Staying Fit on a Cruise

I'll tell you this, it is difficult. They throw so much delicious food at you, its hard to stay on track. But that's all part of the experience.

I'd say if you visit the fitness center daily, do a lot of walking around the ship and ports, you'll probably be OK. I would advise you not to deprive yourself of the exquisite meals that you will find while on board. But, at the same time, they are not very health-conscious. So, adding in exercise might help you balance out the extra calories you'll be taking in.

Have a great time on your cruise! you will love it!!

I've honestly never used the gym on a cruise. We're leaving on our 4th next Friday and I'm so excited. I know that many of the cruiselines have decent gyms, as well as classes that you can take. I'm contemplating a stretching & abs class that they offer in the morning to get me going.

Depending on where you're going and what you plan to do, you could be burning lots of calories. If you're going somewhere that you will be doing a lot of walking, keep that in mind. Maybe even bring a pedometer to remind yourself that you're not just sitting around. Remember to take a walk around the ship and check everything out too. If you get to go swimming or snorkling it's great exercise and burns a ton of calories.

One of the big things on a cruise is the food. Some people eat crazy. I tend to eat what I like. Sometimes I try different things that I wouldn't normally try at home. At breakfast and lunch there's usually fruit around to snack on. Most ships have a decent salad bar too. Start with those and then add in bits of other foods. You'll find that you fill up quick.

The drinks are killers. Most of the mixed drinks really pack a whollop. I figure I'll just add them in and figure what I need to do to burn them off Remember to drink TONS of water. It's hot and you'll easily get dehydrated. I just checked on Cruise Critic and the ship we're sailing on got good reviews on their drinking water. LOL! One of our last cruises the water was so chlorinated I had to use a filter bottle to drink it (I wasn't paying $3 for a 16oz bottle from the minibar) Some cruiselines will let you bring water on with you.

Most of all, have fun and don't obsess. Cruises are wonderful, enjoy!

Seriously? I have never gained weight on a vacation. No matter how much I ate at the daily buffets, I always managed to get it off without actually exercising. I mean, I'd walk or swim but I wouldn't even think of it as exercise, it was just fun. My advice is don't stress out and don't spoil a probably well-deserved vacation stuck in a gym. Yes, it's important not to take a holiday from the diet but really, don't overthink or obsess about it. Relax. And enjoy

I lost three pounds on my last cruise, so it's possible.

I don't remember seeing any scales, but take advantage of the workout equipment, or use the jogging track. Also, plan shore excursions that are active, not ones that involve sitting on a bus and getting driven around.

Enjoy the food, but don't stuff yourself. Take one or two bites of everything you want, then stop.

And don't forget to have fun! If you do pick up a pound or two, you can work it off when you're no longer on vacation.

I absolutely LOVE cruising. I'm going on my 4th cruise in about 3 weeks. I too was worried about what I was going to do for weight loss during that week, even though I'm familiar with the cuisine and the gym on this particular ship. It still scares me because right now I'm doing a workout DVD program (Turbo Fire) and don't want to lose the progress and stamina I've built up so far.

My husband is already nagging me about obsessing over my weight loss while on the cruise. He just wants me to relax and have a good time and not focus on it for just that week. Another fear I have is if I don't do SOME type of planned exercise, I'll get back home and lose my desire to exercise here as well. *gasp*

However, I like the advice of going for the salads and fruits first and then trying whatever else I might want if still hungry.

Definitely try the classes! Instructor on my cruise was so HOT (russian) I went mainly to enjoy the view, he he and benefit from the workout.and remember takesmonths to put serious weight on! One week is not gonna hurt you too much.It is vacation after all! Of, yea the gyms on cruise ships areequipped very well and it is very funny to run on a treadmill while ship is in motion, ha ha, enjoy

The best way I found to keep from going overboard on food is to stay away from buffets. Eat all meals in the dining room where potions are controlled. They also have a healthy meal selection. Choose foods you wouldn't normally get a chance to eat at home; lobster, rack of lamb, etc. Keep telling yourself that pizza, etc. is always available and not a treat. Drink wine instead of frozen drinks and take advantage of the gym or walking track. Good luck!

I'm going on a Disney cruise in a few weeks... planning on using the gym most mornings, maybe doing the jogging trail and definitely walking around the ports and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

I've been on many a cruise and, yes, the food is yummy to the max. I would reiterate what lots of others have said about making sure you incorporate walking around the ship often (this will also help you to get out and enjoy the ship!). I've only been on Royal Caribbean ships, but their fitness centers are amazing and the staff are completely helpful. Most of all, enjoy yourself!

My husband and I are going on our very first cruise in October - 9 days on the Mexican Riviera. I can't wait! I have wanted to cruise forever and never thought I would get the chance. We're both currently trying to lose weight and get healthier, and I was worried we would spend all our time eating and not get to exercise at all. But just this week he mentioned that he never thought he would be thinking about how to exercise on vacation... Maybe we're on the same wavelength after all. LOL

I enjoyed reading the posts from all of you who have cruised before and been successful in staying on track. Thanks everyone!