Weight Gain

[GenCan]

I'm in the same boat as TrvlPro, I eat right and exercise most days of the week, every week. So when I'm on vacation, I don't really focus on eating right or going to gym. I notice, though, that my activity stays high on a cruise just from walking and doing shore excursions.

[penny3333]

I normally won't gain much, if any, but my activity level is much higher on a cruise. We snorkel in every port, walk almost everywhere on the ship rarely taking the elevators, and walk a lot in ports. I do enjoy eating things I normally wouldn't, but most of the food is healthy. Soups, salads, fruits, and veggies are always available. I try not to eat a whole lot of bread and butter, but sometimes I just can't resist. But, I'll worry about it when I get back to the grind.

[drlivingston]

Yep, here's a recent picture of me in the snow trying to get up the mountain. Darned 24hr buffet is killing me.

[Frase]

I did not gain weight on my cruises. That despite, already being overweight. I think it had allot to do with walking allot more. Not only did I do allot of walking horizontally (from one end of the ship to the other), I also did allot of horizontal walking on my shore excursions. And then there was allot of verticle walking; since everyone on all decks all at once wants to use the elevator, I gave up waiting for it and used the stairs instead.

If one is concerned with gaining weight, I suppose there is the gym onboard. They have the exercise equipment and classes with trainers. I went to the gym a couple of times, but did not push myself too hard. After all, a cruise is supposed to be a vacation full of rest, relaxation, and fun.

To top that off, I was proud of myself for eating sensibly. I had one big meal at dinner time (which I only had one serving of each course [appetizer,salad,entreé,and dessert]). During the day I would get a small quick bite to eat (usually before the shore excursion). And if there was something interesting to eat, I would get a small sample of it. Maybe I did endulge a little. Maybe I didn't loose any weight, but I did not gain any as far as I could tell.

[LisaP]

Some good tips, Frase -- thank you for sharing.

I also continue to eat sensibly while on vacation. This is how I generally handle meals:

• Breakfast - whole fruit (grapefruit or melon, usually), followed by some kind of protein (smoked salmon or eggs), skim or low-fat milk instead of juice. I'll skip the rolls/danish, and either have toast or a small bowl of oatmeal
  
• Lunch - big salad containing chicken or seafood, plus one roll to get some carbs. No dessert -- I'll order a cup of tea, perhaps with fruit or cheese. (Lunch is usually my smallest meal of the day at home, too.)
  
• Afternoon snack - I'll occasionally treat myself to a cup of tea (if not taken at lunch) with ONE of the small dessert items offered at the buffet
  
• Dinner - I'll get either an appetizer or salad, not both. Limit to one dinner roll, if at all. Small amount of dressing on the salad. Consomme every night. Pretty much whatever I'm in the mood for as an entree. Dessert is usually tea (anybody sense a pattern?) and cheese plate. I'm not big on desserts, so this might not work for everyone.
  
• Buffets - I avoid them when possible. It's so easy for me to say, "one slice of bacon won't hurt," and then end up with four or five. Not worth the temptation, IMO.
  
• Indulging - Yes, I do indulge. On our last cruise, a 12-nighter, I had Eggs Benedict for breakfast three mornings. I just adjusted the rest of the day's meals accordingly.
  
• Indulging, part 2 - While I'm not big on desserts, there are still a few I enjoy. One is chocolate mousse, another is creme brulee. One tip I followed was to check the evening's menus earlier in the day, so that I could make adjustments throughout. These are typically posted by the dining rooms in the morning.[/list]
  Anybody have some more ideas to share?

[MiketheKid]

The only tip I can think of (and I hope someone didn't already mention it) has to do with eating at the buffet.

When I eat there, I allow myself to have one plate worth of food. Once that food is gone, no more. Of course, this requires a bit of self control (i.e. a plate full of bacon might not be the best choice, neither would a plate that is overflowing with food), but it seems to be helpful.

[GenCan]

Maybe eat sensibly and healthy most of the day and then have a splurge meal once a day or a splurge item once per day. My splurge item would have to be anything that contains chocolate.

Remember it takes 3500 calories to gain one pound. That is an awful lot of eating...

[penny3333]

Or one small bite of Chocolate Melting Cake

[susanmaz]

For me, the biggest problem is the ice cream bar. On the Zuiderdam last fall, ice cream was available in the Lido from 10:30 AM - 11:00 PM. It was awfully hard to walk by and resist. Pistachio ice cream at 10:30 at night is terribly decadent, but oh so wonderful.... Some things are just to hard to pass up...

[SanDee]

On my 1st cruise I gained 8 lbs in 7 days
I managed to only gain 2lbs on our 11 day Hawaiian cruise and nothing on our 5 day cruise. I am learning. We bought little pedomoters at WalMart and attach to our clothes everyday to keep track of our walking. On days at shore we would walk as much as 10 miles. On sea days we averaged 4-5 miles. We do not take elevators. We "walk". We are on the Riviera deck most of the time so we have alot of stairs up and down. Every cruise I say I am going to enjoy the fitness center and every cruise I make it there once and that is it. It is always busy in the morning and I have too many other things I want to do during the day. At night it is usually utilized by a lot of staff. I wish it was open 24hrs or at least very late. I enjoy a workout and then shower before bed.

I am also learning to eat differently on a ship. They say you should eat 6 small meals and where better than on a ship. If you cannot avoid temptation then order room service for breakfast. Coffee, juice and a piece of toast. Then later enjoy a small salad and soup if available. Around 3 order a sandwich and share it with your spouse.

I have to say dinner is my downfall. I LOVE bread and they serve some of the best. I have to have an appetizer. At home I rarely order one as they are pricey and then I never finish my meal. My husband had never had Escargot and would not pay the high price to try it so on our first cruise he ordered it and loved it. Now every cruise he orders it. Free or not...I'll pass! I usually do not finish my dinner so I have room for dessert.

It does not help when Carnival offeres FREE ice cream 24 hrs a day. On Conquest they offered Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt. The yogert is better for you and fewer calories. I am dieting now to get ready for our next cruise in Nov.