Some of you might know that I began the Weight Watchers program thirteen weeks ago. I started the plan to try to get trim and fit before our December cruise on the Dream. I have lost 23 pounds so far. The thing I really like about the WW Points Plus program is that I can negotiate the use of my points based on my lifestyle. In other words, if I know I have a party to go to on Friday night, I will minimize my points usage throughout the day in order to save more for the evening. I get extra bonus points each week also, so I can save those and use them whenever a sudden craving comes on during the week.
By the time Susan and I leave for our Girlfriends Trip in September I will, hopefully, have reached my goal and started the maintenance phase. My main objective for September is to thoroughly enjoy my trip without gaining any weight, so that I won’t have to struggle to lose it before the cruise.Visiting Walt Disney World is a feast for all of my senses. To me, special Disney treats are as much a part of my fun as riding my favorite rides. I love having ice cream on Main Street USA or a caramel apple at Epcot. I don’t plan on depriving myself of my favorite treats while I’m there, so I will handle my points during the trip in the same way as I do my everyday life. I will negotiate my daily points so as to not impose a lot of limitations on my favorite Disney things.
I think this might work pretty easily. Disney has some great food options for the health conscious visitor nowadays. Quick service dining locations offer grilled and rotisserie entrees, vegetarian and vegan choices, lowfat options, fruits and veggie sides, etc. Table service menus offer a wide variety of choices and the cast members are usually happy to suggest menu alternatives and solutions for your specific dietary requirements.
There are some steps I will be taking to insure that I keep the weight off during my September visit:
- Bringing food with me: I will be bringing some breakfast and snack foods with me to keep in our resort room. When I am at home, I am not a big breakfast eater. Usually just maybe a fruit and then later a breakfast bar, so I will do the same during my trip. A 90-calorie chewy granola bar only costs me 3 points and fruits are free so that saves me a lot for lunch, dinner and snack time.
- Taking a doggy-bag: If we were not on the QS Dining Plan, I would choose to order a Kids Meal as it is cheaper and the portion sizes are not much smaller than the adult meal. You also get carrots or grapes as side choices. Since we are on the plan, though, I will order the adult portion and if I fill up fast, I will simply put the rest in a zip-top baggie in my backpack and save it for later.
- Packing some snacks: For snacking throughout the day, I will opt for Apple Straws and similar items that I will be taking with me and packing in a baggie to carry inside my backpack. The Apple Straws are delicious and I get 38 of them for only 3 points.
- Cutting extra calories: I am a cheeseburger freak! When I was growing up my daddy used to always tease me and say that you could take me to the fanciest restaurant in the world and I would want a cheeseburger and fries. Some things never change…which is probably why I am ON WEIGHT WATCHERS. However, when I am on the plan, I really try to contain myself. The good thing is that I love the taste of the cheeseburger itself. I don’t need the extra carbs from a bun so I will often wrap up my cheeseburger in sheets of lettuce and eat it that way. To tell you the truth, I prefer it this way because I get all the yummy flavor of the grilled beef without the bun getting in the way. At WDW, I can order the cheeseburger without the bun and then go right over to the condiment station, put a little lite-mayo on the meat, add tomatoes, wrap it in lettuce and I am good to go! If I feel like eating a bun that day, there are whole-grain choices throughout the parks as well.
- “Naturizing” it: Fruits can be found in many places throughout the resorts and parks. Thankfully, I love fruits so I will order apples with my entrees at the QS locations and save my snack credits for my super special treats, though!
- Earning activity points: This isn’t my first rodeo, so I know exactly how much walking I will be doing. This will afford me some activity points on the plan, which will afford me some additional food points. I will be using these but no abusing them.
- Fueling my system: During a regular day, I drink at least 6 16.9 oz bottles of water. I will be drinking at least that at Disney World so that will keep me hydrated and feeling full as a bonus!
- Grazing days and gorging nights: I am a salad lover. This will be a great help to me during my special snack places. For instance, on the day we visit Downtown Disney for dinner, I can choose to eat a Savory Chicken Salad at Fresh A-Peel and still have my sundae at Ghirardelli.
I believe that sticking with these tips will keep me on my goal of being trim for my cruise. Do you have any other suggestions? If so, I’d love to hear them!
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Brenda is a native Texan born and raised on the Gulf Coast. She visited Disney World twice as a teenager and always dreamed of growing her family Disney. She took her first-timer husband and their three children to Disney World in 2000 and they now spend every Thanksgiving there. Brenda writes with a comedic twist on various Disney topics. She will be sharing tips she has learned during her travels and also hopes to enlighten people on little-known freebies that Disney has to offer. She wishes she could have met Walt Disney and considers herself to be a student of Walt. In parallel to his dream it is her wish that everyone would take at least one trip to Disney World in order to share in its magic with their families.
