I Don't Want to Gain 10lbs!

[happy cruzer]

You all must have great knees to do all that taking the stairs. Not for everyone. I can do the elliptical and the treadmill but not stairs for me anymore.

[cruisemom67]

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.

 

 

We do this, too. Usually we gain a couple of pounds, but I think it is mainly water weight. Most of the cruises we have been on, we haven't even stepped foot on an elevator. My parents sometimes go on cruises with us, and they will take the elevator. We usually beat the elevator to the top! Unless it is over 7 flights or so....then we try to race it up, and are not far behind.

 

Also, try to drink plenty of water. The water tastes okay, but I don't like water with any taste, so I typically have to push myself to drink more.

 

There are seafood and fish selections all the time. There are also lower calorie desserts, if you choose to do that.

 

We work out almost every day at home, and always do active things while at port. We tend to walk the jogging track during sea days. No, you won't get dizzy! LOL.

[SMSACE6]

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

 

:eek: No wonder I gained 8lbs on that cruise!!!! LOL.

 

Seriously, I agree! Alcohol can be one of the worse offenders when it comes to weight gain.

[crewsweeper]

Again folks, if you're walking and taking stairs and doing early or all day long, good for you!! Keep it up!! But you are NOT doing it to keep the pounds off. You're doing to for your heart, for your mental health, for muscle strength, etc. Weight loss is the last thing that happens and then as everyone of the Biggest Loser contestants discovered only when the portions went down and the diets changed did the weight come off. All that puking and sweating and grunting we saw on TV did zippo.

 

One of the biggest mistakes people make is going," Wow! I just did and hour of Zumba or spin class, ands sweated like a pig. Now let's head to the Cheescake Factory for dinner and maybe get a slice of cheesecake for dessert." Your hour of power gets wasted away two bites into your appetizer!

[CozGurl]

We've decided that just because the ship is a giant floating feed trough, it doesn't mean we have to belly up to it 24/7. It is hard to resist when all of that food is in front of you but I think that is the biggest secret.

 

We're going to make sure we eat the same way on the ship that we do at home. I don't eat breakfast normally and if I do eat something it is a piece of toast or a banana. On the ship I ate a full breakfast including a donut or some other sweet for dessert. No wonder I gained 7 pounds!

 

Same with dinner, I don't eat an app, salad, entrée and dessert everyday. No reason to do that on vacation.

[ElizabethR25]

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.

 

 

I will definitely make an effort to exercise my self-control during meals. I'm not really looking to lose weight... I just don't want to gain 10 pounds by day 2 and then look like a beached whale in my swim suit for the rest of the trip :')

 

I usually only drink water throughout the day (and a lot of it) but I've heard that the water on the ship isn't that great and I don't want to have to pay for 10 bottles of water every day... maybe if they have lemons I can add a little lemon juice to help it taste better.

[grapau27]

:eek: No wonder I gained 8lbs on that cruise!!!! LOL.

 

Seriously, I agree! Alcohol can be one of the worse offenders when it comes to weight gain.

I agree because we rarely drink at home but with the Diamond lounge and other bars our intake is quite high.

I eat more but try to use the weight machines in the gym everyday and always put on 7 lbs during a 7 day cruise

[andrew2346]

The 80/20 rule is good to remember. 80% of what you look like/weigh is what you put in your mouth. The other 20% is the gym. "Staying active" is great but I would not count on that helping you not gain weight during the cruise. Since you are worried about it I will give you tips that worked for me. Keep in mind that when you go home and go back to your normal eating habits the few pounds will come off so live a little : ) I do not limit my alcohol intake but I also do not order any of those frozen drinks. 2 probably have enough to equal a full days calories for someone that watches what they eat. I stick to beer and wine.

--no frozen drink

--no bread at dinner

--my normal breakfast (whatever you normally eat at home)--I like a made to order egg white omelets with veggies

--salad app and no soups/entree (whatever) and I always order 2 desserts : )))) lol --oh and I order a plate full of steamed veggies with my entree and skip the carbs that come along side

--lots and lots of water

--no dessert at lunch

--skip the fruit

--never take an elevator

 

So really it is a trade off of things. I do not limit my alcohol and I eat 2 desserts but I am mindful of the cheese/carbs/sugar during the rest of the day.

 

Have fun!

[grapau27]

The 80/20 rule is good to remember. 80% of what you look like/weigh is what you put in your mouth. The other 20% is the gym. "Staying active" is great but I would not count on that helping you not gain weight during the cruise. Since you are worried about it I will give you tips that worked for me. Keep in mind that when you go home and go back to your normal eating habits the few pounds will come off so live a little : ) I do not limit my alcohol intake but I also do not order any of those frozen drinks. 2 probably have enough to equal a full days calories for someone that watches what they eat. I stick to beer and wine.

--no frozen drink

--no bread at dinner

--my normal breakfast (whatever you normally eat at home)--I like a made to order egg white omelets with veggies

--salad app and no soups/entree (whatever) and I always order 2 desserts : )))) lol --oh and I order a plate full of steamed veggies with my entree and skip the carbs that come along side

--lots and lots of water

--no dessert at lunch

--skip the fruit

--never take an elevator

 

So really it is a trade off of things. I do not limit my alcohol and I eat 2 desserts but I am mindful of the cheese/carbs/sugar during the rest of the day.

 

Have fun!

True because after 7 days back home i have lost the 7 lbs i put on during the cruise.

[tracy b]

I ask the waiter to always have the fruit plate (on the dessert menu) at my table before I sit - this way I am not tempted to eat the bread...dessert - I take three bites and three bites only, just to get the taste. Walk for at least a half an hour after dinner...especially if you have late seating. I always gain a few pounds but it comes off when life gets back to normal. This is a vacation...relax and enjoy.

[coevan]

We are pretty active, go to gym at home, eat fairly healthy and drink moderately. We also take the stairs as much as possible, but after a very active and alcohol infused shore trip, entering the ship on deck zero. We had a deck 12 spa cabin. There was no way we were going to climb 12 decks, elevator please.

[Saint Greg]

We are pretty active, go to gym at home, eat fairly healthy and drink moderately. We also take the stairs as much as possible, but after a very active and alcohol infused shore trip, entering the ship on deck zero. We had a deck 12 spa cabin. There was no way we were going to climb 12 decks, elevator please.

 

 

That's usually the exception to the rule. I have done it...to lido deck...but I don't drink much if at all in port. It was still rough after walking around port all day.

 

The number of people who wait on an elevator to go up or down one floor is astonishing though.

 

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[sfaaa]

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[deborahjo]

We walk walk walk. No big deal. Rarely gain more then 3 pounds if any at all. Eat what ever we want when we want. It is vacation.

 

 

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[lenquixote66]

I am partially disabled . I am in the fitness center 7 days a week. I try and walk at least 4 miles in each port .I endeavor not to eat in between miles and stay away from junk food.

[Frank12]

You're on vacation. Worry about the couple pounds you'll gain when you get home!

[tekzilla]

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

 

Or make better drink choices.... plenty of alcoholic drinks you can order that are far less caloric then a Long Island.

[Saint Greg]

You're on vacation. Worry about the couple pounds you'll gain when you get home!

 

Everyone is different. I would pack on a lot more than a couple pounds with that attitude.

[Saint Greg]

Or make better drink choices.... plenty of alcoholic drinks you can order that are far less caloric then a Long Island.

 

Glenlivet pour example.

[Drose716]

I gained about 5lbs on my last 6 day cruise. However, probably 4 of that came off within a few days of being home. The salt kills me. I always swell up a bit on a cruise.

 

I did not hit the gym once. I have just recently started a workout routine at home so it was no loss back then. I ate a sensible breakfast. Every morning I had an eggwhite omelette, some fruit & my only treat would be some breakfast potatoes some mornings. Just like at home. I skipped the syrup & sugar covered french toast. I don't eat like that at home & couldn't stomach 6 days of that at sea.

 

For lunches there's salads, grilled chicken, deli options... plenty of sensible choices. I did allow for some cheat days, but usually skipped mid-day desserts except for an occasional frozen yogurt because I had to.

 

As others have said, plenty of sensible dinner choices available too. Go easy on the bread basket. Share an appetizer (not that they are usually large to begin with). After dinner dessert was usually my biggest "aw hell I'm on vacation!" cheat.

 

For alcohol, I limited frozen drinks to 1 or 2 during days hanging on lido & stuck with liquor & diet soda or the like for evenings to save on calories. Honestly, the juice in all those fruity drinks gets nauseating quickly. I personally find eating & drinking drastically different from home really isn't sustainable over a week unless I want to feel sick to my stomach for my vacation.

 

I skipped the elevators usually, walked the equivalent of miles around the ship just during regular axtivities & did at least 2/3 excursions that required lots of movement. You can possibly expect to gain a little in tje name of having some fun & letting go, but unless you really go allllll out, I doubt it will be near 10lbs!

[tea4ular]

Even at home I walk 3 miles a day (1 hour) and do yoga regularly - on every trip I still do my daily walk (headphones on, usually after dinner), take the stairs (both up and down...they're steep going up!), and get a yoga session in daily (independent, I'm not fond of their classes). Add to that swimming in port, and I actually come back fitter than I left! And I don't scrimp food wise. It's not difficult to stay active on a ship. The gym equipment is very good quality. I do wish they'd add some water aerobics -

[bingomamma19]

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?

 

I have never watched my eating on a cruise and always lose a few pounds. I walk so much everywhere and I dance a lot :)

[Yvonne]

I saw your thread title and thought to myself "go on the Dream, you'll actually lose weight" and then opened the thread and saw that you ARE going on the Dream. LOL!!

 

Normally I gain 2-3 pounds on a cruise, and just take it off when I get home. To me a cruise is a luxury, and one that I'm not willing to stick to a diet on.

 

But. Our last cruise was on the Dream in January and I actually lost 4 pounds. Not by choice, and I didn't use the walking/jogging track or go to the gym. To me the food has gone downhill and there were many times I didn't find much that I wanted on either the buffet or MDR. Oh, I didn't starve, but I didn't over-indulge either. I found much of the food choices pretty disappointing on the Dream. Some were good, and a few were great, but mostly just disappointing.

[April42749]

I was diagnosed with breast cancer 10/15 and weighed 162 lbs. I decided it was time to get my health in order and went on a "health diet". No counting calories....just relearned everything...and know what to eat so and how to exercise. So, now I'm 118 lbs..healthier than ever and at 68, "hotter" than I've ever been in my life (In fairness...I work with a nutritionist and exercise consultant from the hospital.)

 

I go to the gym a few times a week, a class or 2, and treadmill. It does burn calories...if you set it at an incline. I burn 400 calories at 2.7 mph....8% incline (it's walking pace) in 52 minutes.

 

Cruises are my "rumspringa". I eat healthy....don't touch what I wouldn't eat at home....but I allow myself 1-2 treats per day (ice cream, cake). And...I do the treadmill and I walk up the stairs. I've had 5 post cancer cruises....each time I come home carrying a few extra pounds...but I get right back into my routine and within a few days I'm back to my weight.

 

I don't think the OP is a fat old lady with cancer, but I'm just posting to show that as long as you don't go crazy, even if you put on a little bit...as soon as you get home "watch it" and you'll be fine.

 

As my dietician says "You have to live too".

[summersigh]

The number of people who wait on an elevator to go up or down one floor is astonishing though.

Some of those people have health issues that prevent them from climbing stairs without paying a physical toll ... hearts, or breathing, or joint problems like knees or backs.

 

Of course it's not all the folks that elevator 1 floor but I'd guess it's a good percentage of them.:(