Dieting at Disney World

[skierrob]

I’m on a quest to lose weight and have successfully lost 21 pounds so far! I will be at Disney World in 10 days and don’t want to give up my dieting while there. I will be alone this trip so “splitting a meal” is not a good option.

Any advice for quick service healthy low calorie options in the four theme parks for lunch / dinner? Given I’ll be alone I’m not too interested in full service sit down meals this time. I assume Disney World does not provide calorie, fat, protein and carb content figures online?

Ideally I’m trying to keep food total between 1200 and 1500 calories a day. Breakfast is included at my off-site hotel so as long as I can get a bowl of plain oatmeal there I’m set for the morning.

My “diet” that has worked so far at work and at home has been no sodas, less (but some) carbs / starches, some portion control and eating more lean protein, vegetables and fresh fruits. IE - Seafood and meats are fine as long as they don’t have heavy sauces and aren’t served with things like mashed potatoes and gravy.

 

[Chrisizzle]

Congrats on the 21 pounds. That is no small feat!

I was losing weight at home with what I’d describe as lifestyle changes rather than a diet. I had plateaued for a number of months and expected to put on a few pounds while at Disney (I’m not one to deny myself treats if they are unique or special). I was surprised to see a lower number on the scale when I got home.

This was due to me keeping busy, carrying energy bars, and having fewer meals per day. This won’t work for everyone, especially if you get ‘hangry’.

My body seemed to settle into a quick service breakfast at the resort, a mid-morning snack (Clifbar or similar), and then a big, unhealthy cheat-meal of a late lunch. To my surprise, lunch held me over and I could skip dinner or be happy with just another Clifbar in the evening.

Don’t forget you do a lot of walking at Disney. It may grant you a few hundred bonus calories you don’t get at home.

Let us know what you found and what worked for you.

 

[SillySallySews]

Congratulations on your weight loss! Eating healthier in the parks these days is pretty easy. Tons of salad options. At Columbia Harbor House you can get grilled shrimp or salmon. At Pecos Bills you can get a rice bowl with your choice of protein and load up on the veggies. As far as I know, there’s a fruit stand in MK, DHS, and AK, and fresh fruit is readily available at pretty much all the resort QS locations. We eat sushi a lot at home and have tried it all over Disney. Our favorite is Kona or CA Grill (you can order it in the lounge or bar here with no ADR), but the sushi from the refrigerators at the resorts works fine too.

Since it sounds like calories are your main focus, just know that you can order kid’s meals for smaller portions. Mickey Check Meals are the healthier options. Also don’t be afraid to ask for sauce or dressing on the side. At some places they can swap fries for fruit or veggies. Lots of QS places have hummus and veggies for dipping too! If it helps, I’m a calorie counter at home but I don’t do it on vacation. I also don’t restrict myself on vacation. I’ve never gained weight at Disney. Never. At home I walk 8-ish miles a day (17-20k steps) between intentional exercise and life, and at Disney I walk 10+ miles a day without even trying. Just remember, one “bad” choice, day, or even a whole week isn’t going to undo all your hard work!

 

[Hi Pluto]

I, too, am a calorie-counter. I like the suggestions from the previous posters. Kids meals, lean meats with veggies on the side, salads without too many add-ons, etc., are great options. But like another poster said, you will be walking 8-10 miles a day easily. 1200 calories will be way too low for that kind of exercise. I bet you could aim for 2000 and still come out ahead.

In terms of exact calorie counting, it would be hard. I would look at online data bases for similar food items to "guesstimate" and keep track. I don't think Disney has quite caught up to the calorie labels on their menus yet.

 

[sharonabe]

Any QS combo meals can either be ordered without the side of fries or you can ask for fruit for your side instead of the fries. A combo meal at Disney does NOT include a drink, so you don't have to worry about the sodas.

I would peruse the menus at either wdwinfo.com or allearsnet.com and know the places that have salads. Every park has one or two places that serve a full salad as a meal.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Places w topping bars are great. You can get a bunless burger and load up the lettuce, tomatoes and yumminess.

Factor is with all the walking you may need to up your calories.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[toasterstrudel]

I am dieting too and making my plans! I am going to take protein shakes and/or bars for quick breakfasts on the go. Hardboiled eggs, almonds, pickles for snacks. And looking at the menus ahead of time to see what my options are. If I have a plan, I am pretty good about sticking to it. If I walk in blind, I make bad choices.

there are several QS that you can get roasted chicken and then get veggies for your sides. It would be super high in protein, low in carbs and calories.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I went to Disney once while in the middle of losing weight. I stopped calorie counting while at Disney but I limited most carbs. When we did character buffets I skipped the mashed potatoes or would just have a very small amount. At QS places I skipped the fries. I only ate carbs at one meal. So if I had a QS burger at lunch I didn't have carbs at dinner. I skipped soda and drank water or only drank soda once a day. I did eat snacks and I didn't feel deprived that trip. With all of the walking that is done at Disney, I only gained about 3 pounds but lost it within a few days of being home.

 

[dvcterry]

Congrats on your weight loss and you will do fine. Keep water on hand drink it as much as you can through out the day. They sell fresh fruit everywhere and there are ways to tweak your meals without sacrificing on your vacation, substitute the starches and carbs with more greens and veggies. And yes you do deserve a dessert, if I order an ice cream I ask for a baby size cone and tell them I'm working toward my goal. And this you can do with your meals also, just tell your server to have the chef prepare a smaller size for you. They do it. Keep up the good work. Be patient. It took me a while but I lost over 70 pounds, goal weight of 140. Patience.

 

[Christine]

I've also been "calorie counting" since June 1st and have lost 12 lbs since then (I really only had 20 lbs to lose so not bad). I am at 1450 calories per day as a sedentary older woman. Due to an ankle injury I can't exercise so I really thought cutting back wouldn't be enough. Anyhow, I'm going to Disney in November so this is a concern for me as well.

Back in 2012, I was at my ideal weight and went to Disney and didn't want to gain. While at Disney, I did end up eating more than I do at home but it was nothing like the hedonistic gorge fest of prior trips.

I ate breakfast in my room (cereal and tea). For lunch I would just eat something "normal" like a tuna sandwich from Columbia Harbor House, etc. Just normal. What I did not do was force myself to finish a portion. I threw food out. Yes, I wasted it. So what.

I didn't get my beloved Mickey Bar daily, I got ONE for the whole trip. I didn't eat all my dessert. But I ordered one every night and I took a few bites and shared it with my kids. I know that's not realistic for you so just skip it.

That 2012 trip was old-style fast pass days where you didn't get your FPs until you got to the park and you had to go from place to place to get them. I'd have my kids going on Space Mountain (I don't ride it) and while they were on that I did a very fast walk over to Splash and got new FPs. Came back, got them, and traversed back across the park. Point is, I did WAY more walking than a usual trip.

So while I enjoyed two meals out per day that were reasonable but not low cal, I came back having lost close to 5 lbs. It actually came back on because my activity went WAY down.

Good luck!

 

[sjrec]

Congratulations on your weight loss! I can certainly understand not wanting to undo all your hard work.

My husband and I often eat several meals at the bar/lounges of the hotels or restaurants. Prime Time in HS has a nice lounge and we love the Nomad Lounge in AK. You can get more appetizer kind of selections-smaller plates, interesting food. You don’t have to order alcohol (my husband usually doesn’t).

 

[robinb]

I am also losing weight and going to WDW, but I'll be there in just a few days. I have lost 15 pounds in 8 weeks so I definitely don't want to come home with too much of a gain!

My plan is to not deny myself at the front and end of the trip which include celebratory meals and to eat more mindfully in between. I have really been enjoying overnight oatmeal in the morning and I plan to make it for breakfast every day. We'll be in a timeshare, but I bet you could do it in a regular hotel room with a fridge.

1/4 C quick oats
1/2 T chia seeds
1/2 C almond milk
1/2 banana
1/2 C berries (blueberries, strawberries or raspberries ... whatever I have on hand)

I shake everything in a Ziplock 2 Cup round container with the screw top and put it in the fridge for at least an hour but usually overnight. The banana gets a bit brown, so if that bothers you save the fruit and add them in the morning. You can add some sweetener to it, but I don't.

 

[FireflyTrance]

I hear you, I am also on a diet and just went to DL for the weekend. I’ve found at both WDW and DL, there are fair amount of healthy options around. From my experience, WDW involves so much walking that I never gain weight when I go. If you avoid desserts and just eat reasonable meals you will probably be ok.

At HS I liked ABC Commissary, they allow you to get green beans as a side instead of fries. For MK I like the Be Our Guest quick service lunch. They have some salad and sandwich options that shouldn’t be too bad. At EPCOT I like the quick service Japanese restaurant, can’t think of the name. If you like Japanese food, a lot of it isn’t too bad in terms of calories.

 

[Christine]

I think Satuli Canteen in AK is a good option for not being terrible on the calories so long as you avoid the noodle and rice bases or ask them to go light on those. A greens base with a meet or vegetarian topping could work although you definitely have to watch the calorie counts on some things like tofu and falafel. They can be really high.

 

[loves to dive]

Kids meals are your friends, you can even get them at TS if you want. I always eat a kids meal at QS because I just don't eat a lot and even those sometimes are too big for me. Get fruit instead of fries. Water, water and more water. Don't be fooled by the fact that you walk long distances at WDW, yes you will walk miles but most of those are not calorie burning miles. You are not usually walking fast enough to get your heart rate up and you spend a lot of time standing. I actually still do a morning work out every day when I go to WDW, I used to jog around the resort but I blew out my knees so now it's a fast walk and then I follow that up with a little yoga. Counting calories is hard because they aren't listed anywhere but if you have been doing it awhile, you pretty much know your portion sizes and to stay away from sauces and cheeses and fried food. Every restaurant has something healthy on the menu and there are fruit stands in all the parks.

 

[nco91590]

Everyone gave great advice! I've never been on a "diet" at WDW, but I've avoided ever gaining weight while I've been there. Like one poster said, I went out of my way to walk while in the parks. We would take the monorail to Epcot and walk through to our hotel (BCV) instead of taking the bus, we would walk to DHS instead of taking the ferry, get off the bus at Boardwalk and walk to our hotel, taking the long way if/when we can.

This may not be possible for you, but I found that the signature TS options have more grilled fish and smaller portions overall. Just something to consider

 

[heidijanesmith]

Congrats on your weight loss!

WDW is the only place I go on vacation and loose weight.

We walked so much, every day, that I loose weight. We do not go crazy with desserts and no soda. Lots of water. We order groceries, so we can have healthier snacks in the hotel.

There are some great tips above.

 

[skierrob]

Thanks to everyone for their opinions! 7 days until my trip - woo hoo!!!!!!!

 

[Christine]

Thanks to everyone for their opinions! 7 days until my trip - woo hoo!!!!!!!

Lucky you! I'd love to see a "Dieting at Disney" dining report!

 

[stinkpickle]

Kids meals are your friends, you can even get them at TS if you want. I always eat a kids meal at QS because I just don't eat a lot and even those sometimes are too big for me. Get fruit instead of fries. Water, water and more water. Don't be fooled by the fact that you walk long distances at WDW, yes you will walk miles but most of those are not calorie burning miles. You are not usually walking fast enough to get your heart rate up and you spend a lot of time standing. I actually still do a morning work out every day when I go to WDW, I used to jog around the resort but I blew out my knees so now it's a fast walk and then I follow that up with a little yoga. Counting calories is hard because they aren't listed anywhere but if you have been doing it awhile, you pretty much know your portion sizes and to stay away from sauces and cheeses and fried food. Every restaurant has something healthy on the menu and there are fruit stands in all the parks.

100% This ^^^