Anyone ever LOST weight at WDW??

[swissfamilyrobinson]

We're leaving tomorrow for Disney, and I really, really don't want to gain weight this time!! I'm still working on getting rid of the 15 lbs. I gained from last year's trips. We're doing the dining plans again (such a good deal for us - DD is a seasonal CM) - QSDP first part of the week, DDP last part of the week.

Has anyone had any luck at all with not only maintaining, but perhaps even losing a couple of pounds while on vacation?

It's so frustrating when you walk 50 miles every day (well, maybe not quite 50) and still gain!!!

 

[corinnak]

We're leaving tomorrow for Disney, and I really, really don't want to gain weight this time!! I'm still working on getting rid of the 15 lbs. I gained from last year's trips. We're doing the dining plans again (such a good deal for us - DD is a seasonal CM) - QSDP first part of the week, DDP last part of the week.

Has anyone had any luck at all with not only maintaining, but perhaps even losing a couple of pounds while on vacation?

It's so frustrating when you walk 50 miles every day (well, maybe not quite 50) and still gain!!!

I am going to be there next week also! And yes, I have lost weight at Disney. Not necessarily tons, but some. I've lost both on racing trips and on non-racing trips. I have also maintained at Disney.

I think it would be really hard on the dining plan, though. I don't think you can both lose weight at Disney AND eat enough 'to get your money's worth' on the DP, though I'd love it if someone would prove that wrong! I do it is possible to lose while on the dining plan if you think of it more as a convenient pre-payment plan rather than a cost-savings.


My main tactics have involved splitting full meals, ordering kids' meals and limiting dessert or dessert-like treats to once a day and not necessarily eating the whole thing. Also, I try never eat to the point of feeling stuffed or overfull. Anything I eat past the point of satisfaction is probably to translate to weight gain.

I also volunteer to do any extra walking for our family - we need FP's on the other side of the park? I'll get them!

I am a runner, so running at the resorts is fun. If I am staying at a resort with a fitness center, I occasionally will get a session or two in there on a trip - riding a bike or doing some other cross-training.

I know that Worfiedoodles (Maria) also lost weight on a recent Disney trip, so it can be done while still having a good time!

 

[cewait]

It's not easy but you can lose or maintain at the resort.

Remember it is all about choice/selection and portion control. While you are burning more Kcal in the parks, it is not all that much. However, you are tired and your mind wants to compensate.

All sit down restaurants will prepare food in a manner good for you....i.e. no sauces, grilled, heavy on steamed veggies. It is not on the menu, your waitstaff may roll eyes and more than likely there will be a slight upcharge(not always but some places will). I rarely order from a menu at Disney preferring to eat what I want the way I want.

I cannot speak to the DDP and how potential upcharges work on the plan.... Regardless, the wait staff is usually compensated well, especially if the chef comes out and discusses my choice.

Counter service always has a healthier selection now. You may need to plan ahead so that you are at a counter that has the healthy choice you want, but it works well.

Like the PP, I also run a lot at Disney. You do not have to do that, but frankly I find that a run or a walk early in the morning loosens up the legs for the coming day and prevents me from feeling as tired.

 

[sscassel]

NOPE! Gain 10 everytime

 

[rubato]

I maintained on my first 3 trips, but gained on this last one. Why? Dining plan. I am too cheap to just say no to a dessert that's already been paid for, so I would either eat it or take it with me, leaving it in the resort fridge. Then, it would just sit there and stare at me!

 

[corinnak]

Good to hear from you on this, Charles!

This morning I remembered a couple of additional tactics that I use that some might say go against the idea of "It's vacation, just relax." But I don't find these take away from my enjoyment of my trip and in fact, I can relax a lot more when I know I'm not packing on the pounds.

Specifically at Disney, at the counter service places, they all now have the option for apples instead of fries. I always choose the apples, which seems to be the exception rather than the rule. I like the kids meals because they come with grapes, carrots and milk, plus an entirely reasonable portion of pizza or pasta. I also find the buns on the burgers (veggie burgers in my case) to be extrordinarly, grotesquely huge, sometimes coated with butter/oil (and not all that tasty, either) so I'll usually leave a good portion of that top bun.

The other thing that I do in real life and at Disney is to always ask for salad dressings on the side. They tend to put a lot more than you actually need.

I hope that your trip is going well and you are finding a good balance between eating and vacationing!

 

[canopynut66]

We're leaving tomorrow for Disney, and I really, really don't want to gain weight this time!! I'm still working on getting rid of the 15 lbs. I gained from last year's trips. We're doing the dining plans again (such a good deal for us - DD is a seasonal CM) - QSDP first part of the week, DDP last part of the week.

Has anyone had any luck at all with not only maintaining, but perhaps even losing a couple of pounds while on vacation?

It's so frustrating when you walk 50 miles every day (well, maybe not quite 50) and still gain!!!

WE have not figured it out yet. has to be the desserts as normally we do not have one at home with each sit down meal but then all that walking and we do swim. whatever we love it all

 

[dumbo_buddy]

my last trip was the weekend of the princess half and even though i ran 13.1 miles, i gained 3 lbs! i know exactly why though. after i got my medal, i went on an all day free-for-all of food and booze! lol! (ok, it's funny, actually gross but i spent every training run thinking of the fiesta margarita i'd have after i finished).

the trip before was the last weekend in january. we were there for the week and did NOT do the dining plan. i managed to lose a pound or two. what we did was have oatmeal for breakfast. we have dvc so could make it in the room. but you could also just go to the food court and use their hot water! we made pb&j sandwiches for lunch and then fully enjoyed our dinners. we'd get one snack instead of a million per day and walk everywhere.

something that also helps while at disney is to WALK to/from epcot and DHS. it's a lovely walk ranging from peaceful along the river to bumpin' at the boardwalk. it's great! it takes 25 min or so and is just a little extra calories burned for your day

 

[brenalexacamp]

eat a light breakfast

 

[nancycg56]

We were there a couple of weeks ago and I lost 3 lbs!

I drank tons of water or unsweetened ice tea (no soda at all), ate yogurt and fruit or just fruit for breakfast except for 2 times, a small lunch, and a normal dinner. Sometimes I skipped lunch and had a pretzel or something similar. I didn't eat dessert at all but I did have 2 dole whips over the course of 9 days.

I'm diabetic so I can't really skip meals and this worked for me. My sugar levels were very good ~ the best they have ever been on vacation. The walking helps

 

[cewait]

eat a light breakfast

Actually, not a great idea.... Breakfast should be a meal that sets the stage for the day. Eating light sets one up for gorging later, especially when one is on their feet all day....

Good to hear from you on this, Charles!

This morning I remembered a couple of additional tactics that I use that some might say go against the idea of "It's vacation, just relax." But I don't find these take away from my enjoyment of my trip and in fact, I can relax a lot more when I know I'm not packing on the pounds.

Specifically at Disney, at the counter service places, they all now have the option for apples instead of fries. I always choose the apples, which seems to be the exception rather than the rule. I like the kids meals because they come with grapes, carrots and milk, plus an entirely reasonable portion of pizza or pasta. I also find the buns on the burgers (veggie burgers in my case) to be extrordinarly, grotesquely huge, sometimes coated with butter/oil (and not all that tasty, either) so I'll usually leave a good portion of that top bun.

The other thing that I do in real life and at Disney is to always ask for salad dressings on the side. They tend to put a lot more than you actually need.

I hope that your trip is going well and you are finding a good balance between eating and vacationing!

It's a standard commend - no bun butter when I grab a burger. I really like the veggie burger mix, not sure what is in the burger. It's cooked in it's own spot on the grill so its not a grease in any way.

I actually forgot one of the more important things we do....

We eat Dinner around 4 ish so we have access to the lunch menu, not the larger portioned dinner menu. Even if we end up in the dinner hour, we ask for the lunch portions.

 

[SAHDad]

I often lose weight at Disney. Not much, but a couple pounds. It's a combination of things - since the food is $$$$, I eat less (except when I can stock up at buffets) than I do at home - mealwise might be about the same, but I certainly snack less. I keep up most of my daily running - I may drop a mile, but I still run at least 3 or 4 miles each day, but I then add walking around all day, often carrying a kid or pushing a stroller.

Now, if someone wanted to pay to send me and pay for a few days of DDP, I would be happy to see if I could still lose weight. All in the name of science, of course.

 

[DisFam95]

I've lost before but usually maintain or just a pound or two - I chalk that up to crazy sodium levels you consume there

We don;t do the dining plan or many table service. With all that walking and heat eating large amounts of food at 8, 12, and 6 just because I have a reservation somewhere is not appealing to us at all. We eat when we are hungry and sometimes that's just 2 meals a day and couple snack things.

And I agree breakfast should be your larger/heartier meal (not dinner) to fuel your body.

We always do a character buffet and 1 or 2 TS at our favorites. I mean we enjoy a good meal for sure but we cannot eat like that everyday with the dining plan. IT may be free or cheap but it has it's 'costs' for sure.

Just do your best in ordering a healthy option/preparation, don;t feel like you HAVE to eat the desserts or just ask for 1 to split, even though you each are entitled to one. When you think are done w your meal and are satisfied or after a couple bites of dessert pour some of your drink over it to ruin it so your are not tempted anymore. The napkin on top does not always work as a deterant

Good luck and make good choices!!

 

[swissfamilyrobinson]

Hi - OP here! Thank you all SO MUCH for the great ideas! Of course, I didn't get to see them until tonight when I checked the boards. The other day (after our return) I check the boards, but only to see if other people had anything to say about the CROWDS! WOW.

Anyway, after eight nights/nine days, split between the QSDP and DDP, I managed to gain.................3 1/2 pounds. Believe it or not, we decided to take a scale. Crazy, I know. But my DDs wanted to keep tabs on their weight, too, so we thought, "what the heck!" I didn't gain at all for the first three or four days. But I drank TONS of water. I realized at the end of the week that I had slacked off the water. Actually, the slacking began when we went to Universal on Tuesday (Islands of Adventure to see WWoHP). No DP that day until we got back to the resort that night (and then split a large pizza), and kind of out of our element, so to speak.

Anyway, I think the water makes a HUGE difference!!! I drank water with all my meals (I'm a major water drinker anyway - don't do too well on sodas or tea) except maybe two. Also, we did get fruit instead of cake type stuff several times, too.

All in all, I'm okay with only 3 1/2 pounds. I say only, because after eating at: O'hana (dinner Wed. night), 50's Prime Time Diner (lunch Thurs.), Flame Tree BBQ (dinner Thursday night), Crystal Palace (breakfast Friday morning), Garden Grill (dinner Friday night), Whispering Canyon (dinner Sat. night) and tons of other counter service places, it could have been MUCH worse.

I've been working this week to return to normal, and have 1 1/2 pounds to get off before I was where I started at the beginning of our trip.

These were wonderful suggestions, and I actually totally get it about the dessert thing. We would not normally order dessert (well, except for our beloved Dole Whips, and the Magic Cookie Bars at POR), but it comes with the meals, and, well, we gotta get our money's worth, blah, blah, blah.....