I Don't Want to Gain 10lbs!

[ElizabethR25]

I am typically a pretty healthy person and exercise 4-5 times a week. I'm going on my first cruise in Oct on the Dream out of New Orleans and while I'm looking forward to plenty of relaxing and soaking up the sun, I also really want to try and stay active so I don't pack on the pounds too much.

 

Are there any FREE exercise classes on Carnival cruises (specifically the Dream)?? I plan on running a few miles on the treadmill everyday and taking the stairs as much as I can, but I would really enjoy some classes.

 

And last question, my husband and I have an interior spa room and it comes with 2 free classes for each of us... He is not interested in doing pilates or yoga, so does anyone know if I would be able to use his classes?

[dmdiver]

All the classes I saw listed in the gym had a price tag. Hubby uses the gym almost daily on the ship. Sometimes we use the track. We take the stairs a lot. Also, we are usually doing water or walking activities while in port. I've gained as little as 2 pounds and as much as 7 pounds on a week long cruise. I typically eat dessert at lunch & supper and consume more alcoholic beverages than I would at home. I will start to lose when I get back home & get back to my normal eating routine.

 

As far as the free passes, we never have had one, so can't give any info on that one.

[brooklynfc]

I can't remember the free classes, but I'm sure they would have a cardio class or something he could pick. But really, most other classes (besides your two free) will cost a fee. But there is a walking/running track outside and the gym, I think, has good equipment. I know you are regularly active, but also, use the stairs for everything and avoid the elevators. The ship is three football lengths and 13 stories high, you can get a workout in if you want to.

[summersigh]

Actually, DH and I lose a pound or 2 on cruises.

We eat a healthy breakfast, have a deli made-to-order sandwich and salad for lunch or a salad with a fresh cooked piece of fish on top from the lido and a nice dinner with an app, salad, entree and desert.

What we don't do is eat between meals nor have bedtime snacks. Rather than sweet cocktails we drink crown or scotch on the rocks.

It works for us :D

[MistyRo76]

I would recommend the jogging track for your runs rather than the treadmill! Can't beat the view from the track and the breeze from the moving ship will help too. Of course, it can get really windy up there sometimes...so that might deter you. Or consider it more resistance for a harder workout! My sisters would walk the stairs just for the purpose of getting a workout in. They would go bottom to top several times a day!

 

Alternate between cocktails and water to help stay hydrated and keep you feeling fuller. We usually bring our Camelback refillable water mugs to lug around. You can fill up at one of several beverage stations on the Lido deck.

[attran99]

If you eat sensibly and move just enough, the damage isn't too bad. I only hit the gym once on my recent 7-day cruise to the Caribbean, but took the stairs everyday (my husband hated me for this), did post-dinner walks around the ship, and took walks along the beach at each stop. I low-carbed most meals (very little rice, bread, and pasta), but did enjoy a few bites of dessert every night. I did have the Cheers package so got my fair share of drinks on the trip...came home and went back to my normal routine the next day. I will say that my dress on the second formal night was tighter than it normally is, but after a couple of weeks at home...everything was in order, again.

There was spin/cycle also available as a class, but I never made my way around the gym on sea day.

[cowboygene]

Reduce your alcohol intake....a Long Island ice tea has 780 calories...that's a lot of trips around the jogging track

[Saint Greg]

Don't use the elevator.

[coevan]

We work out as well. The outside track is nice, but many people are not respectful that it's a track that only goes in one direction. It's pretty annoying while I'm jogging and 4 people are walking abreast in the wrong direction. The treadmills do overlook the ocean, but obviously you do not get the wind and smell of the sea. As someone else said, you do not have to gorge yourself to have fun.

[BlazinSunsets]

Unless you go crazy with food you won't gain 10 pounds. I ate like crazy, latenight pizza and plenty of alcohol and I think I gained 3 pounds but it was a 7 day cruise. I did elliptical in the gym every day for like 40 mins and my phone said I walked like 1-3 miles just walking around the ship. On shore days that went up to 5+ miles for the day.

 

There are classes but I think they do have a price unfortunately.

[Port of Tampa]

Ha ha good luck. My DW and I are always in a cruise competition to see who can lose more weight or gain the least. We chose wisely (mostly) skip the bread basket and desert, take stairs everywhere, exercise usually every day. I do drink more than usual because the casino gives me drinks on us...but stick with beer, hard liquor and avoid the sugary drinks. We have lost as much as 7 pounds on a 6-8 day cruise and other times stayed within +- 2 pounds. After one cruise doing this it has been easy to do over and over and we do not feel we are missing out on anything they have excellent healthy food options.

[cynt]

Take the stairs. You will be fine.

 

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[stevefrisco]

I used to lose weight in cruises when I was younger, but recently I've been gaining 8-15 pounds (no kidding) every time. I think the location of my rooms and drink choices has had largest effect. When we get bottom level rooms, we take the stairs more going up and it's easier to justify taking them going down as well even when tired. On the last cruise we were on deck 8 and didn't take the stairs going up as often unless it was one floor to lido.

 

I also used to only drink light beer, but I've been getting mixed drinks which pick on the calories. I almost always over do it on food but I've been getting pretty bad lately. I gave up bread and pizza for about 6 months before going on the Pride and reverted for our trip. I think I'm going to continue abstain from those things on our next cruise. I will also start drinking regular rum with diet instead of spiced rum. The little things compounded over a week could be the difference between gaining a few pounds and 15!

[ElizabethR25]

Thanks for all the advice and tips! I very rarely drink alcohol so I'm not too worried about overdoing it in that area, and while I thought about running the track, I read that it's between 8 and 10 laps (I've read conflicting reports) to make a mile and I'm afraid doing 30 laps to get to my 3miles might make me dizzy lol. But I love the idea of after dinner walks and active excursions. It's very encouraging to hear that it's possible to stay in a healthy routine while on a cruise!

[crewsweeper]

The best exercise to lose weight is push aways--push away from the table. Just continue to be active and observe portion control in dining and ignore your mom's advice to clean your plate. When you reach about an 7 or 8 on a fullness scale, stop eating.

 

Unfortunately the 2 free spa classes aren't "transferable". You either ruse them or lose them. The gym has adequate aerobic and weight machines to maintain a reasonable exercise routine.. If you do yoga or pilates, don't expect the class on the ship to even be close to intermediate levels. Spin classes are good as they have proper spin cycles. And you can adjust your cadence and resistance level to fit your ability. But spin bikes aren't available for individual use in the gym. They used to have a couple of C2 rowers in the gym, which, if you know the technique and can push with your legs versus pull with your arms, you can get a better work out than on a tread or getting dizzy going around the track.

 

While it's good advice to walk around the ship a lot and take stairs between decks, just be aware, that these aren't weight loss activities. The average person only burns up around 3500 calories in a week walking 10,000 steps every day. Climbing stairs will have exercise benefits, but it's not the weight-loss machine people assume. You'll need to climb up and down 120 flights or so to burn enough calories to counter one Snickers bar. Climbing up burns about 0.17 calories per step; climbing down burns about 0.05 calories. 12 steps to a full flight. You'll end your cruise with stronger quads and calves (or maybe sore knees) but not lose any noticeable weight.

 

So in short, follow any exercise routine you do at home, take advantage of any activities that interest you, walk or climb when possible, enjoy the taste of the food, not the quantity. And don't guilt ride yourself if you over indulge a bit. A cruise is a vacation not a bootcamp training.

[str1861]

I get a cabin on deck one and take the stairs wherever I go, and I'm constantly on the move. I don't touch the elevators once. I eat and drink what I like and don't gain a pound.

[Badfinger]

I am typically a pretty healthy person and exercise 4-5 times a week. I'm going on my first cruise in Oct on the Dream out of New Orleans and while I'm looking forward to plenty of relaxing and soaking up the sun, I also really want to try and stay active so I don't pack on the pounds too much.

 

Are there any FREE exercise classes on Carnival cruises (specifically the Dream)?? I plan on running a few miles on the treadmill everyday and taking the stairs as much as I can, but I would really enjoy some classes.

 

And last question, my husband and I have an interior spa room and it comes with 2 free classes for each of us... He is not interested in doing pilates or yoga, so does anyone know if I would be able to use his classes?

 

Realize the average person would have to run almost an entire marathon to loose one pound of fat (3500 calories). So as stated above, the key is to limit your intake. It is easier to not eat a cheeseburger than to run the 5-6 miles needed to burn it off.

 

To me, the single biggest avoidance would be that first feeding. Watching the massive masses attack the buffet and other food lines once they board the ship is absolutely disgusting. And it is likely they are hitting the feed bag again that evening. Ugh. So skip that first feeding...not only will you save the calories, but your first meal in the dining room will be that much better with an appetite. Beyond that...just the same basic approach..get some cardio and strength training everyday (this might take you all of 60 minutes in the gym...or do some stairs then pushups and setups in your cabin), eat in moderation and watch the alcohol intake and you will be fine.

[Bobkat26]

I am typically a pretty healthy person and exercise 4-5 times a week. I'm going on my first cruise in Oct on the Dream out of New Orleans and while I'm looking forward to plenty of relaxing and soaking up the sun, I also really want to try and stay active so I don't pack on the pounds too much.

 

Are there any FREE exercise classes on Carnival cruises (specifically the Dream)?? I plan on running a few miles on the treadmill everyday and taking the stairs as much as I can, but I would really enjoy some classes.

 

And last question, my husband and I have an interior spa room and it comes with 2 free classes for each of us... He is not interested in doing pilates or yoga, so does anyone know if I would be able to use his classes?

 

We had a Spa cabin on the Dream, we got two passes each, my husband does the spin classes every cruise. They let him use mine and his for his workouts. we went on the first day and booked spa appointments so that might be why they let him use my free classes. but even if you have to pay for them they are usually like $10-15 each. He did three spin classes and one yoga. Enjoy your cruise.

Kathy

[MeganGC1983]

Thanks for all the advice and tips! I very rarely drink alcohol so I'm not too worried about overdoing it in that area, and while I thought about running the track, I read that it's between 8 and 10 laps (I've read conflicting reports) to make a mile and I'm afraid doing 30 laps to get to my 3miles might make me dizzy lol. But I love the idea of after dinner walks and active excursions. It's very encouraging to hear that it's possible to stay in a healthy routine while on a cruise!

 

 

Our first cruise, I was 3 weeks out from a half marathon. The track is NOT for distance running. I extremely dislike running in small circles.

 

 

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[ABCGreys]

I hate the treadmill and at home will run outdoors in any weather to avoid having to use one. That being said, on the Conquest in February, I was on the treadmill. The outdoor track was just too small and congested to be able to get a decent run in.

 

DH and I stayed active through the cruise and we were both up about 5 pounds when we got home. However, within a few days it had melted away and I'm guessing that a lot of it was water retention. Saltier food maybe? There's a lot of good suggestions here. I'm sure you'll do great.

[Katie62]

My hubby and I usually stay in 8th floor balcony cabins and never take the elevator. Stairs are good exercise and we aren't trapped in elevators with coughing, sneezing, and germs. Since we always stay in the aft portion of the ship, we get lots of exercise walking on the ship to the different venues. Also, I walk two miles very early every morning on the track to see the spectacular sunrises. We might get 2-3 pounds of weight gain (we eat whenever and whatever we want....life is short, eat the cake!), but it comes off in no time once we are home and resume our normal activities.

 

 

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[dmet0225]

I'm on vacation. The LAST thing I want to worry about is how much weight I might gain. I'll worry about the extra food (and beer) intake consequences when I get off the ship.

[crzndeb]

Our first cruise, I was 3 weeks out from a half marathon. The track is NOT for distance running. I extremely dislike running in small circles.

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Since I get up really early, I started walking the decks inside. I start at the bottom, go in a complete circle, forward to aft, and then take the stairs to next deck. Plus, you don't get blown around.

[Doggielover68]

I've never gained any weight on a cruise. We walk around the ship so much just exploring, we take the stairs, and don't overeat but also don't miss out on special treats either. We eat 3 meals a day with no bed time snacking. We also drink lots of water and no sugary drinks with the exception of 1 cup of juice with breakfast. We usually go to the beach for our excursions and spend most of the day swimming and snorkeling. I think you will be fine :)

 

 

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[sfaaa]

Skip the elevator and use the stairs.