Why are there few high-weight Cruiser Folk?

[Izenears]

I thought I might raise the topic of weight and Cruising because ever since I have been away from living on board I have struggled with my weight. My Eureka moment came when I thought about what I did on the boat for those two months, what I ate and drank. True, I smoked in those days and no longer do but my alcohol intake was probably higher and the food I ate pretty much the same with lots of 'comfort' food. The answer is simple, you live in a permanent state of body adjustment when afloat, even sleeping if you are travelling at night. For balance you constantly add both big and small adjustments to counter the boat's movements so every 24hrs you are in a permanent state of flex and when in a decent seaway those muscles get a jolly good workout. Ergo, my hypothesis Your Honours is that sailing, cruising or living aboard a boat that can move to the water i.e. you are not locked away in a marina basin with the only noticeable movement being the tide, is a 'living gym' and thus, if you are over weight and sedentary, changing your life to living on a boat could offer more than just pretty beaches and dreaming away the days in Budget Marine, it could turn you into an Adonis or Adonette and I haven't even started upon the Zen Effect that sea travel has upon the Soul. You may not run 10Klms a day, you may only pant for a moment when you tighten up those winches or tug on a halyard but every second is a micro-workout from boiling an egg to pointing properly on the Head. So, walk away from Suburbia, sell the SUV or RV and get a home that floats. In no time flat you will be broke but happy, the envy of your kids and landlubber friends and fit as a Mallee Bull. (You might need to Google that unless you are versed in Strine and you might have to Google that to.) Just one more thing to think about if you are thinking about Cruising. Hoo Roo.

[44'cruisingcat]

Depends on your lifestyle I guess. I was always pretty active ashore, working, riding dirt bikes, mountain bikes etc.


Living aboard I find I eat more "nibblies" at sundowners, I drink more, and exercise less. I have to be more conscious of my diet on board than I ever did on shore. (Where I never really even thought about it.)

[SV DestinyAscen]

Age catches up to everyone. We all get slower metabolism, overtime lose muscle mass quicker and harder to gain it back - which also reduces your metabolism.

Sailing can keep your core fit. I don't think it's alone is enough to keep a trim person from putting on pounds unless the person watched diet very well and already is prone to thinness.

[Paul Elliott]

I'm a moderately big and tall guy, and could stand to lose a few (dozen) pounds. Whenever I have sailed between Hawaii and the mainland (two or three weeks) I have always lost ten or twelve pounds. On the boat, I'm always moving, or at least tensing as the boat moves, I eat smaller portions, and my snacks are more healthy. Unfortunately, I always regain the weight within a year, returning to my stable landlubber weight. Would that be called "landblubber"?

[uncle stinkybob]

I was around 210 lb 9 months ago, moved aboard and sail out of my little marina solo as much as possible. I lost 35 lbs and feel great other the the usual getting older crap. I thought I might put it back on this winter as I've been inactive with the cold and storms but not a pound has returned. It's not just been the work of running the boat, I've also changed my diet. no more saturated fats, tiny amount of red meat (bummer) I cook only with coconut oil, avocado or olive oil. I eat lots of fresh fish, rice, beans and fresh fruit. I also love dried fruit and keep lots aboard. Nothing ever stronger than decent red wine aboard, 1 big glass a day at most. Oh ya, 3 months before I bought my first sailboat and moved aboard I quit smoking after a 46 year 2 pack a day habit. I swear buying the boat, learning her, repairing, hell...learning how (still) to sail was what did it. My focus was and is directed at this new life, learning and surviving my own mistakes and screw ups. Its a good life, far healthier than the one I left behind.
Oh ya, I'm just a coastal cruiser.

[clownfishsydney]

With us, planning four weeks of food in advance meant you could not eat more than planned or else we would run out of food. Applies to beers, wine, cheeses, chocolate biscuits etc, so had to be very strict. Also did a lot of walking on beaches. I lost 8 kg (17 lb) while away in 2015.

[zeehag]

gotta do a lot of walking unless you are rich enough for taxis all the time...
there is a lot of work in being a cruiser
might even have to eat things you are not used to eating...oops
hahahahaha

[Sandero]

As you age your body works differently... it's part of getting old. Try to eat right... probably less and better.... and do some excercise. You can't stop aging or reverse it... but you can age with some manner of grace. You need to adjust your activities to what your body can do.

[MarkJ]

Another reason you see few high weight cruisers is it's difficult to get on and off monohulls, dinghies, up docks. Lug Gerry cans etc.
They may tend to cruise for shorter periods than others.

I agree with comments on boat motion.

Food is an interesting one... Many still conform to government food guidelines where most recent research (except that funded by coke and food manufacturers) shows carbs are not as good as previously thought and meat and fat are better than previously thought.

Read up, it's all on the internet. Links to quality research on www.dietdoctor.com


Mark

[Suijin]

I spent last winter ashore and gained 15 lbs. Moved back on the boat and it came off pretty quick. I think it's because you're just generally more active living on a boat, even if you're not doing as much dedicated exercise.

During an offshore passage I will lose about 3-4 lbs a week, even if I eat everything in sight along the way. Just how my body works.

They say that when it comes to weight loss you can exercise all you want but that real results come from diet. But I think that model is based "exercise sessions" of 30 minutes of this or that, or an hour, etc. On a boat you can be moving a lot more in general, throughout the day. Certainly on a passage your body is constantly compensating for boat movement, and you're moving around even more. It's like whole body all day isometric exercise. It's why you sleep like a rock when you're off watch, even if the boat is pitching like a bronco.

But everyone is different. Anyone remember Scoobert? Checked out his blog recently in a "What is that character up to?" moment. He's been on the boat 4 years now and he's a pudgy as ever lol.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Another reason you see few high weight cruisers is it's difficult to get on and off and in and out ofmonohulls, dinghies, up docks. Lug Gerry cans etc.
They may tend to cruise for shorter periods than others.before they need another burger or three

I agree with comments on boat motion.

Food is an interesting one... Many still conform to government food guidelines where most recent research (except that funded by coke and food manufacturers) shows carbs are not as good as previously thought and meat and fat are better than previously thought.

Read up, it's all on the internet. Links to quality research on www.dietdoctor.com
Mark

Raise the Quality and lessen the Quantity..

[robert sailor]

Swimming is wonderful for your body, easy on the joints and great for your cardiovascular system. I agree with MarkJ on the carbs but personally I avoid red meat and only eat it as a treat. Lots of hiking helps, make sure if you are in the area where Sealife is anchored you attend one of his hikes to hell, pretty hard to gain weight keeping up with him. Vegetables and fruit are our primary meals with fish and chicken in small amounts. Drink lots of water as kidney stones are easily grown in the tropics.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Drink lots of water as kidney stones are easily grown in the tropics.

Or.. less rum..

[bobgarrett]

I was told by my chiropractor that sailing is also great for the back due to the constant small movements.
Certainly I rarely have back problems during the summer but being around at home in the winter it all seems to tighten up.

[TrentePieds]

I taught MyBeloved, when she was new to cruising, that the way to get a grip on motion sickness (mal-de-mer) is to keep the upper body vertical at all times. So she stands at the wheel, when we are rolling, shifting her weight from foot to foot to do just that.

Think of what is happening there. Helming is the functional equivalent of walking!

From Porlier to Eagle Harbour is 26NM. That's 48 km! Or 30 statute miles. In terms of exercise, helming all the way from Porlier to Eagle is the equivalent of a 30 mile hike in six hours.

No wonder sailor-folk stay in shape!

TrentePieds