Healthy Or To Hell With It!

[disneycouple07]

Being at home, we try to walk 3-4 times a week. We eat a balanced diet but occasionally eat out once during the weekend. Since we only go to Disney once a year, I don't feel guilty for eating whatever/whenever for the 5 days we are there. Besides, think about how many miles you walk while in the parks. When we get back home it's back into our routine!

 

[rael ramone]

One of the biggest benefits of the parks is the amount of walking you have to do.

Embrace it (with comfortable shoes, of course).

Want to park hop between Epcot and the Studios? Don't get on the boat or the Magical Motorcoach. WALK!!! (If you take a shortcut through the Boardwalk pool area it's 23 minutes).

And I try to make it down to the gym for resistance training (I'm guessing those on the treadmills don't do the parks).

Part of the joy is eating in the nice restaurants (mostly in the resorts and not the parks unfortunately). So I try to save the calories for the good stuff. At Boma I eat like a bird (I'll literally put one bites worth of each thing that looks good on the plate - which results in 4-5 trips with half empty plates - then one trip with seconds). I don't worry about 'cleaning my plate' (it's used as feed for animals what you don't eat). Breakfast is OJ, chocolate milk & donuts.

When practical, the 'big meal' is best for lunch rather than dinner. Marrakesh is *far superior* for lunch (better ambience and much better to enjoy the entertainment).

Some 'sig' dinners can be had relatively early in the evening. (Cali grill is good [provided that it's still good after the redo] for a marathon MK Saturday (eat at 5:30, then burn it off until the late park close). Epcot resorts are convenient to Epcots 9pm close (provided you finish and make it to the gate before it closes). Unfortunately, some others end up being not only late, but the very last thing you do, so it doesn't burn off that day.

And once in a while, embrace your hunger (providing you don't have low blood sugar). You don't have to finish those 'Cockerell Fries' if you got a soggy batch. Don't get extra onion rings with the rib plate at AK (unless you have a large family and can split them). If at a meal and what's in front of you is merely passable, eat just enough to eliminate discomfort. (Unfortunately some locations are basically 'feed stations'. If you must eat there, eat as little as possible).

If at F&W, if you try something and you don't like it, don't finish it.

If you don't enjoy alcohol, don't have it just because everyone else is. It's not only high in calories, but it slows your ability to burn those calories. And if you do, for the sake of everyone else, moderation please...

As much as you want to enjoy the good food that they still do have, you also want to look good when you get back. You want to be noticed for the tan you got not the tire you added

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I don't know where I fit in this. I rarely eat hot dogs since there are only a few brands and varieties I like. I looooove a nice juicy burger, but I can easily have that at home... Soooo I often skip them on Vaycay. Still, there is a ton of better quality food that I will indulge in on vaycay and special days that is far from good for you. I mean.... Have I ever mentioned how much I looooove cheese?????? Most divine food creation-ever. And of course dairy fat is pure evil. Must go back to biking at my desk just thinking about it.

 

[Phonedave]

Ya know Dave, you hit the nail on the head. I never, and I mean never eat dessert at home, but when Im at Disney, I sure do!!! Same with cheese... as much as I love it, I watch how much I eat but at Disney, I could eat my foot if it was covered with cheese

I do eat it at home, but it is usualy a small scoop of ice cream while watching TV, or a cookie or two - and not every night. Something like that. Very rarely do I have cake, or cupcakes or "created" desserts. I eat them more at Disney, but not all that much more. I lot of times if we are out, my wife and I will just have cappachuino or espresso after dinner and not any desserts.

Now chesse, thats a different matter. And really, cheese is not bad for you - in moderation. I love the cheese counter at Fairway markets. That and the olive bar are the banes of my existance. I buy coffee at Fairway because it is cheaper and better, but my wife said just last night "Yeah, the coffee may be cheaper but when we go there to buy it we come out with a bunch of bread, cheese, olives, and wine that we did not plan of buying"

-dave

 

[Phonedave]

One of the biggest benefits of the parks is the amount of walking you have to do.

Embrace it (with comfortable shoes, of course).

Want to park hop between Epcot and the Studios? Don't get on the boat or the Magical Motorcoach. WALK!!! (If you take a shortcut through the Boardwalk pool area it's 23 minutes).

You really don't burn all that many calories walking around WDW> Some day I will have to take a pedometer and see just how much

But, walking at a moderate pace of 3 miles per hour (which I doubt many people do) a 200 pound person will burn 300 calories per hour. It is about a mile between EPCOT and DHS, so that walk between the two would take about 20 minues at this pace (as you said) - thats 100 calories burned.

A Mickey's Premium bar is 330 calories. You would have to walk from EPCOT to DHS back to EPCOT and then back to DHS to ALMOST burn off that one ice cream.

Eat a Mickey bar, a cheeseburger, some fries, and you already need to do a heck of a lot of walking (Standing around in a queue does not count)

-dave

 

[JillC LI]

I eat absolutely positively anything whatsoever I want when at Disney so long as I don't make myself ill. I never diet on vacation.

 

[flipadeeflop]

OMG. This info helps me stay a vegetarian. It's mighty hard for a person whose FIL was a cattle rancher and who always had a freezer full of meat. I haven't had beef in 12 years, but I've only been vegetarian for almost two years.
I am thankful there are so many choices for me at WDW now, even though most are cooked in a much more unhealthy way than I would prepare the foods at home. I almost never have dessert at home, but who on earth can pass up Edy's cookies and crème ice cream, waffle sandwich and cinnamon rolls in MK? It's not this old girl.

Hey, if you need help with vegan options in WDW, I write a weekly blog about it!

As for a reply to this post, I feel like I'm on and off about how healthy I eat in WDW and at home. Usually it depends on if I start my day with Mickey Waffles or if I start it with fruit, juice, and nuts. If it starts with Mickey Waffles, I tend to eat french fries and stuff that like for the rest of the day, but when I start out healthy, I lean towards snacking on more fruit throughout the day!

 

[PUSH]

Diet and Disney do not mix. You can't go to Disney and expect to not engulf yourself with calories. There's just no way!

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

We usually eat like insane pig people but I actually need to cut back on that for the future because I end up feeling sick and bloated and my clothes get uncomfortable!!!!

 

[s&k'smom]

Forgive me father for I have sinned-while at Disney I've partaken in fries, funnel cake, chocolate, fries, bread, fries, mickey bars, oh and fries.

 

[von Slapschtick]

Sometimes, you just have to say buggrit.

 

[Bparso87]

I am a pretty health person but if I am spending upwards to a 1,000 dollars on food u bet I eat what I like.

 

[real mad hatter]

Forgive me father for I have sinned-while at Disney I've partaken in fries, funnel cake, chocolate, fries, bread, fries, mickey bars, oh and fries.

The good Father says Thats ok,he can't speak at the moment as he's eating a Magic Cookie Bar.

 

[rufio]

I'm also middle of the road. I don't deny myself sweets by any means! I get my fill of cupcakes and desserts, that's for sure! But I don't eat many fried foods and I try to stick to well-balanced meals for lunch and dinner. If I skip on veggies for a day or two I start to feel awful, so I definitely eat my greens! I also tend to eat half of whatever I order, generally for snacks as well. I'll cut a cupcake in half and save the rest or share with DH. I never gain weight at WDW! Last trip I even lost 3 lbs!

 

[donaldtoo]

Middle of the road at home. I love me some Texas BBQ, Tex-Mex, cheeseburgers, pizza, etc. But, I also love me some sushi, tofu, veggie burgers, unsalted nuts and berries, etc. My wife always just chuckles at how all over the place I am food-wise!
But, when it comes to WDW ALL bets are off...I'm chowin' down like a spring sow!!!

 

[erasure fan1]

I couldn't imagine going to Disney and worrying about what I eat. The way I look at it is this, I'm on vacation, it's once a year, so this is my time to throw all cares away! Besides, I could get hit by a bus my first day home from my trip, so what good would calorie counting have done me then!

 

[sam&mia]

to hell with it we say we wait all year for our vacation we watch what we eat so we look nice in our swimwear then as soon as the car pulls out of the driveway heading to the airport vacation mode kicks in get rid of the luggage run through security head to the qantas lounge full breakfast & champagne please....vacation has begun and the rest of the trip includes sampling many delicious american burgers, steaks, fries and pizzas and yummy deserts and strawberry daiquiri to drink please. vacation is all about letting loose and enjoying what you cant enjoy in your day to day life so we enjoy and over indulge

 

[rael ramone]

You really don't burn all that many calories walking around WDW> Some day I will have to take a pedometer and see just how much

But, walking at a moderate pace of 3 miles per hour (which I doubt many people do) a 200 pound person will burn 300 calories per hour. It is about a mile between EPCOT and DHS, so that walk between the two would take about 20 minues at this pace (as you said) - thats 100 calories burned.

A Mickey's Premium bar is 330 calories. You would have to walk from EPCOT to DHS back to EPCOT and then back to DHS to ALMOST burn off that one ice cream.

Eat a Mickey bar, a cheeseburger, some fries, and you already need to do a heck of a lot of walking (Standing around in a queue does not count)

-dave

The point I have is for many of us (myself included) there is much much more walking done there than in the other aspects of our lives. A 23 minute walk may burn off a 20oz Coke. A 35 minute boat ride may burn off a breath mint. Getting your metabolism up will help you burn off more even when at rest.

One other thing: when I used to ski, I was reading in a skiiing magazine for the best breakfast to have before you hit the slopes. It isn't oatmeal or anything else deemed 'healthy' - its pancakes, bacon, sausage, etc... lots of fatty foods that are like a 'slow burning log' to help you keep warm longer. Now this is another reason to moderate your 'fats' - they make you warmer, and much of the time it's plenty warm down there.

 

[zurgandfriend]

I was always a "to hell with it type" however I am in the middle of a health speed bump (aka a kidney stone) that is making me think much more about diet.

 

[Figgy1]

I was always a "to hell with it type" however I am in the middle of a health speed bump (aka a kidney stone) that is making me think much more about diet.

So sorry hope your feeling better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!