Suggestions for upcoming cruise?

I agree with what everyone else said. Most cruise ships have an exercise room. You can also jog/walk the upper deck first thing in the morning. Most important enjoy yourself, worry about any small gain (probably water/salt) when you get back.

phillyhockeyfan wrote: »

I agree with what everyone else said. Most cruise ships have an exercise room. You can also jog/walk the upper deck first thing in the morning. Most important enjoy yourself, worry about any small gain (probably water/salt) when you get back.

Totally agree. Carnival has a 24 hour free exercise room with treadmills, ellipticals, rowers, weight machines and free weights. Yoga and Zumba classes charge a fee and you have to sign up. The jogging track is usually on the upper deck but there is also a walking promenade on the 3rd deck that will give you the mileage (something like 7 laps is a mile) and the scenery is all oceanview!

Enjoy the food, both regular and specialty restaurants but don't waste "stomach space" on stuff you don't like. Leave it and get something else. After about 4 days you get kinda "fooded out".

My wife and I expect a pound a day of weight gain that is lost the first week we get back to eating regular. It's a vacation so don't get all stressed out and ruin everyone else's time.

The advice you have been given it good. Let me add to it or emphasize it:

Watch what you eat; choose sensibly but please eat what you will enjoy. You are on vacation for goodness sake. Try something different – or eat something you wouldn’t usually make for yourself. Usually the evening’s dinner menu is posted in the morning outside the dining room. Look at it and think about what to eat and how that will affect your other food choices in the day. I stay away from the buffet. My eyes are bigger then my stomach and I can’t throw food away (OMG the guilt!)

Exercise! I think I have been on 9 cruises now and I have never gained real weight. I am much more active on a cruise than sitting at my desk job. When in port we usually do active things. Often we download or buy a map and just walk – or we plan an active excursion like snorkeling. I use the running deck to walk/jog and I use the gym. I am not a fit person – but every little bit helps. I have a 4-day next week, and it only has one port day so I’ll be intentionally working out and walking a lot. (Less time to lose money in the casino.)

My biggest issue is that I tend to retain water. It’s a combination of heat and other people’s cooking (sodium.) If I take a good walk in the heat my fingers will be all chubby. What helps? Drink water, water, water. I take along a big ol’ insulated cup and keep it full of ice water. If I don’t like the ships water (and usually it is fine) I buy the soda program and drink club soda with a little lime. I tip the bartender a little then he or she will usually fill my jug instead of just giving me a glass.

Take the stairs. No lifts/elevators for you.

If the ship offers an early morning stretch class go to it and work it! It kills you when you are doing it, but then you feel so gooooood.

Be a healthier cruiser. So much is available to help you stay fit while you are on a cruise and so few people make use of it. You might even make a few friends on the track or in the gym; someone to sit with when the lounge is full at night and their table has open seats.

I may come back a pound or three heavier but if that is the case it is water retention and it is gone in a day or two. I often come back lighter.

Have a great cruise! What line are you on?

I went on a 7 night cruise last October. I was maintaining (still am) a 118 pound loss. For the first time since my loss, I didn't count any calories and just enjoyed myself. I think I gained around 6 pounds, but I expected that and just got right back to business when I got home and re-lost it. The way I look at it, is life still happens and as long as I was aware of what I was doing, and I knew what I would have to when I got back, it would be fine.

junodog1 wrote: »

My cruise last fall was on NCL Star. Don't mean to belabor the point but the ship had a stretch class every morning (not that I made it every morning) with a really attractive, tall, male, norweigan leader. The three times I went it was me and two men guests. I never told my husband how empty the class was. This week my cruise is on Carnival. I don't think Carnival offers morning stretching. **sigh**

I'm cruising this time with my mom and sister. It's our Christmas/Mother's day gift to her. We are leaving out of Tampa but starting off first with an overnight in St Petersburg. They have a Salvidor Dali Museum that is, shall we say, interesting. We are also going to the Dale Chihuly collection.

I have never been to Bermuda. Would like to one day. Living in Florida makes it very easy to cruise the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Hope you have a super trip! Sounds like there is a lot of fun planned.

Don't give up on Carnival just yet. They have yoga, Zumba and other classes. You have to sign up for them and they have a fee. You will have to be the judge of the "eye candy" features!