Almost Disney Time - Can I avoid regression???

ninerbuff

Good morning lovely MFPers! As some of you know, when I started out 3 weeks ago, one of my mini goals has been to shed as many pounds as possible before we hit the road for our belated honeymoon. We are now at 5 days out from our trip and I've lost about 16 lbs. I'm really looking forward to the trip - but that is also accompanied with some anxiety now about counteracting all of the hard work that I have done. We booked our trip with the Disney Deluxe Dining plan, with the main reason being that we plan to go to some of the signature restaurants and character experiences (I get to have dinner in Cinderella's castle!) and those places require 2 dining credits. The way it's set up, we each get three meal credits and two snacks each day. I know that there are healthy options for snacks and at sit-down restaurants, but I'm pretty sure that, for convenience during the daytime, we'll be doing a lot of "quick service" which is basically food stands with burgers, fries, ribs, etc...

I'm just very worried about either overdoing it with junk or on the opposite end of the spectrum, being so obsessed that I'll sell myself short of enjoying some good food and possibly dampening my husband's good time on our honeymoon. I know we'll be active throughout the entire trip, but I don't know how to guess how many cals I will be burning?

I actually couldn't sleep for thinking about this last night. Please give me some advice you dear sweet people! :ohwell:

I go to Disney a lot. The one consistent thing I do on every trip is EARLY MORNING EXERCISE. I will not forego fun for a few pounds. You can lose the pounds later, but the memory lasts forever. The morning exercise is to help offset any eating. Have fun, enjoy and don't do mental jumping jacks.

chasidieason

omg have so much fun! i'm going to disney for my honeymoon too

i just went there in August (2 friends moved to orlando) so i was all about healthy choices. my advice is to just watch what goes into your mouth! PORTION CONTROL! If there is an option to get fries or apple slices, GET APPLE SLICES!! stay HYDRATED! eat a good breakfast every morning (a lot of the hotels offer healthy breakfast choices - fruit, eggs, etc). Don't be afraid to ask your waiter or waitress or someone at the hotel if you can have something else.

i mean you are going to DISNEY so have fun and try not to worry about it. I'm anal about it so i logged my calories in disney as much as i could. we literally walked around for 10-12 hours the 2 days we were there and sweated our butts off so i logged it as 7 or 8 hours of leisurely walking.

we went to the smorgasboard in germany in epcot and it was awesome - but i just took small portions of what i wanted and drank water, i still really really enjoyed it!

just control your portions, make healthy choices, and drink LOTS of water and you should be ok. I maintained while there and that was fine with me. DON'T obsess, just find downtime to log your food (like when youre on your way back to the hotel or something).

have fun! (ps. for a treat, get a frozen banana.. it's in the mfp food log!!!!!!!!)

Yum! A frozen banana sounds awesome! I appreciate these tips - very much! I wondered how I would be able to log things while I was away (didn't want to sacrifice my streak, haha) but it hadn't occurred to me to log things on the bus rides and stuff. Very helpful!

chasidieason

Good morning lovely MFPers! As some of you know, when I started out 3 weeks ago, one of my mini goals has been to shed as many pounds as possible before we hit the road for our belated honeymoon. We are now at 5 days out from our trip and I've lost about 16 lbs. I'm really looking forward to the trip - but that is also accompanied with some anxiety now about counteracting all of the hard work that I have done. We booked our trip with the Disney Deluxe Dining plan, with the main reason being that we plan to go to some of the signature restaurants and character experiences (I get to have dinner in Cinderella's castle!) and those places require 2 dining credits. The way it's set up, we each get three meal credits and two snacks each day. I know that there are healthy options for snacks and at sit-down restaurants, but I'm pretty sure that, for convenience during the daytime, we'll be doing a lot of "quick service" which is basically food stands with burgers, fries, ribs, etc...

I'm just very worried about either overdoing it with junk or on the opposite end of the spectrum, being so obsessed that I'll sell myself short of enjoying some good food and possibly dampening my husband's good time on our honeymoon. I know we'll be active throughout the entire trip, but I don't know how to guess how many cals I will be burning?

I actually couldn't sleep for thinking about this last night. Please give me some advice you dear sweet people! :ohwell:

I go to Disney a lot. The one consistent thing I do on every trip is EARLY MORNING EXERCISE. I will not forego fun for a few pounds. You can lose the pounds later, but the memory lasts forever. The morning exercise is to help offset any eating. Have fun, enjoy and don't do mental jumping jacks.

LOL, "mental jumping jacks" I thought you meant not to just think of the exercises and be sure to do them...then I realized what you meant.

I don't know why I hadn't thought about it in terms of the memories yet, you are very right. Thanks for pointing it out!

walkdmc

I've been on the Deluxe Dining Plan and the fact is, if you use the plan, you will eat a lot of food. The good news is, you will be active, (we walked about 5-7 miles/day at Disney) and you will enjoy your experiences, esp. the castle meal with Cinderella!

I would focus on the experience and fun, it is your honeymoon afterall. If something sounds good, try it. Just because you ordered something doesn't mean you have to finish it...that's the beauty of the DDP, you forget you paid for it, LOL. Don't stuff yourself but other than that, order what sounds good to you. Do not obsess over calories or you will be depressed after breakfast (which may or may not be cupcakes....just sayin').

Before you go, commit to getting back on plan upon your return. Enjoy your vacation!

FitForeverAgain

"being so obsessed that I'll sell myself short of enjoying some good food and possibly dampening my husband's good time on our honeymoon."

Couple things here...you're still equating enjoying life with eating 'some good food'. The food you've been eating is 'good', the food you're talking about is an indulgence. You need to separate the idea of food = fun. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hard-core eater...love the like of Tru, Trotter's, Alinea...but know there's a price to pay BEFORE I go. Best of luck breaking that psychological connection. Best bet is to remember how you feel when the weight is lower on the scale, or the dress size goes down. Does that trump the ice cream cone? Until it does, you WILL NOT keep your weight off. Secondly, if your husband's good time depends on your eating calorically dense, nutritient free foods...something isn't making sense. Don't use him as an excuse.

Secondly, from you post it sounds like you've dropped 15 or so pounds in 10 days? If so, you cannot expect to keep that weight off. Unfortunately, unless you have burnt yourself into an average of a 5250 calorie deficit per day, much of that weight is water weight. That's good, because your body is getting used to eating healthier. BUT, it's bad when you go back to the 'old way', because your body will retain a large portion of that water again, and you'll see the scale jump quickly. Just be sure to understand this dynamic, and don't get into a frenzy of excitement / disappointment based just on fluid changes.

That's my thoughts...for what they're worth.

summertime_girl

Honestly, every time we have gone to Disney, despite eating like a pig, I lose weight. There's soooo much walking. Last time I brought a pedometer, and our shortest mileage day was 9 miles, longest 15. Enjoy all the food (and drinks!! make sure to "Drink around the World" in Epcot), and you'll be fine.

nicoleat1049

We did Disney World for the 1st time this April, and I agree with a lot of the other posters. Take a water bottle, you'll need it. Who wants to waste $ and calories on soda, ect. Also, bring whatever food you want into the parks. My husband and I packed lots of Luna bars and lean beef jerky, that way we weren't tempted to grap chips or whatever. Also, take another look at sit down meals. You mentioned you'd probably use the quick serve places for conveince, and I thought we would do that too, but when we went it was so nice to sit in an air conditioned resturant with waiters bringing your food and drinks, and not having to fight for a picnic table or bench to eat on. We ended up ONLY eating at sit down resturants. Most of all have a blast!

chasidieason

"being so obsessed that I'll sell myself short of enjoying some good food and possibly dampening my husband's good time on our honeymoon."

Couple things here...you're still equating enjoying life with eating 'some good food'. The food you've been eating is 'good', the food you're talking about is an indulgence. You need to separate the idea of food = fun. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hard-core eater...love the like of Tru, Trotter's, Alinea...but know there's a price to pay BEFORE I go. Best of luck breaking that psychological connection. Best bet is to remember how you feel when the weight is lower on the scale, or the dress size goes down. Does that trump the ice cream cone? Until it does, you WILL NOT keep your weight off. Secondly, if your husband's good time depends on your eating calorically dense, nutritient free foods...something isn't making sense. Don't use him as an excuse.

Secondly, from you post it sounds like you've dropped 15 or so pounds in 10 days? If so, you cannot expect to keep that weight off. Unfortunately, unless you have burnt yourself into an average of a 5250 calorie deficit per day, much of that weight is water weight. That's good, because your body is getting used to eating healthier. BUT, it's bad when you go back to the 'old way', because your body will retain a large portion of that water again, and you'll see the scale jump quickly. Just be sure to understand this dynamic, and don't get into a frenzy of excitement / disappointment based just on fluid changes.

That's my thoughts...for what they're worth.

Thanks for the thoughts. I do understand the difference between the indulgent food and eating good food. I simply meant that I didn't want to miss out on enjoying some yummy stuff that isn't a part of my everyday life. Obviously, I do value a healthy lifestyle and seeing myself fitting into a smaller size or I wouldn't have hesitated to just eat however I wanted on the trip. At least I'm trying to have foresight and plan ahead. Which goes hand-in-hand with what I was saying about dampening my husband's good time, I just mean if I have a plan going into the trip then I won't have to take time at every meal to get out my phone and look up nutritional info and and we can get our meals then get on with having fun in the parks. It's not an excuse, I just want to be courteous to my husband, who - as Charlie Sheen would say - has one speed, one gear "GO" when it comes to Disney trips.

The weight I've lost has been over the course of 3 weeks, 21 days. I went from a very sedentary lifestyle with a high-calorie diet to a 1200 calorie a day, working out 4-5 times a week lifestyle. Yes, that number on the scale is going down drastically, along with my measurements, but I've made drastic changes. If I don't have that excitement and pride to keep me motivated, then this journey just got a lot longer.

I know that the number won't always be down on the scale, but I think that I've worked very hard to accomplish the loss that I have achieved, and I'm committed to this lifestyle because I value my health - and that isn't going away just because I want to figure out how to loosen up on my honeymoon without counteracting the work I've done.

FitForeverAgain

Great way to look at it, and it sounds like you've thought through the level of commitment you want to make to being healthy. Some will go to more extremes, some won't.

My point about the water weight wasn't to dampen your enthusiasm - it was to insulate the momentum you've built up. It was a warning that when you go back to your bad habits, even temporarily on a trip - be ready for some bad weight gain as much of what you've lost is water weight. Which, by the way, is good. That's your body responding to a new balance in your body. Remember, much of the gain will again be water weight...just your body's response.

Maybe you have been a workout freak...if you have been burning in excess of 3700 calories daily to stay at a net -2500 caloric intake, you may have lost all of that in something besides water weight. And if you have, I want to be your workout buddy about three times a week!

Have fun, stay fit.

"being so obsessed that I'll sell myself short of enjoying some good food and possibly dampening my husband's good time on our honeymoon."

Couple things here...you're still equating enjoying life with eating 'some good food'. The food you've been eating is 'good', the food you're talking about is an indulgence. You need to separate the idea of food = fun. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hard-core eater...love the like of Tru, Trotter's, Alinea...but know there's a price to pay BEFORE I go. Best of luck breaking that psychological connection. Best bet is to remember how you feel when the weight is lower on the scale, or the dress size goes down. Does that trump the ice cream cone? Until it does, you WILL NOT keep your weight off. Secondly, if your husband's good time depends on your eating calorically dense, nutritient free foods...something isn't making sense. Don't use him as an excuse.

Secondly, from you post it sounds like you've dropped 15 or so pounds in 10 days? If so, you cannot expect to keep that weight off. Unfortunately, unless you have burnt yourself into an average of a 5250 calorie deficit per day, much of that weight is water weight. That's good, because your body is getting used to eating healthier. BUT, it's bad when you go back to the 'old way', because your body will retain a large portion of that water again, and you'll see the scale jump quickly. Just be sure to understand this dynamic, and don't get into a frenzy of excitement / disappointment based just on fluid changes.

That's my thoughts...for what they're worth.

Thanks for the thoughts. I do understand the difference between the indulgent food and eating good food. I simply meant that I didn't want to miss out on enjoying some yummy stuff that isn't a part of my everyday life. Obviously, I do value a healthy lifestyle and seeing myself fitting into a smaller size or I wouldn't have hesitated to just eat however I wanted on the trip. At least I'm trying to have foresight and plan ahead. Which goes hand-in-hand with what I was saying about dampening my husband's good time, I just mean if I have a plan going into the trip then I won't have to take time at every meal to get out my phone and look up nutritional info and and we can get our meals then get on with having fun in the parks. It's not an excuse, I just want to be courteous to my husband, who - as Charlie Sheen would say - has one speed, one gear "GO" when it comes to Disney trips.

The weight I've lost has been over the course of 3 weeks, 21 days. I went from a very sedentary lifestyle with a high-calorie diet to a 1200 calorie a day, working out 4-5 times a week lifestyle. Yes, that number on the scale is going down drastically, along with my measurements, but I've made drastic changes. If I don't have that excitement and pride to keep me motivated, then this journey just got a lot longer.

I know that the number won't always be down on the scale, but I think that I've worked very hard to accomplish the loss that I have achieved, and I'm committed to this lifestyle because I value my health - and that isn't going away just because I want to figure out how to loosen up on my honeymoon without counteracting the work I've done.

maillemaker

I love Disney! It's a great vacation.

My advice: Screw the diet. Eat what you want.

You are going to be walking your *kitten* off. At least 5 miles a day.

I advise getting a meal plan. They are cost effective.

My favorite place to eat is Ohana's. It's an all-you-can-eat meat and shrimp shish-ka-bob bonanza!

Most of the places we had dinner were buffets. Most of them have plenty of fruits and veggies if you insist on being healthy.

DisneyAddictRW

We r at Disney in 8 days! Regular dinning plan. My plan is to drink lots of water! Between walking and water that will help. I do expect to have some "treats" however I plan to enjoy but be reasonable. I can still enjoy Disney without going over board the entire time. My personal down fall is the bakery! Enjoy your trip and i'd just try to make good choices so when u have a oops meal it will balance out with the water intake plus all the walking!

emandbri

Add me to the list of those who lost weight at Disney World. The ice cream at the Italian place in epcot was the most fabulous stuff I have eaten in my life. I want to go back just for that ice cream.

chasidieason

We r at Disney in 8 days! Regular dinning plan. My plan is to drink lots of water! Between walking and water that will help. I do expect to have some "treats" however I plan to enjoy but be reasonable. I can still enjoy Disney without going over board the entire time. My personal down fall is the bakery! Enjoy your trip and i'd just try to make good choices so when u have a oops meal it will balance out with the water intake plus all the walking!

I think you're onto a good plan here, I'm feeling much better about it and I'm going to enjoy it for sure! Keep your eye out for us - we'll still be there, and we'll be the crazy ones with the wedding ears on! :laugh:

chasidieason

Great way to look at it, and it sounds like you've thought through the level of commitment you want to make to being healthy. Some will go to more extremes, some won't.

My point about the water weight wasn't to dampen your enthusiasm - it was to insulate the momentum you've built up. It was a warning that when you go back to your bad habits, even temporarily on a trip - be ready for some bad weight gain as much of what you've lost is water weight. Which, by the way, is good. That's your body responding to a new balance in your body. Remember, much of the gain will again be water weight...just your body's response.

Maybe you have been a workout freak...if you have been burning in excess of 3700 calories daily to stay at a net -2500 caloric intake, you may have lost all of that in something besides water weight. And if you have, I want to be your workout buddy about three times a week!

Have fun, stay fit.

"being so obsessed that I'll sell myself short of enjoying some good food and possibly dampening my husband's good time on our honeymoon."

Couple things here...you're still equating enjoying life with eating 'some good food'. The food you've been eating is 'good', the food you're talking about is an indulgence. You need to separate the idea of food = fun. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hard-core eater...love the like of Tru, Trotter's, Alinea...but know there's a price to pay BEFORE I go. Best of luck breaking that psychological connection. Best bet is to remember how you feel when the weight is lower on the scale, or the dress size goes down. Does that trump the ice cream cone? Until it does, you WILL NOT keep your weight off. Secondly, if your husband's good time depends on your eating calorically dense, nutritient free foods...something isn't making sense. Don't use him as an excuse.

Secondly, from you post it sounds like you've dropped 15 or so pounds in 10 days? If so, you cannot expect to keep that weight off. Unfortunately, unless you have burnt yourself into an average of a 5250 calorie deficit per day, much of that weight is water weight. That's good, because your body is getting used to eating healthier. BUT, it's bad when you go back to the 'old way', because your body will retain a large portion of that water again, and you'll see the scale jump quickly. Just be sure to understand this dynamic, and don't get into a frenzy of excitement / disappointment based just on fluid changes.

That's my thoughts...for what they're worth.

Thanks for the thoughts. I do understand the difference between the indulgent food and eating good food. I simply meant that I didn't want to miss out on enjoying some yummy stuff that isn't a part of my everyday life. Obviously, I do value a healthy lifestyle and seeing myself fitting into a smaller size or I wouldn't have hesitated to just eat however I wanted on the trip. At least I'm trying to have foresight and plan ahead. Which goes hand-in-hand with what I was saying about dampening my husband's good time, I just mean if I have a plan going into the trip then I won't have to take time at every meal to get out my phone and look up nutritional info and and we can get our meals then get on with having fun in the parks. It's not an excuse, I just want to be courteous to my husband, who - as Charlie Sheen would say - has one speed, one gear "GO" when it comes to Disney trips.

The weight I've lost has been over the course of 3 weeks, 21 days. I went from a very sedentary lifestyle with a high-calorie diet to a 1200 calorie a day, working out 4-5 times a week lifestyle. Yes, that number on the scale is going down drastically, along with my measurements, but I've made drastic changes. If I don't have that excitement and pride to keep me motivated, then this journey just got a lot longer.

I know that the number won't always be down on the scale, but I think that I've worked very hard to accomplish the loss that I have achieved, and I'm committed to this lifestyle because I value my health - and that isn't going away just because I want to figure out how to loosen up on my honeymoon without counteracting the work I've done.

LOL - yeah, I'm definitely not that extreme! But I always welcome a workout buddy - someone has to turn off the treadmill when I finally do the inevitable and take a face-plant on it! :laugh: