Might be going a cruise..not good.

gamerguy123

So my family is pressuring me to go on a cruise right before our X-mas holidays. I don't really want to take the time off work, but just as important, I know it's very easy to gain weight on a cruise. I have worked really hard and only lost a pitiful 4-5 lbs & still have a long ways to go, but that can easily all be destroyed by this trip.

My question is how good are the gyms on these cruises? They are thinking about carnival. What are some tips to avoid gaining weight on the cruise? I know guys like myself tend to overeat when it's all you can eat.

engodwin

Do what you've been doing. Count calories and hit your goals. The gyms are like a nice hotel would offer. Lots of walking because the ship is so large. Pick excursions that make you work - not lay on the beach and eat and drink. (Snorkel, swimming, zip line, etc.) Go to the dance club(s) - you can burn a crap ton of calories shaking your grove thang one night! Ask for smaller portions at dinner. (Lunch sizes.) Get the meal plan the first day on board and plan your week of food. Go! Have fun.

yarwell

I went on my first cruise in May, the gym was pretty good on Freedom of The Seas with classes as well as machines. There was also a running track on deck around the pool so best used early in the day. Lots of stairs going from cabin to events to eat etc etc. Formal dining not large portions and waiting staff adapted to your needs, good options at buffet too.

Weight gain isn't inevitable on a cruise.

stillwatergirl

i think the opportunity to spend a vacation with your family should outweigh your fear of gaining weight on a cruise. I have never been on one, but i have heard there are lots of activities to choose from. So, if you overeat, engage in more exercise/activity.

WalkingAlong

It doesn't have to be a disaster. There are LOTS of stairs and walking on cruises. Choose to never take an elevator. Find the walkers loop deck and walk it when you're bored.

Carnival food is pretty so-so, so have a few indulgences but you should find it easy to not go overboard. Drinks are overpriced so plan to go easy. If you're a diet soda drinker, buy the 'soda card', if they offer it.

Have fun!

cresyluna

A cruise should really be considered a challenge for weight loss, but not an absolute breaker. Almost always there is healthy food available - while it is tempting to declare "I'm on a cruise, all the food is included, I'm going to have triple portions of every food and three drinks at every meal!" no one is obliging you to do that! You can stick to muesli, salads, water, fruit, lean meats, steamed vegetables, etc. the entire time if you wish. I knew of someone whose mother insisted they split all cruise meals together to avoid overeating, so maybe that is a strategy if your family likes doing the multiple course sit-down meals?
I think a big thing is, since the food is always included and everywhere, to not just mindlessly eat if you're bored/tired/whatever. Go walking. Read a book on deck. Take up knitting to have something to do with your hands. Watch a movie. Play a boardgame or card game with the family. Don't make food the focus of the cruise.
And the gyms might not be the most spectacular but will have all the basics. Plus as people said above, walk everywhere/use the stairs.

Ready2Rock206

You'll do a ton of walking on the cruise. The ships are huge and every one I've been on the theater for the show is on the opposite end of the ship as dinner. Take the stairs rather than the elevator - there is so much up and down the stairs. I haven't been on Carnival but the gym is usually adequate - I never end up spending as much time there as I should. There's usually some fitness classes offered. On your shore excursions try and pick something active or do a lot of walking. We walked so much! Oh my goodness - my legs and feet hurt!!

Again I don't know about Carnival but on the cruises I've been on there's always a healthy option on the menu in the main dining room, lots of salad and healthier options in the buffet and on my last couple cruises they had a healthier place to eat near the spa area for breakfast and lunch.

becky10rp

I've only been on Royal Caribbean cruises - they have great gyms. Hit the gym - and WALK everywhere you need to go - don't take the elevators. Be mindful of alcoholic drinks - I limited myself to one per day on the last cruise I took.

rml_16

gamerguy123 wrote: »

So my family is pressuring me to go on a cruise right before our X-mas holidays. I don't really want to take the time off work, but just as important, I know it's very easy to gain weight on a cruise. I have worked really hard and only lost a pitiful 4-5 lbs & still have a long ways to go, but that can easily all be destroyed by this trip.

My question is how good are the gyms on these cruises? They are thinking about carnival. What are some tips to avoid gaining weight on the cruise? I know guys like myself tend to overeat when it's all you can eat.

To be completely honest, I was not impressed with the food on my cruise. It was edible and it was available, but it wasn't that good. I don't understand the people who gushed about it.

Anyway, aside from that, there are so many things to do on-shop and on excursions that don't include food but do include exercise. You will only gain on a cruise if you choose to overeat and not move, just like in the real world.

Taking the time from work is another story.

Sharon_C

I'm so jealous! I've been on four cruises and we're planning another one for next summer. On the last cruise I ate what I wanted and gained 2 pounds. They came off within 2 weeks of returning home and getting back to eating right. Enjoy yourself!

jennifer_417

I went on a cruise last year. I hit the gym, nommed all the noms, and did damage control when I got home. After all, how many cruises do you get to take in your life?

Solar_Cat

I went on a cruise a few years ago and didn't gain a pound. I hit the elliptical every day, and when I got seconds (or thirds) at meals, I chose lean proteins. You can do it! And have fun! Don't spend your vacation time stressing about your weight.

Lorleee

My strategy has always been to avoid the elevators, do lots of walking around the deck every day, use the gym treadmill at least twice during our 4 days and skip the fancy poolside drinks. We still enjoyed delicious food; we just didn't eat like it was our last meal. We'd have lovely big omelets for breakfast that kept us full until lunchtime (and away from the soft serve ice cream machines), a lighter lunch that was mainly veggies and lean meats, and more lean meat/veggies for dinner. I let myself enjoy a daily dessert from the buffet only if there was something I really wanted, as opposed to just eating it because it was there.

RGv2

On my ship the gym wasn't great....but who cares.

I got up in the morning, got in a 1/2 hr workout, and then went crazy all day.

I gained 8lbs on my 7 day cruise and lost all 8 after being back 4 days. It's going to be mainly water weight gained.

nellyett

I don't gain weight on cruises either....we take the stairs as much as possible, hit the weights in the gym for 30 min in the morning, walk the track after dinner, do active excursions, and are mindful of our portion sizes. Nothing extreme in either direction, just an all round balance.

I actually find it easier to maintain and even sometimes lose a pound or two on a cruise. I'm active all day instead of hitting the gym in the morning and sitting at a desk all day.

We are setting sail in February....can't wait!!

SingRunTing

One week isn't going to have a big impact long term. Go on the cruise if you can afford it and afford the time off work. Eat what you want and relax. Be as active as you can by taking the stairs, doing laps around the ship, swimming, and active excursions. You may gain some weight, but a lot of it will be water weight.

What matters far more is what you do when you get home. Day one of being home is day one of resuming your logging, calorie counting, workout regimen, etc. That has a much larger impact than the one week you took off.

terar21

Don't worry about it.

You'll burn extra calories by walking all day. Like others said, take the stairs.

The food is actually easier to maintain as long as you don't do late night snacking. Wake up and hit the omlette station and fruit. Eat a good sized breakfast. I always ate around 9 or 10am and breakfast was so filling, you go do activities and before you know it, it's afternoon. They have a salad bar at lunch. Eat that or a sandwich and avoid the outdoor grill (that's the killer). Do formal dining for dinner (avoid the grill again). They have many healthy options for formal dining. Avoid the late night pizza...ok, maybe just one or 2 nights

gamerguy123

RGv2 wrote: »

On my ship the gym wasn't great....but who cares.

I got up in the morning, got in a 1/2 hr workout, and then went crazy all day.

I gained 8lbs on my 7 day cruise and lost all 8 after being back 4 days. It's going to be mainly water weight gained.

The gym sucking especially concerns me...I changed my routine to lift heavier & do more compound exercises, so that might suck not being able to do it for 5 days. Plus I set a deadline to loose 10 lbs by the end of December.

The other part is last time I went on vacation-gained 10-12 lbs of fat & I am just now loosing it.

I_Will_End_You

#firstworldproblems

WalkingAlong

The gym should be suitable for heavy lifting of some form. Trying some new machines might be good for you. Look at it this way-- you won't be working so you can hit the gym every day.

If adjusting your goal date to be in January isn't conceivable, just stick to your calories on the cruise. There actually are other things to do besides eat and there are healthy food options.

RGv2

gamerguy123 wrote: »

RGv2 wrote: »

On my ship the gym wasn't great....but who cares.

I got up in the morning, got in a 1/2 hr workout, and then went crazy all day.

I gained 8lbs on my 7 day cruise and lost all 8 after being back 4 days. It's going to be mainly water weight gained.

The gym sucking especially concerns me...I changed my routine to lift heavier & do more compound exercises, so that might suck not being able to do it for 5 days. Plus I set a deadline to loose 10 lbs by the end of December.

The other part is last time I went on vacation-gained 10-12 lbs of fat & I am just now loosing it.

The gym on the ship I was on was not conducive to lifting.....it was only a week. I did my cardio and called it a vacation.

How long was your vacation to gain 10-12lbs of fat? That's 35000 to 42000 calories...above maintenance..

cmpilgrim

Me and my fiancé went on a 5 day cruise in September, and I gained nothing and he gained 3 lbs. We went on the Carnival Fantasy. I meant to go to the gym and never got around to it. My advice is always take the stairs. We ate breakfast every morning from the grill (I'm not much of a breakfast person so I ate light), we mostly ate at the Mongolain Wok for lunch, I had a burger and fries just one day. Then for supper we always ate at the dining room (a salad, entrée and dessert). We climbed a LOT of stairs and stayed on the move. We went snuba diving as an excursion (I would definitely recommend!!!). I was kind of surprise I didn't gain anything, but I was glad!

Turning_Hopes_to_Habits

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

#firstworldproblems

Sure, but so is having to worry about dieting at all. There are starving children all over the world who would be amazed at the problems of having to choose to not overeat.

gamerguy123

RGv2 wrote: »

gamerguy123 wrote: »

RGv2 wrote: »

On

The gym on the ship I was on was not conducive to lifting.....it was only a week. I did my cardio and called it a vacation.

How long was your vacation to gain 10-12lbs of fat? That's 35000 to 42000 calories...above maintenance..

.



I made a horrible mistake of agreeing to a 7 day vacation to an all inclusive resort in Mexico with a friend. I wish I went only 2-3 days. I ate 6-8 meals day (I count this way based on the number of plates I ate per meal, plus snacks), since it's all you can eat. Plus lots of adult drinks...Never again. And maybe it was 8-10 lbs. I gained all the weight while going to the gym every day plus swimming some laps.

Unknown

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wnrobert

Make yourself go to the gym at least once a day. Always take the stairs (the elevators will be crowded anyways).

DO NOT TRUST THE SCALE IN THE GYM. I have never seen it get my weight accurate on any cruise I've been on. I don't know if this is done on purpose to give us a false sense of security, if it has something to do with the rocking of the ship or what, but it's wrong.

50sFit

I took a cruise over the summer and ate anything I desired 3 times per day.
After every meal, I walked the entire ship deck by deck...and there were 9 decks! Each walk took an hour or so. Also, 3 times that week I went to the ship gym and strength trained.
At the end of 7 days, I had gained 5 pounds, and it was worth it.
My suggestion: go...and ENJOY!

cakebatter07

Hey I'll go on the cruise for you. You don't have to worry about a thing.

RunWinterGarden

People who really gain weight on cruises who say they are trying to be healthy use the cruise an excuse and let themselves over eat and be extra lazy. Seriously, walk everywhere, never take the elevator for less than 4 floors, do adventure excursions and have fun. Will you gain a pound or two? Maybe, but it's worth it and if you are smart you can limit the weight gain.

FitForL1fe

The food on Carnival isn't the best (they have buffet-style dining, as well as room service and a restaurant or two), but they do have a gym. As others said, there's plenty of walking space, too. It's fun to walk around the outer decks and watch the waves go by!

_John_

I feel so terrible for you that the your family is forcing you to do something against your will. My family is coercing mine to go with them to Disney World the week of thanksgiving, and I just cringe at the effect this will have on my four year old's diet plan...

WHY DO PEOPLE DO THESE THINGS TO ME??????!!!!!!!