Is Anyone Afraid of GAINING WEIGHT while at WDW? LOL

[DebbieB]

I typically gain 2 or 3 pounds but I've found that if I really watch when I get home, it comes off pretty fast. I think alot of it is water weight, I seem to retain water on vacation, maybe from too much salt in their food. I think they key is portion control, don't deprive yourself but don't go overboard.

 

[mitsu13gman]

I gained 11 pounds last year, but lost 8 of that in the first two days back on my regular schedule. The remaining 3 were gone by the end of the week.

I'm now about 20lbs lighter than last year's baseline, so I expect I'll pile on about 15lbs this year. I'm not the least bit concerned about it. I know how to thrash myself if need be and I know I can drop it if I have to.

Disney is WAY too fun-centric for me to focus on weight. We're going DDP (originally OOP, but now FD,) and I intend to make full use of it. I even have a Kitchen Sink on the list! Disney is my escape and my catharsis - I need to put the real world on hold while I'm there, and my weight has to be part of that.

Besides, the food at Disney is SO much FUN!

But for those struggling, I totally understand and sympathize. Just do the best you can and try to stay focused on the Magic! Life's just too darn short not to maximize a place like WDW!

 

[solfan68]

Last time we were on the dining plan, I figured I would gain a few. But all of that pounding around the parks took some calories. I came home minus a few pounds. Now THAT'S Disney magic.

 

[Rotti955]

I have also been worried about gaining weight on our trip. My husband and I lost a lot of weight this year (55 for him, 35 for me) and Disney will be our first big trip.

I am hoping to lose a few more pounds before Sep. so if I do gain weight it won't be too bad.

Glad to know I am not the only one with the same concern.

 

[Tricia1972]

Everyone is very different in how they metabolize. Two people at Disney, eating the same foods have the potential to lose or gain weight, and that can be greatly affected by their lifestyles at home.

Person A
At Home:
On average consumes 2000 calories a day and faithfully walks the dog at a moderate pace for 60 minutes a day (3mph) which burns 261 calories. They net 1739 calories a day

At Disney:
Breakfast - Fruit with 1 container Skim Milk (Apple and a banana) 390 Calories
Lunch - Chicken and Rib Combo with chocolate cake for dessert 1892 calories (Figuring Cake is 2oz)
Snack - Sm Popcorn 550 calories
Supper - 8oz Steak, potatoes, turtle cheesecake 1340 calories

Walk 5 hours a day (non-stop) at a moderate 2.5mph pace (Sometimes you may go faster at Disney, but you'll also go slower when you're doing the Disney shuffle) 1185 Calories
Daily Net Calorie Count 2437

Person A would gain about 1lb every three days.


Person B:

At Home:
Breakfast - Sausage Egg and Cheese McMuffin with Hashbrowns and coffee 436 calories
Snack - Candy Bar Reese's PB Cup 210 calories
Lunch - Left over Hamburger Helper, 1 can coke & light Yogurt 880 calories
Snack - M&M's (40 pieces) 240 calories
Supper - on the run so a Big Mac, Medium Fry, Medium Coke 1203
Snack - 3.6 oz potato chips & Can of coke 360 calories

They don't do any additional exercise or walking at home

Daily Net Calorie Count - 3329


Put person B at Disney eating the same foods as person A

At Disney:
Breakfast - Fruit with 1 container Skim Milk (Apple and a banana) 390 Calories
Lunch - Chicken and Rib Combo with chocolate cake for dessert 1892 calories (Figuring Cake is 2oz)
Snack - Sm Popcorn 550 calories
Supper - 8oz Steak, potatoes, turtle cheesecake 1340 calories

Walk 5 hours a day (non-stop) at a moderate 2.5mph pace (Sometimes you may go faster at Disney, but you'll also go slower when you're doing the Disney shuffle) 1185 Calories
Daily Net Calorie Count at Disney 2437

Person B is consuming 892 fewer calories than average and could conceivably lose a pound every 4 days.

Both people eat the same foods while they are in Disney, but their lifestyles outside of vacation mean that one person will likely gain weight and the other person may well lose weight.

Also remember that when you lose weight the first 10lbs are usually water and are the easiest to come of. When you gain weight water is the first 10 lbs on as well.


If you want to figure out what you are likely to do on vacation, you can take a look at your lifestyle at home and also what you're likely to eat at Disney. My poor examples at Disney got no snacks outside of a small popcorn and quite honestly not eating a Mickey Bar on vacation doesn't seem right! LOL

To figure out your personal losses/gains take into account:

How many calories do you normally eat per day when you are at home?
How many calories do you burn exercising on average while you are at home?
Home Calorie Count

How do you plan on eating while on vacation?
How many hours per day are you going to walk and how fast will you be walking?
Vacation Calorie Count

If your home count is higher than your vacation count - you'll lose. If your vacation count is higher, you'll have to step it up when you're on vacation.

(I got all of my calorie counts on myfitnesspal.com, which is my favorite weight loss tracking site.)

 

[HunnyJar]

A lot of people say that you end up eating a lot while you are on the dining plan, but my husband and I just don't see it that way. With all the walking you do everywhere, we end up always losing weight while we are on vacation. Last vacation my husband ended up losing about two pounds while I lost something closer to five. Not too bad, if you ask me!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

I can't say that I have ever worried about it - I accept it as something that could possibly happen, but as long as it's not an excuse to eat with abandon when I get home, it's not an issue IMO. It'll come off when I get home and no, I'm not a person who loses weight easily.

Yes, I have found that my shorts have gotten a little teeny bit tighter over the course of the week, but that's why I plan ahead and bring a couple pairs of bigger shorts

My biggest problem is those delectable cookies in the Poly CL lounge. As if I needed extra cookies when on the deluxe plan...sheesh!

Vacation is vacation - no need to go overboard, but no fear either!

 

[Tiggs14]

I'm not worried about gaining weight persay but I'm prepared for it to happen...

I have lost 40 pounds since booking our trip but I'm completely okay with gaining whatever I do while we're away. There is lots of time when we get back home to drop the extra pounds that may follow us home.

I don't think I'll let my "diet" influence my food choices as it's only once a year we go on a deluxe vacation. I've got the rest of the year to undue any harm my food choices caused me!

 

[Coconuts]

I honestly don't understand how anyone can LOSE weight at WDW!!! Even with all the walking I usually gain 5-7 pounds on every trip. I must just have a really crappy metabolism!

Welcome to my world!

 

[RedOne3781]

I don't worry about gaining weight at all while on vacation. Especially when I am at Disney World. Calories don't count when on vacation.

Because I do so much more walking (and swimming) at WDW than I do at home I actually tend to lose a few pounds while there. Even when on the dining plan.

 

[candielips]

I must admit I am a little nervous about weight gain for our upcoming 2 wk trip w/ FD. I am a little over halfway through my weight loss journey with 30 lost and 22 left to go but it has taken me over 7 months to lose those 30 lbs. And I am the type of person who only has to think about eating something to gain weight.
However, I refuse to deny myself when on vacation, so here is the plan I usually follow.

Breakfast - Something very healthy, usually end up with fruit and yogurt. If I feel like waffles I order the childrens combo, but only once in a while.

Lunch - Again I stay pretty healthy here, grilled chicken or fish or a salad.

Snacks and Dinner are where I indulge. I do try to eat a salad before my dinner though. I am usually to full for dessert so I get a piece of cake to take back to our room for later. Oh and I def enjoy the ice cream cookie sandwich for a snack, more often than not.

I followed this plan while on a 2 wk vacation in Mexico at an AI resort and only gained 2 lbs!!!! And that is without all the crazy walking done at WDW.

Just try to add fruits and veggies whenever possible and think of everything in balance.

 

[SDSorority]

Hey All!

I know the Free Dining is coming up, which is alot of food in my opinon. But are you afraid of gaining any weight while vacationing at Walt Disney World? I do have my ADRS done but I really have to watch what I eat or I could easily gain 6-8 pounds We don't get the FREE DINING because for us it's not worth it and like I said it's way too much food for me. But I do enjoy going to the restaurants at the World. I will have my Main Street icecream sandwich though! LOL

Any thoughts!?

Thanks so much!
Brunette

In one word: YES.

We avoid free dining like it's our job just because of this worry LOL. I don't like to waste food, and I don't eat dessert very often.... it just seems like too much to me. Plus, I feel better bringing my own food that I'm comfortable eating on a regular basis. As soon as I introduce new things into the diet I'm in bloat city

That said, I'm SURE you can choose healthier options (read: salads, grilled veggies/meats without oil, you know the drill) and maybe ask for fruit for your dessert?? And for snack credits, eat at the fruit stands or get some chopped veggies? Plus with all of the walking that you do-- you'll probably be fine. I'm tempted to wear my heart rate monitor the next time I go- just to see how many calories I burn throughout the day compared to being at home.

 

[Pugmalion1]

Yeah, I agree with most here. We walk so much that, if anything, we break even at the end of the trip. We're not heavy eaters, anyway, though.

 

[daisygirl902]

3500 calories is one pound of fat. It seems difficult to net enough calories with all of the walking you do to gain any significant amount of weight during your week or so vacation, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. You shouldn't really be able to gain more than two pounds in a week and that would be really gorging.

I always find this statistic kind of funny, because I travel quite a bit, and pretty much always gain weight without "gorging".

On one trip to Disney I gained 14 lbs on a 10 day trip - and I ate almost the exact same amount of food as my sister, who is smaller than me naturally, and gained no weight on the same vacation. The statistic above really doesn't take into account thing like metabolism and lifestyle.

I eat very very healthy when I am not on vacation, so I think the difference in food must shock my system or something! and it's not all water weight as some claim, it took me a couple of months to take off.

The way I look at it I work really hard all year to stay fit and in pretty decent shape, 10 lbs is not a huge deal and well worth not skimping on the things I love to eat while on vacation.

Also for those who think that because we all "walk a lot" at Disney, that is true (an average person walks between 8 and 10 km a day I believe while there) - it's not exactly cardio...usually you are walking at a pretty slow pace so it's not like you are burning a lot of calories or getting your heart rate up while doing it!

I think that some people simply have better metabolism than others, and that our bodies all react differently to certain foods...for example I don't eat a lot of bread or sugar in my "normal life" but I do eat these things on vacation - I attribute my weight gain more to these lovely additions to my diet than the "meals"...

 

[princess aleya]

Weight gain is the last thing I worry about while visiting the world. I worry enough about my weight during the rest of the year, so when I'm on vacation it's the last thing I think about. I figure I do enough walking to justify eating a little bit more.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

I had my membership in the clean plate club revoked when I started tauting my new philosophy--better to go to waste than to go to waist.

When on the DP I order what I want, and rarely finish it. Knowing that I don't want to gain a lot of weight helps me make healthier choices at many meals. Several CS places will let you get a bottle of water with your meal instead of the dessert.

I agree with Daisy Girl. Unless running to catch a bus, "all the walking at Disney" doesn't reach the cardio level whcih would help with weight loss.

 

[brunette8706]

Hey all! I find it's hard to stick to healthy eating while dining at Ohana's (I believe there is sugar in everything there) and Boma again saucy, spicy, rich food. I love, love, LOVE to try everything on buffets. That's why I only limit them to no more than 2! LOL! But if you look for the right food on these buffet's you can do it! BUT I CAN'T!! LOL! My will power is zero!!! LOL! They could be dangerous for me. Now, if I stick to Kona's, or ala cart menu's I find I can "stick" to a healthier way of eating. But like so many on here have said, "We're ON VACATION", I know I can relate. Thanks again for everyone's insight, this is thread is a very interesting read.

Thanks all!

Brunette

 

[Moms]

I have never worried about gaining at WDW but usually do gain a few when we are there. This time (going in September) I am. I have lost more than 50 pounds in the last year and being the lightest I have been in twenty years I DO NOT want to gain any weight this time. I will, however, not let this fear spoil my fun ... and eating at WDW is fun! I will just make sure I am up in time for a 2-3 mile jog each morning and work out at the resort health club if I feel I need to.

 

[rentayenta]

I usually end up even when on WDW and I don't watch what I eat there. I think all the walking burns many of the calories.

 

[angierae]

We were on DxDP in May of 2010 and I broke even. We did a lot of 2 credit dinners, though, so we were only eating two meals a day. However, we were also having two desserts/appetizers a day!

We walked like crazy, swam in the evenings, etc etc. I also didn't feel the need to stuff myself just because it was paid for. If I got dessert and was full after three bites, well, then I was full and I stopped.