Hello all--this is my first time making a thread here at 3fc so bear with me:

I have a HUGE temptation lurking in the distance. Every year the state fair comes to NC. Now, this is the south--we like to fry anything we can get our hands on in normal situations. The fair takes this to the next level. Fried cheesecake, fried cheeseburgers, fried twinkies, fried coca cola (yes! fried coke!) and my personal favorites: fried candy bars. You have not LIVED until you've had near to melted snickers wrapped in warm fried dough it is HEAVEN! Not to mention all the unfried but equally as unhealthy foods they have there that I also love--pizza, footlong hotdogs, fresh fudge, kettle corn, ice cream, etc.

Now, I LOVE the fair (for obvious reasons, being the junk food junkie that I am) but it is coming up in a week and will last a total of two weeks. I go every year. I don't NOT want to go but I can't imagine how I will go there and not indulge in my favorite treats--many of the foods I eat there you can ONLY get once a year at the fair. Now, I'm only in day five of my weight loss journey, and so far have managed not to stray--when the fair comes I will be two weeks in. I'm not against having a splurge here or there but I usually see the fair as a time to FEAST! I really don't want to encounter all the temptation so I'm thinking about not going? I mean, I don't ride rides (thats another story of embarressment that I'll save for a later date) so going and eating is really the only reason I go, other than to be with friends, but I could be with them anywhere.

I just don't think I can afford any type of splurge right now so early into my journey. I don't want a fried candy bar to begin the undoing of all my hard work! I'm not even at a weight (276) where I can justify even one sweet at this point, I don't think.

What should I do? Go and not have any treats? Go and have a treat or two? Or not go at all?

I dunno about you but I'd rather not go at all than go and stress out all day about how many treats I'm "allowed" to have (if any at all). The fair happens every year right? It sounds like giving it a miss wouldn't stress you out anywhere near as much as going and worrying about food all day.

I would go with the intention of enjoying your friends! I would attempt to eat healthy for the most part and indulge in one small treat only.

I live in NC too! And not only is the fair coming but my anniversary with my bf is the same weekend the fair starts!

My goal is to have ONE thing (and for me that one thing is a fried Milky Way) and then avoid the rest. Give myself that one thing that pains me to pass it up since it only comes once a year and then feel satisfied with that. I'm a junk food junkie too and would love to experience the other foods as well, but I know I would just feel guilty afterward, so instead I'm going to allow myself that one indulgence and then step away.

Since I'll probably still be hungry that day, I may bring snacks (not sure if they allow them?) or stick to the grilled food like grilled corn, grilled turkey leg, etc. And, what's more - SHARE IT. The other problem with fair food is that all of the portions are giant, so I plan to share everything (except for the fried Milky Way!) with my boyfriend so I don't eat too much.

Good luck!

I just went to a fair with friends a few weeks ago. It was at a point where I didn't feel comfortable splurging, but I didn't want to miss it. I decided I would have a treat, but eat as healthy as possible. I brought a couple granola bars to help me make it through, but ended up not needing them.

Luckily, I went with a very large group that is super willing to share whatever they are eating/drinking. So I got to try some of a lot of things (by "some" I mean a small bite or two)! It was perfect. The biggest thing I ate was 3-4 fried cheese curds, and they were delicious! I don't regret any of it.

Do what you're comfortable with, but if you feel you can go, I'd go and enjoy the time with your friends. Maybe get a water in a closed cup and just sip it as you go to avoid temptation. And if your friends will spare a bite or two of their food, that's good too.

Good luck!

I don't know, what do you want more? What is more important? Eating the crap that is not good for you or your health? You decide.

If those foods are only once a year, then what do you do the rest of the year when they aren't available? Can you go to the fair for the non-food fun and then treat the food as though it is the "rest of the year" when it isn't around?

Get a couple of sacks of dog food or something else heavy and strap them to your body. Wear them around for a day...and remember that's what it's like in a few years of eating frinkies!

And your friends shouldn't care what you eat. If they are your friends, then they will support you no matter what. Did you always eat what threy atebefore, or were there some differences because you didn't like something and they did? You get the point. I guess I am lucky becuase I've always liked food that is not necessarily the norm, so my friends think I eat strangely anyhow! This is just one more way I am different.

Good luck! I hope you can find a good way that works for you to enjoy the fair...whatever that way turns out to be!

Barb

p.s. after the fact, I saw that this is the 20-something thread. Hope ya'll don't mind that I butted in!

If you are serious about your weightloss and think this will be too much a temptation for you I would just not go. It just isn't worth it IMO.

Our own state fair is here too--this year the winning recipe was fried Frito pie. I abhor the thought.

I went to a Renaissance Festival a few weeks ago and avoided eating anything there. I ate a lot before I went and brought water and a banana. If you feel like its going to be a problem, I would suggest skipping the fair this year so you can keep your momentum.

If you were further in on your diet I would advise you not to let your fear of temptation keep you from enjoying the fair with your friends, especially since you go every year. I would advise you pick one maybe two small treats to indulge in as they are only avail once a year and plan to work out harder and watch calories a bit tighter in the days surrounding the fair. And have a plan on how to handle it if you do cave and have more then the planned food, because no one is perfect, we all have those days where we go off plan, the point is not letting it derail you.

Since it is still so early in on your diet you need to decide a few things. If you go can you have the self control to stick to whatever plan you come up with, be it avoiding all of it or allowing yourself a preplanned indulgence. If you decide you believe you can, then you need to need to honestly determine what your reaction will be if you do give in to the temptation.

It takes 21 days to break a habit, I personally think when it comes to food it may take longer then that cause I can be good for a few months and have one bad day and will be back to the initial struggle.

If you think that a setback this early in may send you back into your bad habits for who knows how long then I'd advise to avoid the temptation this year and then re-evaluate next year when it comes around.

If you honestly believe that you can return to your diet and exercise plan after a setback, be able to crack down even harder for the immediate aftermath. Then go and have fun with your friends.

Whatever you choose keep in mind this stuff will all still be around after you get to where you want to be. I keep myself in check when craving things like fast food by reminding myself that jack in the box or wendys or whatever will still be there when I'm on maintenance.

Hey! Yea I would advise against going (what he heck do I know? I'm just as new as you are) or if you do go, try to sneak some healthy snacks in (yea I said "sneak" because they don't like you to bring food in the fair for obvious reasons) and allow yourself a few shared bits of this and that but stuff yourself with water and just enjoy your friends. Me? I just wouldn't go, you and I are both super early in our weight loss journies and I know how hard it is any time in weight loss, let alone a few weeks in. You can do this!

DON'T GO. Don't put yourself in that situation especially since you are fully aware of what you would do. Just think of how awful you'll feel if you go and over indulge??? It's just not worth it, you've already made the decision to change your life, don't let anything or any food stand in your way

Just because it's grilled, doesn't mean it's healthy!

Thanks for all your input girls. I have decided NOT to go.

I got on the scale this morning, and after 5 days of eating on plan, I've lost the first pound since the start of my weight loss journey. I know its not much, but it really motivated me--let me know that what I've been doing IS working and will continue as long as I stay on the right track.

Wow. Obviously. I just meant healthier than, say, a fried Milky Way.