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View Full Version : Weight Watchers & Disneyland Resort?



Tony P
11-14-2005, 12:41 PM
I know stupid question since half the fun of going to DLR is piggin on all the different munchies. Well I started Weight Watchers last week & my family & I are going down to DLR & staying at the GCH for 4 days this week. I'm sure there are some of you that have been on or are still on Weight Watchers that can guide me on where, what & how many points some of your favorite foods are around the resort. Any help would be appreciated.

Tony

3894
11-14-2005, 12:44 PM
There are a number of Padders who have done WW at the resort. I haven't so I'll just say best wishes and you can do it!

adriennek
11-14-2005, 12:47 PM
The Uva Bar (in Downtown Disney, at Catal Restaurant,) has a gazpacho with avocado and shrimp in it. Honestly, I haven't calculated the points for it but it was yummy. The only points would be the shrimp and the avocado, pretty straight forward.

I've also had the tacos at Rancho Del Zocalo. They were filling and pretty straight forward as well.

The fruit carts sell fresh fruit and fresh veggies. I was surprised how good the vegetable tray tasted when I got it.

Adrienne

stan4d_steph
11-14-2005, 12:50 PM
The best you can do is guesstimate for most items. Read up on the Portion Primer information so that you have a handle on what X amount of something looks like. Also, bring along your book that gives points values for common items so you can log in the evening.

There are some locations with good salads, like Red Rockett's Pizza Port. Ask for the dressing on the side and you will likely use less than they put on.

Tortilla Jo's Taqueria in DTD has tacos that come in warmed (not fried) corn tortillas without cheese. You can also get a side of black beans, but ask for it without cheese.

Bring your own snacks. I like those 100 calorie packs. They're 2 points each. Luna bars are good too, and they're 3-4 points per bar. They can get melty if they get hot though.

DianeM
11-14-2005, 01:09 PM
I'm on weightwatchers (39 lbs as of this morning), and when I went to DL I decided to just eat reasonably and not worry about points. It's easier when you've been on program a while, since you get a feeling about how many points things have. For me, it's practically instinctive to think of salad dressing as 2 points/tablespoon and anything sugary as 1 point/tablespoon. When I go to DL, I walk a lot, and that burns a lot of energy, so I figured that if I was moderately careful, I could go for 3 days without gaining weight. I did well, only gaining a little bit of "sugar weight" that came off immediately. The first few pounds you lose when dieting are from the loss of stored sugars in the liver and muscles, which can add up to about 5 lbs because they are stored with a lot of water - after the body uses up these resources, it starts to really burn fat. This means that if I eat a lot over point one day, I can gain a couple of pounds, but I will lose it quickly (of course, doing this seriously slows down my weight loss, since I'm not buring fat during the day I eat too much, or during the next day or so).

Anyway, what I suggest is that you simply eat carefully and carry your points book so that you are aware of the points for whatever you eat. For example, if I had gumbo, I might count it as "beef stew", and I would know I had taken in 5 points for a 1 cup serving. I skip a heavy breakfast, instead having cereal in my room (6 points for a cup of raisin bran with 1/2 c milk). For lunch, gumbo from that place next to the blue bayou or teryaki sticks (about 1 point per ounce of lean chicken, 2 per ounce of beef) at Adventureland. Dinner - 1 piece of pizza (about 6 points for a moderate sized piece with veges), or an appetizer and a salad at a restaurant (10-15 points, depending on what I have). Avoid anything deep fried, although a few bites of a churro (about 4 points/churro) won't kill you. Share a dessert with a loved one, so you don't feel deprived. Cotton candy is only 3 points/serving. Focus on protein - it's really easy to skimp on nutrition so that you can meet your points target, and if I don't eat enough protein I end up feeling hungry all the time. You CAN enjoy some treats (and Should! This is a lifestyle, not a "diet"). And keep in mind that you are burning calories as you move about the park. Eating too little won't help you lose weight - it will send your body into starvation mode and slow your weight loss.

Good luck. I love the WW program. It's the only way I've ever been able to lose weight. It took me a while to get used to the program, but once I had done so it totally changed the way I look at food and nutrition.


I know stupid question since half the fun of going to DLR is piggin on all the different munchies. Well I started Weight Watchers last week & my family & I are going down to DLR & staying at the GCH for 4 days this week. I'm sure there are some of you that have been on or are still on Weight Watchers that can guide me on where, what & how many points some of your favorite foods are around the resort. Any help would be appreciated.

Tony

adriennek
11-14-2005, 01:23 PM
I've found, too, that I'm a lot more easily satisfied than I used to be. You may find that you can really do a lot of portion control just because your body is becoming used to eating smaller amounts and feeling satisfied. You can get children's sized portions at many restaurants or split entrees.

About 3 weeks into program, I went to Disneyland for three days. I even split a Monte Cristo sandwich for lunch on the first day. When I returned to weigh-in, I was down a few pounds. The girl who'd weighed me in the week before said, "And you even went to Disneyland last week!" Yep! I did.

Adrienne

cindyland
11-14-2005, 01:51 PM
I also went to DL right after starting WW, and it was really a good thing. I planned in advance what my food plan for the day would be, and allowed myself a "fun" meal once a day. I would eat a low-point breakfast, a low-point lunch (a salad), then use my points for dinner. I did take into account that we were doing a lot of walking, and I nibbled off the kids snacks for the sweets attacks. Usually a bite was enough, and the kids wouldn't share more than that. Remember, WW is a not a diet, and it will not work if you feel you are deprieving yourself...

Good luck and have fun!

potzbie
11-14-2005, 05:55 PM
Because I have seen such things at McDonalds and Burger King, I think I remember a law in California requiring food vendors to have a list of nutrition info for their foods.

If that is the case, then CITY HALL might have the data, or know where to obtain the data.

Or, I might be wrong.

DianeM
11-14-2005, 06:26 PM
Only fast food restaurants have to provide nutrition information. Regular restaurants don't, although it would be nice if they would at least try.


Because I have seen such things at McDonalds and Burger King, I think I remember a law in California requiring food vendors to have a list of nutrition info for their foods.

If that is the case, then CITY HALL might have the data, or know where to obtain the data.

Or, I might be wrong.

TDBearGrrl
11-14-2005, 06:41 PM
While I haven't been on WW @ DLR, I have been on other plans with much success (regardless of my current weight). Keep in mind that Whitewater snacks has a microwave that you can use to 'nuke up' whatever you might need to. I was eating plain oatmeal for breakfast and the microwave made it happen. I also heated stuff when necessary...

SandraVB79
11-15-2005, 12:24 AM
I'm on WW, trying to get 23 kg off (7 down, 16 to go!)

I spent 2.5 weeks at the US, I didn't watch what I ordered at the restaurant, ad I only gained 3 kgs during those 2.5 weeks (and have lost them already in 2 weeks time!)
In Disneyland, you walk a lot, so...
I had breakfast in the morning (once character breakfast, yes, 4 Mickey waffles, omelet, eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, the whole thing!) (oh, I had Mickey pancakes the other days), I ate a Dole whip in the afternoon, and a meal in teh evening (consisting of an entree and a dessert I shared with my mom) I drank water and diet soda.

You're only going once in a while to DL, enjoy all the good things it has, as long as you don't exaggerate (fries at 9 am is exaggerated... but oh well, 4 mickey waffles is too...;) )

stan4d_steph
11-15-2005, 06:42 AM
Because I have seen such things at McDonalds and Burger King, I think I remember a law in California requiring food vendors to have a list of nutrition info for their foods.There are no laws mandating the provision of nutritional information on menus. All of this is strictly voluntary, although there are various state and federal bills up for consideration that would mandate this information be provided by chain restaurants.

Disneyland has ingredient information for its food items that is available on request, but not nutritional information. In order to have accurate nutritional information for their menu items, they would have to pay a lab to test each item, which adds up to a lot of money.

Clotho
11-15-2005, 09:31 AM
If you watch your portions, you should be fine! Even on the "naughty stuff", if you keep the portion size smaller, then with all the walking and drinking water (bring a bottle with you, and keep filling it throughout the day--drink your water!), you may lose weight. But remember that even maintaining in such situations is a victory.

I eat like crazy when I go to Vegas--it is part of why I love it there. And of course I drink, too. ;) But with all the walking, I always at least maintained, and usually managed to lose a pound or so on my trips. Not to mention the vacation cuddling/nookie. That burns calories too.

(can I say nookie?)

cindyland
11-15-2005, 09:42 AM
Couple of tips for portion control at Disneyland.

1) You can order a child's meal for smaller portions (although there aren't that many low-calorie options)

2) Order things "a la carte." For example, I ordered a hamburger without fries at Hungry Bear. No, it's not an option on the menu, but no problem. Also costs less (my other motivation for not ordering five meals WITH FRIES that never get finished).

Tony P
11-15-2005, 09:49 AM
I just wanted to thank everyone for there advice & encouragement. I don't think I'll have much of a problem enjoying myself while still maintaining my food sanity.

Tony

stan4d_steph
11-15-2005, 09:59 AM
(can I say nookie?)You can, but you shouldn't. Please keep the family-friendly nature of MP in mind when posting.

janell
11-15-2005, 10:02 AM
Also, Pizza Port at DL has good salads. But they are big, you might want to share. :)

adriennek
11-15-2005, 10:16 AM
I have heard an unconfirmed rumor that Pizza Port has lowfat dressing options. I'm planning to check this out myself.

Adrienne

Pixie Glow
11-15-2005, 05:14 PM
I 2nd, 3rd... 4th... what everyone has been saying. :) You're going to be doing a lot of walking, walking all day burns more calories than you think (much more than an hour of cardio can do for you). Have fun, try not to worry too much!

Disneymomma
11-17-2005, 08:28 AM
This page has lots of menus, so you could try to plan ahead....

www.dlresortinfo.com/DisneylandMenus/dlmenus.html