Palo & Remy...I wonder if they would do this...

[sweetpee_1993]

Little back-info: the hubby's next youngest brother (36 years old) has had a heckuva bad year. He blew out a knee playing softball in the spring. In late June he had to spend a couple nights in the hospital on IV antibiotics before his extremely infected gall bladder could be removed. Late July he lands back in the hospital on IV antibiotics again with more infected innards and pancreatitis. The doctors have been saying all along that his health would be far better if he'd be mindful of what he ate, exercised, and got some of the excess weight off. Hubby isn't wasting anytime listening to these warnings. He's been eating healthier and has even started a running program.

We recently had a conversation about our upcoming cruise and how he still wants to continue the healthier eating and even running onboard. We talked about how we'll avoid overeating. I'm most concerned about Palo & Remy since eeeeveryone says they leave from these meals totally stuffed to the gills. That's the last thing I want but I don't want to miss the experience either. So I wonder, in the main dining rooms, Palo, & Remy if you asked your wait staff to advice on healthier options and requested that they only serve you half portions of everything, would they be able to do that? Has anyone ever asked that before?

 

[rick3236]

On our 5 day cruise last year, I let my server know that I was eaiting a low carb diet and they accomodated that beautifully. I don't think I saw a carb on my plate once during the cruise and I never mentioned my diet again after the first night. The server at Palo's was also great and brought my dish out without carbs (which I proceeded to promptly destroy by ordering the chocolate soufle, but I was on vacation and that was my treat for the vacation). I am very sure they will accomodate just about anything within reason, just let your server know the first night.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Thanks, Ricky! I'm so glad to hear that. I know Disney is supposed to be top-notch when it comes to food allergies and such but wasn't sure how out of their way they would go for diet-consciousness. Very encouraging! Thank you!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Yep, I have heard similiar things. Tell them! They'll help you out!

 

[Phonedave]

There is also nothing wrong with leaving food on your plate, especialy since on a cruise you are not paying by the dish, but just an overall charge.

I know, when I was a kid I got the "eat your food there are starving kids in Africa" speech as well, and I am still loathe to waste food. But if it comes down to overeating just because there is food left on my plate, or just walking away, I will walk away (or take leftovers)


-dave

 

[ChuckElias]

There is also a "Lighter Fare" section on the menu every night in each of the rotational dining rooms. These include things like a small steak, or a salad with chicken on it, or salmon without a heavy sauce.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

There is also a "Lighter Fare" section on the menu every night in each of the rotational dining rooms. These include things like a small steak, or a salad with chicken on it, or salmon without a heavy sauce.

Our servers always called that the awful, not seasoned section.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

There is also nothing wrong with leaving food on your plate, especialy since on a cruise you are not paying by the dish, but just an overall charge.

I know, when I was a kid I got the "eat your food there are starving kids in Africa" speech as well, and I am still loathe to waste food. But if it comes down to overeating just because there is food left on my plate, or just walking away, I will walk away (or take leftovers)


-dave

Dave, this is one of a few big issues with my eating habits. Leaving food on our plates when I was a kid was not allowed. If you didn't finish you sat there until you did. So I can be well aware that I'm full but it never occurs to me to stop eating until it's all gone. It's veeeery difficult to catch myself & not do it. How did I correlate this cause of a bad eating habit? After I got married and the husband would leave 3 or 4 bites on his plate I'd be livid that he'd leave it. It's JUST 3 or 4 bites. Eat it. I seriously would get upset over it. My husband, bless his heart, would look at me like I was utterly insane. It wasn't until I projected my issues onto someone else and had them question why I thought that way that it ever occured to me that I had a very unhealthy eating habit. Another problem is when I get something I reeeeaally like I go totally overboard with it and will eat myself sick without thinking about it. Why? Because if you ever spend significant amounts of time wishing you had something that good, especially sweets, when it's in front of you your brain goes nuts. Worst still is if I feel really hungry I lose it completely. I will eat and eat and gorge myself like I'll never get to eat again. We weren't allowed to snack when I was growing up. Growing kids will get really famished between meals. By the time we got to dinner time I often felt like death was upon me. Headaches & naussea because I was soooo hungry. So now I have like this panic trigger thing. If I get really hungry I will go into a frenzy to get food and eat as much of it as I can. At home I manage things very well. I can control what I eat, when, & how much effectively if I want to. At restaurants I will have my plates brought out with a box so I can immediately package up half of what is brought to me. It's crazy, I know. At the very least, I'm glad I'm aware of where my poor habits come from and understand what's going on with me. Especially for meals like Palo & Remy I think I'd do much better without depriving myself of any portion of the experience if someone could just cut the portions brought to me in half.

There is also a "Lighter Fare" section on the menu every night in each of the rotational dining rooms. These include things like a small steak, or a salad with chicken on it, or salmon without a heavy sauce.

I've rarely had good luck with "lighter" selections in restaurants. That usually translates into bland, dry, or both. I don't want to feel like I've shorted myself anything. Feeling deprived leads to overcompensation, right? Every meal on our cruises thus far I immediately read the lighter selections then everything else. I've never opted for lighter. I just try to eat less of the good stuff. LOL!

Our servers always called that the awful, not seasoned section.

Yep.

 

[ChuckElias]

So I can be well aware that I'm full but it never occurs to me to stop eating until it's all gone.

I've found that I get around this by ordering 3 entrees. I taste everything I'm interested in and there's just NO WAY that I can eat it all, so I don't try. Not sure if that would work for everybody, but I'm good with it

I've rarely had good luck with "lighter" selections in restaurants. That usually translates into bland, dry, or both. I don't want to feel like I've shorted myself anything. Feeling deprived leads to overcompensation, right? Every meal on our cruises thus far I immediately read the lighter selections then everything else. I've never opted for lighter. I just try to eat less of the good stuff. LOL!

All kidding aside, I think that's the right way to go. Recognizing the situation is half the battle. Get what you want, and just tell yourself ahead of time that you don't have to eat it all.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

All kidding aside, I think that's the right way to go. Recognizing the situation is half the battle. Get what you want, and just tell yourself ahead of time that you don't have to eat it all.

Yeah, that seems to work best. I've had some luck by pre-setting a limited number of bites before my plate ever comes. That's worked before. But, man, it's so much less to stress over if the food just isn't there to tempt me. LOL!

 

[Phonedave]

Yeah, that seems to work best. I've had some luck by pre-setting a limited number of bites before my plate ever comes. That's worked before. But, man, it's so much less to stress over if the food just isn't there to tempt me. LOL!

I had a very similar childhood. We had meal time. Snack time really did not exist unless you wanted a apple or banana - my mom was (still is) a big health food nut. We never had candy or cookies in the house.

Compounding this was the fact that untill I was about 25 I had a metabolisim to die for. I could eat 3,000+ calories a day and not gain weight. They were all "real food" calories - steak, chicken, fish, fruit, vegatables, whole grains, but still a LOT of calories. Sadly, it not longer works that way. Now I have to watch my intake. I can still eat like a hog if I have to, I just have no reason to and I pay the price if I do.


-dave

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I had a very similar childhood. We had meal time. Snack time really did not exist unless you wanted a apple or banana - my mom was (still is) a big health food nut. We never had candy or cookies in the house.

Compounding this was the fact that untill I was about 25 I had a metabolisim to die for. I could eat 3,000+ calories a day and not gain weight. They were all "real food" calories - steak, chicken, fish, fruit, vegatables, whole grains, but still a LOT of calories. Sadly, it not longer works that way. Now I have to watch my intake. I can still eat like a hog if I have to, I just have no reason to and I pay the price if I do.


-dave

Whenever I explain my issues with eating I realize it makes me sound like a total nut & my folks like evil incarnate. I grew up in a then-blended family with 5 kids in a 6-year age spread. The 3 boys were all within 18 months older than me. Judging by how much it costs me to keep my 2 happily fed and understanding that my mom & her ex worked hard for not that much I can understand that the no-snacking was a financial thing more than anything else. We rarely ever just drank a glass of milk. Milk was for cereal then you drank what was left in the bowl. We had to make 2 gallons of milk last a whole week....as opposed to the 2+ gallons my 2 sons go thru every week. Still, it all makes an impression. I used to buy gallons of milk when it was just the hubby & me and they'd sit barely used before they expired. Hubby questioned my logic once & told me I should buy pints or half gallons. I couldn't fathom such. He understood and promised to always make sure my milk was in the fridge for me. It's so odd. Oh and I used to have the super-metabolism, too. I could eat anything as much as I wanted and I never gained. I could eat a large pizza and throw down half a case of beer by myself and it'd be nothing. Then I had babies. The changes pregnancies make paired with just getting older and I can't even think beer or pizza without gaining a pound. Lol!

 

[Tiggerish]

Leaving food on our plates when I was a kid was not allowed. If you didn't finish you sat there until you did. So I can be well aware that I'm full but it never occurs to me to stop eating until it's all gone. .

In my family, wasting food is a sin. You have to go to confession for it. I think it's kind of ethnically imprinted on Irish people because of the famine!!

Another problem is when I get something I reeeeaally like I go totally overboard with it and will eat myself sick without thinking about it. .

This is the reason why potato chips are not allowed in my house. Especially sour cream and onion. Give me a big bag of Lay's Sour Cream & Onion, and I will eat them until I feel sick, then I look into the bag and figure that there are so few left it's not worth saving them, and polish them off, too.

My poor husband, for whom potato chips are a food group, is only allowed to buy salt & vinegar or unsalted. Because I won't eat salt & vinegar unless I'm desperate, and I won't eat unsalted at all.

We had to make 2 gallons of milk last a whole week....as opposed to the 2+ gallons my 2 sons go thru every week. Still, it all makes an impression. I used to buy gallons of milk when it was just the hubby & me and they'd sit barely used before they expired. Hubby questioned my logic once & told me I should buy pints or half gallons. I couldn't fathom such.

Same here!! It was always milk by the gallon when I was growing up (although there were only two of us, so we did get to drink it--that was our beverage, no soda except on a very special occasion). Took me ages to stop buying gallons when we got married!!



P.S.--I really like your idea of just asking for half-portions on the cruise!

 

[RickEff]

Compounding this was the fact that untill I was about 25 I had a metabolisim to die for. I could eat 3,000+ calories a day and not gain weight. They were all "real food" calories - steak, chicken, fish, fruit, vegatables, whole grains, but still a LOT of calories. Sadly, it not longer works that way.

*sigh*

Ain't that the truth. Another prime example of youth being wasted on the young.

Rick

 

[wiigirl]

Our servers always called that the awful, not seasoned section.

lol...well described

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Tiggerish, isn't it amazing how we carry forward these weird quirks from our distant histories??? My Gramma was the child of Austrian & Hungarian immigrants who were very active in their social clubs & societies with other immigrant families. The proper thing and warmest expression of welcoming to offer guests or anyone special was the spread of amazing foods presented. To this day nobody walks into my Gramma's house without a fresh pot of her best coffee being made and a full spread of candies & snacks offered. Its her expression of love. Definitely carries over because eating especially treats is an emotional thing. Crazy when you think about it. Eating is for fueling the body, not entertainment or love. Aaaand....I just sent my mother a Cheesecake Factory gift card to indulge in her favorite dessert on her birthday.... Go figure!




Rick, all I can say is: Amen! Metabolism is another thing to add to the list that's definitely wasted on youth!!! LOL!