eat what is good for you, exercise and reap the rewards!! Put good in - get good out!

 

Have a great time and don't stress about the food - your body knows the deal - just keep your mind in check....

 

Happy Sails Gal...

[adventuregrrl]

Thanks all for the encouragement and sharing these good ideas. I'm definitely going to print out these good tips! I'm going to take things in moderation...drink wisely - avoiding the sugary drink of the day...exercise - take the stairs, use my new travel yoga mat, try out the workout room.

 

Hi There Adventuregrrl -

 

Have a great time and don't stress about the food - your body knows the deal - just keep your mind in check....

 

 

This is awesome advice.

[mamaofami]

The food on board is very very salty. Drink lots of water to get rid of the salt.

[WriterOnDeck]

I agree with other posters regarding the HAL desserts looking better than they taste (and remember -- nothing tastes as good as thin feels, or so I've been told!).

 

On a 45-day cruise last fall, I followed advice of others and asked for a bowl of berries for dessert in the MDR. They were wonderful!

[localady]

I am one of the odd people who manage to maintain or actually lose weight on a cruise. I find the offerings of fresh fruits available and lunch salads items help as does all the walking you do on a ship. We are always in the aft, and with coffee at Explorations Cafe all the way forward, I walk alot. Staying hydrated is really impt too.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Olive1950]

The food on board is very very salty. Drink lots of water to get rid of the salt.

 

... and try not to drink the tap water, as there is residual salt in it. I normally bring my own bottled water with me.

 

It is bad enough that they cook with this salty water....

 

PS: I don't get ice in any of my beverages either.

[travelingteacher2010]

Another way to keep to your foodplan is to avoid the breakfast buffet by ordering room service every morning. That way, you can make good choices that work for you and not be tempted. On our last two sea days we did the breakfast buffet and splurged a bit but then walked a bit more those days. By the way, HAL does have oatmeal for breakfast, you just have to add it to the room service menu. Another thing I love is the fruitbowl in the cabin. Make use of it and give yourself a healthy snack before dinner or lunch.

 

Another tip is to choose your dinner time wisely. On our last cruise we had a late seating and often found ourselves having appetizers or snacks in our room because we were hungry before dinner. Next time, we'd choose the anytime dining option to avoid this.

Like others have said, don't be too hard on yourself! You have truly earned this vacation so enjoy it to the fullest!

[sail7seas]

... and try not to drink the tap water, as there is residual salt in it. I normally bring my own bottled water with me.

 

It is bad enough that they cook with this salty water....

 

PS: I don't get ice in any of my beverages either.

 

 

Noooo, no ice in beverages in the Caribbean?

No way; not me. :D

I need my beverages really chilled and the few times I might have a diet coke, it has to be on ice or I can't stand it.

[arewethereyet]

... and try not to drink the tap water, as there is residual salt in it. I normally bring my own bottled water with me.

 

It is bad enough that they cook with this salty water....

 

PS: I don't get ice in any of my beverages either.

 

I guess I'm not too concerned about residual salt in the water used in the galley. In fact, this sort of pegs my Strange-O-Meter at 100.

[ariawoman]

We leave next week and I'm having something of mixed emotions. While I'm very excited for our cruise, I've lost nearly 25 lbs since January and I don't want to gain it all back on my cruise. :)

 

I can't find calorie counts anywhere online. I do know that HAL has Spa Menu options and sugar free desserts, but I don't know what those calorie counts will be. My weight loss is mostly thanks to really keeping track of calories through the free Lose It! smart phone app. Does anyone know if HAL makes its nutritional info available anywhere?

 

Absent HAL nutritional info maybe someone knows where I can find current menus and I can estimate what the calories might be. I also plan to do lots of walking and may even make it to the gym.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

First of all, congratulations on your weight loss, that's awesome. Did you exercise along with calorie counting?

 

As for gaining it back - since you've been losing weight since January, you know what's "right" and what's "wrong". You are on vacation, so I'd not spend a ton of time worrying about it, but just don't overindulge. Have a bite or two of dessert instead of the whole thing. Walk extra in port or on deck. I find that I maintain my weight on a cruise because we are so active in ports and whatnot, that very well could be the case for you unless you're going to places where the best thing to do is sit on the beach. (I didn't see where you were goin').

 

I do the same thing as sail does, both myself and my boyfriend wear pedometers daily. We have worn them every day for the past 2 years now. It really lets you know how active you are (or aren't). There's one out now that's a little pricy but some people are raving about it, it's called the FitBit. It measures steps taken but also stairs taken (somehow) and can also somehow monitor sleep (i think there's maybe an extra charge for that). Anyway, wearing any sort of pedometer will let you know how you did that day. We tend to get 10k-15k on vacation each day.

[ariawoman]

i have lost 170+ pounds (and kept it off) following one simple rule: move more, eat less.

 

eat what you want, but remember portion control is key. take the stairs. walk around. just move.

 

Wow, congratulations CtheW0rld. You're right. If calories in is more than calories out, we gain weight. It's the most basic way of looking at it, and is one of the ones that people most often overlook.

[ariawoman]

Congrats on the weight loss....BELIEVE me I know how hard it is.

 

But ONE SURE WAY of not gaining weight is to let me go in your place. :D:D

 

All the above is great info. Go enjoy and have fun.

 

Oh i concede, Josie has the best idea, you stay home and we'll all go for you and let you know how it was :-) Great idea Josie!! lol

[Roz]

A couple of you mentioned pedometers. Mine measure in steps. How many steps do you typically walk per day on a cruise?

 

Roz

[vivavegas]

Lots of good tips! I'm hope to try some of them. The mind is willing, but the "flesh is so weak.":)

[adventuregrrl]

Even more good ideas --- thanks!

 

Oh i concede, Josie has the best idea, you stay home and we'll all go for you and let you know how it was :-) Great idea Josie!! lol

 

That's just too funny!!! Sorry - we're heading to the fjords. :)

 

 

First of all, congratulations on your weight loss, that's awesome. Did you exercise along with calorie counting?

 

 

 

Yes - I've been exercising along with staying in my daily calorie limit. I've been taking a Kundalini yoga class twice a week and try to practice a little every day. I've also been doing long walks/hikes on the weekend. I've been using the SportsTracker app to measure distance, time, and calories burned...it tracks using GPS.

[ariawoman]

A couple of you mentioned pedometers. Mine measure in steps. How many steps do you typically walk per day on a cruise?

 

Roz

 

When we are in port is different than on the ship. On the ship we'd get a lot less steps and would have to put in an effort to get to even 4-5k. In port usually at least 10-15k depending on our excursion type that day.

[sail7seas]

A couple of you mentioned pedometers. Mine measure in steps. How many steps do you typically walk per day on a cruise?

 

Roz

 

 

We are concious of how much we walk and are dedicated (for a lot of years now) to getting at least 3-4 miles a day. That is not just from our after dinner walks specifically done for the exercise but the steps we take during the day. It's our goal to have 10,000 steps a day.

 

Given everyone's stride is different, there can't be an exact answer to how many steps = how much distance.

 

My stride is 27" per step. The arithmetic would be 10,000 x 27" = distance walked that day BUT my stride is measured for a purposeful, distance walk and not for the steps taken from stove to sink to refrigerator while I'm cooking dinner, or up and down grocery store aisles and the like.

On average, if my pedometer says 1 miles, I probably have taken about 2,350 + - steps.

 

 

 

[erewhon]

We walk at least 5 miles around the teak deck each day, and use the stairs.

[icat2000]

Eat in moderation, drink water, exercise.

[sansterre]

I have the sunshine parfait for breakfast every morning....yogurt, granola, and fruit. Not sure about calories, but it is delicious and seems to be healthy, as well as pretty and takes a while to eat!