Staying healthy while on your DL trip

[surgefest]

For those of you who like to stay in shape or eat healthy.... What sorts of things do you do while on your DL vacation??? Or what sorts of tips do you have??? Thanks!

 

[LynnythePooh]

My DS and I went in July for 5 days... we track our walking on pedometers and record our distance every day. We logged over 75 miles in 5 days... our legs looked good when we got home! We only sit still on rides, drink lots of water and look for the fruit carts when you need a snack.

Of course we always have to splurge on a frozen banana

 

[hurleysweety]

Well one of the things we do to stay healthy at Disney is to make sure we drink plenty of water and don't fill up on all the sugary drinks and snacks. A water bottle is an absolute must as hydration is so important when touring the parks. A pedometer is also a great idea.

Just don't fall into the trap of "well I'm walking so much, therefore I can eat more calories." Lots of calories also means extra carbs, sugars, and fats. So try to stay healthy with lots of grilled lean protein and veggies. Salads are a great choice, as long as you get some kind of vinaigrette or low fat dressing available at most establishments.

And you gotta splurge a little bit with all the yummy treats around. Just plan ahead and you'll be able to stay on top of your healthy mindset. So plan your meals and check out the menu's to make sure that places you want to eat have healthy options that appeal to your taste! Menus can be found, with prices at All Ears.net You'll see that most establishments that serve cheeseburgers also offer a turkey burger. Just make sure to leave off all those fatty extras at the condiment bar, and bypass the fries for apple slices instead.

I have heard from others that if you have any special dietary needs at table service restaurants, just tell the CM when you make the PS or your waiter when you are seated. Most are very helpful in making sure that your chicken is not fried in oil, or just simple things like the sauce being served on the side instead of having the meat or veggies bathe in it. Although I have not done this myself at Disney, I'm sure others on here can confirm that all kinds of custom requests can be made.

Hope this helps and remember to enjoy your trip too!

 

[kkmcan]

We do a couple of things. We always take at least 2 water bottles with us every time we enter the parks. Refill when empty at the mexican food place. We stay pretty hydrated and we don't buy sodas at all.

We eat pretty much whatever we want but we share. Dh and I will share a meal and then a few hours later we will get a Dole Whip to share. Then if I want a sweet treat I will get it but I will share with my ds or dd or whoever wants what I'm getting. DD and Dh usually share popcorn since they love it. I'm more of a chocolate type of person so ds and I go for the goodies.

We take wet ones travel wipe packets and wipe our hands before we eat and we wash with soap when we come back from the parks before we touch anything!

I start walking every day a few weeks before the trip to work up to all that walking.

 

[youmyflower]

Thanks for posting! Great thread ~ I'm very health conscious so it's a concern for me too.

I was going to say it's fun to bring a pedometer and see how much walking you do. I also split meals with my husband or one of the kids. I bring packs of nuts for me to eat while I'm in line if I get a snack urge. Nuts and granola bars and fruit leathers for the kids - H2O for everyone. Also we get our snacks at the fruit cart - the kids love to munch on the fruits/veggies while we walk around the park. We bring our own breakfast and eat in the hotel. Fruit, NF milk, oatmeal, cereal... I have some regular restaurants that I know I can get decent food at: turkey club sandwich, sans mayo at Hungry Bear or Village Haus, Riverbelle Terrace has a yumm-o veggie po'boy and some fish items - they just changed their menu and got rid of the veggie soup in a breadbowl and salmon , salad at Rancho, etc.

Sunscreen and visors and sunglasses and good shoes are essential.

I always tell myself that family togetherness and laughing and all that - they are all really good for you. I tore a page out of my Prevention magazine that said something about the % you lower your risk of heart disease by taking a vacation. That is how I justify it anyway. Remember, sunshine = vitamin D = good for you!

 

[mechurchlady]

I am a neurovariant so for social skills building I go to DLR where I have set rules to follow and can opt for hiding in a corner or gettting out and meeting people.

I am planning to get a bus pass so I can take my ECV to DLR. DLR is exercise for me. I would not walk to the corner let alone climb stairs but at DLR I park the ECV them waddle to get on rides. At Toy Story Mania I get me a nice work out on the arms, lol. Imagine someone telling me to squat, get me a tow truck but at the Bobsleds I step down and squat to sit then I have to hoist myself out of the seat.

I bring Zip Loc bags in my messenger bag. I can nibble on popcorn for hours. I eat full meals so that I do not get hungry later. I love dole whips and watermelon from carts. The Fruitibu leathers are cheap and quick energy and all fruit. I bring 140 calorie energy bars for emergencies when I get low sugars.

If you must do ice cream then get one scoop in a cup not a cone. I have celiac so no cone but ooh it is still yummy ice cream. I usually get my ice cream fix at Catch a Flav.

 

[PinkBudgie]

My healthy eating tip: Don't have lunch then an ice cream. Just have the ice cream for lunch! You save calories and get your calcium.

We do not eat a thing until we have used hand sanitizer or washed our hands. Just think of all the railings people have touched before you. Keep your hands out of your mouth and away from your face.

I have a calendar on my desk with a different Close to Home cartoon for each day. One day it showed a mother and two children walking down the street with gas masks over their faces. The bottom said something to the effect of "With their trip to WDW less than a week away, the Wilsons don't take any chances." That was hilarious because that is how we are before we got to DLR. We wash hands carefully and have a little Airborne for good measure.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Healthy at DL? Kudos to you guys! That's the one place I can not eat healthy! Too many goodies I can't miss out on.

But I do agree with drinking lots and lots of water. Especially if it's warm. I figure even though I may be eating goodies, at least I'm walking a lot!

 

[DisneyMan 09]

How about well-worn shoes.

we track our walking on pedometers

I've wondered how far I walk during a DL visit. What are your distances/hours?

DL let's you bring food in now. In the 90s I heard they didn't.

I'm an ultra health enthusiast(75% raw, 60% fruit, 100% plants), and goin' to DL doesn't stop me. I go through a lot, bringing my own food. But it saves money AND time with resturants. I find I'm at my best with just fruit and veggies. I could live off the fruit carts but it'd get expensive. So for my latest 3 day trip, I brought most of what I ate from home - a suitcase and backpack filled with 20 lbs of produce + sunflower seeds, not much cloths, or whatever regular people bring

DL went great. Had energy the whole 15 hours...got in 23 rides.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

The hand sanitiser is a great idea. I hear the fruit carts have the most beautiful tasting fruit.

 

[surgefest]

awesome responses! i'm loving reading everyone's advice.... specific snacks, work out routines..etc... great stuff..

 

[bumbershoot]

The fruit carts have, in the past, been incredible. However I've heard recent reports of quality going down, and I saw that instead of a bunch of grapes, they had some sort of prepackaged grapes in a plastic thing with a store-type label on it...and so I wonder if they are changing (or maybe it was just a seasonal thing???) to more bland fruit?

I don't know where they've gotten their fruit in the past, but it was just amazing...we normally eat apples, strawberries, and grapes ONLY if they are organic, but the Disney fruit was our exception b/c it was just too good for words.

Hopefully it's just been a seasonal problem and they'll get back to the good stuff.

 

[PinkBudgie]

How about well-worn shoes.

I've wondered how far I walk during a DL visit. What are your distances/hours?

DL let's you bring food in now. In the 90s I heard they didn't.

I'm an ultra health enthusiast(75% raw, 60% fruit, 100% plants), and goin' to DL doesn't stop me. I go through a lot, bringing my own food. But it saves money AND time with resturants. I find I'm at my best with just fruit and veggies. I could live off the fruit carts but it'd get expensive. So for my latest 3 day trip, I brought most of what I ate from home - a suitcase and backpack filled with 20 lbs of produce + sunflower seeds, not much cloths, or whatever regular people bring

DL went great. Had energy the whole 15 hours...got in 23 rides.

I think you a twin of my FIL! He lives up near Sacramento too and is a waitress' worst nightmare with all his special requests. But he is very healthy and active and still plays baseball and works out everyday at almost 70. I could never eat like that myself, but neither would I have that fried sandwhich at the Blue Bayou. Otherwise, most anything goes at DLR.

 

[Jaina]

Thanks for posting all these great ideas! I never think about being "healthy" on DL trips, and I definitely think lots of walking=eat what I want. This next time (I hope it IS soon) I will be better. We will bring in sandwiches, fruit, and granola bars, and only eat one treat/meal in the parks per day! (some of the food IS too good to pass up...)

 

[teatime]

I always bring hand sanitizer wipes. then after I got all the dirt off I use the gel. I can not imagine runbbing the gel in and the dirt still being there. I get the wipes at the dollar store and I do fruit at the park, and when I have a fatnning food ( monty cristo) I have that as my main mean of the day. the rest I try to do fruits and low cal stuff. it does not always work out, but its disneyland and I tend to have fun in the park and in the food courts
I bring 2 pair of crocs, and nice socks, change crocs each day and socks, always taking my socks off for the water rides. I pack 2 water bottles that work until I go back to my room at noon for rest and lunch, and 2 more for when I head back to the park at 5:00 . If we do lunch in the park, we head back to the motel to rest. rest is important to not get overly tired and have your imune system go down and some dumb bug jump you in the parks on on the flight home!
take vitimin C, there is so many germs in and around the park and on the planes.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Hand sanitizer is a must. The other thing is to drink water rather than soda. I know some people think they are addicted to soda, but I use to be the biggest diet coke addict around, and I never drink it now. It doesn't quench my thirst at all anymore, either--funny how that happens. There is a lot of sodium and chemicals in soda that your body does not need.

For my kids, constipation can be a problem while we are there because of all of the different foods--this is where a whole grain cereal and fruit does wonders.

Finally, I build in some treats because Disneyland food is special and I wouldn't want to miss it!

 

[EmEyeSeeKayEeWhy]

Great thread! I like to bring my resistance bands (those jump rope looking stretchy thingies), so I can keep up with at least some of my workout schedule and burn off a few of those churros.

 

[gramto2boys]

if you see my thread. whatcha gonna eat. then you know this is a vacation and Im going to enjoy every minute of my trip . But we will also have fruit at each meal and thru out the parks each day.