Best ideas to not gain weight on a HAL cruise?

[Roz]

Thanks for the pedometer/step info. My stride conveniently translates into about 2,000 per mile on my pedometer, so 10,000 steps would be 5 miles.

 

Roz

[magandab]

I usually stay the same or even lose a bit on a cruise, mainly because I am much more active. I've gained a bit of weight over the last year and am just now starting to lose it (4 pounds so far). My game plan:

 

Never take the elevator, use the stairs. It's amazing how much easier this gets over the course of the cruise. Plus it helps avoid being closed in with everyone else's germs.

 

Order what you really want, eat all the vegetables and fruits and half of other items. Then explain to the waiter that YES you really do like the food.

 

On HAL ships, participate in the On Deck for the Cure which is a 5K walk to raise money for the Susan Komen Foundation. It's a win-win. Extra exercise on a sea day and it's for a good cause.

[magandab]

The stairs thing- I always felt I was doing some good by using stairs, but I knew it was only because I hate to wait even one second for an elevator. The truth: you burn like 3 calories per flight. Here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/295787-how-many-calories-do-you-burn-walking-up-stairs-for-20-minutes/. 150 calories for 20 minutes of nonstop, hard star climbing. You could probably expend more yelling BING0 and shooting your hand up :p.

 

The actual calories burned.. maybe that's true, but you DO tighten up the leg muscles considerably by climbing the stairs so you could end the cruise thinner than you started, even if not lighter. I challenge myself on a cruise to do more flights without stopping each time I climb. When I climb the stairs I try to do it at a fairly rapid rate so it's an aerobic exercise for me - plus my mom takes the elevator so I try to beat her there! LOL

[arewethereyet]

The actual calories burned.. maybe that's true, but you DO tighten up the leg muscles considerably by climbing the stairs so you could end the cruise thinner than you started, even if not lighter. I challenge myself on a cruise to do more flights without stopping each time I climb. When I climb the stairs I try to do it at a fairly rapid rate so it's an aerobic exercise for me - plus my mom takes the elevator so I try to beat her there! LOL

I do too. It's surprising how often how often I get there first. :)

[sansterre]

Any suggestions for those of us with knee problems? Stairs are avoided and I reserve the walking for ports and around the ship as necessary. Recently I've done some exercising in a gym, but most of the equipment is hard on the knees. I'm limited to a few upper body machines and some biking and treadmill but those two aren't easy on the knees.

I'm going to have knee replacement (probably next Spring if I can lose 10-20 pounds), but I have a couple long cruises booked before then.

[jaguarstyper]

I have never gained weight on a cruise. I'm not really sure why because we eat like pigs and drink way more than normal, but its never happened. I don't know if its because of the walking we typically do on a cruise. We generally book an aft cabin, so we always have a longer walk to just about everywhere on the ship, we usually avoid the elevators and we always do a lot of walking around at any port. Its a mystery to me, but I'm not going to complain.

[ariawoman]

Any suggestions for those of us with knee problems? Stairs are avoided and I reserve the walking for ports and around the ship as necessary. Recently I've done some exercising in a gym, but most of the equipment is hard on the knees. I'm limited to a few upper body machines and some biking and treadmill but those two aren't easy on the knees.

I'm going to have knee replacement (probably next Spring if I can lose 10-20 pounds), but I have a couple long cruises booked before then.

 

Doing exercise in the pool would be ideal for people with knee issues. Takes the stress off your joints.

[iancal]

It is really not that difficult. Just cut down on what you eat and drink. And eat healthy foods.

[Cruising Ham]

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. :)

 

Congratulations! I was in the same situation four years ago. Lost 25 pounds from January through July, then went on a 12 day Baltic cruise. Neither my wife nor I gained even one pound. Here's what we did (some of these might sound nuts, but they worked):

 

As the ship left port the first evening, my wife and I were in the gym. We were the only ones in the gym. But it's a great view from up there.

 

We walked everywhere. Rarely used the elevator. We even walked around the decks for laughs. We also walked in most of the ports (the Baltic is good for lots of walkable ports, including some really good distances).

 

I didn't bother with the late night desserts they had displayed. Oh, I looked at them, and once something looked so good that I had a small piece.

 

Here is what might be the most "different" idea. We loaded up on breakfast, to the point where we could skip lunch or just get a small snack to last until dinner. We also do this when vacationing elsewhere, if we can. I'm not sure we ever had lunch in the Lido, other than embarkation day. It saves some money on "normal" vacations, but that's not the issue on a cruise. We simply do a big breakfast which lasts most of the day. We're not hungry, we don't eat.

 

It worked for us, but the great thing about humans is that we're all different and everyone's mileage varies. Figure out what might work for you and try it. Lots of good ideas out there.

[adventuregrrl]

Congratulations! I was in the same situation four years ago. Lost 25 pounds from January through July, then went on a 12 day Baltic cruise. Neither my wife nor I gained even one pound.

 

Thanks Cruising Ham. Breakfast is a fav meal, so that would probably be a good strategy.

[sansterre]

Doing exercise in the pool would be ideal for people with knee issues. Takes the stress off your joints.

BINGO - we rarely take our swim suits as we aren't into beaches or pools. But that would be the best exercise for me now. Thanks for the reminder to take my swimsuit!

[LindaM]

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!

 

I think you may be spot on about using room service for breakfast,thus avoiding the wonderful breakfast buffet. That could have been the reason why I didn't gain weight on our last cruise!! I

[brazilgirl]

I have been in a similar situation , losing 15 lbs before a cruise and really wanting to keep it off.

 

My plan was quite similar to others here and successful.

 

Most important.....DO NOT weigh yourself until 5 days after you get home. I weigh myself daily ( it helps me control my wiegth- if I gain a bit , I cut back my intake for a few days and get back to my target). Plus , I always weigh more due to water retention on international flights , takes a couple of days to shed.

 

 

I eat everything I want.....just smaller portions. I tend to favor protein . i have a few bites of dessert unless it is divine , then I may polish it off ( it has to be Realllllllyyyy good).

 

I lift weights , but not on vacation. I just walk a lot and take the stairs as mentioned by others. I also do pilates , but again , not on vacation!

 

I am not a big drinker , which helps.

 

I have 3 kids and I feel good about my weight. I am no Gisele , but am healthy. Go on your vacation and enjoy and don't think about dieting . Just be mindful and don't eat like there is no tomorrow.

 

And , as I said , only wiegh yourself after you get back into your normal routine.....

 

Have fun!

 

Kim

[NoobCruise]

CONGRATULATIONS!! I know what a big accomplishment that is because I've done the same thing.... 23lbs since Jan 1st and I plan to lose 10 or 15 more before we sail Sept 1st. DH also lost 30lbs so we're both thinking about this. Actually, we booked the cruise as our reward for losing :)

 

Plan of Action:

 

No elevators allowed (unless I'm in heels). Always take the stairs.

 

walk the promenade! On the Westerdam, I think it's 3X around the ship= 1 mile? We plan to walk a few miles every day. We also plan to hit the gym too. DH is working with a trainer right now training for the Tough Mudder and the Spartan Race, so I'm sure he'll want to get at least a few workouts in.

 

Meals - for us, it's all about portion control. I grew up being forced to eat everything on my plate before I was allowed to leave the table. That's been a hard habit to break, but I'm learning that that is key to my weight control. I'm not going to deprive myself, but I will control how much I eat. When I'm satisfied, PUT THE FORK DOWN! I will NOT eat until I'm stuffed. I will opt for healthier choices, but again, I'm not going to deprive myself. I will enjoy myself without going hog wild (pun intended lol)

 

Limit dessert and alcohol! If I'm going to drink alcohol, stick to lower cal drinks like vodka and tonic or rum and diet coke as opposed to the ultra sweet foo foo drinks that are packed with calories. I LOVE daquiris and pina coladas, but I'll stick with lower cal drinks.

 

Although I plan to enjoy the dessert extravaganza, I won't stuff myself silly lol

 

Last, I expect I will put a few pounds back on. I will not consider it a failure. Weight loss/control isn't a one time event, but a life long journey. When I get back home, I'll get back to my healthy eating and regular workouts.

 

Good luck!

[adventuregrrl]

Thanks again to everyone for the great tips! I'm back from my fabulous trip to the Southern Fjords of Norway. I'm happy to say that I only gained 4 lbs which isn't too bad given all the good food (including excellent cheeses) on board and the really good Norwegian and Dutch beers we had off ship.

 

I did practice with my yoga on the verandah every morning and kept to smaller portions and shared deserts.

[madera1]

Glad to hear that you had a great cruise and managed to keep your weight under control. Congratulations.

[ElsieToo]

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.

 

Congrats on your loss! That's very impressive!

[legalslave]

In the MDR, I ordered my meals the night before from the regular menu for a low sodium diet. However, I can't resist Escargot night! I only had 1 order istead of two!

 

Diane

[patrick65]

Congratulations on your weight loss. I know how difficult it is to loose. After doing the drill the past few months we know what we should be eating. The secret is to apply that knowledge while cruising. For me I find it easier to eat in the MDR as I can order what I need and avoid or limit myself to what I want. The Buffet is the danger zone for me. A packed buffet plate could easily have enough calories for an entire day. I try to skip the rolls and instead eat a slice of toast at breakfast then have some cereal and fruit or glass of juice. For Lunch I find that portion control is key. Big salads are calorie full of calories once you add all the goodies and dressing. At dinner again skip the rolls and butter. It is presented to you at the start of the meal when you are most hungry. Eat a nice meal but apply what you know and you will do fine. A couple of things to remember is weight gain usually is a build up over time so don't let your fear of gaining a couple of pounds prevent you from having a good vacation. If you see something you really want to eat go ahead and eat it just cut back on items which you could do without. Walking and hitting the gym a couple of times will help and allow you to consume more calories as would be expected on a cruise. Be kind to yourself and I hope you have a great vacation