30 things about WDW Vacation - November wish lifestyle/weight loss challenge

I love the second part of the trip as we are more relaxed, and we spend more time to just enjoy being there. In terms of things that don't work for me - I am pushing too hard with my steps/workouts (I am sure you have heard me saying same before!!) and need to chill out more to make sure recover well. I also need to be more realistic about what challenges Christmas season presents.
 
QOTD:

The last day of my recent trip, the group things were all done early so by mid-day we split up and I headed back to WS by myself to just wander for a while, with plans to meet with a few people for lunch in France in a couple hours. I ended up sitting in the patio area by France and relaxing. Then the chair-stacking act started and I watched them, for the very first time, and after that my lunch partners showed up and we had a lovely meal together. Afterwards we continued to stroll around WS, stopping in Italy for Limoncello Margaritas and Germany for caramels. We chatted with a cast member who was from a little town southeast of where I live, and he was so impressed that I knew where the town was that he gave us an any time FP for 5 people, which we ended up using for one last ride on Soaring.

So to sum it up, at the end of my trips I always make an effort to slow down and just soak things up and make sure I take time to be where I am.

I'd have to say I've been pretty distracted from my goals this month: I let the daily accountability fall by the way side, and consequently can't claim any progress in reaching them... proof positive that daily accountability is a good tool for me to use, so I'm going to go back to it.

One thing I'm going to be doing differently, besides going back to daily accountability... I need to get my hearing checked, because I have difficulty separating sounds if there is a lot of background noise. While at WDW dinner at Teppan Edo was particularly stressful because I was seated with a couple who really wanted to chat but I couldn't hear what they were saying. And there were areas in the parks, MK in particular, where I felt like I was being assaulted with a wall of noise. Noise has come up as a topic in one of my FB groups and I've been thinking a lot about what the others were saying and have decided that in addition to getting checked out, I'm going to reduce the amount of noise in my life. I was thinking I would start by turning the TV off in the evenings, unless there is something I specifically want to see, and to turn soothing music on instead. Then last night at my Neice's they were playing a fireplace show on Netflix and I thought - perfect! I'll flip the TV to that and have my quiet time with the crackle of a faux fire.

upload_2017-11-24_7-55-4.png
 
We are usually a bit more relaxed at the end of our trips and do slow it down a wee bit. Remember, I am commando woman and don't do well with that unstructured time! I continue to log my food. That seems to be working for me, so I will continue.

I logged every bite yesterday and was still under calories (barely) for the day. Today I am low on steps so may need to do some pacing in the house later. I did run to a store this afternoon; I bought leggings and underwear for our little students who don't quite make it to the bathroom! That was the extent of my Black Friday shopping! I think it is going to be a very lean Christmas (with three more to go). Helping your children through college is not for whimps!
 


It's freezing out. Really cold weather for Ireland. My gym membership resumes 1st of December and I really need it as I am not fan of walking in the cold.

I was out last night, to what turned out to be multiple courses of tasting menu. It was lovely, but perhaps I had one glass of prosecco too many. I went in the sales yesterday and managed to get few things from lululemon on 20% off. I was happy with that.

I miss the daily accountability too, I will start doing them again.
 


Hello friends - a quick drop by from me. Sorry I have been so absent lately - life has been busy - work wrapping up for the year soon, kids end of year activities, family birthdays the list goes on and on - it is all leaving me extremely exhausted!

I just wanted to drop by and let you know I will be getting December's thread ready over the next few days - I haven't forgotten you all!

I hope you are all achieving your goals for this month :banana:
 
My husband and I had a long talk last night about our goals for losing weight. He told me this weekend that he is at his highest weight ever and I am slowly creeping up. We have planned out when we will work out and that we are going to (for the most part) stop eating out. We will still have the occasional eating out but not a few times a week. Maybe like once or twice a month. He talked about cutting back on beer on the weekend and I am not going to drink pop unless we are out or at a party. We have a pretty good plan I think. I want to 22 pounds and my husband wants to lose 60 some by August. This is still very doable. For me I will have to lose 1.5 pounds a week starting this week. He needs to lose more a week but once he really starts working out he drops a ton of weight at one time.

Last week we took our son to the doctor because his toes bother him when he walks. His toes all curl up under each other. His pediatrician said that the 2 toes that bother him (one on each foot) are because the tendons in his toes are really tight. This is keeping those toes from going straight. He said the only way he knows how to fix it is by surgery and is sending us to an orthopedic. We go tomorrow. My son has already told us that he is not going to have surgery and he will just deal with them bothering him. Hopefully the ortho knows of something else we can try first but we will see. We also need to find out all the short and long term affects of having the surgery and not having it and how this affects his sports. So this may put a short wrench in things but my husband and I will need to really help each other stay with our goals if he does have surgery.
 
Hello friends! I'm back from a wonderful vacation and excited to get back on track with my diet/exercise. It looks like there have been some great QOTDs posed- I probably won't have a chance to go back and answer them so I'll just enjoy reading everyone's responses.
 
My husband and I had a long talk last night about our goals for losing weight. He told me this weekend that he is at his highest weight ever and I am slowly creeping up. We have planned out when we will work out and that we are going to (for the most part) stop eating out. We will still have the occasional eating out but not a few times a week. Maybe like once or twice a month. He talked about cutting back on beer on the weekend and I am not going to drink pop unless we are out or at a party. We have a pretty good plan I think. I want to 22 pounds and my husband wants to lose 60 some by August. This is still very doable. For me I will have to lose 1.5 pounds a week starting this week. He needs to lose more a week but once he really starts working out he drops a ton of weight at one time.

Last week we took our son to the doctor because his toes bother him when he walks. His toes all curl up under each other. His pediatrician said that the 2 toes that bother him (one on each foot) are because the tendons in his toes are really tight. This is keeping those toes from going straight. He said the only way he knows how to fix it is by surgery and is sending us to an orthopedic. We go tomorrow. My son has already told us that he is not going to have surgery and he will just deal with them bothering him. Hopefully the ortho knows of something else we can try first but we will see. We also need to find out all the short and long term affects of having the surgery and not having it and how this affects his sports. So this may put a short wrench in things but my husband and I will need to really help each other stay with our goals if he does have surgery.

@piglet1979 I've been having my Rolfing gal work on my feet quite a bit, as they are the foundation for everything else, and it is really making a difference... one of the things we've been focused on is retraining my toes to bend when I walk. Rolfing is "a form of bodywork that reorganizes the connective tissues, called fascia, that permeate the entire body." It might be something to look in to for your son.
 
Monday 11.27:

Some totally random pictures from WDW related to food and eating that took place during my trip... pictures taken from the internet, as I didn't take that many while I was there:

upload_2017-11-27_7-44-19.png

50's Prime Time was a group meal and we had a lot of fun with our Server and the other Servers working in our room. The meatloaf was quite tasty.

upload_2017-11-27_7-45-21.png

I always feel like I get good quality food at Teppan Edo, but as previously mentioned the noise level bothered me so I didn't fully enjoy this meal.

upload_2017-11-27_7-46-13.png

Spice Road is an every trip thing for me, but this was the first time I've been seated inside, which was nice because a rain storm blew over while I was eating. My go-to is the Olive and Hummus plate - yum.

upload_2017-11-27_7-47-34.png

Second time for Germany, I love the ambiance more than the food selection but did put together a good meal here, with salmon and pork.

upload_2017-11-27_7-48-31.png

And this happened... with rum.

upload_2017-11-27_7-48-59.png

And I had one of these for the first time in several trips.

upload_2017-11-27_7-51-54.jpeg

And one of these for the first time.

My eating this trip kind of falls in line with the vibe of the overall trip... kind of random. I think overall I made healthful meal choices, but did eat too much. And I did have more sweets than were necessary, and obviously more alcohol than I would normally partake in. I didn't go with a concrete plan on how I was going to eat, and that's exactly how/why the randomness manifested.

How do you plan out your eating while in vacation? Do you come up with a well defined plan or tell yourself you're on vacation and eat willfully?
 
Last edited:
I do not plan my food while on vacation. I go in with I will eat what I want in moderation. I don't just eat something because it is a part of the dining plan. Several meals I either did not eat the dessert or only a few bits. I also got fruit when I could.

Teppen Edo is one of our favorites. I do get funny looks from the chef though. He just does not understand that my daughter wants everything very plain and I don't want the soy sauce on my steak. I think they think we are weird with the looks I got from them and them asking several times "No sauce?"
 
I always try to have at least 1/3rd of my meal veggies or fruit or combination of both, and not to over eat but I enjoy more treat foods than usual.

One of the quickest way to start wanting to eat poorly is trying to eat meals i don't like. I made second attempt to do butternut squash curried soup and it failed. Again. I decided that instead of forcing myself to eat it it will go to the bin. I hate food waste, but I know if I try to eat it - I will end up dreaming about bread and cheese and nuts and anything but not soup! I also chopped up carrot and cabbage for coleslaw. It's also going in the bin. It was for my husband and he had to go abroad again, and it's really cold and I fancy things as broccoli and cauliflower and not cold slaw.

I find it hard to waste food, but I won't make myself miserable trying to eat it when I really don't feel like it.
 
QOTD: Tuesday 11.28

Self care is always an important part of healthy living, but even more so during the holiday season which can be hectic and challenging. A Disney vacation can also be overwhelming (how many times do we come home thinking "I need a vacation from my vacation"?). The obvious choice for self-care during a WDW vacation would be a visit to one of the Disney Spas. I've only done this twice, once to Madara and once to Senses. Madara I didn't love as the decor wasn't anything special. Senses I did really enjoy and in hindsight I wish I had booked myself an appointment there during my recent trip.

Senses_Spa_candlelight.jpg


Another way to exercise self-care while at WDW is to find quiet places and times... one of my favorites is to stroll back to Les Halles at RD for breakfast because so few people are around and you can really soak in the beauty of the park.

upload_2017-11-28_7-32-39.png

On our local news they've been running a story on nature healing, featuring a woman who's doctor prescribed 30 minutes 5 times a week to be spent in her local park. It is incredibly powerful to be outside connecting to the natural world. The key is to establish a regular practice and to bring your awareness to your five sense - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch - and the five elements that comprise our physical world - space, air, fire, water and earth. So when done with intent, regular walks outside can also be a powerful way to take care of yourself.

upload_2017-11-28_7-41-48.png

What can you do for yourself in the coming weeks to get the rest and restoration that you need and deserve?

 
Last edited:
QOTD:

My body has been craving outdoor walks for a while... even just the thought of being in the woods snuggled up in my puffy coat with a thick scarf wrapped around my neck just feels so good. But do I do it? No. Closest I've come is driving out in to the country side - last weekend it was out to a nursery to find a Christmas tree and this weekend I'll be making a trip out to my favorite yarn store for their holiday Maker's Market. But I want, and need to do more.

As previously mentioned, I am dialing down the noise level at home and making a conscious effort to create stillness. Knitting has been my lifeline: my job is largely mental and dealing with intangibles, so I need to balance that out with something real in my hands, where I can see the progress of rows knit. I am working on taking that to the next level and making my knitting time a truer act of meditation.
 
Last edited:
I agree that self-care plays a huge part in all of this! I found things really started clicking for me this year once I made a point to do the things that feed my soul. This usually involves going to the theater. But this past weekend I think I found a new love for the outdoors. We went to my inlaws lake house, and this was the first time I really, really enjoyed it. A few factors: The dock is almost finished, so now I was able to spend a long while just sitting and looking out on the water. Also, I bought myself a hammock to leave up there and I probably spent 80% of my awake time lying out in the yard, listening to the birds, and reading a book. It was sooooo nice! And I came back home feeling a little quieter in my head. My cardiologist said I need to do more stuff like that.

The coming weeks don't really allow for much in the way of rest and restoration leading up to the holidays. I've scheduled a jam-packed weekend in Orlando this weekend, holiday plans the next, and the bam! the next weekend is Christmas. But DH and I were talking about how it may be nice to use the 3 day weekend for New Years as a reason to escape back to the lake :)

Now the downside is between Thanksgiving, and the lake, and heading to Orlando on Thursday, I am off the rails with my eating. Tracking is non-existent, and I have zero drive to get myself back together on that front. BUT I am keeping up with the gym... So I just have to keep plugging along along for the holidays. Just not gaining would be a huge victory in my book!
 
Hi everyone! Like most people, I will be very busy the next few weeks. We are headed out on Thur for a week at Sea World / WDW. I have 1/2 the outside lights to still do, both trees will wait to be decorated until we get back. Thankfully 3/4 of shopping is done, now to wrap...Meals, movies(star wars), gatherings...the usual holiday fun. I love it all but I do find I need to put some down time in. That and getting my nails done, my WW are all part of my self care. And my berries and apples, hershey kisses each day, those seem to keep me on track daily so everyone knows they are hands off until they ask! I am happy the weather broke a while back and we are now in outdoor, walking weather. My friebd and I try to walk each night so we can catch up and get some steps in.

I originally thought I might be able to lose in Dec, but now I am just planning on maintaining. There are too many foods that I only have one time a year and I want to enjoy them.
 
I have been to Senses once and loved it. Over the next month I will be very busy and we are adding another thing to our list. They way i relax though is My husband and I take off the 2 weeks around Christmas and New Years. This year i will be off for 2.5 weeks. This really helps. Also it gives the kids a chance to be home and play with all of there new stuff and we can get some spring cleaning done.

+++++++++++

So yesterday we had my son's doctors appointment with the orthopedic. It went really well. Surgery is the only option. However he doesn't need it unless e wants to have it. It is only done for his comfort. My husband left the decision up to him. He heard everything the doctor said and at first in the office he said no. We talked to him about how it was his decision and that he needed to think about it without factoring in the fear of having it done. He needed to think about is this bothering me enough to have it done. He said he would think about it and let us know. Our plan was not to talk about it again until he brought it up or until we noticed it really bothering him and affecting how he does things. He came to us this morning and said last night he wanted to make a decision before he went to bed. He said he weighed all of the pros and cons to it and that he wanted to have the surgery. We asked him why he wanted it (to make sure he was not wanting it because he thought it was the right thing to do) and he said that it bothers him when he walks without socks on. We asked him if he wanted to do it over Christmas break or wait until summer. He wants it now. So I will and get it set up today to have it a few weeks from now. Thankfully we will be off during this time so he can rest and my husband and I can go to the rec at anytime during the day.

I am really proud of him for really thinking this through. I think he really put a lot of thought in this.

My woohoo today is that I have been sticking to the plan that my husband and I put together the other day and today I am done .6 pounds since yesterday.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top