Those Extra 10 Pounds

[vicky3vicky]

I have no idea if it is true, but I often hear that the typical

person on a one week-long cruise gains an average of 10 pounds. I know that there are people who gain much less [and I assume some who gain more] and that there are people who actually lose weight on a cruise, but those are not the ones I am addressing.  For those who do gain quite a bit of weight, if you had to guesstimate, where did most of that weight come from? My husband swears that over 50%. of it comes from Guys' Burgers. My son says it is a tossup between the alcohol, the Mongolian Wok, and the pizza. For me, it would split between choosing too many appetizers and sometimes a second entree in the MDR, PLUS the room service chocolate cake.

So, for the rest of you, the ones who do gain weight on a cruise, where do you think most of that extra 'tonnage" comes from?.

 

.0

[evandbob]

On last months TA, a 15 day NCL cruise with 4 days post cruise in Barcelona I lost 9 lbs.  Ate sensibly and heart wise (only 1 filet mignon), walked an average of 15,000 steps a day, used lots of stairs on the ship.   Only drank water. No pizzas, burgers or junk food.  It was difficult in Barcelona to find veggies.

 

Came home, sat in front of my computer reading cruise critic and doing reviews on trip advisor and gained 5 lbs right back.!!!!

[MistyRo76]

For me, I think alot of it is water retention. I tend to swell a bit thanks to the salty food, alcohol and salty sea air. I don't go crazy for food. Try to have a small breakfast, reasonable lunch but I do eat a bigger dinner. Overall though, I am eating more than I would at home for sure. Plus all the drinking! I try to steer away from the heavy frozen drinks (only a few all week), but I drink mojitos, martinis, wine, and rum and cokes. So there's that! 

Before our April cruise, I had lost about 14 lbs. When I came home, I was up 9 lbs. I'm now back down to about 2 lbs. over where I was pre-vacay and working to get lower than that. But I had a really hard time getting back in the swing of working out and eating well once we got home. Finally back on track! 

[Sabalon]

I'd say a combo of Guy's, Blue Iguana, Breakfast buffet and chocolate melting cake!    I'm actually planning on hitting the jobbing track this time.   Planning...as in I should but may never lay eyes on the thing 🙂   

[tallnthensome]

Alcohol ...... I'll gladly put on 15 pounds if I have to .... Time for another drink. 

[Lottacruises]

I really find it hard to believe that it's a 10 lb average gain. 

 

For me the foods that I usually don't enjoy that I do on the ship are worked off by the walking, dancing, etc.... 

[coevan]

I believe it's the all you can eat mentality. I have seen huge plates at the buffet. They need a sign "take what you like, but eat what you take" We don't eat more than home and we work out every day, drinking is our problem. alcohol turns to sugar and is very fattening.

[pnsnkr]

Alcohol (cocktails more so than wine) and Specialty Dining (salt.)  In this upcoming cruise, we have both the unlimited dining package AND the deluxe package.  We'd be happy if we gained ONLY 10lbs.

[Fogfog]

I think 10 in a week is unlikely..and it wouldn't be fat--if it was a big gain like that

It would be fluid/inflammation.

 

On our recent 2 week TA I did gain..and yes bev package and large dinners every day didn't help

Also the long haul overseas flight back impacted my weight

 

I dropped 4 lbs in 2 days when back home. That is fluid/inflammation..not fat

 

[Cru1s1ng2009]

mine is a combo of the drink package and breakfast. I usually eat a protein bar for breakfast but since I am on vacation I eat a hearty breakfast because I don't get to do that normally. And alcohol. I NEVER drink as much as I do on board.

[crewsweeper]

Yes people eat and drink a lot on cruises.  But think about it.  10 pounds = 37,000 extra calories. That's  5,300 extra calories above and beyond what you need to keep your weight exactly the same.  So the average person needing 1,800- 2,000 calories a day would have to ingest over 7,000 calories each day and NOT do anything but lie or sit around.  Could be doable, but most likely you'd be full before reaching that amount. 

 

And while kudos to those walking and taking stairs.  The amount of calories burned off in these activities will not keep any weight gain off.  Eating less (under 1,600 calories), more veggies, less sweets, less fats will.

[c-boy]

On 6/14/2019 at 2:07 PM, coevan said:

I believe it's the all you can eat mentality. I have seen huge plates at the buffet. They need a sign "take what you like, but eat what you take" We don't eat more than home and we work out every day, drinking is our problem. alcohol turns to sugar and is very fattening.

😁 lol  ya noticed that too.

[pacruise804]

We are light to moderate drinkers at home (2-4 drinks per month).  We often drink that each day on a ship (and have been considered tee-totalers by some on these boards for drinking that little).

 

We probably have dessert once a week at home, but at least once a day onboard.  A typical breakfast at home is small serving of fruit, serving of carbs (toast/cereal/english muffin), light protein (eggs, peanut butter).  Once a week we have a larger, more protein heavy breakfast.  Cruise breakfast is probably at least 3x the calories (when we are being mindful).  Evening meals are consistently large when sailing too.

 

While we only take the stairs and do exercise, my step count is at most 5K steps higher than at home.  Add in the higher sodium intake which contributes to water retention, and it is no surprise that we gain a few pounds with each cruise.

[stoneharborlady]

Greed

[Kingofcool1947]

On 7/3/2019 at 4:31 PM, stoneharborlady said:

Greed

 

Are you serious?  You don’t consider your comment a bit insensitive?

Edited July 9, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[clo]

On 6/17/2019 at 8:17 AM, Fogfog said:

Also the long haul overseas flight back impacted my weight

 

How so?

[Fogfog]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

How so?

I drank lots and lots and lots of water. Over the 9.5 hrs I was up to the WC about every 40 min. That still.. my feet and legs were puffy

Within 2 days home at sea level I dropped 2 lbs.. thats fluid...not fat and not from the cruise

 

Flying does impact weight...every time.  Which is why elite athletes who are restricted by weight class fly in early to rid the body of fluid weight from flying

[clo]

1 hour ago, Fogfog said:

I drank lots and lots and lots of water. Over the 9.5 hrs I was up to the WC about every 40 min. That still.. my feet and legs were puffy

Within 2 days home at sea level I dropped 2 lbs.. thats fluid...not fat and not from the cruise

 

Flying does impact weight...every time.  Which is why elite athletes who are restricted by weight class fly in early to rid the body of fluid weight from flying

That's interesting.  From what I've known flying dehydrates.

[pacruise804]

I think even (possibly especially) when dehydrated the body can retain fluid, so I could both being true.

[TX Cruise Girl]

I gained about 6 pounds on a 7 day cruise but I think it was a combination of everything.  Before we leave for any trip I'm usually eating right and working out a little harder to compensate for me not doing it while we're gone.  I feel like that backfires on me when we cruise because as soon as I start ordering drinks and eating stuff I dont normally eat my body seems to be shocked.  Within a couple days I feel like I'm already gaining.  I think I'm going to quit purchasing the drink package because I'm pretty sure I drink considerably more than I would if I didn't have it.  That will probably help me a lot.

[stoneharborlady]

On 7/8/2019 at 8:27 PM, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Are you serious?  You don’t consider your comment a bit insensitive?

Since the OP was asking my opinion of why I would gain 10 pounds on a cruise, I gave my honest opinion.  So who would I be insensitive to, ......myself?  I am usually pretty honest with myself, no need to lie.

[gatime]

I can easily gain ten pounds on a 7 day cruise. I don't eat or drink at home like I do when I'm on a cruise but it's still not a lot. It's mostly water weight and when I come home I lose the extra ten lbs pretty fast. My husband eats the same at home as he would  cruising and doesn't gain anything. He's one of the lucky ones that I'd like to punch in the face. 😂

[Gypsymimi]

On 6/18/2019 at 9:48 AM, crewsweeper said:

 

 

And while kudos to those walking and taking stairs.  The amount of calories burned off in these activities will not keep any weight gain off.  Eating less (under 1,600 calories), more veggies, less sweets, less fats will.

Since it's a matter of calories in and calories burned, in balance, that's not really true. I walk a lot more on a cruise- around the ship and in ports. I would guess that the people who spend port days sitting in a beachside bar drinking might gain more. I do walking and snorkeling tours. I've never gained any weight on a cruise. I also like to stay on a floor in the middle so everything is a couple of flights up and a couple down- and I only use the stairs. 

[roomba920]

Desserts and pasta.

I took it all off in a week after a couple days of fasting.

[lenquixote66]

On 6/14/2019 at 4:04 PM, vicky3vicky said:

I have no idea if it is true, but I often hear that the typical

person on a one week-long cruise gains an average of 10 pounds. I know that there are people who gain much less [and I assume some who gain more] and that there are people who actually lose weight on a cruise, but those are not the ones I am addressing.  For those who do gain quite a bit of weight, if you had to guesstimate, where did most of that weight come from? My husband swears that over 50%. of it comes from Guys' Burgers. My son says it is a tossup between the alcohol, the Mongolian Wok, and the pizza. For me, it would split between choosing too many appetizers and sometimes a second entree in the MDR, PLUS the room service chocolate cake.

So, for the rest of you, the ones who do gain weight on a cruise, where do you think most of that extra 'tonnage" comes from?.

 

.0

I never gai. Weight on a cruise because I am in the gym more than a restaurant.