Weight gain? Anyone ever document?

[ARI421]

My husband and I just got off our tenth cruise yesterday.. over the past six months we had both lost some weight started going to the gym etc. We were curious to see how much weight we would gain from a 5 day cruise.. so we weighed ourselves early sat am and again today.. I was shocked I had gained almost 9 pounds! Our cabin was on the second floor and we took the stairs all the time (I almost died) went to the gym multiple times and walked all over saint John and Halifax now I ate whatever i wanted but still I was surprised. Has anyone else checked to see what they had gained?

 

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[h_blond2]

I used to gain 4 or 5 pounds, but always lost withing a few weeks. However, on my last few cruises, I've actually lost a few pounds...it probably is because I don't like the food and I eat mostly fruits and veggies while on a cruise.

[momonthego17]

I think there is a lot of salt used in food preparation and that will cause water retention. I bet if you go back to your regular healthy meals you will drop a couple pounds quickly. Drinking a lot of water will help as well.

I hope you had a great cruise!

[riffatsea]

It's not the salt! It's the laaarge amount of food and alcohol that people eat and drink!

On my last 3 cruises I lost a few pounds.

One can enjoy the food, have a few drinks and still lose or keep your weight even if you don't go crazy and spend the day eating and drinking!

[Warm Breezes]

I always lose 2-3 pounds. I find myself walking more than I do at home (I have a desk job) and we make it point to take the stairs if it is only a floor or two, which I definitely don't do at home. I don't tend to eat more than I do at home either. I usually have a light breakfast and a light lunch (skipping one of them sometimes if we sleep in and go to brunch), I don't normally snack so I am usually not hungry between meals or at night, and for dinner I stick to 1 roll, 1 or 2 apps, and I will usually only eat 1/2 my entrée so I have room for some dessert which I usually only eat 1/2 of before I am full. I don't tend to over eat and stop before overstuffing myself.

 

DH, on the other hand, tends to gain 5-10 pounds. He does more walking and bike riding at home and likes to "get his money worth" out of his meals on a ship. We walk out of the dining room with him feeling overstuffed and me feeling great:D.

[evandbob]

Maybe my 1st ten cruises or so I ate like a gavone and packed on 5 to 7 lbs. Now that I've sampled most Carnival entrees, I eat like a normal person, use the stairs and usually come home a few lbs lighter.

[BellaSweet]

This has been a bit of a concern for me.. I have recently lost 20lbs doing WW and I really don't want to put any back on during my upcoming cruise. So I've decided that I will eat normally for breakfast and lunch(counting points and everything) and then at dinner, I will indulge. If I want chocolate cake, I will have chocolate cake :)

 

I am also planning on taking the stairs everywhere and walking as much as possible.

[cmukid87]

I will gain up to 10 pounds. I'm already a big guy that can gain/carry extra weight pretty easily.

 

Once I'm home I lose about 7 of it in the first week. Believe it or not, yes, a lot of it tends to be water retention from the salt. My ankles tell me that tale very quickly.

[CruiseWeekTV]

yes i did, 7 days i gained 3.5 pounds. i tried to take the stairs whenever i could which probably helped.

[dna529]

I usually gain about 5. But I lose it in about two weeks. My feet and ankles get swollen, so it's mostly water.

 

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[Port of Tampa]

Lost 7 pounds on a cruise earlier this year. Took the stairs all the time, went to the fitness center daily, chose healthy choices while dining and skipped deserts, to top it off drank like a fish.

 

Cheers and happy cruising.

[Micahs Grandad]

Used to gain about 5 pounds a week now about 3 as I try to walk 15,000 steps a day on a cruise. Still try to get my money worth in food.

 

However by exercising and going back to my normal diet can lose weight gain in 2-3 weeks.

[patchofheaven]

This cruise coming up in November will be our 10th cruise also. We go to the gym regularly, walk miles and miles and take the stairs when I'm not wearing high heels - I am a huge clutz in heels and I have actually fallen "Up" stairs before. Past cruises we both gain between 5-10 lbs. We think we have it figured out what our biggest problems are - we eat the bread at dinner, we drink way too much alcohol and tend to eat dessert - 3 huge things that effect our weight. Could you imagine how much we would gain if we didn't exercise, walk and take the stairs???

 

We more or less know that we will most likely gain weight and have to work twice as hard to lose it when we get home. With that being said, we also know that just 1 week out of the year we can afford to go on a cruise, let our hair down and do anything that we want to do - and we always have a wonderful time! :D

[Roz]

I disagree with the person who said it has nothing to do with salt. The food is saltier on cruise lines, I drink an alcoholic beverage every day, plus I have to fly to the cruise port. Those three things combined cause me to get puffy. When I come home, if I go back to my normal routine, the extra "weight" is gone in a few days to a week.

 

Roz

[lukeduke07]

I usually stay about the same. Always try to take the stairs. Also I drink more water on the ship because it's everywhere and sodas are expensive.

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

This last 5 day cruise, I gained a whopping 8 pounds! Those Blue Patron Margarita's were going down way to easy! Plus, that was the most I've ever paid for a 5-day OV room, so I had to recoup my funds somehow, and food was the option. Luckily, the pizza wasn't too good on this cruise, or I would be needing larger pants to get home!

[riffatsea]

It is interesting that several people have mentioned retaining water. Neither my husband or myself have ever had this issue on a cruise. I only have had it on long flights where my ankles swell from sitting on the plane too long even if I get up and walk around a bit so that's really not from salt but from being sedentary.

Perhaps those folks that have the salt issue might try more exercise as an antidote??:confused:

We are amazed at the amount of food and alcohol we see people ingesting while cruising!:eek:

 

[Roz]

Some people are more salt sensitive than others. And women are more prone to water retention because of their hormonal makeup. Exercise helps some, but I still suffer from water retention whenever I cruise and/or fly long distances.

 

Roz

[Doggielover68]

I don't gain any weight on a cruise. I was concerned about this because last year we went on our first back to back cruise for 14 days...on a ship with Guy's Burger Joint. I may have eaten 13-14 of those burgers and I definitely had 14 warm chocolate melting cakes lol. Here are my personal tips.

 

1) Don't stuff yourself

2) splurge on the things you REALLY want and skip the ones you don't. For me, this means skipping appetizers in the MDR and ordering dessert. I don't eat any of the soft serve ice cream.

 

3) I don't drink alcohol so that probably helps

4) drink lots of water

5) take the stairs

 

 

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[Ery]

I've yet to gain any more than maybe one or two pounds. I do a small breakfast, salad at lunch, lots of walking and hit the gym everyday on board. That way I can enjoy cocktails and dinner and dessert [emoji4]

 

 

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[reedl]

If you follow sound nutrition guidelines, you can lose weight on a cruise. You just need to eat less of the bad foods.

 

The problem is that the food is so plentiful that you eat and eat and eat.

 

My wife lost two pounds on our Majesty Cruise. She followed the guidelines for Weight Watchers.

[xlxo]

Thoughts....

• when on a HAL ship tour in the fitness centre. They say the average cruiser gains 1 lb per cruise day.
  
• by eating in the main dining room, servers help pace my urges to minimize weight gain. My weight is stable during the cruise..
  
• when fighting anorexia, I double up at the buffet table after going to the MDR.
  
• on sailings with afternoon tea.... this is a great opportunity to build up your girth.
  
• take advantage of port days where you get to stretch your legs.
  
• I have a fit bit tracker. I try to keep at least 10,000 daily steps walking the decks.
  
• don't be late for the embarkation welcome lunch that you paid for.
  
• don't try to be the first off the ship skipping your debarkation breakfast!
  

Edited October 14, 2016 by xlxo

[bakersdozen12]

A lot of it could be water retention from eating non-home cooked meals. Happens to me all the time when I eat out too much. I don't add salt to my foods at home, but restaurants always do. Just drink lots of water and most of it will probably go away.

 

 

 

 

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[Heather1972]

Don't want to know. Don't need to know!

[cheeseclan]

I have been on 30 + cruises and have never LOST weight. At the beginning i would eat all meals and even go to the midnight buffet. So yes big weight gain.

 

Now i still eat but not like a piggy. I do like bread and sweets and will sample them. I do walk everywhere and still gain a few pounds. But like others have said they do use salt etc and it does affect me. I come home get back to my routine and in a couple of weeks i am back to normal.

 

I laugh when people say that they do not eat that much since they do not want to gain weight. I am on bloody vacation and i am not cooking, cleaning etc so i am going to indulge. I am on a vacation to enjoy and that is what i do.

 

I know that when i get home it will come off. Have fun and enjoy your cruise. After all it is a vacation :p