A baker & a Weight Watcher leader:

[estherhead]

OK, this is going to confuse some of you but I am a professional baker (sugar artist if you prefer.) Wedding cakes are my specialty (yes the Food Network kind but I'm not that good) but I also make amazing (if I do say so myself) baklava, cheesecake, sugar cookies, etc.

In addition to that (or perhaps BECAUSE of that) I'm a lifetime WW member & leader for the last 5 years. I just had a baby & am dieting again to get back to goal by Sept. I have 15lbs to go & should have no problem, but here is my dilemna:

We have free DDP & I will be trying out all kinds of stuff. THere is no way I'm willing to have a milkshake for a drink & a dessert. My belly won't fit it all plus I'm unwilling to gain weight (or at least too much weight) just because it is free food. I've got meals fairly planned off the menus & reviews but my drinks & dessert are confusing me and since this is where the non-nutritional calories come from I want to get the most bang for my buck (even tho it is free )

Which desserts/drinks are NOT TO BE MISSED and will a professional baker adore. Just to tune you in, normally the only sweets I get at WDW are a chocolate croissant in France & a funnel cake.

I have no real desire to have sugar free jello, any actual delicious sugar free stuff?

We have evening ADR's at: Ohana, Le Cellier, Whispering Canyon, 50's Primetime, San Angel, & Crystal Palace

Any help for a weight-concsious dessert lover?

 

[allyphoe]

'Ohana's served-family-style desert is really yummy IMHO, and it's not a huge portion (like some of the deserts are) - if you had a big group or really liked it, you could ask for more, but in your situation, you could have a bite or two and be done. (The first bites taste the best, anyhow.)

Two years ago when I first saw it, Le Cellier's Strawberries & Balsamic was a really elegant, "pastry chef" type desert. And again, the portion was relatively small. Creme brulee was yummy, but it was just creme brulee - nothing particularly special.

WCC's deserts are ginormous. We didn't try them when we went on DDP, because there was so much other food at that meal and they weren't safe for the gluten-intolerant in our group. The milkshakes get good reviews, but I'd give the chocolate a "C" at best, and I thought the orange was icky.

Crystal Palace is standard mass-produced buffet dessert. You're not missing anything.

 

[Leota]

I don't know about sugar-free. But I was a Pastry Chef pre-Mom days. I love the desserts at the Boulangerie Pastisserie in the French Pavillion in World Showcase of Epcot. My favorite is the Pralineige. The desserts we had in Chefs were very good to, even tho the rest of the meal was a disappointment.

I'm sorry to say I can't think of any real stand-out desserts worth an indulgence at the restaurants you listed.

 

[estherhead]

Thanks guys! The place in France is a must do on my list, and I will try a few bites at Ohana & perhaps skip the rest. I'm going to try to get as much fruit as possible as sides or desserts at CS Meals. MGM had some of the best pineapple I've ever had last time we were there.

Was there any good cheesecake that anyone recalls? I thought I might order it & take it back to my room with me as a midnight snack... at least there is some calcium. LOL!

 

[Hobbes]

Poor you-what a rotten combination! You see I am the opposite combination, a lousy cook AND a rotten dieter!

Seriously I am too undiciplined to remain dieting whilst at WDW, so I don't even try. I do admire your will though, I'm just about to enrol with WW here in the UK and already I am tortured with thoughts of the things I can't eat. Good Luck!

 

[undertheseas]

I should be in WW But I've found that even with all the great food I eat while I'm in the World, I manage to maintain my weight because of all the walking. My problem is coming home and going back to eating normal because I'm not walking all day.

 

[estherhead]

Poor you-what a rotten combination! You see I am the opposite combination, a lousy cook AND a rotten dieter!

Seriously I am too undiciplined to remain dieting whilst at WDW, so I don't even try. I do admire your will though, I'm just about to enrol with WW here in the UK and already I am tortured with thoughts of the things I can't eat. Good Luck!

You are so funny! (Watch out, I'm putting on my leader cap ) Please don't put things on you do not eat list, it just sets you up for failure. I put things on the Red light, orange light, green light list(assuming intersections in England have the same colors as America) Red light are foods I can eat, but never order or have in my house cause I just eat too much of them (like baklava.) Orange foods are foods I can be around but can overdue if I'm feeling emotional (like cake.) Green light are foods I can be around as much as I want without losing control (like steak.)

Never deprive yourself of a craving. A craving is a food item you have been dreaming about for a week or more, that you just can't get out of your mind. Eat & enjoy, just write it down. Otherwise you will quit & gain back all you have lost.

OK, (taking my cap off) I'll stay tuned in for more advice. You guys are good.

 

[valandemmy]

i have lost 113 pounds on WW, and when i go on vacation, i plan on gaining at least 5 pounds, and that is completely okay with me. i find it completely impossible to be around that much great food and not eat...and eat....and eat . if you can do it, that is great, but consider this. you will be on vacation. don't you want to enjoy yourself and not have to worry about the scales just for one week. you are talking to the lady that gained 12 pounds in 4 days on my myrtle beach trip last month but on a positive note, vacation weight doesn't stick around long. i lost that 12 back in about a week.

 

[estherhead]

i have lost 113 pounds on WW, and when i go on vacation, i plan on gaining at least 5 pounds, and that is completely okay with me. i find it completely impossible to be around that much great food and not eat...and eat....and eat . if you can do it, that is great, but consider this. you will be on vacation. don't you want to enjoy yourself and not have to worry about the scales just for one week. you are talking to the lady that gained 12 pounds in 4 days on my myrtle beach trip last month but on a positive note, vacation weight doesn't stick around long. i lost that 12 back in about a week.

My problem is it takes a long time for me to lose weight & if I gain it takes awhile to re-lose it, not just a week. So though I don't mind gaining some, I can't go hog wild. So I try to make compromises. Last time I went to WDW I lost 4 lbs!!! It's the biggest loss I've ever had. So this time with the free DDP I'm just gonna try to not gain more than 2. I should be able to eat lots with that plan, but I doubt I'll do dessert with every meal and certainly I will choose either a milkshake drink or a dessert, not both. And I'm gonna try to be 2lbs under weight by the time I go.

Congrats on your wonderful loss!

 

[valandemmy]

i totally admire your dedication. that is probably why you will be so successful in your weight loss journey! i gain and lose very rapidly....like i said 12 up and 12 down in less than 2 weeks total have fun on vacation

 

[Booknut]

I really enjoyed the flan at San Angel, I thought it was delicious.

Crystal Palace has fruit for dessert, I had some strawberries (along with a LOT of coconut flan, loved this too!).

Maybe i'm just a flan addict

Le Cellier's sorbet is quite nice too and probably not too high in calories/fat

I admire your commitment to this and to WW, especially doing what you do for a living!