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Share Tips On How Not To Gain Weight On A Cruise!!!


mjfeaster

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Whenever I go on a cruise I always put on at least 7lb, I go on a diet before the cruise to loose that amount of weight so while I'm on the cruise I eat as much as I want . . . . within reason of course !

 

Also as a previous comment said . . . . always use the stairs and not the lift :)

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Someone mentioned using fat-free salad dressings. These are loaded with calories -- sometimes more than dressings with fat. To make the dressing "flavorful," sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup is used. As a diabetic carefully counting carbohydrates, these fat-free dressings are a disaster for me. The so-called flavor substitutes can also play havoc with the digestive system. Calories count much, much more than fat grams.

 

I recently returned from a 7-day cruise and actually lost 5 pounds, which I haven't gained back. I decided before the trip that, just because tasty food and treats were offered or available, I didn't have to eat it. I also walked as much as I could.

 

My husband and I found that the slower service pace in the dining room helped us to feel fuller sooner. Also, the portion sizes were reasonable and not so large that one dish could feed a family of 4; this also helped.

 

In conclusion, the best tip I can give is: know how YOUR body metabolizes food and reacts to exercise and make your food/exercise choice accordingly.

 

Have a great cruise!!

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During our last 9 or l0 cruises, I have not gained an ounce.

 

What works for me is to have NO bread and JUST BERRIES for dessert. Bread is a favourite of mine, but desserts are usually not a big deal anyway.

 

We so dance every night, and sometimes during the day on deck.

 

If there was a dessert that I simply had to have, I would eat only a little bit of it.

 

My husband, on the other hand, mows down anything that is not moving, and enjoys every minute. Of course, he loses any weight he gains within 1 week after our return. ME? I still carry the weight I gained during my 2 pregnancies 30 years ago.

 

It really is important to enjoy the cruise experience. If you spend your time feeling deprived of a particular morsel of food, then you have ruined your cruise. Just try to enjoy.

 

Lyndee

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:) We feel it's our duty to gain weight on a cruise. We work damn hard all year to afford our two weeks of cruising. The ship is stocked to the gills with delicious food and we are going to do everything in our power to eat every last morsel of it.

 

It's your holiday so enjoy it like it's your last. When you get home and eat normally again that weight will come back off.

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I am another Weight Watchers member and there are definitely some great suggestions here. We just got back from our 1 week CB cruise and I had gained 2 lbs. Within 5 days I had lost that plus some.

 

I really was impressed with the Princess food selection. Breakfast was generally cereal with low fat yogurt and fruit. Salad for lunch was a good choice for me and the low fat dressing choices were excellent. A few days I did stray from this, but did not do that for the entire cruise.

 

The dinner menu had many choices marked healthy and sugar free desserts were quite good. (But I also had the creme brulee at Sterling's, a weakness of mine.)

 

Of course being in a minisuite and having to walk up 5 flights to get to the buffet and pool helped as well.:D

 

I like Weight Watchers because pretty much anything is OK in moderation and I think that is an important point here. But more important is to remember to enjoy as well!

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Great tips from everyone and yes, I'm planning on using the stairs. I would like to know if any of you have seen calories listed anywhere on the menu or if they are available. I know a lot of you are saying...eat what you want, you are on vacation. However, I have lost 25 pounds (a lot of work) and I want to know what is worth eating on the ship and what is not worth it. My husband and I travel a lot so I can't really justify overeating. Please keep your ideas coming...I really appreciate it. I'm also trying to tell myself that I'm cruising for the port trips, but the food...so much and so little time. hehehee. Maybe I should stick to Costa:mad: where the food wasn't so good...no not worth it.:) p.s. I know a lot of you have said to go dancing at night...ain't going to happen with my husband; does anyone have a dancing husband that can be borrowed?

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Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. I would especially like to thank the person who told me how many calories was in a pina colada. Now I know where I have been going wrong.:D

 

My one suggestion is to not eat the fries ( I call them hot chips here in Australia ) Can get them everywhere so they're not really a special treat, In the buffet they are usually only warmish and not as crisp and tasty and whats worse..... they're packed with loads of calories:eek:

 

:)

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p.s. I know a lot of you have said to go dancing at night...ain't going to happen with my husband; does anyone have a dancing husband that can be borrowed?

It just so happens that most cruise ships have "hosts"... men that will dance with unattended ladies. It might be required to go out to the lounges without your husband in order to have this be available to you ;)

 

Otherwise, talk to your tablemates or people you meet on board... you may find an amiable dance partner (who won't try to take liberties) who has a wife/GF/partner that either doesn't dance, or doesn't want to dance as much.

 

[disclaimer: this is based on articles I've read, and observations made by friends of mine that have cruised.]

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Reading this thread with interest & thought I'd give my "two-penneth". My typical food intake (not cruising) is a piece of toast with vegemite & a cup of tea for breaky. Crackers, cottage cheese with fruit & raw vege for lunch. Dinner is usually heaps of steamed veges with meat, chicken etc. I'm not on a diet, just love healthy fresh food & lots of it. On my fifteen day cruise I ate (everyday) a massive full english breakfast (two eggs), bit of everything for lunch (Horizon Ct), snack at arvo tea & a full dining menu at dinner. Mixed with this, copious volumes of vino sprinkled with a few cocktails. Didn't gain weight - how????? Well, I fully intended to visit the gym everyday (never got there), walked the promenade only occasionally and never swam laps, just lolled in the spa with wine in hand. My tip was that I always walked the stairs & at a fast pace. Where I live, there are strict gambling laws - not pokies (slots) or bingo, so I was very excited about having a casino several floors below where I lived!! I saved my gold coins for months prior to my cruise & put $10 lots in zip lock bags (several hundred dollars worth), and stashed in my safe. Hence, I was up and down the floors (cabin on Aloha deck), several times a day as most people will know how quickly these machines gobble up $10!!

 

Thus, moral of the story - you won't put on weight if you intend to spend a few hours in the casino each day - you will just lose your money instead!!!!

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Reading this thread with interest & thought I'd give my "two-penneth". My typical food intake (not cruising) is a piece of toast with vegemite & a cup of tea for breaky. Crackers, cottage cheese with fruit & raw vege for lunch. Dinner is usually heaps of steamed veges with meat, chicken etc. I'm not on a diet, just love healthy fresh food & lots of it. On my fifteen day cruise I ate (everyday) a massive full english breakfast (two eggs), bit of everything for lunch (Horizon Ct), snack at arvo tea & a full dining menu at dinner. Mixed with this, copious volumes of vino sprinkled with a few cocktails. Didn't gain weight - how????? Well, I fully intended to visit the gym everyday (never got there), walked the promenade only occasionally and never swam laps, just lolled in the spa with wine in hand. My tip was that I always walked the stairs & at a fast pace. Where I live, there are strict gambling laws - not pokies (slots) or bingo, so I was very excited about having a casino several floors below where I lived!! I saved my gold coins for months prior to my cruise & put $10 lots in zip lock bags (several hundred dollars worth), and stashed in my safe. Hence, I was up and down the floors (cabin on Aloha deck), several times a day as most people will know how quickly these machines gobble up $10!!

 

Thus, moral of the story - you won't put on weight if you intend to spend a few hours in the casino each day - you will just lose your money instead!!!!

 

Going to the casino is a new idea. But, how about gaining money and losing weight? Now that would be a great cruise!:D

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Speaking of calories in a Pina Colada, does anyone know of a calorie or carb guide available for mixed drinks? Maybe the bartender will know the count. Ya right!

 

Usually, the more sugar it contains, the worse it is for you. I avoid all blended mixed drinks (margaritas, pina coladas, daiquiris), or I'll have only one. Sugary "martinis" have a lot of calories (apple martinis, cosmopolitans, etc.). Rum and coke obviously contain all the calories and carbs of soda, plus the alchohol.

 

If you are watching calories, but want to drink alchohol, lite beer, red or white wine (not dessert wine, like ports or muscat) or just the alchol itself with no mixers are your best bet.

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We've been on 14 cruises and have never gained any weight (short pause while I polish my halo!). As many others have said, take the stairs, especially going up, walk a lot on excursions, walk a lot on deck etc. But what's really done it for us is that we're vigorous dancers, meaning Salsa, Samba, Cha-cha, Cumbia, things that burn a few calories... Also, stay away from the fou-fou drinks that are loaded with sugar, the breads, cakes, cookies, all the simple carbs. I'm pre-diabetic and had to learn to avoid all the stuff that turns to glucose. It's amazing how easy that makes it... I keep my mouth shut, but I always chuckle inwardly when I see someone who's already quite overweight "inhale" the bread basket, order 3 desserts, but then order diet Coke and put artificial sweetener in her coffee.:eek:

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DH and I returned from a 7-night cruise yesterday (Star, round-trip Seattle to Alaska). We did traditional dining (late seating at 8:00) for the first time on Princess. We are not accustomed to having our evening meal this late and will not select this option in the future. Early seating (5:45) is too early, so we will make reservations for "anytime" dining at @7:00 or 7:30 as we have done on our past cruises.

 

The reason: We both experienced small weight gains (2-3#) because we were hungrier than usual in the late afternoon/early evening hours. We went to breakfast in the dining room between 8:30 and 9:00 all but two mornings when we slept late and went to Horizon Court. Ordinarily, we would not eat lunch but might get a small snack like fruit and cheese around mid-afternoon. Those snacks became more frequent when we had to wait until 8:00 for late seating, finished dinner at 9:30, and didn't stay up past 11:00-11:30 most nights.

 

Although we walked a lot in Seattle and three of our four ports, we didn't get as much exercise as we usually do when we use the pools, enjoy other water activities, or walk frequently on outdoor decks. More midday munching and less activity equals small weight gain. Lesson learned for future cruising: Have dinner at a more reasonable hour so we are not tempted to overindulge during the afternoon hours.

 

Time to get back in shape for our January 19 sailing on the Emerald!

Chris

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In addition to using stairs instead of elevators and walking as much as I can around the ship and in port, one of my rules is to never have food in my cabin. The only thing there is water. If I want something to eat, I have to go get it. Otherwise, it's too easy to do mindless snacking.

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I haven't gained weight on a cruise so far, the first 2 I went on, I was young enough that my metabolism was still decent. The last one, I was worried because now I gain weight easily and it takes forever to lose.

 

But I think the frequent meals helps keep your metabolism high, and from what I recall there are many courses in the dining room but the portions are smaller. I ordered dessert at dinner, (not at lunch, which you could do) and limited myself to a just a couple bites of it. Just a little something sweet to go with my after dinner coffee. For breakfast I would stay with higher protein choices, not pancakes with syrup or anything too sugary.

 

I did order room service at night most nights, because I get hungry in the middle of the night. A couple times I even got dressed to grab a slice of pizza - because it's really good and was calling to me! Not available on the room service menu.

 

The constant walking on board really does help, I took the stairs a lot but not always. I did take advantage of lots of exercise classes - I took pilates a couple times during the week but not every day since I was trying to watch the sale & sign damage.

 

When I got back home and did the dreaded weight check, was stunned to see I had lost #5. My goal was to just avoid gaining a lot of weight, who wants their cruise "souvenir" to be an extra 10 or 15 pounds.

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water, water, water

 

don't eat two hours prior to bedtime

 

join the walking group each morning and make a few laps on the promenade deck...before breakfast, you'll feel like eating less if you exercise first

 

avoid the "american style" breakfasts...stick with cereals, yogurt, fruit

 

eat two small lunches, rather than one huge noontime meal...you won't feel so ravenous at dinner time

 

plan activities on sea days so you have something to do other than eat

 

enjoy yourself

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