Theme parks and weight gain - how to calculate?!

I'm going to a theme park tomorrow, and will have NO idea what kind of calories I will be burning. Food is also going to be troublesome - adrenaline dampens my appetite and I'm a rollercoaster junkie, so the two don't mix well .__. I get so bloody excitable I end up realising AFTER that third go around on the suspended rollercoaster: "Ah, I'm hungry now!" :\

And then all the options are pizza and burgers and generally aren't lactose intolerant-friendly. I realise I'll probably have to pack food, but I feel stupid when I'm eating a pre-packed meal from a plastic box and my family are enjoying some nice wraps and paninis.

I'm clueless. What to eat? How to compensate? Will I need to compensate? Egh. I want to try and get my mind off of these worries before I go so I don't end up (a) fretting at the park and spoiling things and (b) coming back to find I've plummeted in weight (seriously, the smallest amount of undereating my current intake causes crazy loss and I hate it -__o). Help!

I say go ahead and pack your meal, don't feel stupid, feel prepared. Or you can go ahead and eat whatever you want (within reason like a slice of pizza not FOUR) and not worry about your calories that day. One day of inaccurate calorie counting won't throw you totally off track. Just remember to drink your 64oz of water and then some because Theme park food is usually very salty.

Enjoy your time at the park. I'm a roller coaster junkie too, lol

Heh... I'd be happy to have pizza if I could ask them to hold the cheese. ;P Luckily, I remembered there is a cafe chain within the park that has... uh, at least three things on their menu that I can eat. The problem would be being able to get those foods before everyone else does.

I will probably just have to pack something regardless, but I'll feel like a prat toward my family. |: It still doesn't often register with them I need to eat both more than usual and free from dairy, and they complain when they feel they can't go and get food from somewhere because it won't be possible to cater for me. Heh. Long winded and kind of dumb, right? I'll likely just roll with the punches and hope to not be ravenous/irritable by the evening. <<;

I've been taking my own lunches to theme parks since 1967, and I don' care what anyone thinks.  It's my body; I have to eat certain foods that aren't available at most public parks, and I'm not going to upset my system or ruin my day, by eating junk food.

Let your family eat what they want to (and can), and you can probably buy a drink that is good for you - then enjoy your own lunch.

Remind your friends/family, that Gloria Swanson and Greta Garbo (2 very well respected movie actresses of long ago), as well as Kathryn Hepburn (also highly regarded as an actress), ALL MADE IT PUBLIC, that they 'brown-bagged' it most of the time, because of their commitment to good food - keeping slender, and not putting their body through some type of 'torture' just to please their friends.  I remember 2 or 3 interviews (as well as having read their books), where they claimed they not only wanted to control calories and nutrition, but that they knew if they prepared it, it was free from germs and they wouldnt get sick from eating what someone else prepared commercially.

So, think of your body as being the most important - no matter where you go; fine restaurant or amusement park, you want to focus on your health and well-being.

As a piece of information:  Late April our family attended a wedding in the Grand Canyon area.  3 of us got food poisoning - missed the wedding; ended up in the emergency section of a Flagstaff hospital, and spent a lot of money to recover for the next 5 days, in a hotel room.  No one questioned the foods we ate; we all 'chowed down', and we paid the price for a careless cook or contaminated food. 

 

Don't be embarrassed about taking your own food! Everyone knows the food they serve at the parks is junk food - people will wish they had your willpower!

As for calories - my guess is you will be burning a lot. Probably 5 hours' worth of walking.

Pack your main meals and drrink LOTS of water.  Not only will it keep you hydrated but it will help you to eat less.  Then have a little treat... you can ride your roller coaster and have your cotton candy too! 

We always take our own food on day trips.  Largely because the catered stuff is usually overpriced and dodgy quality.   What I've noticed is that when lunchtime comes around and we head for the picnic area the people we're sat amongst are usually slim, healthy, affluent-looking types!&nb sp; All happily pouring coffee from thermos flasks, tucking into crusty rolls, pots of fruit salad and asking their well-scrubbed, politely-spoken children if they'd like another cherry tomato or a yoghurt.   It's definitely 'the thing to do' if you're in the smart set... (Am I a snob or what?) LOL!

Tip.... take plenty.  It does work up an appetite tramping around a theme park!

Jodiferjennifer: I definitely plan on taking a lot of water - the place we're going is a complete suntrap in hot weather: hardly any sheltered areas |: I don't need to be eating less, though! Rather, eating more ><; Thank you, still, though!

Anniebaker: That sounds about right. I know I won't be moving all the time but we plan on being there from 9:30 (opening) to 6pm (closing) - 8 and a half hours, yowza. x: 5 hours sounds about reasonable, remembering I'll likely be on my feet most of the day in queues >>;

Sixtyfivealive: That's a really good way of looking at it, actually. Thorpe Park (the place I'm going) hardly has a grand choice of healthier options nor are they very good at negotiating for special diets. I have to be careful with dairy, as I've found even small contaminations end up making me feel sick, so packing food would realistically be the sensible way for me to go. I just have to get over feeling guilty if my mum or sister start to complain. It's for my health; they can eat pizza if they want. s: And that food poisoning sounds like it was horrible, agh! I didn't know that about Greta Garbo and Gloria Swanson though. o_o You learn something new every day.

gi-jane: Haha, you don't sound snobbish to me! I took a thermos and packed lunches to college because I refused to pay for the drinks and food there (~70p upwards for a tiny paper cup of tea? You're having a laugh) because they were overpriced and of crappy quality/nutrition. My friends called me snobbish for that, but then I was happier eating a varied lunch with my thermos than doing the sort of things they did. A favourite was "The Supermarket Challenge": see how much food you can buy with a fiver. This usually resulted in people returning with dodgy pies/donuts/pastries from the reduced section; basics bread, cheese, ham; BOGOFs on biscuits, chocolate and sweets... pretty much every day... yeeeah. I wouldn't consider myself snobbish for opting out of that. >__>

Thank you, all of you! ^^ Heh, this has made me feel a lot less awkward.

Hey! I actually just went to a waterpark last week and I packed my entire lunch and snacks. I was doing stairs all day and probably walked 10 miles, so I packed alot of good things like almonds, veggies etc. (Ice Chest) I was with family who bought food all day and ended up spending around $50 a person after drinks and snacks were included. I felt very proud because I stuck to my healthy eating and saved money! BTW I went on vacation for 5 days and still lost 1#! I am so proud! Good luck and have fun!

Some theme parks have healthier options now.  I know that King's Island now has a Subway.  So I'd say keep your eyes open and you might find a healthy option.   Maybe you could check their web page to see if they have anything.   But I would pack a meal just in case. 

First of all, have fun at the park.  Take a small back pack and fill it with snacks you like.  Then if you need a quick bite and your stuck in a line or the family isn't hungry, you can dive into your snack pack. 

I would take a day off from calorie counting and have fun.  It isn't everyday you get to go to a theme park (well, not in my life).  I know you are stressed about not getting enough calories, but give your self a well deserved break.  Try to take plenty to eat and keep an eye out for lactose intolerant-friendly food. 

Hope you have fun!

I went to Alton Towers, in England, a few weeks ago and they have some healthy food places called revive or refresh or something that sell like jacket potatoes and some salad I think and their restaurant=, Rita's grill or something, sells stuff, so, if you're in the UK, I think most theme parks actually do healthy stuff and most contain fast food places, most of which have some sort of healthy option and the calorie content on their website so if ya wanna eat there just do some research or something. Although when I went I just took something packed so I didn't have to wait in the seemingly endless queues for food and could get on as many rides as possible!

ah wow lala - I LOVE THEME PARKS!!!! Have a gr8 timand be sure to ride nemesis inferno/collosus/rita/tidal wave!

re. food - there's mcdonalds + kfc from what i can remember (+had pre ED) BUT EVEN THEN THEY WERE CRAPPY. I'd take a packed lunch - i did last time+its cheaper/easier. it's v.easy to just nip back to he car park (they let you in and out easily) plus - the loos are near the exit too! sorted! try +remember to enjoy ure day - the donuts/sweets/ice creams werent too shabby!

hope i was of some help!

suzy x

I live in a shore town working this summer as a lifeguard at one of the local waterparks, and I have always packed my own lunch.  I'd much rather bring healthy food from home for myself than waste money buying stuff (usually overpriced) that's junk anyway.  I agree with the others about it not being weird to bring your own food, especially when there's such a few number of options.

As for calories, I think it'd be good for you to have plenty of calorie-dense foods (you could even make a trail mix) because you will be walking around quite a bit (possibly up stairs too) and you will probably also be standing in lines throughout the day.

Hope you have an awesome time!! (I love rollercoasters too)

Hannahlouise and Suzy: I've been on every 'extreme' rollercoaster and ride that Tussauds (well, they're Merlin now) has opened so far. ;] My family are annual pass holders, lol; we live only 45 minutes from Thorpe Park, 30 from Chessington. Alton Towers is a bit more of a way off but still! Rita's at Alton Towers, though, not Thorpe!

Chessington had the chain (Revive/Refresh or whatever it was) you're talking about, Hannah, but I checked the website for Thorpe and it's only listing different healthy options at their BBQ/Grill and their bar/restaurant - I think I'll stick to packing my own lunch, eheh. It's dairy that concerns me more than all else and I know if I make it myself there won't be any in my food. Even just a little makes me feel sick and sluggish, which isn't ideal for a theme park. x__x

And according to the website, Tidal Wave and Colossus are broken. Bugger. ]: