Lose After the Cruise

[sarafs]

Well, I just got back from my cruise yesterday, and yes, I ate untill I couldn't stand to look at food. I was over weight before the cruise, now the clothes I bought for the cruise already seem tight. So I thought I would do things a little backwards.(Or at least try to). I am starting today. I got up and went for a 20 min. walk. I am a teacher and go back to class on Aug. 16. My first goal is to fit nicely in my clothes and my second goal is to lose 20 lbs. ( I could stand to lose much more than that) I felt that if I wrote it down somewhere for the world to see I just might stick to it. So wish me luck and I will report back soon.

[jp2001]

Good luck, and remember : YOU CAN DO IT!

I found the South Beach Diet works well if you stick to it and it is very healthy (what is not the case with some diets, it's more of a healthy life style than a deprive yourself to loose type of thing).

[nalady98]

Well, I just got back from my cruise yesterday, and yes, I ate untill I couldn't stand to look at food. I was over weight before the cruise, now the clothes I bought for the cruise already seem tight. So I thought I would do things a little backwards.(Or at least try to). I am starting today. I got up and went for a 20 min. walk. I am a teacher and go back to class on Aug. 16. My first goal is to fit nicely in my clothes and my second goal is to lose 20 lbs. ( I could stand to lose much more than that) I felt that if I wrote it down somewhere for the world to see I just might stick to it. So wish me luck and I will report back soon.

 

I'll be joining you here as soon as I get back too ! I don't even go until Sept. 17th. I'll be doing my best to continue to lose till then but while on vacation I plan to enjoy the food too. I did it last year and came back the same as when I left, but I did alot of walking and got alot of exercise. We'll see how it goes this time. Good luck to you !!

[WeirdEyes]

Sara ~ I'm in the same boat as you although I went to Great Britain and ate like a little piggy. I have a cruise in 3 weeks and my new size 8 clothes are too tight. So, I'm working like crazy to fit into them again. WE CAN DO IT!! Good luck!!

[sarafs]

Thanks for the support. I have made it through one day :) I hope I can keep it up. I have started diets several times and can't make it one week. I think I really need to stick with it this time.

[sarafs]

It has been one week and I have lost 4 lbs. I know that is not bad, but I was hoping for a least 5 or 6 for the first week. I know I should not complain. I will just keep working. I am still walking most mornings and I am watching what I eat.

[sharonella]

4lbs is AWESOME! If you lose too much (more than 1-2lbs per week) you risk losing MUSCLE along with fat! Remember - slow & steady wins the race. Learn healthy eating & exercise habits to sustain you FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Don't obsess over the number on the scale & you'll be FINE!

 

Walking in the AM is a great way to start the day! Keep up the good work!

 

Sha

[love2relax]

I'm no expert, but a large weight loss, especially after a sudden weight gain like nalady had probably isn't that unhealthy. I just made a piggy out of myself a week before, during, and a few days after my last cruise! I gained a whopping 18 pounds! I have already lost 8 of them in the last five days. I didn't do anything drastic except return to my healthy way of eating and exercising. I hope to drop the other 10 by the time that two more weeks have passed. I consider them a temporary gain....then I can go back to my usual 1 - 2 pound per week loss.

[sweetpea-2]

Well, I just got back from my cruise yesterday, and yes, I ate untill I couldn't stand to look at food. I was over weight before the cruise, now the clothes I bought for the cruise already seem tight. So I thought I would do things a little backwards.(Or at least try to). I am starting today. I got up and went for a 20 min. walk. I am a teacher and go back to class on Aug. 16. My first goal is to fit nicely in my clothes and my second goal is to lose 20 lbs. ( I could stand to lose much more than that) I felt that if I wrote it down somewhere for the world to see I just might stick to it. So wish me luck and I will report back soon.

 

good for you, remember to eat often...small meals but that way you won't get toooooo hungry in between and not as likely to go off it...

[sharonella]

I'm no expert, but a large weight loss, especially after a sudden weight gain like nalady had probably isn't that unhealthy. I just made a piggy out of myself a week before, during, and a few days after my last cruise! I gained a whopping 18 pounds! I have already lost 8 of them in the last five days. I didn't do anything drastic except return to my healthy way of eating and exercising. I hope to drop the other 10 by the time that two more weeks have passed. I consider them a temporary gain....then I can go back to my usual 1 - 2 pound per week loss.

 

Mary - Actually you are wrong - A quick weight gain, then a quick weight loss, can be VERY stressful on your body - especially your heart. On the other hand, if you lost 8lbs in 5 days by just going back to your regular eating habits (& not starving yourself), chances are that a lot of your weight gain was water retention. Still not good for you, but not quite as bad as if you had gained 18 lbs of fat in such a short time.

 

Actually, they've done research on people who have had heart attacks & they've found that a large majority of heart attacks happen on Monday mornings (as opposed to other days of the week) and/or within 24 hrs of having a very large meal. The conclusion was that it's not JUST the fat you may already have on your body (which does play a part), but the additional fats, etc, from the heavy meal most recently eaten, can contribute significantly to your chances of having a heart attack. (The assumption also was that people tend to eat & drink more "treats" & "bad for you" stuff on the weekends than they do during the week, which increased the number of heart attacks on Mondays.)

 

I know that, for many people, cruising is a great excuse to throw your diet to the wind for a week & "enjoy" yourself totally. But a little planning ahead & a few conscious good choices can help you not gain much (fat OR water) & leave you healthier in the long run. While these "healthy hints" are great ALL the time, if you follow them on your cruise, you can enjoy yourself AND not feel deprived AND not come home with a big gain.

 

1. DRINK WATER - have at least 1 glass of water with every meal. Bring a water bottle with you on deck, or carry a frou frou drink glass filled with ice water. Whenever you're thirsty, drink a glass of water first, THEN have something else (whether it be soda, juice or beer), & you'll feel free to sip it & enjoy it. (You may also save a few $$ by not buying as many drinks!)

 

2. Make MORE trips to the buffet line. Seriously - don't overload your plate with EVERYTHING on the 1st trip. Just take ONE scoop of what you want. In fact, check out ALL the food in the line BEFORE even grabbing a plate. Then, choose no more than 5 things that appeal to you most. Sit down. Eat. (Drink water! :rolleyes: ) If you're still hungry, by all means, make another trip to the buffet. You'll be surprised at how many times you DON'T make that 2nd trip!

 

3. Walk around a lot on the ship & in port & take the stairs whenever you can. Believe it or not - in many instances, taking the stairs (especially DOWN) can be way faster than waiting for & taking an elevator. If you're a bit out of shape, think about taking ONE flight up every time. (I started by going up as many flights as I could, then taking the elevator the rest of the way. Now I take the stairs on the ship ALL the time - even if it means I have to rest a moment between floors! :p )

 

PLEASE notice I said nothing about staying away from certain kinds of foods (like cream sauces, sugar, fried food, etc.) - Not a bad idea, of course, but it IS your vacation, after all! More water, moderation in portion sizes & a bit more walking around can make a huge difference in whether you gain 2 lbs or 12 on your cruise.

 

Another plus - besides the obvious health benefits - you won't need to plan your clothes from "skinny" to "fat" throughout your cruise. It's a horrible feeling to realize that the wonderful outfit you planned to wear for the 2nd formal night is now too tight! :( Or your strappy sandals now look terrible on your "waterlogged", puffy ankles.

 

Sha

[sarafs]

Thanks for all the information. Yes, I know about the 1-2 lbs a week. I had just hoped for more the first week. (Fluid and all) I did do well this week also. I have lost a total of 8 pounds in two weeks. Now don't fuss at me for loosing 4 lbs a week. I think the 4 lbs this week was a continuation of the first week. I expcet this week will only be 1-2 lbs. I did not diet before my cruise, so I have more than just cruise weight to loose. Thanks for all the information and support.

[sharonella]

Thanks for all the information. Yes, I know about the 1-2 lbs a week. I had just hoped for more the first week. (Fluid and all) I did do well this week also. I have lost a total of 8 pounds in two weeks. Now don't fuss at me for loosing 4 lbs a week. I think the 4 lbs this week was a continuation of the first week. I expcet this week will only be 1-2 lbs. I did not diet before my cruise, so I have more than just cruise weight to loose. Thanks for all the information and support.

 

As long as you weren't "severely" cutting calories (under 1200 a day), "what you lose is what you lose". Plus the heavier you are sometimes when you start, the faster you can lose at the beginning - water weight & fat! It's when people "starve" themselves to TRY to lose more than the 1-2 lbs a week that gets me "nervous" for them. If you cut your calories too severely, your body will start breaking down the protien in your own muscles if you aren't taking in enough protein, and part of your weight loss will be MUSCLE, not just fat! :eek:

 

Congrats on the loss, Sara!

 

Sha

[sarafs]

I started at 214 lbs. I am now at 208. I assure you I am eating. As a matter of fact tonight my DH and I will be dining out and I will be having a steak. Thank you for all your support and guidance. I really need the support of others to keep up my efforts. I have been a yoyo dieter for years and have been though this before. I have tried just about every kind of diet and guess what -- they all work! I just have a hard time keeping the weight off. I have gone down to to 155 in the past only to eventually put it back on. This time I am not following any plan. I am just trying to eat right so maybe it will stick.

[sharonella]

I just looked back at my weight loss "numbers" from when I started in 9/04. I was 221 & I lost 6lbs in the first 1 1/2 wks, & I was barely "dieting". I started off by going to the gym regularly, cutting back on junk & processed foods, & eating more fruits & veg. I wasn't even "watching calories" (at least not strictly), concentrating more on portion sizes. If I had really cut back to say 1500-1600 a day right from the beginning, I probably could have easily lost an average of 3lbs a week for at least the first month or so. So like I said, it depends on where you start, how fast you will lose weight at the beginning.

 

A 6lb loss for a 150lb person is 4% of their body weight, for a 200lb person, only 3%. That's where it makes a difference. And that's why those last few lbs are always hardest & slowest to lose. By the time you only have 10lbs left, for a 140lb person that's over 7% of their body weight! :eek:

 

Sha

[sarafs]

I just wanted to correct my weight - I am actually at 206 Not 208. Every pound counts when you are dieting.