Losing weight on CB?!

[lw4484]

I'm doing the unthinkable... Going on a cruise in the middle of getting my life back. I don't want to sabotage my weight loss efforts by eating all the delicious foods (oh but how good they are... Damn!) so I am wondering what suggestions you have for continuing my weight loss on board (other than the everyday tips).

 

I plan on doing the buffet as seldom as possible but my family enjoys it because its much faster. Sigh! Are there any Weightloss meetings on board? Also, what can I expect from the gym? What has made you successful at losing weight while on the ship?!

 

Thanks friends! :)

 

 

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[wineforhealth]

For extra exercise try avoiding the elevator and use the stairs. It can get to your legs towards the end of the cruise.

 

Wish I could help on eating tips, but I'm a bad boy on cruises.

[Pam in CA]

Not at all unthinkable. I've never gained weight on a cruise and often lose, and it's not deliberate nor do I deprive myself.

 

I love salads and fruit which are in abundance on the ship. I try everything but finish only what's really good, i.e., I allow myself to be picky. I ask for entrees without the sauce, baked potato instead of creamy or salty potatoes, steamed or broiled vegetables, etc. I'm not big on breads, cakes or pies and often have sorbet for dessert. I eat until I'm no longer hungry rather than until I'm "stuffed." I don't really exercise but I do try to take the stairs down when I can or up if I'm going a deck or two.

 

The bottom line is to use common sense when making food choices.

[lw4484]

Not at all unthinkable. I've never gained weight on a cruise and often lose, and it's not deliberate nor do I deprive myself.

 

I love salads and fruit which are in abundance on the ship. I try everything but finish only what's really good, i.e., I allow myself to be picky. I ask for entrees without the sauce, baked potato instead of creamy or salty potatoes, steamed or broiled vegetables, etc. I'm not big on breads, cakes or pies and often have sorbet for dessert. I eat until I'm no longer hungry rather than until I'm "stuffed." I don't really exercise but I do try to take the stairs down when I can or up if I'm going a deck or two.

 

The bottom line is to use common sense when making food choices.

 

Great input, thanks so much Pam! Never thought about asking for alternatives in the dining room. So glad to know that we're able to do that and I will surely be doing so!!! Thanks! :D

[san diego sue]

I went on a cruise two years ago in the middle of my Weight Watchers

new life style way of eating. It was a long cruise 35 days. Gained no weight. Didn't lose either but once home the weight continued to come off. I have maintained my weight loss.

We cruise often. Take the stairs, try not to eat the rolls at dinner, seldom have dessert, just once in a while icecream, eat Fish for main course in evening. It is light and filling. Stay away from anything with cream sources, no pastas (sometimes just taste it), seldom eat meats, mostly fish and chicken. Low fat Balsamic salad dressings, steamed Vegetables instead of veg. soaked in butter, no mashed potatoes instead baked with nothing on it but a little butter. Wine okay, but not in excess. Do a lot of walking in ports, on deck, If you drink booze, no drinks with lots of sugar, have booze straight or on the rocks.

 

[jean s]

I have never gained weight on a cruise. I only eat in the dining room so I am not tempted by too many choices in the buffet. I request fruit for our room for snacks. And I think what helps the most is walking a minimum of two miles a day on the promenade deck. I agree with everyone else about not taking the elevator...stairs provide a lot more exercise.

[gkny]

I walk as much as possible on the ship.

[tarps]

Participate in Simone's Zumba class ..... she holds them on sea days. Loads of fun and I had never done Zumba before ....... did my best, worked up a sweat and enjoyed it.

[bassmaster150]

use the stairs ALWAYS, and eat by the clock......instead of a few big meals each day, eat like 6 or 7 small meals every couple of hours....keeps your body metabolizing. Also, drink LOTS of water.

[azdmelani]

I'm doing the unthinkable... Going on a cruise in the middle of getting my life back. I don't want to sabotage my weight loss efforts by eating all the delicious foods (oh but how good they are... Damn!) so I am wondering what suggestions you have for continuing my weight loss on board (other than the everyday tips).

 

I plan on doing the buffet as seldom as possible but my family enjoys it because its much faster. Sigh! Are there any Weightloss meetings on board? Also, what can I expect from the gym? What has made you successful at losing weight while on the ship?!

 

Thanks friends! :)

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums

 

 

I completely understand that mentality. For breakfast I prefer the buffet and get lots of fruit and an egg white omelette.

 

At dinner you can always order salmon or chicken breast with veggies, salad, shrimp cocktail. Their ice creams and sorbets are good too if you want a sweet treat.

[azdmelani]

Also, the onboard gym is great. They will have free classes such as stretching, abs and then classes you pay for, such as tour de cycle (spin).

[Mrsdigi]

Don't beat yourself up if you do gain. Just remember portion control and exercise. I try to break even while on vacation-no gain and no loss. Have CB was my first cruise.

[jsiegel]

I concur with the others. One of the tricks to not gaining and even losing weight on a cruise is to take the stairs as much as possible. My last few cruises I've been able to lose weight by doing that, by going to the Zumba sessions (dress appropriately, you will SWEAT), and avoiding breads and pastas as much as possible. I make sensible choices at meals but don't deny myself good eats.

 

The gym can get very busy but has treadmills, elliptical machines, free weights, weight machines, and other equipment all for free use. There are also classes, such as spinning, for a fee, usually about $10.

 

Jackie

[txgood]

Going on a cruise in the middle of getting my life back. I don't want to sabotage my weight loss efforts by eating all the delicious foods

 

My wife and I can feel your pain. We have been doing very good on WW and have been making steady progress. We are both happy with the consistent loses we have been seeing and don't want to totally sabotage ourselves. It's about changing our lifestyle, not being on a diet forever!

 

We enjoy eating out and eating well even at home, but have just been making better choices, especially on portion control. We plan on enjoying the cruise and the food (especially the food), but know that we will just have to limit ourselves sometimes instead of totally stuffing ourselves. And we will of course try to get some laps around the deck and the stairs in as much as possible.

 

Only 10 more days until we sail.

[KPLIONMA]

We went on the Ruby for a Med and Greek Island cruise last fall for 12 days..This was the first cruise that I didn't gain any weight but of course every excursion involved a lot of walking. We enjoyed our 3:00 snack of pizza and beer and 2nd seating in the dining room every night. We didn't over load our breakfast plates either. If we were close to the deck we wanted, we walked up or down.

 

Sit back and relax..the whole idea of a cruise is to ENJOY IT !!

[Happy2cruise]

Just like at home, healthy choices and portion control and even sharing a treat;)

[nurse@sea]

I have never denied myself on a cruise. Im on a weight maitanance program and a diabetic diet, but i find that I always lose between 2 and 5 lbs. I attribute this to regular meals, fruit as snacks and we usually have an aft cabin!! This alone is great exercise when you have to walk back and forth the length of the ship to get where you want to go. Taking the stairs helps too. I also dont consume a lot of alcohol, maybe one or two margaritas and a few glasses of wine a cruise. Have fun and enjoy!! Real life will be there when you get back!!

[caribill]

Their ice creams and sorbets are good too if you want a sweet treat.

 

And at lunch and dinner in the dining roiom, there is always a sugar-free ice cream option.

[Loreni]

DH and I both lost over ten pounds each on our 28-day cruise. We did not deprive ourselves. We never ate at the buffet. I am concerned about your family's desire to eat fast. Why rush meals, especially on vacation? Eating slowly allows your mind to register that you are full. I can see if you are running late for a show or an excursion, though. We don't go to shows, so for us this isn't an issue. I really have no advice for the buffet.

 

We were actually afraid that we would gain weight on such a long cruise, so we took a number of precautions so that we would at least maintain our weights; imagine our shock to find that we had lost so much weight! Here is what we did.

 

We made a sincere effort to eat more fruits and vegetables and less grains and potatoes. We had pizza three times in 28 days, rolls maybe twice a week, pasta maybe twice a week. If I had some pasta at lunch, I would not have it at dinner. If I had a roll at lunch, it was maybe only half a roll and then none at dinner. We had salads with both lunch and dinner. We had ice cream for dessert at lunch and sorbet for dessert at dinner. Each day, I did try a treat at International Cafe, but usually only ate half. The International cafe has great salads, I would usually snack on that when hungry around 3 or 4 pm, rather than sweets. Never tried the panini.

 

We ate a full breakfast every day in the dining room: yogurt, fruit, eggs...maybe a little bacon, maybe ½ of a pastry, but usually no pastry...no juice. We had lunch as often as possible in the dining room and always dinner in the dining room around 8 pm. We drank very little alcohol, no sweet beverages of any kind....same thing we do at home.

 

We walked three times a day on the promenade; once between breakfast and lunch, once between lunch and dinner, and once after dinner...tried to do a mile each time. I don't like the gym onboard. We brought dumb bells that we filled with water and did light weight training every other day unless we were in port that day. It was really a very painless diet and exercise regimen. I have not been able to fully maintain it at home, but have not regained any weight either.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Loreni

[caribill]

We walked three times a day on the promenade; once between breakfast and lunch, once between lunch and dinner, and once after dinner...tried to do a mile each time. I don't like the gym onboard. We brought dumb bells that we filled with water and did light weight training every other day unless we were in port that day. It was really a very painless diet and exercise regimen. I have not been able to fully maintain it at home, but have not regained any weight either.

 

I assume that is because your home does not have a Promenade deck.

[Happy2cruise]

i assume that is because your home does not have a promenade deck.

Wrong post answered...sorry

Edited February 6, 2014 by Happy2cruise
error

[Loreni]

I assume that is because your home does not have a Promenade deck.

 

Yes. I think this is the problem.

[davekathy]

Get up early and use the gym, do a couple laps around the walking track (mornings before 8: AM, less people) use the stairs instead of elevators, way too much good food to enjoy on Cruises so don’t deprive yourself but discipline yourself how much you eat and stay out of the buffet. The only time we go to the buffet anymore is to build a cheese plate (no crackers) to have in the cabin with a glass of wine before the evening meal.

[more cruises]

Just don't say to yourself "I'm going to blow my diet and then get back to it when I get home" because it is so hard to get back to that pre cruise mentality. Stick with your diet plan as much as possible on the ship and only splurge on something special that you would never be able to find at home.

 

The buffet is not your enemy. They usually have fish, always have salads and fruit. Take a small plate, not the big platters

[simbasmom]

It can be done! Our son lost 40 pounds in his first few months as a musician on Princess Cruises (planned weight loss). Although he ate every meal in the Horizon Court, he really focused on fruits and veggies. Every day he'd hit the gym (he pointed out the beautiful views from the treadmills) and almost every day he'd run around the decks on board. In case anyone wonders, no, the job of musician itself doesn't involve much of any weight-losing activity (as some crew jobs might).