DefeatistNation Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I know not all of you are ahem, test seat challenged and was wondering how you fitness/diet types kept it on track while visiting parks? I found it quite challenging on my holiday world/kings island/cedar point run this summer. Walking around the park feels great, but sometimes it feels like the only option when going to parks is indulging in the crap food and soda and just hitting it hard in the gym when you get back. So do you guys try to stick to a plan? Consider it a free day? Let's hear some tips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 It depends on the park. If it's a park with bad food I can act like an adult and eat realatively well. If it's Knoebels though I consider the day a failure of I don't leave with diabetes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerManic Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Don't eat the park food. Even the cinnamon bread. Don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bert425 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Food in the park (in particular Busch parks, or Knoebel's) gets a pass, and I'll eat what I want. I just consider the walking the exercise, and go back on my workout regime when I get back home. however, sodas remain a NO-NO, and alcoholic drinks are a rare treat (the chocolate martini at Hershey Lodge was worth it). I drink only water during the day, and that seems to keep me even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Leg day: find a coaster with high G and OTSR, stand up coasters are the best. Leave a click or two on the restraint and try to lift up your body with your legs during the ride. Kumba and Riddler's Revenge gave me some of the best leg work outs. Think about it I was squading 700+ pounds! Arms day: raise your arms parallel to the track, and keep them that way when you marathon a coaster. Good for shoulders and biceps. Abs, back and sides: do a wooden coaster with strong lateral and try your best bending your upper body against the direction of the lateral force. Neck: SLC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefeatistNation Posted June 23, 2016 Author Share Posted June 23, 2016 Don't forget curls: Having to forcefully pull your restraint up at the end of Lightning Rod to even attempt to get off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoinItForTheFame Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 After having my first heart attack at 23. . . My partner and I are very strict on our diet. We eat zero fried foods, and surprisingly we have found that every park we visit has something healthy we can eat. It just takes some time and some research. . . Some people consider it a "free day," But we don't. To us it just a normal "eating healthy" kind of day. Also, never drink soda. Always water. Only water. Always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boldikus Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Yeah I am amazed people drink soda all day at parks (and that people drink it all day when working/at home etc). Soda is disgusting and so bad for you. And drinking it at park all day? All that does is dehydrate you. Drink water and only water. Most parks give you free water if you ask. Or just buy one bottle and keep having them fill it up or just fill it up at water fountains. If I drink anything besides water at parks (and mostly in general) its beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoinItForTheFame Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 ^ Agreed. I feel like all soda does is make you feel even worse. . Water or beer for the win!! (Even though I never drink beer. . . It's got to be better for you than soda.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 At the six flags parks I normally eat at the go fresh locations where you can get grilled chicken wraps with a side salad. They have other healthier options in comparison to the other places to eat in the park. I also usually sneak in a tiny bottle of water and just refill it at the water fountains throughout the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Password121 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 If a park has a salad or wrap or some kind of relatively healthy (however crappy/low quality it may be) option instead of the chicken fingers/burger/pizza dripping with grease I'll go for it. You'll feel better about yourself and won't have any concerns about vomiting after a quick turnaround back to rides. The fried park crap food tastes pretty bad in the first place so what's the upside? As for drinks I've gotten the unlimited drink cup at Six Flags/Cedar Fair parks the last few years I've had passes and I'll alternate between Powerade, lemonade/iced tea and water. The sugary drinks aren't too great for you but as long as you're not constantly chugging gallons of it you're really fine. It's about the overall lifestyle, not a few days of the year with excess sugar. Soda makes me feel awful so o don't bother with it and it's far worse for you than sugary iced tea or Powerade. If a park has remarkable or unique food that you'd feel like you missed out on by skipping, go for it. Just limit the amount and don't make it a lifestyle. If I'm at a generic corporate park with nothing special about the food I'll stick to healthier options because if the food is mediocre to begin with what's the point of wasting a "cheat" meal on something crappy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_s Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Going to parks IS my workout regime. And a big meal in the middle of that exercise is the healthiest time to eat it. I hear you on water, normally drink mostly soda but in a park i$ not the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI Jizzman Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Leg day: find a coaster with high G and OTSR, stand up coasters are the best. Leave a click or two on the restraint and try to lift up your body with your legs during the ride. Kumba and Riddler's Revenge gave me some of the best leg work outs. Think about it I was squading 700+ pounds! Arms day: raise your arms parallel to the track, and keep them that way when you marathon a coaster. Good for shoulders and biceps. Abs, back and sides: do a wooden coaster with strong lateral and try your best bending your upper body against the direction of the lateral force. Neck: SLC Can't go wrong with this advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOG1991 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I love fried park foods and such, but when I take a coaster road trip I make sure that isn't all I'm eating. I'm in athletic shape, run and workout very consistently, and people joke that I can eat whatever I want... however, even if I "can" doesn't mean I should, and it's amazing how crappy you feel if you eat fried food all the time versus eating very healthy. It's night and day! On trips, I know better than to eat out. Just because something is called healthy or looks healthy doesn't mean it is. Restaurants aim for flavor and if you look up the nutrition facts, some of the healthiest sounding options are worse than just getting a quarter pounder with cheese at McDonalds. I'm assuming even the "healthy" park foods aren't that healthy (although I'm sure they are better than the fries and chicken fingers). Usually healthy options are just low in calories but still mostly consist of fat. 250 calories of fat isn't going to fill you up so you just end up fatter and still hungry. The best thing to do is bring easy food of your own with you and just avoid eating in the parks or out as much as you can. I often bring canned chicken and canned beans on park trips and just eat that along with protein bars and anything else easy and healthy. Another big thing is avoid sugary drinks!!! I can't stress that enough. If a park has a Coke Freestyle go for the Zero noncarbonated choices or just water as much as possible. In parks without Freestyle machines it is much harder though. Also, while frowned upon in some parks, wear running shoes and run (carefully) from ride to ride. My boyfriend and I do this all the time and we can end up getting in as much as 5 miles in a day and probably a few more miles worth of walking. We like to alternate between our favorite rides which usually means going back and forth across the park. It's actually a lot of fun. I say all of this but I still LOVE my chicken fingers and fries dipped in tons of ranch dressing and my boyfriend will basically cream over anything sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Yeah I am amazed people drink soda all day at parks (and that people drink it all day when working/at home etc). Soda is disgusting and so bad for you. And drinking it at park all day? All that does is dehydrate you. Drink water and only water. Most parks give you free water if you ask. Or just buy one bottle and keep having them fill it up or just fill it up at water fountains. If I drink anything besides water at parks (and mostly in general) its beer. Yummmm I love soda, I agree it's terrible for you though ESPECIALLY diet soda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOG1991 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Yeah I am amazed people drink soda all day at parks (and that people drink it all day when working/at home etc). Soda is disgusting and so bad for you. And drinking it at park all day? All that does is dehydrate you. Drink water and only water. Most parks give you free water if you ask. Or just buy one bottle and keep having them fill it up or just fill it up at water fountains. If I drink anything besides water at parks (and mostly in general) its beer. Yummmm I love soda, I agree it's terrible for you though ESPECIALLY diet soda. Both are bad for you, especially in excess. However, I will drink diet soda any day to avoid putting 50+ grams of sugar into me in one sitting. Regular soda is probably the top cause of diabetes and sugar is general is poisonous to your body. Diet soda may be bad, but it's a much better option for anyone struggling with weight or particular sensitive to sugar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Yeah I am amazed people drink soda all day at parks (and that people drink it all day when working/at home etc). Soda is disgusting and so bad for you. And drinking it at park all day? All that does is dehydrate you. Drink water and only water. Most parks give you free water if you ask. Or just buy one bottle and keep having them fill it up or just fill it up at water fountains. If I drink anything besides water at parks (and mostly in general) its beer. Yummmm I love soda, I agree it's terrible for you though ESPECIALLY diet soda. Both are bad for you, especially in excess. However, I will drink diet soda any day to avoid putting 50+ grams of sugar into me in one sitting. Regular soda is probably the top cause of diabetes and sugar is general is poisonous to your body. Diet soda may be bad, but it's a much better option for anyone struggling with weight or particular sensitive to sugar. There's been studies done that show there isn't a weight loss advantage to drinking diet drinks. The aspartame causes insulin levels to raise and make the body store fat the same way regular would. Diet drinks are one of the biggest scams ever. Like Boldikus said, the best option is water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOG1991 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Yeah I am amazed people drink soda all day at parks (and that people drink it all day when working/at home etc). Soda is disgusting and so bad for you. And drinking it at park all day? All that does is dehydrate you. Drink water and only water. Most parks give you free water if you ask. Or just buy one bottle and keep having them fill it up or just fill it up at water fountains. If I drink anything besides water at parks (and mostly in general) its beer. Yummmm I love soda, I agree it's terrible for you though ESPECIALLY diet soda. Both are bad for you, especially in excess. However, I will drink diet soda any day to avoid putting 50+ grams of sugar into me in one sitting. Regular soda is probably the top cause of diabetes and sugar is general is poisonous to your body. Diet soda may be bad, but it's a much better option for anyone struggling with weight or particular sensitive to sugar. There's been studies done that show there isn't a weight loss advantage to drinking diet drinks. The aspartame causes insulin levels to raise and make the body store fat the same way regular would. Diet drinks are one of the biggest scams ever. Like Boldikus said, the best option is water. I completely agree with water being the best option, but you can observe in day to day life the impacts of sugary soda and I have seen many people I know personally benefit from the change to diet. Overall, someone is better off drinking diet soda than sugar filled soda if dealing with weight issues, and if they are smart they are drinking it in moderation (just like every drink other than water and basically every food should be ingested in moderation). I have no issues with weight but do know when I drink diet soda I am fine and when I drink sugary soda I feel like my body is under attack. That's the reason I go with the Zero brand. Neither are safe in excess though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Walk. Walk everywhere. Then walk some more. Do laps around the park between rides. I typically rack up 7-10 miles when spending a full day at a park (or so the Fitbit tells me). But walking around all day makes me pretty hungry, so I usually smuggle in a protein bar or two (Quest bars FTW) to keep me full throughout the day. Then I'll splurge on lunch or dinner inside the park (or outside if time permits). I typically don't try to eat healthy when at a park because YOLO, right?!? Greasy, calorie-laden park food is fine every once in a while. But I realized after a summer spent down the street from SFGAm that I needed to lay off the funnel cake supreme sundaes. Yeah I am amazed people drink soda all day at parks (and that people drink it all day when working/at home etc). Soda is disgusting and so bad for you. And drinking it at park all day? All that does is dehydrate you. Soda may not be the best thing to drink, but the belief that soda (caffeine) dehydrates you is a myth: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965 But of course water is the best option. And drinking it throughout the day will also help keep hunger at bay. And regarding diet soda, research on that is mixed. At the end of the day, a zero-calorie Diet Coke is far less likely to put weight on you than a 140-calorie regular can of Coke is. When people think because they had diet soda at dinner they can eat half of a cake is where the problem comes in. I've lost and kept off about 30 pounds, and I drink way more diet soda than I should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1ch0las Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 ^This. The only ever proven and reliable way to lose weight and keep it off is to track your calories ingested vs. calories burned. When you are walking around a park all day long you burn way more calories than a normal day at the office, thus a cheeseburger and fries (while not good for you) will likely be offset by the additional calories burned walking all day. More importantly, 3500 calories=1lb of weight. Even if you go all out eating in a theme park one day a month all summer you'd likely not even overeat enough to gain one pound by the end of the season. The trenches of weight loss come on the mundane Monday-Fridays of our lives when we generally sit all day long and still go home too tired to take an evening walk. Enjoy your trip to the theme park and eat what you feel is right, but don't allow that one day to trick your body into craving all those fried foods again once you're back home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidwestThemeParks Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 ^ Agreed. I feel like all soda does is make you feel even worse. . Water or beer for the win!! (Even though I never drink beer. . . It's got to be better for you than soda.) There is no way that beer is better for you than soda. Beer will actually dehydrate you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mater Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 I try to stick to my workout routine when going to amusement parks, but everyone ends up staring. It's like.. can't a guy do his shake weight reps in peace? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 ^^ Any alcohol is not a good substitute for plain old water. And cold water is just as nice as the sodas. Really! Walking around and through a park is also a better regime, than depending on the park transportation available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 What's with all of this negativity surrounding alcohol? You're driving me to drink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 ^ Oh, that doesn't mean I'm NOT going to be drinking anything un-soda-ish at these parks, that have the booze. And if they got them, I'll ask that they use the heavy lead-weight glass mugs for my drinks. More exercise when I lift the mug! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now