Weight Gain

[lor74]

I have only put on weight on 1 of 14 cruises....that was cruise #2, where I spent the entire week drinking the free lemondade on the Carnival ship......hello 10lbs of weight gain all from sugar! Since then it has been water and/or diet coke.....never gained anything from food.

[momoftwinteens]

I have PCOS and one of the fun side effects of that is easy weight gain.

I'm obese, but currently on Weight Watchers trying to shed the weight with slow but steady success.

On our cruise in September I ate whatever I wanted with the expectation I would come home with a weight gain. I had a goal of gaining no more than 5 pounds (seriously, very easy weight gain), and to make one healthy swap per day (not per meal), for example I got sugar free ice cream one night with warm chocolate melting cake, another day I had shrimp cocktail for an appetizer instead of a bisque.

At dinner every night I had an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, I had an ice cream cone or frozen yogurt every day, and had waffles with peanut butter and a chocolate milk for breakfast every morning.

I came home from the cruise, weighed myself, and lost 3 pounds! I was amazed! But in addition to doing my healthy swaps, we always took the stairs never the elevator, had active shore excursions for the most part, our cabin was in the aft of the ship so it was always a long walk "home", and I drank tons of water and slept really well.

I'm sure everyone's experience is different, but in my opinion, you're on vacation, eat what you want, don't over do it, and try to be active, and you should come out okay.

 

P.S. Sorry for the rant! :)

 

Your advice is very helpful to me..and very comforting, too. I have lost almost all of my weight and I am scared to death that I will go overboard(pardon the pun) with the eating while on my cruise in November. However, I also have an aft cabin on the 10th deck, I plan on taking the stairs as much as possible and also using the gym on all sea days. Our excursions seem to be pretty active(mostly swimming and/or walking) and I plan on starting every meal with fresh fruit and veggies to fill me up. I don't drink alcohol and love ice cold water or crystal light(on my last cruise, I brought those individual packs with me). I'm still very nervous. I have worked so hard over the past year and the thought of regaining my weight has kept me awake at night! Hopefully, by following your advice and using common sense, I will be ok.

[NMLady]

This seemed to be a topic of ridicule by the CD and a couple of comedians.

However, judging by some of the clinically obese guests gorging themselves on board, I don't have such a flippant view.

Do you find yourself over eating to some degree? Or Is the sea air enough to counteract the calories?

 

I eat lunch and most breakfasts every day in the buffet. I am already overweight so I am very careful to take just small portions and only of a few items.At dinner in MDR if I take more than one appetizer then I usually choose a 'light' entree. I often choose fruit for dessert. I don't have more than one soda a day because of the sugar content and I rarely have more than one alcoholic drink per day on a cruise so not too many extra calories from those.

 

I sometimes use the exercycles in the gym. I always use the stairs instead of the elevator if going just one floor.

I take several daily quick walks around Promenade or around jogging track each day of the cruise.

For excursions we do more walking in port cities than sitting on bus excursions.

 

Therefore I rarely gain more than one pound on a cruise even though we usually cruise for two weeks or longer.

[TC1957]

I am a really big guy...but I prefer to say I am "fluffy".

 

For 6 years I dealt with a heart condition that zapped me of virtually all of my energy...even sitting at my desk banging on a computer was hard. Combine that with the many medications and just getting through the day was a success. Late last year we got to the point of basically giving up and made me dependent on a pacemaker. Since then I have more energy because I have a consistent and stronger heart beat. I also have been on Weight Watchers and have dropped over 40 pounds. I work out at least 75 minutes every morning before work...sometimes in the evening I cycle and swim for a bit. Because the medication I took for years has adversly impacted my thyroid the pounds will come off slowly. However, I don't let it bother me in public. I am what I am...and can only work to make myself better.

 

As for others, I will eat what I want and plan to watch the food intake when we start our cruise on Saturday. But if you don't like the amount of food on my plate or think my weight makes me unsightly...look the other way you flipping jerk.

[puschi1906]

I eat a lot more on every vacation than I do at home. I mostly spend my vacations in different countries and I enjoy the local food (and the drinks!).

On a cruise I love the variety and the buffets and especially being on an American cruiseline I enjoy having all the good stuff that I don't get at home (or at least not everywhere and everyday)! Thinking of American breakfast (eggs benedict, I could die for them, we don't get it here!)makes me feel hungry :)

And yes, I gain weight... But I don't care, it's vacation. Being back home makes it easy to lose it, I don't have a car, I'm riding my bicycle every day, walk a lot... and have to go to work without being able of drinking a Pina Colada at lunch time ;)

[abridalmaven]

This seemed to be a topic of ridicule by the CD and a couple of comedians.

However, judging by some of the clinically obese guests gorging themselves on board, I don't have such a flippant view.

Do you find yourself over eating to some degree? Or Is the sea air enough to counteract the calories?

Very rude of you to judge, unless you know the reason for the person's weight, which may indeed be medical, don't pass judgement.

[mein18]

A lot of folk have said the high salt content in the food leads to excess water retention so maybe losing some of I helped?

I like to think an hour in the sauna does some good in that regard

+

 

I believe many on this thread would think you could do some good and walk off that short plank noted by another poster or sit in the sauna until you melt away.

 

Possibly an apology "does some good" for the absolute uncalled for insults you threw around. Get off your high horse Mr./Ms. perfect and realize there are humans reading this board (unlike yourself).

[mrsd912]

Your advice is very helpful to me..and very comforting, too. I have lost almost all of my weight and I am scared to death that I will go overboard(pardon the pun) with the eating while on my cruise in November. However, I also have an aft cabin on the 10th deck, I plan on taking the stairs as much as possible and also using the gym on all sea days. Our excursions seem to be pretty active(mostly swimming and/or walking) and I plan on starting every meal with fresh fruit and veggies to fill me up. I don't drink alcohol and love ice cold water or crystal light(on my last cruise, I brought those individual packs with me). I'm still very nervous. I have worked so hard over the past year and the thought of regaining my weight has kept me awake at night! Hopefully, by following your advice and using common sense, I will be ok.

 

You've got a great plan, I think you'll do great!

Just remember, everyone who's been on a weight loss journey knows that there are week's you can do everything perfectly and not lose anything, or even gain weight. Don't beat yourself up if your cruise week is one of those weeks. Focus on enjoying your vacation. :)

[Keith1010]

The vast majority of people gain some weight on a cruise.

 

I don't but on my first few cruises I did too.

 

Keith

[wineoclock]

I do what I do at home, breakfast or lunch, coffee or tea or piece of fruit at 4, & dinner at 8. Desert every other night & a glass of wine with my meal. I put on 9lbs! Since I've been home I've lost 5lbs. The difference is no desert & no wine.

 

The difficulty for me is I'm limited mobility & part time in a wheelchair so exercise is hard.

[Bookish Angel]

IMO most cruise line food looks better than it tastes and I don't waste the calories on things I know are fattening but not out of this world. On our last cruise I lost about 5lb.

 

 

I always lose a couple of pounds. As at home, I power walk nearly every day, always use stairs, hardly ever drink anything fattening and I don't overindulge. That is easy on a cruise ship - I find most of the food poor to average in taste, regardless of the venue.

[sparky-elpaso]

We try to balance our meals throughout the day. On sea days we'll have a bigger breakfast - omelet, etc. but then have something like a salad with tuna for lunch. We usually eat at the buffet but don't overload our plates - although we usually have a dessert (or 2). :D Port days we just have a light breakfast and lunch may be in port if we have time - we like to sample the local foods.

 

On our 34 day cruise in Australia/NZ (with a couple of days before and after in Sydney) I think I gained about 2 pounds. We walked a lot on excursions and around the ship so I'm sure that helped.

[Zigggypup]

I have found that if I go on a strict diet 2 weeks before the cruise, I don't feel bad if I put on a few pounds.

 

I also try and stay away from the buffet as much as possible. Everything usually looks pretty good and I want to sample everything. So after a little bit of this, and a little bit of that I walk away with a full plate anyway.

 

So for breakfast I just order room service which consists of coffee and a fruit plate. And most of the time I am off the ship for lunch except for sea days. So my real meal of the day is just dinner.

 

Thank God the midnight buffet's are gone.........lol. Who needs to be strapping on the feed bag at that hour anyway.