Anybody NOT Gain Weight?

[bobbi565]

According to a story TravelingToday.com, people gain and average of 8 lbs on a typical 7-day cruise. DH is a journalist for USAToday and plans to use our upcoming cruise to do a story about how to indulge on a cruise and not gain weight by taking full advantage of all the fitness options available to cruisers. Has anyone been successful at maintaining a fitness regiment while onboard, not depriving oneself too much, and disembarked at or very near your precruise weight? Share tips and secrets, and if you're willing, you may be quoted in the story that will appear in a November issue of Open Air, and USAToday magazine.

 

[AmberDaClown]

We didn't as we were far more active on the cruise than at home. My DH even lost five pounds. DD did gain two because the food choices in the kid's buffets we felt were HORRIBLE as far as multiple starches and fried food options.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I put on 5lbs the last time, I do indulge as I watch what I eat all the time! I could run for 5hrs a day and I reckon I still would put on wt! We fantasise for months about what we are going to eat and drink! Good luck with it!

 

[swilphil]

I didn't gain any weight, and I actually think that the first few days of the cruise I lost weight.

In general, the key is to take the stairs EVERYWHERE. We were on Deck 5, so I was always going down two flights or up 4 flights of stairs. I would say that toward the end of the week my husband and sons wanted to take the elevator more.

I went to 4 spinning classes during the week, and I worked as hard as I could during them. I think three of the classes were in the first 4 days of the cruise.

We walked a lot when we were in port, both on and off the beach.

I ate tons of fresh fruit, especially those first few days. My kids would go for hot dogs and pizza for lunch by the pool, but I would head for the fresh fruit at Goofy's Galley and I tried to eat lots of protein and few carbs at meals.

As I said, I didn't do as well during the last few days of the cruise. I attribute that to the following: midnight chocolate buffet, the BBQ lunch at Cookie's, my late discovery of the wonderful bacon at breakfast, and the desire to "get my money's worth" at meals. The last few nights I ate more desserts and drank more alcohol. I didn't work out as hard either. Our cruise went through some weather that created a lot of motion. I went to the spinning class one morning when the ship was rocking quite a bit. I don't know if that was why I wasn't able to work out harder or if was the large meal and wine tasting the day before.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

swilphil, when do you sign up for the spinning classes? Was it a pain? did you have to go and sign up for every class in the am?I really want to do them this time. I am doing a marathon when I get home and thought of doing a hundred laps around the magic is not a nice one.

lynne Scotland.

Ps I have been to KC and loved it.

 

[bobbi565]

Thanks for the feedback! Keep it coming! We've scheduled personal training sessions and plan to use the fitness room and take classes. DH is excited about jogging the track on Deck 4, and we plan on walking all over Key West instead of taking the Bone Island Shuttle.

 

[swilphil]

swilphil, when do you sign up for the spinning classes? Was it a pain? did you have to go and sign up for every class in the am?I really want to do them this time. I am doing a marathon when I get home and thought of doing a hundred laps around the magic is not a nice one.

lynne Scotland.

Ps I have been to KC and loved it.

You no longer have to sign up for spinning classes, but you do have to get there early, especially the first few days of the cruise. I would usually go up around 7 a.m. for the 8:30 class and put a towel and my hoodie on one of the bikes to reserve it. Then, I went back down to the cabin just as DS was waking up. I would take him to get some breakfast, eating either on Deck 9 or in the cabin. Then I would make sure I got back up to class at least 5 minutes before it started. If I got there earlier, I would lift weights or get on an ellipitical that has a great view. They only have 10 spinning bikes, and the schedule is available at the Spa desk. I took one pilates class, and it
wasn't much of a work out. I did really like the spinning classes with Peter.

I'm glad to hear somebody likes KC. At the moment, we are having Scotland weather, but tomorrow will be better. The budding trees and tulips are beautiful right now on the Country Club Plaza.

 

[RLccweems]

According to a story TravelingToday.com, people gain and average of 8 lbs on a typical 7-day cruise. DH is a journalist for USAToday and plans to use our upcoming cruise to do a story about how to indulge on a cruise and not gain weight by taking full advantage of all the fitness options available to cruisers. Has anyone been successful at maintaining a fitness regiment while onboard, not depriving oneself too much, and disembarked at or very near your precruise weight? Share tips and secrets, and if you're willing, you may be quoted in the story that will appear in a November issue of Open Air, and USAToday magazine.

I didn't gain any weight....but then I didn't eat any more then I normally do at home.

I do know that my father-in-law did put on 5 pounds from all the extra desserts!

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Thanks sherri, Did everybody do that with the hoodie? Did nobdy complain about folk doing that?

 

[swilphil]

Lots of people reserved bikes, some just with a towel on the seat and maybe a water bottle. Some people draped their lanyard over it the handle bars, but I didn't think that was a good idea. Nobody got mad, but I think if people did that and came late to the class it could be a problem.

 

[maleficent esq.]

I had just started a diet through my doctor. (insert here diet pills) I was very overweight so probably not a fair comparison. Made a concious choice to taste whatever but only a bite or two. Lost 5-7 pounds while on the cruise since then a total of 65 lbs. About 25 more to go- I've got a trip in three weeks to WDW with the food plan and next septemeber of the 7 day St Marteen cruise. Decided not to end my life because I could not eat - so far so good.
Best Regards
MAL​

 

[CustardTart]

I didn't gain any weight on our 7 day cruise. I had a fab time, denied myself nothing but never used the lift and rarely sat still...

However, I went to WDW twice after the cruise and, despite walking many miles in the parks, really piled on the pounds!!! Seems the Disney Dining Plan and I don't get on...

 

[LisaSp]

I came home at the same weight. I ate a really filling, light breakfast every day (half grapefruit, egg white omelette with tomatoes and mushrooms, and an english muffin with jelly) and did not eat much for lunch. I ate what I wanted at dinner and always had dessert. I think the keys were:
-not eating too much during the day (don't get me wrong--I did eat ice cream daily and pizza and fries regularly, just not a lot of them)
-not cleaning my plate at dinner or dessert (except when I had a Mickey bar)
-working out 4-5x during the cruise
-taking the stairs EVERYWHERE

I had the attitude that if I wanted 2 of the desserts, I didn't have to finish 2 desserts. I don't feel like I deprived myself at all and therefore I was pretty pleasantly surprised to not have gained anything!!

 

[flexsmom]

I didn't gain any on our last cruise - and of course, since I was focused on that, once I got back, I slowly started to relax "too" much and gained 5 pounds over the next month! SOmetimes I think if I have a set goal for a while, once it's past if I don't set another one, I get into trouble!

Anyway, I digress - on the ship, I ran on our sea mornings or when we were getting into port later or if we weren't planning an excursion. We tended to take the stairs.

I ate a good breakfast with a lot of protein each morning, had lighter lunches - sometimes not much at all, enjoyed a great "drink of the day" kind of thing each afternoon by the pool/beach, and then had a full dinner, but tended to pay attention to when I felt like I was getting slightly full or was happy enough with what I had sampled so that I'd lay off and move on to the next course. I had dessert with dinner each day, too.

 

[jenseib]

I never gain weight on any vacations and I do NOT workout on vacation. I just am so active and I think my metablosim goes in full swing with all the adreline I have while on vacation. I also eat like a pig! LOL! I do tend to gain a few pounds in the month I get home too. I think I am so cocky about not gaining weight that I eat more and exercise less at home.

 

[ldalvarado]

I was on the 3 day in March. Came back same weight, and I ate plenty. Omelettes, beer, cookies, dessert every night, wine, hot dogs, pizza, more beer... pretty much whatever I wanted. The key is activity... stairs, walking, etc. Plus, while I ate what I wanted, I never felt like food was the focus. We were so busy, we ate when we were hungry, but we didn't eat all day.

 

[2angelsinheaven]

Somehow my last cruise two weeks ago I came home 6 pounds lighter. I think it was because we did the stairs and were going from 5am till 2am or so each night. Crazy and I ate three plus meals a day too. Sounds like a good diet to me, think of how much I could lose on the repo...lol.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

To add to my previous post. I have went on vacation and lost wt. For me is is a concious decision.I know that I will put on a few pounds but I dont mind as long as you loose it again as soon as you get home. We do not eat like pigs, but the wine and beer kills me.We also are very active, and I do marathons so when I say that I do mean it.
It is so interesting this thread, I also would like to say good for you mal esq. I too lost a LOT of wt, more to the point I have kept it off after nearly 3 years so go for it.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Unfortually I tend to put a bit on, so much nice food but there are tricks as others say, and for my 15 nighter I will try these more:-

Walk around the ship as fast as you can deck 4 is best, time your circuit and try to beat it each time.

Topsiders breakfast, fruit based, avoid the sausages and bacon and fatty stuff, its the same each day so you don't have to experiment with it.

Take the skin and fat of Chicken, and meat.

Watch the cocktails made with cream.

Go to Goofys galley rather than Pluto's dog house. Better food, burgers etc put the most on and again are repetitive they are not new so you do not need to try them.

And if you go to Palo say I can have an extra dessert to try, but thats an extra lap of deck 4 on the next day.

Enter into the Castaway cay stakes the run to get a hammock first, that burns a few cals off!

 

[NCRedding]

I've never gained weight on any of my cruises, even though I eat whatever it is that I want. I don't snack as much as I do at home, and the portion sizes on the cruise are more in line with what they should be (even if the sauces are richer). I also take the stairs and do more outdoors than I do at home.

Maybe I should just skip the weight watchers meetings and cruise until I get to my goal weight!!