DISNEY VACATION...?!?!

What do you do on vacation? Yes, I hear all the time, "just eat because it is vacation". And that is what I plan to do but I don't want to gain 10 pounds and last time I went to Disney World I gained 5 pounds. Which, that is not just horrible bad, but I am down 10 more pound from where I was the last time I went back this past May, we are going again in February. So, what are your tricks and tips to not binging and what do you do to stay motivated and on track? I believe I am going to keep in mind that this is vacation, not a picnic, and keep in mind as to how I will feel when I eat to much and I am yuck and bloated and miserable. I did that during Thanksgiving and Christmas and it worked perfect and I didn't gain. It's just with DW there is nothing healthy there and I will be eating the food at least 2 times a day and snacks. TIPS PLEASE!!! Thanks friends!

Replies

  • cappri
    cappri Posts: 1,089 Member
    I've gone to Disney twice while on my weight loss journey, and I've lost weight both times. There are healthy options, such as fruit and veggies available for snacks, though they aren't as available as ice cream. My biggest tip is to continue to track everything you eat, it keeps you honest on how quickly those treats add up. I also took advantage of the hotel fitness rooms and worked out at least a couple times each trip. If you don't want to track while your eating, take a picture of your food so you can go back and track it later.
  • NatashaShen
    NatashaShen Posts: 295 Member
    I'm going to Disneyland in Feb also. I just plan to do everything in moderation (get the small not the large). I wont be able to track while I'm gone so taking pictures of the food is a great idea, thanks.
  • simplyshrinking
    simplyshrinking Posts: 94 Member
    I'm going on a cruise in July and I'm curious about the same thing... Food is available 24/7 and I need to know tips! :-S
  • MaryRegs
    MaryRegs Posts: 272 Member
    I was there this past April-and lost 5 pounds with walking and watching what I ate. Logged it all. Wasn't about to go off track!
  • a_mandolin_
    a_mandolin_ Posts: 336 Member
    I always lose weight when I go to Disney - unintentionally! You spend all day walking and the food is far too expensive to eat, lol. We bring granola bars or something similar to snack on, or if we do splurge on food at the park, get something small and share it with everybody.

    I'm going in March, I can't wait to see the scale after ;)
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    I know you just said what everyone says.....but it's vacation, screw it!! Whenever I gain weight from a vacation or holiday, it's always gone again within a week if I get back to my good habits as soon as I return. This past August I went to FL for vaca....got back home and found I had gained 8 pounds. I got back to my normal routine as soon as I got home, those 8 pounds were gone in about a week. Good luck to you!
  • Heather1899
    Heather1899 Posts: 179 Member
    I took a 3 day vacation and didn't go anywhere!! I stayed home/read/hung out on the porch/went shopping ect.
    Some good things to carry around maybe:
    Portable protein like: turkey jerkey, almonds, cans of tuna (could make little tuna sandwiches)
    Healthy fruits and veggies that don't need to be in a fridge all the time-apple, banana, canned fruit?
    Things like whole grain bread and crackers to make sandwiches, dip into your tuna...
    Peanut butter-you can make sandwiches with peanut butter or dips veggies like baby carrots or celery
    Lots of water

    Does this help? I guess you just need to be creative with meals and realize it will only last like a week...
  • You'll do LOTS of walking... and there ARE healthier choices... just have to plan better. :flowerforyou:

    Love the World!
  • Heather1899
    Heather1899 Posts: 179 Member
    Oh and something else!!
    During my vaca I went to live classes at a fitness center I'd never be able to go to during the day because I'd be at work. I tried a Zumba class and Turbo Kick class.
    Are there any cool exercise places available to try? Like swimming or special places to walk/hike?
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    We just went to Disneyland in October. It was a lot of fun. The first night we had the ginormous Disney turkey legs for dinner, met with hubby's sister & her family for dinner the next night, went to medieval times for dinner on third night, my mom came down to play with our 4yo so we could have an adult day and took us to dinner, and... yeah. It wasn't too bad. During the day we kept food in our room (went grocery shopping to get the food we wanted to eat to stay healthy) and the hotel offered healthy breakfast options every morning.
    Don't stress it.
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
    At Disney it is easier to keep things in check. Mostly because you are walking/standing a TON during the day. I found that I burned enough calories to maintain despite eating horribly.

    Cruises are harder because there isn't usually as much walking. More relaxing going on. Plus, the food is usually all included so it's FREE. >_< You could make an effort to walk the entire boat often or hit the gym facilities if they have some. Swimming is a great workout, but the pool is likely going to be too crowded to do laps. :/
  • gimmegimmemoar
    gimmegimmemoar Posts: 213 Member
    I'm going to DIsney World in February.. The last two times I went to Disney I didn't gain anything luckily. I think it was because I walked so much when I was there! We made sure we had a big breakfast and had our meals and a few little snacks, so I feel like my family didnt eat a massive amount, but we grazed!
  • bcmlam1001
    bcmlam1001 Posts: 118 Member
    Thanks for the tips guys =) One problem is that we purchase the Dining Plus plan that includes a snack, quick service meal and sit down meal a day. My hubby likes the nice places to eat and we will be going to 3 Character dinings also. So, Our trip includes alot of dining and snacks and we stay at the resorts so we don't leave DW the entire time we are there. I do agree that the walking and being on the go all day more than likely does help since I only gained 5 last time and I ate until I thought I couldn't eat anymore. I am going to attemp wiser choices this time around for sure tho and see what a difference it makes =) And yes, I am the type that can splurge on vacation and go back to normal when I get home and lose is pretty quick but I just really wanted to make it a healthier vacation this time!
  • First of all, I LOVE Disney World! We went this past January utilizing the Dining Plan also, and much to my surprise, I ended up losing 3 pounds. The biggest thing for me was choosing better snacks and drinks. Instead of getting a sugary soda, I'd drink water, or unsweet tea/coffee with splenda if I wanted caffiene. And instead of getting an ice cream sundae with syrup or a side a fries, I'd get a Dole Whip (yuuum), fruit or something 'green'. With those guidelines in place, I basically ate whatever I wanted during the meals themselves... you really do walk a ton, so that helps burn mega-calories! I was a little stressed prior to going because I didn't want to feel like I was "dieting" on vacation, but I didn't want to eat terribly either - same as you. When you look for it, there are lots of healthier options at Disney at every single meal. Hope ya'll have fun!
  • I'm going on a cruise in July and I'm curious about the same thing... Food is available 24/7 and I need to know tips! :-S

    take the stairs!!! haha. last time i went on a cruise i didn't gain or lose anything. i made a conscious effort to take the stairs - never the elevator. and take advantage of the gym - that's one thing i didn't do. i'm going on a cruise again in april & i vow to use the gym this time around. also, every ship has a lido deck where you can walk laps around the ship. they also have jogging tracks.
  • sarahmania
    sarahmania Posts: 16 Member
    I'm at Disney now and it's Christmas time so kind of double whammy against dieting. I've been here a week now and no idea what I weigh which is kind of killing me! We are staying in a villa do I'm going for a healthy breakfast (porridge unsweetened and half a grapefruit) and trying to eat healthily the rest of the time. There are plenty of healthy snacks out there but it's tough on the will power for a greedy person like me. I haven't been logging on mfp at all but just trying to be really disciplined and not undo all the good work that I've done before getting here. I've lurked lots on this site and the posts are really encouraging and I've done stupid things like looking in the mirror and telling myself how well I'm doing before a potentially tricky meal. I've walked loads tried to eat when I'm hungry and I've I've fancied something naughty had a bite of some one else's. This is a holiday of a lifetime do have tried to get any weight gain into perspective but ideally hope to have maintained while I'm here. Hope that helps , oh and you can bring healthy snacks to the parks with you. Xx
  • threeonethree
    threeonethree Posts: 182 Member
    Just try to make healthier choices. Sounds easy but it can be difficult. Stop eating when you feel full. You are on vacation, enjoy yourself!

    I was on vacation this past year for a week and actually lost alot of weight. Ate at some nice restaurants too.... guess the walking in 105 degree heat made up for everything. haha
  • I was at disney world on the same dining plan in nov. I found that for quick serve, they didn't have healthy options on the menu but usually had carrot sticks or fruit if you asked for it. I took some crystal light single serve powder to spice up the water a bit which helped me avoid soda too.
  • jr1985
    jr1985 Posts: 1,033 Member
    You will do a lot of walking when you are at Disney... and honestly You will probably put on a few pounds when you are there because you are eating foods that you aren't used to eating... but it isn't 'real' weight... Just water retention from your body not knowing what to do since you are out of your routine... should come back off in a week or two once you get back... Just avoid the scales until you've been back for 2 weeks and I'm sure you will be back to normal :)

    Really watch your sodium intake if you can... that packs on the most pounds the fastest for me... and watch sugars if you can help it... but those mickey bars are delish...
  • DisneyAddictRW
    DisneyAddictRW Posts: 800 Member
    I love going to Disney! I tend to gain a couple pounds but once back home it comes right off. We walk a lot. We enjoy treats but don't go over board. There's no calories at Disney right :-)
  • em3120
    em3120 Posts: 154 Member
    We are going to Disney World in March! We have been to Disney a few times before and I always maintained my weight, but this was with eating EVERYTHING I wanted. This time I am going to try to be a little bit more conscious of what I eat and I will probably lose weight. Disney has a lot of healthy opinions, even in their fast food places. They have fruit stands that you can go to instead of ice cream too. One of my favorite snacks is the Dole Whip in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. It is really yummy and about 175 calories I believe. Disney does allow you to bring your own food into the park, so I would pack granola bars and such to snack on as well. You will be doing a LOT of walking, so you should be able to eat a lot more than you normally do. I found this article: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2010/02/04/eating-healthy-in-walt-disney-world/ and they have a lot of good info. If you just google WDW nutrition or losing weight while in WDW, a bunch of sites come up and you can find out the calories count of some items and tips.
  • loril13
    loril13 Posts: 320 Member
    We go to WDW during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival with the intent to literally eat and drink my way around the world. But a Disney trip is endless walking, walking, walking. You're burning off as much as you are eating. This past November, I came home a pound lighter than when I left.
  • bcmlam1001
    bcmlam1001 Posts: 118 Member
    I'm going on a cruise in July and I'm curious about the same thing... Food is available 24/7 and I need to know tips! :-S

    On the cruises *I've been on a couple* the ice cream is 24/7, so is the pizza, then the midnight buffetts and the chocolate buffetts then by the time I eat so much during the day I am not even hungry in the dining room at night but eat just because the food is 5 star and pretty and interesting! LUCKY ME THO...I don't really care for pizza but my husband and I always hit the ice cream machine after the late night shows! They always have chocolate/strawberry swirl! YUMMMM! But this is the first vaca I've been on the I decided I want to try to be a little more concious. Which, I am a fast loser and have high metabolism but I believe I just want to send myself a challenge this time to prove I can do it! When I was at Disney World this past May I was shocked at how much I ate and how little I gained and yes you are on the go every day all day =)
  • I was just at Disney World the week before Christmas. We ordered groceries and had them delivered to our resort, mostly because food is so freaking expensive at the parks and hotel. There was a small fridge and microwave in the room, and the housekeeping staff kept us stocked up with paper plates, bowls, and plastic utensils. Worked out pretty well. We still ate out usually one meal a day but had lots of healthy foods ready to eat while in the hotel and snacks to take to the parks. Definitely recommend looking into this!! I just did a google search for grocery delivery in Orlando and found several to choose from. We did so much walking at the parks, and swimming at the hotel that I didn't gain any weight. :O)

    Have fun!!
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    It's just with DW there is nothing healthy there and I will be eating the food at least 2 times a day and snacks. TIPS PLEASE!!! Thanks friends!

    There are lots of healthier choices available at DW! I say go with kids meals. I know they had an apple/grapes, cheese and yogurt tray for kids. Much cheaper and a great snack.

    Plus, who says you have to eat there 2xs per day and have snacks, too? You can pack your own lower calorie choices if you really feel that there isn't enough available to you. Or, just don't eat as often. Whenever I go on vacation I tend to lose weight because we tend to do only 2 bigger meals a day and maybe have a snack or two. Usually have very little for breakfast, maybe some fruit or a granola bar, then do a large lunch, then nothing until we have a large dinner. Or, we do a large breakfast, maybe a small afternoon snack, then a larger dinner. This allows me to indulge in the foods I want to eat without having to worry too much about calories.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    I'm going on a cruise in July and I'm curious about the same thing... Food is available 24/7 and I need to know tips! :-S

    For cruising my tips are to not snack alot, don't drink too much, and enjoy the dining room if you like good food. When we cruise, we rarely hit the buffets, except maybe for a light breakfast. I find having sit down meals to be so much more enjoyable, plus to food tends to be better. Plus, the portions tend to actually be quite reasonable when you eat lunch and dinner in the dining room. Eat until you are satisfied and don't have a lot of snacks throughout the day. You can also check out what options are available on the buffets and in the other eating areas. I know our cruise ship has a sushi buffet, which could be another good choice for you if you like that type of thing. Stay active and have fun and you should be fine. Granted, I'm not a big drinker and don't care for a lot of frou-frou drinks, so if you plan to imbibe a lot, I'd recommend hitting the gym, too.
  • pinkkerryk
    pinkkerryk Posts: 1
    On another board someone posted that you should not eat the first thing that comes to mind. Usually the second food/thought will be healthier and better for you.

    Hopefully this would help with comfortable steak and potatoes options (yum) vs the shrimp and quinoa options (still yum and though it sounds less comforting, it isn't).
  • AnyaDee
    AnyaDee Posts: 19
    EX Cast Member here (Magic Kingdom)
    The average WDW guest walks about 5-7 miles a day. Take your own food for at least one meal (save money) and eat your Disney meal at lunch so you have time to walk it off before the heat gets to you. You can take in a cooler and some guests rent a stroller so they just have to push it around if it doesn't have wheels. Make sure all liquids/bottle waters are sealed so they pass security. Universal doesn't have this policy, they won't let you take in anything, btw.

    Only drink water on your trip because it is just too hot to have a sugary drink. Plus, I read somewhere (not sure if true) that if you give up one soda a day for a year, you will lose 16 pounds.
    As a College Program CM, I ate anything I wanted and lost some weight because I walked through my attractions many times. But I wasn't standing in lines, I was walking non stop at a quick pace for 6-8 hour days (sometimes a lot, lot longer).

    I never went to 'Ohana (Buffet) but I was told to spend all of my calories there because the food was really good. So don't be too strict!
    Best tip? Find your weight, divide it by 2 and that's how many OUNCES of water you should drink a day. It keeps you really full but keep an eye out for bathrooms.
    If you are there for a long time, pick a cheat day so you don't have to carry a lunch and just enjoy yourself.
    I like to do jumping jacks (at least a 120 a day) when on a road trip because I get restless. Or take a jump rope and jump for 5 minutes before you set out for the parks.