Ladies what is your secret?

[vacationlover_mn]

i always gain 5 to 7 pounds when i cruise. Tell me your secrets to not gaining while cruising. I'm not into exercise or fitness and usually do not eat more than twice a day when at home but it is so tempting with all that food not to eat 3 maybe 4 times a day. Then there are the wonderful drinks. So please enlighten me.

 

I try my best to do the following... only do wine and mixed drinks with lo-cal mixers. I saved a ton of calories by drinking diet sprite/cranberry/vodka, instead of the normal fru fru drinks. Also, I may order several items, and eat many times a day, but I try to just take a few bites of everything, and stop eating when no longer hungry, rather than eating until full. I also try to take the stairs at all times. However... I still almost always gain a couple of pounds :)

[mimi217]

I usually gain between 3 and 5 lbs every time I cruise. I watch what I eat, walk everywhere and don't even drink that much. My solution is I try to loose weight before the cruise ! Like some of the others I do get alot of water retention

[queenfrostine22]

Use the stairs as much as possible.

Try the fish/seafood only rule.

Steer clear of the ice cream machines.

[Ski-Lady]

We always book an aft cabin.;)

[Ellceee]

Cut carbs except for dinner time if I feel like something. Also, I hit the gym most days. I want to indulge a little and I also want my pants to fit when I come home. Can't have it all unless I'm okay gaining a lot of weight. My first cruise - I was a bridesmaid with a very fitted dress to wear in 2 weeks after. I followed this and continue to follow on all cruises/vacations.

[alishac]

Years ago, I used to gain weight on every cruise. Couldn't figure it out since I walked more on the ship than at home and watched everything I ate. My clothes would be tight and shoes, oh my! I finally realized a lot of it was water weight...I think just breathing that salt air does it! Anyway, talked to the Dr and he prescribed a mild diuretic ...haven't had to deal with swollen feet or weight gain since. I do remember a number of years ago there was a thread very similar to this and people were recommending (I think) taking sour cherry to help with water retention. Unfortunately, this really seems to affect us women so much more than men. :(:(:(:(:(

 

I start taking Diurex about two days before the cruise and take it until the last day. It helps with all of the bloating and salt weight gain.

[DrD]

Why only ladies?

 

My secret is that I don't weigh myself.

 

Maybe that's why you only asked the ladies.

 

But seriously, I agree with everyone that says exercise. I never use the elevator on a cruise except on the last day when I self-disembark with all our luggage. With that I never feel like my pants have shrunk on the last day. Always take the stairs. And shore excursions. We have a few 8-10 hour excursions on our upcoming so I will be getting lots of exercise. I also try to run once or twice mainly so I don't fall too far off my yearly miles goal.

 

And yes much is water weight due to all the sodium and it will go away quickly.

 

All this may sound hard, but to me it's easier than denying myself and food or drink!!

[Cinders411]

I tend to eat low carb. Mostly meats and veggies. I don't drink sugary drinks. I go for the low carb drinks such as diet coke and rum.

[newcruzer2]

Although not the most glamorous answer... i find fiber the key. In my daily life and ESP on vacation. And lots of water.

If you eat a fiber bar and glass of water 1- 2 hours before a large meal ... i doubt you would be able over eat OR/and gravitate towards high fiber foods

[caszos]

I tend to eat low carb. Mostly meats and veggies. I don't drink sugary drinks. I go for the low carb drinks such as diet coke and rum.

 

This is my goal and what works for me in maintenance mode at home.

 

If you are going to have a dessert thats fine, but after a bite or two, ask yourself if you really "need" it or if you would rather have a few bites of something else later.

[luckyprincess]

I never gain on cruises but I'm kind of picky with my food and love activities. So if you are not the same I'd say a couple of weeks before your cruise start making your 2 meals a day into 4 meals a day. Don't add a lot of food, just split those two meals up. It gives you a couple of weeks of getting used to eating that way so you won't go bonkers on the cruise lol. Also please, don't think of it as exercise but spend some time every day walking the track on the ship. Just do it to see the beautiful ocean or the people sitting and think of it as a stroll. This bit of 'exercise' will really help!

[gobo2]

Oh I forgot.

Only eat things you really really like.

That helps.

[2wheelin]

Low carb--Yes. But apparently too many also advocate diet soda. Sugar substitutes give the same, if not worse, insulin response as sugar. They may be low calorie but not low weight gain. Cut back on both soda and fruit juice and keep moving.

[gobo2]

Low carb--Yes. But apparently too many also advocate diet soda. Sugar substitutes give the same, if not worse, insulin response as sugar. They may be low calorie but not low weight gain. Cut back on both soda and fruit juice and keep moving.

 

Yes. Thank you.

[Bailey & Sophie]

Use the smaller plates. See less, eat less. You can always get more!

[rt1092]

Believe it or not. My wife and I have found that eating dinner in the windjammer. Helps us control the weight. You get to pick what and "HOW MUCH' you eat. Nobody is pushing rolls in front of you.

We go up to the buffet (after really scoping it out) and only take one plate of food plus a salad.

It works for us. We have yet to conquer the water weight gain though. But that comes off quick.

[mek]

Oh I forgot.

Only eat things you really really like.

That helps.

 

I think that is really important - if it's not delicious, why eat it???? Especially desserts on cruises - some are less than stellar - not wasting calories on that. Anymore if I get something from the buffet and it's just OK I leave it on my plate and try something else.

 

I agree on alcohol - foo foo drinks are a no no. ( I really don't like them, so that's and easy one for me.) Wine and martinis work for me - and in moderation.

[EleventyBangBang]

Weight gain/loss in any long-term sense (i.e. more than a few days, beyond just short term water weight fluctuation) is strictly a function of calories in vs calories out. I know that will get a lot of people riled up, and I'm sorry, but that's the First Law of Thermodynamics in action for you. No diet is capable of overcoming the laws of physics, end of story. (I'm not trying to be rude, but I've had this debate so many times I've actually gotten bored of it, so... Any attempts to debate this point will be cheerfully ignored. :D)

 

Every other piece of advice you read, eat this, don't eat that, space your meals out this way, try this new diet, etc., regardless of what they tell you, is just a means to achieve that end: Putting you into a caloric deficit and keeping you there for the weeks/months/maybe even years necessary to lose weight, without feeling so hungry that you're tempted to cheat. And some of these things may very well work for some people. I've personally lost a substantial amount of weight by following a ketogenic diet. But, a different time, I've also not lost anything at all doing a ketogenic diet, because I know I was lying to myself about how many calories I was actually consuming. And I've also lost weight by just simply counting calories, NOT following any specific diet - although I did feel hungrier more often doing it that way. It becomes a hobby of sorts.

 

But again, at the end of the week: If you gained weight over the previous week, you ate more calories than you burned. And if you lost weight over the previous week, then you ate less calories than you burned.

 

Furthermore, once you collect a few weeks worth of data (counting your calories and tracking your weight) you can actually "solve for X" and see just how far over or under you are. One pound = 3500 calories. Divide by 7 and that's 500 per day. (It works out so perfectly it's almost like it was designed that way...) So if you're consistently gaining a pound week after week, that means you're eating about 500 calories a day more than you burn. Do whatever you need to fix your diet so that you're losing a pound a week (i.e. eating 500 calories a day fewer than you burn.) You can do two pounds a week but it's mentally harder. (More than two pounds a week is starting to get into "unsafe starvation diet" territory.)

 

One more final thought: Most of the calories a person burns in a day actually aren't from exercise. They are from simply being alive: Breathing, walking, thinking. Exercise helps some, but it's not the end-all-be-all. You CAN lose weight without exercise at all. You CANNOT out-exercise a poor diet - there simply aren't enough hours in a day. Fix your diet first and foremost, THEN add in exercise if you want. (I'd personally recommend weight training, but that may not be for everyone.)

 

Now, that all being said, my personal belief is that it's a vacation. Enjoy it. Eat whatever you want, gain that few extra pounds. Do all your sensible eating and weight loss during the months leading up to your cruise, so that you can go nuts ON the cruise!

[karena1]

i always gain 5 to 7 pounds when i cruise. Tell me your secrets to not gaining while cruising. I'm not into exercise or fitness and usually do not eat more than twice a day when at home but it is so tempting with all that food not to eat 3 maybe 4 times a day. Then there are the wonderful drinks. So please enlighten me.

 

I exercise a minimum of a hour a day on a cruise (at home 2-3 hours and I am 61). I take a ton of walks on the beaches. I am not a food person, mainly fruits and veggies. I drink, so all my calories are in my beer-lol! I never eat dessert. I usually gain about 3 pounds on a cruise but it is off withing 3-4 days once I am home.

[briehon]

It doesn’t matter how many days, I gain 5-7 pounds. And in less than a week, it’s gone. I like to eat and drink what I want when I go on a cruise. I walk everywhere and then some. I take lots and lots of stairs. I do active excursions. I never eat desserts or breakfast of any kind. But I don’t drink or eat grains at home so when i cruise, I indulge!!!

 

 

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[cindivan]

Cruising for me isn’t much different than everyday life. Sometimes I indulge more than I should. When clothes start fitting too tight I “tighten up my intake” for a few days or week or whatever and I’m back in track. Enjoy the cruise, how often do we not have to cook and clean? Figure it out after (or before for the truly disciplined!).

 

 

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[Beaferd]

Thanks everyone for your input. I am 68 so can't handle to many stairs. Going down isn't bad but going up I can only do about 2 floors then my legs and lungs start to go.

I had never given any thought to water gain so will keep that in mind. Lots of good suggestions and will do some of what I have read.

[MrsPete]

Lots of good information here, but I'll add a couple other things:

 

- My daughter and I love Miso soup for breakfast in the Windjammer. It fills you up with few calories.

- You can order scrambled egg whites instead of whole eggs.

- Start every meal with a salad (dressing on the side, dip your fork's tines into the dressing instead of pouring it onto your plate) or a non-creamy soup or fresh fruit.

- Limit your starches /carbs, especially potatoes; instead, ask your waiter for double veggies.

- Most of Royal's desserts aren't all that good; don't waste your calories on something that tastes like store-brand cookies.

- Be careful about "grabby foods" that are so easy to grab-and-go; for example, my husband can eat about a dozen of those little sandwiches at Promenade Cafe ... without "registering" how much that really is.

- Don't drink your calories; instead, start every meal with water ... and if you have another drink, limit yourself to one. Skip fancy coffees; some have as many calories as a milkshake. If you have a favorite sweetener, consider bringing a couple packets. Beware of drinks by the pool. You can literally slurp down a whole meal's calories without really thinking about it.

 

- If you're really nervous about this, write down what you eat. When you're forced to look at your choices, it may help you think twice.

 

- In the end, don't let dietary restrictions be the focus of your cruise. While you're likely eating more than you do at home, you're probably also walking more than you do at home -- even if you don't exercise during your vacation.

[LuCruise]

It's vacation so I try and not think about it. But overall, I eat pretty healthy but also have a big sweet tooth. So it's all about balance. On cruise, I enjoy dessert after each dinner but don't have tons of other sweets (but I don't sweat it if I do have an ice cream or treat at park cafe).

Also as above poster, I don't drink my calories. I tend to drink water or coffee or non sugar ice tea, but will have occasional fun drink or do have a glass of wine at dinner.

 

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[emdia43]

Personally, it does not bother me if I gain a couple of pounds. I want to enjoy my cruise to the fullest extent and not have to watch every little thing I eat or drink. I love trying new things, especially if it is something I do not make at home. I just take the extra couple of pounds off when I get home!

 

 

Me too. I don't have to shop for it, cook it, or clean it up so for one week I eat and drink whatever I want and deal with it once I get home.