Vacations & Diets

Just picture it.  You're sitting down at breakfast with your family and all of a sudden, in walks Cinderella.  She's carrying cupcakes.  You can't say no to Cinderella can you?   Look over there, it's Belle.  Oh, how sweet she has a basket full of chocolate chip cookies.  Yes, Belle I'd love one! As I wipe the chocolate from my mouth my eyes are still twinkling from seeing Belle, I think her glove brushed against my hand.   It's almost bad if you DON'T partake in the sweets.  After all, you don't want to be rude to a princess do you?

My family goes to Disneyland for vacation every year in the Fall.  We usually stay for a week and visit both parks while we're there.  Of course we do the usual rides, character breakfasts and shop for as many Mickey Mouse items we can get our hands on.  But every year when I go I wrestle with the fact that I can't eat junk food like everyone else in the family while we're there.  I walk past New Orleans Square and smell the sweet crepes being prepared in the morning and pass.  I watch the kids as they chow down their slow churned ice cream and cotton candy while asking for the Donald Duck Taffy at the same time. Yet I always wonder,  should I ditch my diet on vacation and indulge in the irresistible snacks on display?

After all, you ARE on vacation right?  Do the pounds you gain still count if you're having that much fun while you gain them?  Oh yes, I know I'm over-thinking it but that's what we over-eaters do.  We make excuses for every little weak moment we have and then make excuses some more.  Then there's the guilt.  My child really wants me to have a bite of her brownie, she really does.  I would be a bad mom if I didn't take a bite, or two, or well you get the idea. 

If you stay in the Disneyland hotels during your stay they have many ways of making you feel welcome.  One of those things is leaving little chocolate coins on your bed after turndown service every night.  My daughter thinks this is the absolute best thing in the world and one of her most favorite things that she looks forward to during the trip.  One morning my daughter woke up and surprise she had eaten all of the coins the night before so we went on a little coin hunt.  On my way down the hall I noticed all of the maids with their carts restocking the rooms with supplies.  I also noticed small bags of little chocolate gold coins on the carts, score! So to this day if you ask my daughter what was one of the funniest things mommy did on our last vacation she will tell you it was watching mommy take a bag of gold coins off of one of the maids carts and running as fast as she could down the hall.  I don't think it's considered stealing when it was intended to go to our hotel room eventually.  The look on her face when I did it - priceless.

I guess the point is to have fun, relax and remember you're on vacation.  If we don't allow ourselves a little wiggle room here and there then life isn't very much fun.  Your treadmill and weights will still be waiting for you when you get home and your workout clothes will be too (although a bit snug).    Enjoy your children while you still can.  They will have these memories of you for a lifetime.  Hug them, love them and shove as much candy in your mouth as possible.  You didn't know, as long as you're wearing your Mickey ears, calories don't count.