Disney World Vacation- Need Help!

[Skinnyjeans4ever]

Okay... just gonna lay it all out here & see what I have to do. I began my diet on 9/23/08, I'm not sure what my official 1PD start day was. I am going to Walt Disney World 11.29.08 thru 12-7-08. This vacation has been planned for about a year- it is my family & my sister's family. We are staying @ a Disney resort with no kitchen facility. What am I going to do? I can tell you that there will be no way for me to cook my food, nor will the dining plan we have purchased allott for me to go to a "sit down" restaurant where I can make requests to the chef three times a day. I guess my main question is... with this diet close just isn't good enough, so how should I handle this eating situation? If I eat as well as possible- what does that really mean & what does it achieve, because from what I can tell- my body is going to get thrown really out of whack, & am I going to be "sick" on my vacation? So... what to do? Lose as much as I can before the vacation, but what about refeed & then re-start everything when I get back? I just don't know how to handle this. Input, feedback, advice, would be so great about now. I'm almost @ my 2 week point with no cheating, no weighing, things are going so well. Help!:sadeyes:

[Mama Lake]

Just try and judge the best you can on sizes, make the closest choices on the menu, water, water, water, stay away from all the rest of the drinks, and then get back on track after you get home.

The extra walking will help you to burn calories, so that should help keep the weight in check.

You know the rules, just try to stay within the best you can. Enjoy the trip and your family.

[CohenInAz]

Ask and let the hotel know that you are on a medical diet and need a fridge, they will provide one and you can travel with a little George Foreman grill.

If not then daily runs to a grocery store? You could take a scale and do that? Tuna, lots and lots of tuna. Have the hotel hard boil you an egg every morning and send up fresh cut cucumbers and tomatoes and you can weight them?

Or go to the grocery store and get fresh spinach and cucumbers? Both seem to do well without too much cooling. Maybe if you think outside the box it can work. I know it is wasting the meal plan, but always an option.

If not just eyeball everything and do the best you can!

[Skinnyjeans4ever]

Thank you both for your thoughts, this is certainly going to be a challenge!

[PhyllisRis]

I guess the best thing would be to order things as close to plan as possible. For instance order a small side salad and a burger/chicken sandwich PLAIN and only eat the meat part. I would pack a spray bottle (small one) and fill it with your favorite flavored vinegar for the salad dressing. (NOTE: if you're flying....pack the bottle in your CHECKED luggage). Wishbone makes salad spritzers which are NOT on plan, but the bottle is great....empty the Wishbone dressing (save it in a different bottle for other family members), wash the bottle and fill it with vinegar...they are small enough that you could put it in a ziploc bag (in case it would leak) and carry it in your purse/bag through the parks. In restaurants you could share your meal with one of your kids (cut off the portion of steak or chicken that looks about the size you'd be allowed) and let them eat the potatoes, etc.
Definitely don't get any of those ice cream bars in the shape of MickeyMouse!!!
I think there are some stands throughout the park that sell fresh fruit...OR you could buy some apples/oranges/etc. down there and put them in your purse/bag. I usually take one of those little string bag backpacks into amusement parks (I've been to DisneyWorld/Land SEVERAL times over the past 10 years....usually with high school band kids!!). Keep your water bottle with you always! If you have a refrigerator in your hotel room (some rooms have them) you can freeze your water over night and then it will thaw throughout the day while you're walking around. AND if it's in your backpack bag it'll keep your back cool, too!!
Do you have a restaurant supply store near you?? They might sell the prepackaged Saltines (you know the ones they bring you in the restaurant when you order soup) which would make it easy to pack into your suitcase and into your park carry bag.
Just cut & paste the meals together making them as close to Cohen meals as possible!!
Good Luck!!! Relax and enjoy your vacation!
Phyllis:party1:

[Skinnyjeans4ever]

More great ideas, thanks Phyllis! My kids LUV those Mickey ice cream bars, luckily for me- not so much. :innocent4:

[Rachinnj]

Im going on the 11th till the 18th. it's Ben's first trip and im excited.
I plan on sticking to program as much as possible. We will have a kitchen in our suite so I plan on cooking. I don't want my son to eat park food everyday so making dinner for everyone will make it easier for me.


Rachel

[lfingers11]

I would say that 90% of the time I go out I can get a Cohen friendly meal. Most places do try to help people that are eating healthier. Also, carrying around cans of tuna and baggies of premessured cheese is so easy (get the cheese once you get to Florida) and all you have to do is add the salad. You can get a plain salad almost anywhere. Even though the cheese gets a little warm while walking around I think it still tastes great. You can do it if you decide to. It will take a lot of planning but I know if you want it to work it will. Good luck!!
Pam

[Skinnyjeans4ever]

More good ideas, thanks! I wish we were staying somewhere with a kitchen, but this wasn't an issue when we made the reservations forever ago. That's awesome it's going to be Ben's first trip, make sure to get him a 1st timer button! My family LOVES Disney World! I think I'm going to just plan to keep it as close to what I've been doing as possible & give it my best shot! Thank you everyone! :party1:

[Mei Mei]

Skinny,
Great advice so far! Yo've been there before so yo know that the food is the unhealthiest ever! I agree with the ideas of tuna, and ice cold water, saltines. Lunch, from my recollection , would be the biggest problem as the food at the park is YUCK, as far as healthy goes. Bring a little ice pack--the hard plastic kind--put it in the freezer every night, or ice bucket if no fridge and pack it in. Breakfast and dinner should be doable--eyeball it, if you can't weigh it. You will do fine.

In my opinion, two weeks on this diet is a good investment so far; don't give that up! Be strong, you can do it, and have a blast. think of how mch better yo will feel walking around the park!
Mary

[Blondie4life]

SJ4Ever~
I would offer you some great advise but it seems that these ladies have beat me to the punch!!! I would do all of the above, as far as weighing your food.... bring the scale with you when you can. At least you'll be able to get the vegetables right! Also, has anyone tried weighing their food pre-cooked versus cooked?? Anyone know how different these measurements are? Obviously they will be weighing less after we cook them, so it might behoove you to start weighing your food after you cook to see how much of a difference it really is. (subtracting any herbs you've added) This way when you go to a restaurant you can "some what" know how much cooked food you are allowed.
Good luck and stick with it! It will be well worth it!

[lfingers11]

I wanted to let you know I went to a bar and grill tonight with my scale and they were great. They prepared my salad and chicken as I asked. I had to guess a little on the cooked chicken. A lot of waitors try to help with dietary restrictions.
Pam

[Mei Mei]

:party1:Pam,
Look at your weight loss!!! Awesome! You are almost there. You are doing great:flirt:
Mary

[lfingers11]

oh, thanks Mary. I am so excited. I put a thread under my progress yesterday about it. Can't wait to join you!