These days, it feels like half the population is on a weight-loss or management journey. As the world slowly (albeit very slowly) turns away from the drive to be skinny and refocuses on a push to be healthy, millions of adults around the world are feeling a renewed sense of encouragement to reframe their goals and work towards a better lifestyle. Keeping tabs on your nutritional intake can be difficult in any circumstances, though most will find it more manageable at home, where cooking your food helps to know precisely what is in your choices. For some, losing some of that control when you go out with friends or are traveling is the hardest part. Knowing your ingredients is one challenge, but another is the pressure of wanting to indulge with friends and not draw attention to yourself. No one wants to be confronted and questioned if they are on a diet eating a side salad with no dressing, with the rest of your crew digging into plates of ribs and steak.
However, we are here to help. We’ve been on this journey, too, and we have some guides that will help you keep your goals in check while still enjoying your Disney vacation. Why do I say guides and not rules or tips? Well, because one thing I learned the hard way is that you need to find the right path for yourself, and what works for others might not be what you need for success. These suggestions are all based around moderation, balance, and making informed decisions, which are a healthy part of any wellness journey, rather than strict rules that you must abide by, which usually only make people feel isolated and sad.
Don’t worry so much; enjoying yourself isn’t falling off the wagon.
The first thing I will share with you is very important. If you are on a weight-loss journey, you are likely looking at a lifestyle change. While the shift can be difficult at first, the key to everything is sustainability, and sucking all the fun out of life and food specifically isn’t going to encourage you to stick to your new goals. A sustainable, healthy lifestyle sometimes includes a little indulgence as you learn to work smarter, not harder, to keep your nutrition in check. It’s not feasible to set a new standard where you will never enjoy a slice of birthday cake or a delicious dessert, and it’s unlikely a viable option to ban yourself from ever having a burger or fries. If you go to Disney, cut yourself some slack to enjoy every aspect, including what you eat. This is what we worked so hard for at home, to be healthy and strong to enjoy this time away; which brings me to my next point: Balance.
Keep the balance.
Balance is the answer. If you want to try one of those ridiculous, sugar-ridden treats that you have seen all over Instagram, do it. Nothing is worse than going to Disney and feeling like you are still missing out. However, account for it when you are making the rest of your food choices throughout the day. When ordering dinner and dessert, remember that you took advantage of the opportunity to try something extraordinary earlier in the day and show a little more restraint later in your ordering. Or, say you had your eye on something delicious that is on offer at your intended dining location’s dessert menu, choose the salad/wrap option for lunch, leaving you with a bit more calorie bandwidth to spend when it comes to dessert. This is my approach as I am more than aware that my eyes are bigger than my stomach (these days, at least), and by the time after dinner comes around, I am often too full of my dinner to even want dessert, thereby creating a natural choice to avoid the extra calories. Balance is everything. Think of it as a give-and-take that you spread across the day.
Allow for an increase in exercise.
Our daily routines don’t allow for a 20,000+ step movement schedule for many of us. Disney will have you on your feet and moving much more than you usually would at home. This creates two aspects to be aware of. You might feel hungrier and need more sustenance to maintain a decent energy level. Adding more food to your day than usual is okay, especially if those extras are healthy choices. I carry a few protein bars with us when we visit, and more than once, I have been grateful for the fruit options scattered around the parks. Secondly, most people will see a shift in their calorie deficit as they move more and expel more energy; remember this when you are eating more, and don’t punish yourself. If your body is telling you it needs more food or water, listen to it. Small snacks and frequent hydration stops are so very important. You would be shocked at how often I’ve mistaken needing more water for needing more food. Start there and then see how you feel if you aren’t sure. This, and I promise I am not doing this on purpose, leads me to my following advice: Share.
Get your goodies to share.
When you are watching what you eat and trying to make healthy choices, just about everything at Disney looks like it is out to get you. Tempting us with layers of heavenly flavor, most things look oversized and devastating to your healthy eating goals. But what would it look like if you pulled that sugar-coated churro into four and shared it with your family? Everyone gets some without committing to the whole thing. Better yet, why not get two bananas and share those between the four of you as well? After lunch, you might need a little pick me up with a Mickey-shaped pretzel. Again, get one and pull it into four, keeping any worries you have about carbs in check and enjoying sporadic handfuls of tasty Disney treats. Sharing snacks is a great way to try more without committing to the full calorie load of having each one to yourself and then regretting it later.
Remember, the little things can make a difference.
Even if someone else is cooking, which is how I prefer all my food, that doesn’t mean you need to give up control. I always order my salads with dressing on the side because even though I still intend to use it, I control how much I use. I might decide to skip it or upend that bad boy into my salad and enjoy every last bite; either way, it was my choice to do so, and not simply how it arrived to me. Another thing we like to do is get different sides and split them. One person gets fries, the other salad, and we go halves in a bit of both. When you stop trying to deny yourself anything delicious, you will be shocked at how easily we can modify what’s on offer to create a better option. Skipping the calories where you don’t need them leaves you more room for something that stops you in your tracks later on. Drinking water over sugary sodas is another way to bank room for something better later on. All of the little things make a difference, so don’t give up on your journey, and don’t be fooled into thinking your trip needs to be filled with FOMO, either!
I will admit I am no health professional. I have no formal training, and this advice is not meant to be taken away from anything that might be shared with you by your wellness team of professionals at home. This is simply my personal approach to keeping my body (and mind) on track while traveling, as someone who has struggled with lifelong weight issues and learned to maintain a more balanced approach to the topic. I’ve gone about this in every way imaginable, and my one lesson is that abstinence is never the answer to sustainable lifestyle change. Enjoy your vacation!
