Do you count calories at Food & Wine?

[laben594]

I have lost a significant amount of weight so I am a bit OCD with counting calories. I know it's a silly question but do you count calories at food & wine? I'm just trying to figure out how to go about my day there...I want to sample a lot but I also don't want to pig out, you know?

So do most of you split booth items from every country with someone or do you only choose a select few items for the whole day?

Nice answers only please-no need to be condescending

 

[Think Tink]

So I lost about 20 ppunds in the past year. At food and wine I decided to eat what I wanted that day. My husband and I did split most of the food we got so we could try more locations. Except at Ireland, I wasn’t sharing the pudding! We walked so much that by the end of the week I had actually lost weight. Personally if I’m going to a festival that has food in the title, I’m going to eat a lot haha. Not everyone is like that, just do what feels right for you!

 

[zurgandfriend]

I have been up and down with my weight over the years so I am familiar with your concerns. I do not however count calories on vacation most especially something like the food and wine festival.
I would recommend looking at the menus and decide what you want the most, then concentrate on those items. Focus on proteins and limit carbs or sweets to one indulgence, difficult I know. Avoid eating your way around the world. Remember you are doing a lot of walking and maybe some swimming so that will help.
Even if you over indulge a few days just get right back on track after vacation. Enjoy!

 

[eliza61nyc]

Nope. I do go to my resort gym though, simply to keep my routine but on vacation Im eating what i want.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Personally, I think it's perfectly reasonable, on vacation to balance the indulgence piece without completely neglecting being healthy. I've done a cruise where I overate and just felt gross and bloated by the end of it.

For Food & Wine, I skip at least one of lunch or dinner, if not both. Don't rush, eat when you're hungry and then stop for a bit when you get full.

It's a marathon, not a sprint. If you visit many booths across the course of a day, and skip at least one meal, you should be fine. All the walking helps too.

Nothing wrong with counting calories either, as best as you can estimate. One may not be super strict about what they eat on a Food & Wine day, but if you see you're at 4000 calories when you should be at 2000, that could give you pause and reason to adjust a bit.

Splitting items is indeed the best way to sample more. I've done it with a large group where I was only eating a bit from each booth, and pretty much got to sample everything.

 

[JIMINYCR]

I have lost weight prior to my Disney trips and eat whatever I want when on vacation, because I'm there to have fun and enjoy myself. Even though I eat more snacks and other richer foods I find that I dont put the pounds back on because of all the walking I do. Even if I was to put on a pound or more I wouldnt fret about it. As I said I'm there to enjoy myself and I'm not going to count calories. If I do put anything on I'll work it off again when I get home. Disney time is for enjoyment, not worrying or feeling guilt about weight gain.

 

[DisDadWoz]

We spent three days at F & W and with all the walking around, small portions, etc I ended up losing about three pounds. Don't feel guilty about counting calories but don't feel like you can't try something because of the amount of calories that may be in it. Enjoy it at your own pace and remember it's a vacation!

 

[correcaminos]

I'm beyond the counting calories regularly, but I've been there. I lost a total of 85 pounds and kept it off for well over a decade now (and only minor gains during pregnancies and such - I'm stable within 5 pounds now always). On vacation I do not ever count calories as I know it won't be accurate. For F&WF I would share with my husband.

I do not eat out large portions either while on vacation though and I try to keep it as similar to home as possible. Even if it means getting a kid's portion of something instead.

 

[JiminyandTink]

Didn't you know, calories don't exist in WDW, everything is converted to pixie dust, which your body metabolizes quite quickly... ...In all seriousness, no, at WDW or other, I try not to count calories on any vacation

 

[Disneyfreak Jen]

This is a more general comment, not only about F&W. I went about 5 years ago and put on a few pounds, so ever since that trip I have chosen not to get the dining plan, because I find myself feeling obligated to eat all the food and all the desserts.
From that trip on I’ve been fine as long as I don’t overeat. I usually have 1 ice cream a day and if I’m at F&W and see a great snack I’ll will get it too. My thing is, don’t overeat because walking around the park all day totally stuffed is uncomfortable. I eat when I’m hungry and when I’m full, I stop.

 

[keacc]

Counting calories on vacation? No way, besides I can't count that high!

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Not count, but I try to guesstimate what I have consumed and try to keep it at a semi-normal count. Semi meaning about 300 max over daily intake because it's vacation. Don't want to go over too much but still want to indulge.

 

[Disney4family]

 

[Nottamus]

We try to eat healthy and lean all year...EXCEPT the Disney weeks...all bets are off. The fun of vacationing is doing it all!

 

[Weather_Lady]

I never count calories on vacation -- I let my stomach and my wallet tell me when "enough is enough."

Candidly, though -- anything more than 4, maybe 5, F&W items would have me full to the point of discomfort, so my threshold might be lower than most (even if my typical-middle-aged-Mom weight doesn't reflect that)! The only time I tried to make a meal at F&W, I had studied the menus ahead of time, read reviews of the various kiosks, selected the 3 or 4 things that appealed to me most, and put them right on my Epcot touring plan so I'd remember where I wanted to stop and what I wanted to eat, in the order I came to it.

 

[WEDwaydatamover]

No way! The entire point is to fall completely off the rails and into the gorge.

THEN reward yourself for 10 months of losing that weight with a trip to next year's Food & Wine.

 

[Dog Ate Mouse]

First congrats on the weight loss. i do understand. Now to answer you question, NO, NO, NO. i am on vacation and weight loss and diets only for me do not apply at this time. We walk so much and then swim every night before bed and then again before breakfast that it all balances out. Plus not every day am I eating big lush meals. So just keep a simple check and balance. It's okay to eat while on a WDW vacation but thinking about what you are saying not every day will be a pig out day. Not an easy thing to do and again congrats to you and your hard work.

 

[JillC LI]

Fair question. I do try to eat healthy most of the year, but I do not count a single calorie while at WDW, and I consume MANY! As a lot of people say, with all the walking, somehow I don't gain weight despite my Disney gluttony.

 

[MrTomHamilton]

I lost 80 pounds 11 years ago and have kept it off. I stay very conscious of what I eat but vacation is a different story. A vacation should be just that - a vacation from all your normal routines and concerns. That being said, I don’t overdo it at the parks and resorts, but I don’t deprive myself either. As has been said, with all the walking, I don’t gain weight - I lose a couple pounds if anything.