Disneyland fans - Share your Best Choices to keep your Program going when in DLR

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Hi everyone! I'm Nancy Johnson from the DIS Unplugged Disneyland Podcast and I've stopped in to ask our DIS WISH Disneyland fans (and WDW ones, too) to help out our listeners. We on the DIS are always in awe of y'all here and realize that you are certainly the experts on keeping your health routine of choice going, once you hit the parks!

Would you please share your tips for best Disneyland menu item choices (and their locations), alternative fitness ideas that can be done while touring the park, and even running routes around and through DLR with our fans? We want to encourage them to seek out the WISH boards and become a part of your amazing community here!

What inspired my question was that we all know how hard it is to keep up with our fitness goals when on vacation and tempted by all that decadent theme park food. Touring certainly provides us all a challenge to exercise types and schedules, as well as our best eating choices. We also allow ourselves a bit of splurging - sleeping in and missing a run or having a Matterhorn Macaroon, but we know we still have to watch the rest of our meals and routine days.

If you have any questions or want to send me tips via email, contact me at nancy@wdwinfo.com! Thanks for all your help!

(I personally like to try menu items, like the salads or sustainable fish at the Carnation Cafe!)

 

[lisah0711]

Hi Nancy! Nice to see you!

My tip is that regardless of what happens while you are at DLR get right back on plan the day you return home.

Hope there will be a podcast meet at Dumbo!

 

[bumbershoot]

My tip is that regardless of what happens while you are at DLR get right back on plan the day you return home.

YES, absolutely, lisah is very very right. Make sure there's something in the freezer to make for your next meal or two, so you don't get sucked into even more dining out once home.


I haven't yet jogged while at DLR, but I see joggers all the time on Harbor and along the "hidden Mickey" path from Katella to PPH and the Grand. That path especially seems nice for jogging. Even if you just go back and forth on it.


So far, I eat what I truly wish to eat, pay attention to how I feel, and try to listen to my body's signals while on a Disney trip. I also allow myself a different definition of success; it might be to just maintain during the trip. It might be to allow a gain, since I've been on the WW program so long a gain doesn't mess with my head and I know just what to do to get the weight back off. It also means WATER and budgeting for fruits and veggies (or for a rental car to go get cheaper fruits and veggies), and not talking yourself out of a pineapple spear because it's so expensive (then turning around and eating a same-cost cupcake!).

I don't necessarily track WW points while I'm at Disney, but I write down what I eat, so I don't magically forget those fritters from Royal Street Veranda when I go to get a chocolate covered banana later. If I'm going to have multiple desserts in a day, I want to KNOW I'm doing it.


And don't discount what you do in a day, in terms of walking! I wore my heart rate monitor a few days at DLR, and it was shocking how many calories I was burning in not even half a day! Of course, we were walking from our hotel, and our hotel was down near Buca di Beppo (not a distance most people would *walk* before a themepark day) so that helped, but still, the amount of calories once inside the parks was nothing to scoff at.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Thanks, Molly! Good to hear from you! Those are really great tips and you are so right about the cost of pineapple vs cupcake in costs. I know I've been guilty of bypassing the healthier snacks that I feel aren't a good value, while still spending the cash to get my favorite cream cheese pretzels.

Here's a question - what are your favorite quick service and sit down meal items to get that keep you on the right track?

Keep the thoughts coming!