Any tips for not putting on too much weight!!

[Portugal1000]

I returned last Monday from a week in Puerto Pollensa and am on the 4 night sailing from Sourhampton on QM2 this Wednesday. My father in law keeps telling me you go on a cruise ship as a passenger and come off as cargo! A little worrying. In Majorca I walked over 15000 steps a day and swam all day and still managed to put on a pound. I am starting to think that with all the food on offer it may end up a lot worse than that. I only worry as I am currently with Weight Watchers and have been doing so well, I don't want to spoil it but at the same time still want to enjoy myself. So if anyone has any tips, experiences that would be appreciated. I will have my trusted Fitbit with me and really interested to see how many steps it is to walk around the whole ship.

Thanks

[pudd]

Sounds like you are sensible already. I would advise never using the lifts and always refuse the bread with dinner.

[Tangoqueen]

You're on your holidays so enjoy a little of what you like, just don't always empty the plate. We never use the lift, walk the promenade deck twice a day and visit the gym on sea days. The menu has healthy options so again make them some of your choices. Our downfall is the extra alcohol we drink as at home don't drink on school nights. Oh and don't visit the buffet before you go to bed. Most of all enjoy your cruise and if you put on a few pounds deal with that once you are home :D

[icat2000]

Avoid bread rolls. I find if I eat those I put on weight. I also swim in the mornings and do the stairs.

[Host Hattie]

Portion sizes aren't huge, I would try and stick to 3 meals a day and avoid the buffet.

Depending on where your cabin is you are likely to find yourself walking a fair amount anyway.

 

Most of all, try and enjoy it.

[milamber]

Obvious thing to do is eat sensibly, but that is sometimes hard given what is on offer. We have a small, healthy, breakfast, rarely have lunch, then eat whatever we like for dinner. Difficult to avoid putting on a little extra weight even so, but we rarely put on more than a pound or two on a ten day cruise. Apparently a pound a day is an average for most passengers, though the trainer at the gym said two pounds a day wasn't unusual and he had seen four pounds a day before :)

 

The other thing we tend to do is lose the weight before we go. We are going next week and I'm a couple of pounds below where I ought to be so have a bit of leeway now for the trip!

 

You will also find that that you will do a lot more walking than usual at home, both around the ship and in port, so most people will be doing more exercise than usual. If you add swimming and the odd trip to the gym to that you won't have any problems.

[Tangoqueen]

Not sure if this photo will work but just saw it on FB described as ideal Dieters Cutlery :D

[hancogran]

As previously mentioned, the portion sizes in the dining room are not huge. They also list special "Vitality" menu items which tend to be lower in calories and fat and generally more healthy. Skip the bread basket!

 

After going to afternoon tea once (just to experience it), skip it after that. We skip dessert after lunch and dinner, and if we feel we need something sweet, we tend to go with the no sugar dessert.

 

Walk as much as possible. (3 laps around Deck 7 on the QM2 = 1.1 miles).

[ToadOfToadHall]

and still managed to put on a pound.

 

You are joking right ?

 

Your weight can easily vary by 1 to 2 pounds in a day. A pint a fluid weights a bit over a pound for example.

 

Mind you, the last cruise we were on, 2 ladies at breakfast on the day were actually boasting that they packed larger size clothes for the end of their cruise. That's nothing to be proud of.

[SaylorGirl]

I always tell my waiter I want small portions and many times I will order soup and an appetizer and skip the main course that way I can eat dessert. Or only order the main course and skip the other courses. I also try and stay away from the buffets and eat in the dining room.

 

Since you have a fit bit put it to good use I walk the decks over and over! Plus the stairs will burn off many a chocolate torte. Always climb the stairs plus the ship has a good gym make use of it.

 

But the best part is have fun you are on vacation on a beautiful ship full of wonderful things. Don't spend your time worrying about what you can or can not eat. If you stress about everything you won't enjoy yourself at all.

[jimmybean]

Vow of stairs. Fish for dinner, if possible. Rolls only occasionally. Eat at mealtime, no snacking.

 

Have fun!

[capnpugwash]

Don't swallow the food.

[Portugal1000]

You are joking right ?

 

Your weight can easily vary by 1 to 2 pounds in a day. A pint a fluid weights a bit over a pound for example.

 

Mind you, the last cruise we were on, 2 ladies at breakfast on the day were actually boasting that they packed larger size clothes for the end of their cruise. That's nothing to be proud of.

 

Yes I know it sounds a little ridiculous but I was really going for it exercise wise and walked more steps in a week than I ever have since I got my fit bit 9 months ago. I am back at WW on Tuesday the day before I go so hopefully its back off with another couple aswell.

[Portugal1000]

As previously mentioned, the portion sizes in the dining room are not huge. They also list special "Vitality" menu items which tend to be lower in calories and fat and generally more healthy. Skip the bread basket!

 

After going to afternoon tea once (just to experience it), skip it after that. We skip dessert after lunch and dinner, and if we feel we need something sweet, we tend to go with the no sugar dessert.

 

Walk as much as possible. (3 laps around Deck 7 on the QM2 = 1.1 miles).

 

Thank you for that. I was wondering how many laps I would need to do for a mile.

Dessert is my real downfall and having made the mistake of looking up a couple of you tube videos life on board the QM2 there seem to be a lot of fantastic looking desserts, especially at the buffet.

My mum is so looking forward to it as she has the opposite problem and needs to put on weight after not being well. She lost far too much. So I am guessing this is the place for her.

[Cruise NH]

We were on a 48 day segment of the QV world cruise this year and worried a lot about gaining weight but we didn't want it to affect our enjoyment of the cruise. Here is what we did:

 

We weighed ourselves as soon as (or close to) the time we got on the ship at the gym to set the standard wearing clothes we brought with us. (note: you can only get an accurate reading when you're in port, so don't bother at sea with the ship moving). We weighed ourselves off and on during the 48 days to see how we were doing, this helped a lot to stay on track.

 

We ate breakfast and lunch in the lido almost every day. This to us was easier. For breakfast I had fruit, a chicken sausage and a small whole grain roll with coffee. For lunch, salad with low or no fat dressing, a protein (ex:small fish or chicken) and a small roll. No sugar dessert.

 

 

At dinner, we ate in the dining room and chose from the 'spa' menu sometimes but most often ate a normal meal with dessert.

 

We never took the elevators and walked a lot on port days. We also did laps around the deck but not every day.

 

We did not eat between meals! I think that saved us a lot of calories.

 

We had weighed ourselves before leaving home on our home scale and did

the same the day after we got home. I gained one pound, my husband gained 3. They were all gone by the end of the week.

 

I know going to the buffet won't work for everyone but it really did for us. Just stick to the fruit and salad bars and stay out of the long entrée lines.

 

Good luck.

[pris993]

We eat two meals a day a home, do the same on a cruise. We always have breakfast in our cabin, cereal or eggs. Then a normal dinner, limit to no bread or starches, no desserts... still may be up a few lbs... figure it is the salt in the food as we don't cook with salt at home.

[Jim Avery]

The only way I can avoid weight loss on ships is.......Stay home.:eek::D Otherwise it is usually plus a pound a day.:D

[jimmybean]

BTW, I used my fitbit when traveling on ships and think the steps may be pretty close to accurate. The number of flights of stairs, however, seems greatly enhanced by the ships motion. It's very easy to get 50-75 flights of stairs recorded, when the actual number should be closer to 20.

 

DH and I have never gained a pound on any cruise. The Spa menu choices are great. Desserts aren't overly large. You can ask your server to bring you extra vegetables at dinner. There are plenty of opportunities to be physically active.

 

I think I actually lost a couple pounds on a longer segment voyage, probably because I ordered fish so consistently.

 

You will be fine and you will have a good time and you will not feel deprived.

[navybankerteacher]

Don't pig out. If you maintain your desired weight at home, continue the same diet on ship. If you have one mixed drink and a glass of wine at dinner at home, how could you imagine having two or three drinks plus a couple of glasses of wine - while doubling down on dessert --- all without gaining weight?

 

There are not enough stairs on a ship to offset the excesses some people go to in consuming food and drink.

[Normandie_Nostalgic]

People should not get too concerned about gaining weight on a cruise. It is to be expected, as one obviously will eat and drink more than at home. This is true of any vacation, by the way. What matters is to enjoy oneself. Any excess of weight gained (at high cost, btw) will be easy to lose once back to normal at home.

 

Contrary to accepted wisdom, snacking is a good way to limit excessive food intake at mealtimes. Just keep snacking to what makes sense: i.e. a few almonds, an apple, ... Scones and clotted cream is no proper snacking in that context.

 

As to what to eat, burgers and fries, pizzas and the like are just as bad for you when Cunard makes them, but the food offered in the restaurants is maybe a great chance for some people to eat properly, away from the usual temptations of McDo, Starbucks, Pizza Hut etc.

[keithm]

Skip the bread & butter(or ask for EVO for dipping,instead of butter)Perhaps skip some dessert or ask for an entree salad with lowfat/fat free dressing from time to time. Walk..a LOT! Use the excercise rooms. Do more strenuous excursions.. the list goes on...

[tv24]

Lots of good recommendations here. Gaining a little weight on a cruise or crossing is normal, so don't worry. Our little secret is low carbs...Avoid bread, potatoes, rice. You can eat very well while you are limiting your carbs, and the wait staff on Cunard will help you. Oh, and avoid the buffet, but Kings Court is so disappointing you might want to avoid it for other reasons. But that's another story...

[JollyJackTar52]

I managed to loose almost 4 stone in 12 months by a combination of walking the 4 miles to/from work every day instead of driving and doing a diet called "Fat Smash"

 

I maintained my weight through a 7 day voyage on QM2 also! The trick there, was to only allow one "Indulgence" every day. Full English breakfast? Dinner from the Canyon Ranch Spa menu. Todd English night? Bowl of cereal for Breakfast & salad for lunch. That and an hour on a treadmill in the gym each morning, plus a good walk around the ship every day, and not using the Lifts seemed to do the trick.

 

Once back ashore, I went back to the Fat Smash diet and the walking & the weight loss continued.

Edited June 8, 2015 by JollyJackTar52

[theTom&Carol]

Weight-management 'to-do' list:

 

1. 55 minutes in the gym daily.

 

2. Choose the dinner 'spa' meal; skip or only eat half a dessert

 

3. Only tea (no scones) during afternoon QR events.

 

4. 1-2 hours dancing nightly with diet drink (& plenty of water) for hydration.

 

5. No midnight Lido gorging.

 

6. Keep moving; stairs oftentimes faster.

 

7. Walk the promenade deck daily to see if the Captain is still steering the tug. Try to figure out if there are any kids are aboard.

 

8. Walk a couple miles in port (100 calories per mile).

 

9. Ponder if you can walk 10,000 steps daily.

 

10. Carol would say to keep a food intake log.

 

Sounds rather drab, but what-the-hey.... someone else started this thread.

 

Having said all that..... enjoy your cruise the best you can. Sheesh!

 

2 to 4 pounds/day..... really!?!!

[yrrah]

I have sailed on several fabulous multi-month Cunard World cruises ... and have not gained any weight aboard!

 

In fact, my weight problems occur at home when I tend to eat two meals a day [with only one substantial meal].

 

On board, I do eat three balanced meals a day [and nibble at cocktail time, Teatime, etc.].

 

The secret to weight control, I feel, is to eat those balanced meals in small amounts (i.e., just enough to keep your stomach perpetually "happy" ... so keep the portions small and -- contrary to what your Mother said -- do not finish everything on your plate).

 

Also, avoid eating "white" foods (e.g., no white breads, no white pasta, no white rice, no white potatoes, etc.) ... and minimize sugar, fat and salt intake.

 

You can modify orders (e.g., I order Smoked Salmon for each Breakfast ... but instead of a Bagel I get one slice of whole wheat toast -- saving about 300 calories -- and then just do a very light "schmear" of cream cheese with the condiments).

 

If you feel you can not leave food on your plate, ask your Server for an empty small plate and just transfer some of what is presented on the full serving plate (e.g., treat that as if it were for many at the table). Also, explain to your Server why you are not finishing what is served [so you will not be questioned and made to feel guilty].

 

Life on a ship involves lots of walking [just to get around] ... but you can augment it easily [if not outdoors, long hallways always make a good and interesting walk ... and a great place to wander late at night, when dressed-up, before going to bed].

 

Do not deprive yourself of attending events, such as the fabulous Cunard Teatime: Tea alone is fine [no sugar or cream], a small finger sandwich on whole wheat bread is good and one piece of dry cake or the fresh fruit on a tart is OK too].

 

And, sadly, remember that alcohol has "empty" calories.

 

An adage from my Grandfather who said no, when offered a second portion, saying it would taste just like the first!

 

And, if needed, there is always the Gym [as an aside, I do not use it ... except for the scale to confirm my weight].

 

Good luck and Bon Voyage!