Why are there few high-weight Cruiser Folk?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Here's some more anecdotal evidence.

After Christmas took my boat out for a short shakedown. 17 days from north Florida to West End Grand Bahama and back. Ate big meals and lots of calories every day and dropped from 180 lbs to 170 lbs.

When I first bought the boat just living on the hook I lost a few lbs and lost another 7-8 in a two week trip down the ICW to FL from RI.

Water loss. This is normal. Drink (water or juice) to substitute. If you run low on tissue water (dehydration) your decisions and action are shifted and may become inadequate (e.g. buying a bigger boat, staying at home, getting re-married, etc.)

It all comes back to norm once back ashore and properly hydrated.

Cheers,
b.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Water loss. This is normal. Drink (water or juice) to substitute. If you run low on tissue water (dehydration) your decisions and action are shifted and may become inadequate (e.g. buying a bigger boat, staying at home, getting re-married, etc.)

It all comes back to norm once back ashore and properly hydrated.

Cheers,
b.

Well that could have been a contributing factor. I did try to up the liquid intake on board but did notice darker urine which can indicate lower level of hydration. However, back home for over a week and still showing the ten lb loss and I'm back to normal activity and hydration by now. Also had to tighten my belt a notch or so and still there.

[Sea Dreaming]

More anecdotal "evidence". Jim and I ditched our desk jobs for our new boat at the beginning of December. I boarded our boat with three pairs of long pants. 2 that fit well and 1 I could not wear but was hopeful that "one day" I might squeeze into them.
We arrived with our old habit of 2 meals a day and little snacking. Jim and I both seemed to lose weight, he tightened up his belt and I added a belt. This continued so we added meal 3, then snacks. Now I can only wear the pants that were too tight and Jim, thankfully, has slowed down on his body changes. Jim did not have any spare to lose so I am watching to be sure he does not keep up the loses. I don't have a scale so I can't tell if we have actually lost weight or replaced fat with muscle. Probably a little of each!
Either way, we are healthier on the boat. And who doesn't like to eat more?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Actually, there's not much evidence it works at all, in fact there's more research now showing it doest work, nor can it, for most people.

(...)

Yes, exercise is great, but for health not weight loss.

(...)

Yes. I know this take. A friend of mine has a very graphic verbal representation of this that verges on brutal BUT it is very hard to argue against it.

I too think reducing calories intake is the most important factor in reducing body weight.

As someone mentioned above, our exchange here now is mostly anecdotal as overweight people are extremely unwilling to eat less, let alone exercise a lot. It is mostly (already slim and fit) health freaks that watch the calories AND run or walk miles, daily.

I counted my calories (6ft tall, 150lbs) on a passage and onshore. On passages, I eat about 1400 calories. On land I take in about 1800 (all, not just food). But while on land I also run some 20 track miles a week let alone trekking, snorkeling, walking to the shops and doing everything else we normally do in port.

In my family there are some obese people and I do know how they got there. So I do all I can to not get there. So far so good.

Cheers,
b.

[barnakiel]

Very interesting stuff in links by MarkJ. Well worth a read!

b.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

A very good quote, even though this does not apply to cruising. Different movement, different effort, different ocean, different everything.

If you rewind Armel's landfall vid, you will hear Samantha giving some more insight (on which muscles get build up) and there is also a comment earlier in vendeeglobetv videos (I think from Maitre Coq Jeremie Beyou) on atrophy of his leg muscles).

You will easily notice that an average cruiser daily intake is also about 5000 calories ... then we are beginning to see the causes of our obesity.

b.

I wasn't suggesting a,one-to-one comparison, but that if you ate the same, exercised the same, and the only thing different was a moving boat, then calories burned (and muscle mass, which would also increase calories out), would increase. I haven't read Mark's links, but if I understand what he's saying, strictly counting calories as a method of weight loss is not going to be helpful if those calories are empty carbs. So, if you eat healthy and sail, then you'll lose weight over someone who eats the same and is moored day in and day out. Not huge, but certainly it should be quantifiable.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by gamayun

I wasn't suggesting a,one-to-one comparison, but that if you ate the same, exercised the same, and the only thing different was a moving boat, then calories burned (and muscle mass, which would also increase calories out), would increase. I haven't read Mark's links, but if I understand what he's saying, strictly counting calories as a method of weight loss is not going to be helpful if those calories are empty carbs. So, if you eat healthy and sail, then you'll lose weight over someone who eats the same and is moored day in and day out. Not huge, but certainly it should be quantifiable.

I will agree with you but just to an extent. Having read Mark's links gave me some second thoughts for sure.

I think, all other things equal, same cal intake for varied land/cruising lifestyles, you will GAIN weight while cruising. Just think about all the things you do NOT do while cruising: not going to the toilet block (200 yards, twice a day), NOT going to the shower (at least once a day, as above), not going to the shops (say twice a week), NOT getting on and off the boat, NOT chasing an escaping bus, NOT having as much sex life, NOT rowing ashore, NOT ...

Are you seeing my picture? I think, all the NOTs add up and in result we move only very little while cruising/sailing and in effect we will get obese sooner. This seems to be in line with what I can see when I look at our fellow cruisers.

Look at my calories count posted above. I am almost (say > 96% certain) my count is accurate to within 100 calories. 1800 on land vs. 1400 sailing, I cannot remember last time I put on any weight. (Yessss, I can: I was 18 and body building because of one blonde chick that is right now sitting on the opposite bunk ...). I cannot remember last time I lost any weight either.

I may be mixing things up. But at least we are having fun, thinking. Thinking burns some calories too. ;-)

Love,
b.

[0urh]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Just think about all the things you do NOT do while cruising: NOT having as much sex life, NOT rowing ashore, NOT ...

Interesting....... are you speaking from experience?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by 0urh

Interesting....... are you speaking from experience?

It sounds as if what's on YOUR mind is the other meaning of the word 'cruising'.


b.

[Dogbah13]

Dr. Donald Hensrud said that cutting calories is more effective and works to enhance weight loss better than increasing physical activity. So, it can work right? but if you eat junk food you may be fit but still not healthy.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Actually, there's not much evidence it works at all, in fact there's more research now showing it doest work, nor can it, for most people.

Science evolves as better studies are done and biases in earlier studies are uncovered.

Yes, exercise is great, but for health not weight loss.
CI/CO Calories in/calories out is a concept put out by Coke to make you think HFCS doest kill you.

Anyway, have a look at this article in the British Medical Journal as it's pretty much the latest view:




And this on from the British Journal of Sports Medicine about diets that do work
http://bjsmbeta.bmj.com/content/51/2...ampaign=buffer

[sailorboy1]

Fat is where it's at. Which is how a thread that has been dead for 1.5 years can come back to life after a topic search that leads to what now seems a random post. :-)