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The Next Cruise Fitness Plan


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I had several fitness goals before my Explorer of the Seas cruise in March. They were:

 

-go to gym at least 4-5 times (9-day cruise)

-avoid heavy carbs like bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.

-Have a big salad FIRST before sampling the other items at the buffet or dining room

-avoid elevators as much as possible and use the stairs

-don't go overboard on desserts

-don't go overboard on alcohol

 

The conundrum is that I wanted to have a pretty-healthy cruise but at the same time I was on vacation and I wanted to enjoy myself. So I needed to find that right balance. I knew I was going to put on a few pounds but I just wanted to limit the amount that I put on.

 

GYM

I passed this test with flying colors, going 6 times on the trip (an all-time high for me). I stuck to cardio for the most part to burn off those extra cruise calories.

 

CARBS

Another win for me (if you are grading this pass/fail). I knew I would have some late night pizza and sandwiches in the Cafe Promenade but I didn't overdo it like I have on previous cruises. I stayed away from the pre-dinner rolls and any potatoes, rice, etc.

 

SALAD FIRST!

Fail, absolute fail. On the days when we went to the windjammer buffet before going to the pool or beach I wanted to fill up on a big salad first and then sample some of the other food but I didn't. I was lazy and went right for the good stuff.

 

STAIRS

This one is usually an easy win for me and it was again on this trip. When I am walking by myself I always take the stairs however sometimes when my GF is walking with me her asthma starts to bother her so we elect to take the elevator.

 

DESSERTS

Another fail. I ate way too many sweets and this was one that I thought I would do very well at.

 

ALCOHOL

Annnndd another fail. I don't drink much at home, usually only on Sundays during the NFL season and some other random dinners or get togethers, but not consistently. And when I do drink it is usually my beer of choice: Corona Light. Unfortunately Royal Caribbean only carries Corona and not Corona Light so I chose the regular Corona throughout the week instead of other light beers. I used to drink grey goose and soda with a lime but vodka gives me terrible heartburn. And I do not like any other hard alcohol.

 

Even with going to the gym six times I still managed to gain 7 lbs. on the trip. That's the bad news. The good news is that I lost it all (and the swollen ankles!) in about a week or so after I returned home and got back to my healthy lifestyle.

 

So for my next cruise (August 31st) my goal will be to:

-Go to gym 4-5 times (7 day cruise).

-Have sweets no more than once a day. And if I do decide to grab a cookie at the Cafe Promenade or windjammer, take ONE and not 3-4.

-Do exactly what I did with carbs & stairs on the last cruise

-SALAD FIRST. Enough said. This needs to be done.

-Light beer or vodka & soda when I do decide to drink. This will be the toughest since I love Corona.

 

Any thoughts/tips? I would love to hear other people's cruise fitness goals.

Edited by Yorkvillain
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  • 2 weeks later...

My goal is always very simple and that is to leave the cruise at the same weight that I boarded the cruise at.

 

Knowing I will eat more on the cruise I increase my exercise on the ship and in port. On the ship I do various cardio exercises and off the ship more walking. Also, I don't use elevators on the ship and walk the steps.

 

I try to eat healthy and there are many excellent choices and I avoid the buffets. At the same time I want to enjoy so I will have some items with more calories but the key is moderation and again exercise.

 

Keith

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  • 6 months later...

Yorkvillain I like your fitness goals. I may actually implement them for my first cruise coming up Jan. 30 on NCL Gem. I'm very active now and typically eat healthy but on the cruise I planned on just relaxing and eating whatever but I know that'll lead to a lot of disappointment once I step on the scale. Now is the time I usually start preparing for obstacle course races and losing holiday weight.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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My 2cents is on vacation it is next to impossible to break routines that you do at home.

 

I find I exercise more on vacation, simply because I have more time. Find I do that at home if I have time, never a problem for me to burn more calories between gym and port or other high energy activities.

 

As to eating, pretty much eat the same way at home as on vacation if presented the same goodies. That is the larger challenge with all the cruise sit down goodies :D

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  • 6 months later...

I think you should just relax a little bit more. 1 week is not going to make or break your big goals. I am extremely active, and I lift weights 5-6 days a week. Yet on a cruise, I eat what I want, and we normally do the beverage package so I drink what I want(which is normally a lot.) ;) The big difference for me is I truly do enjoy salads, and lean meat, and I don't like most sweets. I do try to go to they gym 3-4 times on a typical 7 day cruise. I normally come home the same weight, or 1-2 lbs over, which I drop in less than a week. If you are like us you only get to go on vacation 2-4 times a year, so enjoy it!

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