Sticking to weight loss at WDW

[akayek31]

This trip I am going on in October is a reward for my losing weight. I was at 307 pounds in March and decided it had to change. I have at this point lost 40 pounds. My question is what can I eat and still have fun while rewarding myself for doing something that needed to be done. I know I will walk a lot each day so it will burn the calories off. Don't want to come home and worry about gaining. TIA.

 

[Mr & Mrs DD]

Avoid the sweets, pasta, & bread. But, it is vacation. I am in the same situation that you are. I was at 273. I have lost 30 lbs and counting. I stick to a low fat diet Mon thru Fri. I eat what I want on Saturday and Sunday, BUT I don't crazy with it. That way I get rewarded every weekend and have something that I want, but I don't go overboard with it. I plan to eat what I want while I am on vacation at Disney. I will be doing a lot of walking, so that will help some. I may gain a few pounds on vacation, but I am going to enjoy myself. I will get back on my diet routine when I get back home. If you don't want to break your diet at all, stick with the low fat meals, salads & fruit, avoid the sweets, breads & pasta. Good luck to you.

 

[disnut8]

I don't have a weight problem (and trust me, people still comment on that) but I find no matter what I eat on a Disney vacation, I lose weight. You are correct, the walking does help quite a bit so walk everywhere you can while there. My husband and I take many strolls around World Showcase (1.2 miles) so if you decide to get some pot stickers or an egg roll in China, do that.

Also, there are many salad options all over Disney World (watch out for the dressings and ask for them on the side or carry a small container of your own). You can ask for just the sandwich and not the sides although at quick service places, you can get sides of grapes or apples instead of fries. You can also check out the Mickey check meals on the kids menus at quick service places.

And remember that you can substitute your sides at many table service restaurants. So, if the meal you want comes with a side you don't want, you can ask for another side as long as it appears on the menu somewhere (including the kids menu).

You can also ask for any entree at a table service meal to be prepared without the sauce on top. Just ask for it "naked".

But - relax and enjoy yourself. I doubt you will put on any pounds at all.

 

[myrtleturtle]

Remember to check out the appetizers at sit down restaurants. I can order one of those instead of an entree and I'm full. Also, for me, one vacation pitfall is alcohol. I don't drink much at home, but those fruity drinks on a hot day look so good. But all that sugar!

 

[limabeanmom2003]

First off, congrats on your weight loss. Great accomplishment. Decide before you go whether you are sticking with your diet or eating anything you want. Don't think that the walking will help even things out. The calories you will burn walking will not make up for the extra calories you could consume at disney. If you eat at a buffet, you can easily consume 2days worth of calories in that one meal. I would suggest bringing breakfast with you so you can eat in the room. Oatmeal, bananas, cereal, milk, etc. something high in protein. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated and keep you full. Buy a kids meal at quick service and opt for the grapes, carrots or applesauce. Then, you can splurge a little on a snack or dinner and the calories you burn walking can help you there. Just try not to splurge at all three meals. You could end up feeling miserable about what you've bern eating.

 

[SM101]

So if you've been eating healthy, if you suddenly switch it up and eat crap all week, you're going to feel awful. Disney is a vacation where you do not want to feel awful. Yes, it's vacation - have some treats - but remember that suddenly overindulging all the time will have it's effects, very quickly and very unpleasantly.

Don't do dining plan - have dessert if you want sometimes but not every meal, so don't PAY for them every meal. Bring a few lighter snacks with you like bagged almonds and drink loads of water (you can get free iced water at any CS). You'll already walk lots and you can plan on having a couple good swims in there as well.

Familiarize yourself with a couple of healthier QS options for the parks for meals and snacks so have some ideas about where to eat on the fly. You'll want to enjoy some sit down meals, so again - just have a look at menus and see what's available. Split entrees if you can and have a salad as an appetizer to round out meals. Instead of having a big sundae, have a single scoop cone. Split caloric snacks. Have a glass of wine instead of a big mixed drink. Ask the server NOT to bring the bread basket out.

 

[CuseWazowski]

Congrats! Making good food choices at WDW can be hard. All the bad choices are next to the good ones!

On my trip next week, I'm going to try to watch my breakfast choices and maybe not always go for the 700 calorie blueberry muffin! I'll try to mix up my lunches, not always have the full burger, fries, and dessert every day. We're going to try to split some lunches, too. And I'll try to be resonable at dinner. We've mixed in a couple of set-portion dinners and I'll try not to be too bad at the buffets. That's when I struggle!

All that being said, remember that you are on a treat vacation. Enjoy it and don't stress about it too much. A few days won't ruin all of your work and you'll get back into routine when you get home.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Congrats on your weight loss!

Here is an article about intentional breaks...the idea is that people who intentionally stop a diet for whatever reason (vacation, a break, holidays, special occasions, etc) have an easier time getting back into it versus those who fall off the diet. I guess it's the idea of having control versus something that happened to you.

http://vitals.lifehacker.com/the-benefits-of-intentionally-failing-on-your-diet-1682610160

Here is a good article about diets and vacations in general

http://vitals.lifehacker.com/how-to-go-on-vacation-without-ruining-your-diet-1697563909

 

[BobC]

I never go overboard with eating at Disney but obviously I eat more here than at home. Snack in morning. QS meal for lunch and TS for dinner typically.

However, I'm also not on my feet for 14 hrs a day at home power walking 6-8 miles which you do at Disney in the heat. You burn off quite a few calories here without even trying or dedicating exercising.

 

[GreatLakes]

I think you can treat yourself a little bit without completely throwing your healthy habits away. Being too rigid is just as extreme as being too lax.

Even though it is vacation I wouldn't recommend making any drastic changes. Diets don't work, lifestyle changes do, so if you consider what you have done so far a lifestyle change I would continue on with that lifestyle. That doesn't mean you can't have an extra dessert or two but if you watch portions at home watch portions at Disney. If you eat lean meats and vegetables at home eat lean meats and vegetables at Disney. If you exercise beyond walking at home exercise beyond waling at Disney, just adjust it to take into account the additional walking you are doing. Do not overestimate the number of calories you burn walking, especially if you also walk at home.

I would try to get in some fitness activity beyond the walking in the parks. I do a few morning runs during our trip or find a local race to do and use the fitness center if we are staying somewhere with one. My wife gets up early before the pools fill up and swims laps. There are also bikes you can rent or kayaking that can help you get in a workout while on vacation.

A few things that I would recommend are making sure you eat a good, healthy breakfast to start you day off right. We don't do any big breakfast buffets or start the day with pancakes, bacon, and sausage. We did fruit, oatmeal, and bagels most mornings. I don't think we had a single breakfast ADR actually on our last trip. Just hit the resort CS on the way to the buses.

If you are there with someone share desserts so you can try them while limiting the calories.

If you are at a buffet take small portions of things you want to try and don't be afraid to take one bite of something and just leave the rest if it isn't good to you.

Substitute sides. If there is an entree that you really want that is higher in calories and comes with fries, for example, go ahead and get the entree but ask for vegetables instead. Along those lines if you are ordering vegetables that come cooked in butter ask for steamed. Sometimes preparation is as important as what you are eating.

Lastly, make your last day there a day where you get 100% back on track and eat as you would at home. Many times people use their last day as a reason to really go overboard or they stay in vacation mode for a while after getting home. Making the last day a line in the sand and getting back on track just before you leave makes it easier to transition back to your new lifestyle once you are home.

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

However, I'm also not on my feet for 14 hrs a day at home power walking 6-8 miles which you do at Disney in the heat. You burn off quite a few calories here without even trying or dedicating exercising.

This is exactly what I was going to say. We walk, on average, 8 miles a day while at WDW, sometimes we'll make it to 10 or more. This probably gives you some room to indulge a bit here and there. Your weight loss is awesome and while I completely respect that you want to continue the diet on vacation, it would really blow to go somewhere like Ohana (for example) and not indulge.

 

[dashofsunshine]

Congrats to you for making smart, healthy changes! Lifestyle changes are difficult and it sounds like you're doing great I've lost 125 lbs with about 30 more to go - when we went to WDW this year, these were my favorite tips:

I drank water like it was nobody's business. Water is your best friend. On an average day I get 80 oz - in Disney I bumped it up to 100 oz a day (94 degrees outside in the sun walking all day, yikes!).

I shared literally everything with my husband. Even if it was a snack, I'd take a few bites and he would have a few bites. Not only did that help with portion control, but it helped us be able to try lots of different things

I limited myself to one "treat" per day - be that an alcoholic drink or a sweet treat or pasta/bread. Otherwise I stuck to protein first (always. My cardinal rule, haha), veggies second, and starches last.

I lost weight on our trip, and didn't feel deprived of anything. Good luck!!!!

 

[Lucius Best]

It's a vacation, we don't utter the "C" word (calories) while on vacation. We eat what we want to eat without going crazy, with mindset that it's not the end of the world to gain a couple of pounds, because we want to enjoy ourselves on vacation, but don't want to completely lose control. Limit the buffets. We hit a grocery store and get bagels/bananas/granola bars for breakfast in the room. I'll bring mini Clif bars or little bags of mixed nuts to the park to snack on, then splurge on ice cream/churro/cupcake/fudge only once or twice a trip. At QS will split a meal, or ask for meal without the mountain of fries they give you. At TS will almost always get a salad for appetizer and split/skip dessert. If up early, will squeeze in quick walk/jog around the resort before rope drop. Also agree with previous poster about departure day, I also try to get back into the mindset of portions/eating right on the last day to ease the transition back to reality.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

My question is what can I eat and still have fun while rewarding myself for doing something that needed to be done

1) Let's see if I can help.
2) I dumped 153 pounds.
3) Wanted to stay that way.
4) Knew it would be tough at Disney or on vacations.
5) We did Ireland and England last September for 15-days.
6) Could have been a disaster, with their foods, but gained ZERO new weight.
7) What I did
. . . drank 60-70 ounces of water per day (yep, at times it was tough to swallow another sip)
. . . no soda pop
. . . no "power bars" or pre-packaged snacks, just took packages of nuts
. . . no starches and no breads as much as possible (would even remove the buns from burgers)
. . . no creamy soups, but had lots of clear broth soups
. . . no pig-outs and no buffets, ate every meal in moderation

 

[maltdizzy]

100 calories a mile, most people will average 5-10 miles. That means you'll burn 500-1,000 calories walking around the park...of course you body is burning additional calories. And the exercise increases your metabolism to increase those calories you burn when sitting.

It's pretty easy to eat 4,000+ calories a day at Disney if you are counting (many items are 1,000+ calories by themselves). Actually, I want to say it may be a Disney average. If they didn't burn those calories off...that would equate to gaining 1 pound (actually those like 3,400-3,500 calories)

But if you lost 40 lbs already...you are doing it right; just keep up with your routine...and spread your rewards out so you aren't hitting the system with a lot of sugar at once. Putting lbs on a WDW isn't really an issue...you can lose them again...but if you break the routine, it may be very hard to get back into your schedule. and have to go through the same sugar, carbs, caffeine, etc. withdrawal you've moved past already.

 

[5kidsmommy]

Congrats!! That is quite an accomplishment. I'll just echo what the others have said. Avoid over indulging in treats and carbs. Split meals if possible or pick a small side. Everything in moderation. And just drink water, it's so much healthier for you, you feel so much better and you don't have all those empty calories. Enjoy your trip.

 

[bumbershoot]

My biggest contribution here is to remind you to have a plan for when you get home. Have some tasty stuff in the freezer that you can eat for that first day back before you're able to go shopping. From experience, have a variety because tastebuds get a little funny when you've been dining out a lot, and what we normally eat might not feel "fun" when we get home.

And don't stress over a temporary increase on the scale. It takes longer than a week of going seriously overboard with calories to even gain a pound of fat, so any increase is just the bulk of food (anyone else have their innards go on the fritz after about a week of dining out?) and water weight DH once "gained" 9 lbs in a weekend in Vancouver lol. Lost it by the next week's weighin.

So don't freak out if that happens. Gains happen, and the Disney related ones are almost always temporary. Just keep going with your plan to keep any gain temporary.

 

[dmc6469]

You’re on vacation. Don’t stress about weight gain or stressing on what you should and shouldn’t eat. Now, I’m not saying to eat everything in sight every 5 minutes. But just pace yourself. Treat yourself. I know how you feel. I’m on the 21 Day Fix and doing great with it and a good motivation is my vacation. I’m just 14 pounds from my goal and am planning on losing an extra 5 lbs before I head to FL because I just know that I’ll be gaining between all the alcohol and treats at Epcot LOL Just do what you are doing, stick to your plan before your trip, enjoy your vacation and when you get back from vacation you just get back on your plan. Another week starts and another week of healthy eating starts. You deserve it!

 

[ashmarie06]

Congrats to you for making smart, healthy changes! Lifestyle changes are difficult and it sounds like you're doing great I've lost 125 lbs with about 30 more to go - when we went to WDW this year, these were my favorite tips:

I drank water like it was nobody's business. Water is your best friend. On an average day I get 80 oz - in Disney I bumped it up to 100 oz a day (94 degrees outside in the sun walking all day, yikes!).

I shared literally everything with my husband. Even if it was a snack, I'd take a few bites and he would have a few bites. Not only did that help with portion control, but it helped us be able to try lots of different things

I limited myself to one "treat" per day - be that an alcoholic drink or a sweet treat or pasta/bread. Otherwise I stuck to protein first (always. My cardinal rule, haha), veggies second, and starches last.

I lost weight on our trip, and didn't feel deprived of anything. Good luck!!!!

I also lost 4.5 lbs on my last trip following your rules above. Although, I had 1-2 alcoholic drinks a day!

 

[jpeden]

Congrats on your weight loss! My wife has lost 56 lbs and I've lost 34 using Weight Watchers plus different forms of exercise. Since we do Weight Watchers, we track portions more than anything. I understand your concern about gaining because I'm afraid of regressing (I've struggled with my weight almost all of my life - I got down to 179 in college and was happy with it, but it ballooned back up and after I got married and worked an extremely stressful job, I was up to 233).

That being said, we're going to enjoy ourselves at WDW next month. We aren't going to go crazy, but if there's something we want, we're going to eat it. My tips are the same as most of the other ones on here: drink plenty of water - it keeps you hydrated and helps flush out excess sodium so you don't get bloated and gain from that; if you get something and you have a few bites of it and are satisfied, throw it out - I know when we pay WDW prices, it's hard to justify throwing something away but if you don't want the rest of something, don't make yourself sick by finishing it - just have the server clear the plate or drop that snack in the nearest trash can; roughly continue what you've been doing at home to lose weight when it comes to food - for us, we'll watch portions and probably split a good number of things, but if you've been trying to watch carbs or other intakes, monitor those as well (but still allow yourself to splurge, as it's vacation).

Remember, even if you gain one or two pounds, you have to look at how far you've come from your initial weigh-in when you started trying to change your lifestyle, not the number you see on the scale. Even five pounds gained when you've lost 40 pounds isn't a setback. So, go and enjoy your vacation and don't stress! You're gonna have a great time and you're going to be able to get right back on the healthy train when you get home!