And I'm torn on what to do about it

There are two fairs I will be visiting on separate days: A local fair that comes by for one weekend a year, and the Renaissance Fair, which goes on for several weekends, but I only plan to go once.

This Saturday is the local fair, and it's something my fiance and myself eagerly anticipate every year. Local church groups, Girl and boy scout troops, local businesses, local sports teams, etc., they all have booths where they offer home cooked, delicious food in large proportions to help them raise money. One church group in particular makes homemade pierogies that always sell out by the last day (and they literally have to start making them the day after the fair to have enough for the next year), and just the thought of them are making my mouth water lol!

The Renaissance Faire is more about the shows and actors (plus there is lots of walking), but it's not uncommon for me to have a giant smoked turkey leg in one hand and a flagon of ale in the other, with a large bag (or three) of kettle corn tucked in my bag and a case of wine in the car.

Either way, both days are going to be heavy calories if I go at it the way I used to (well, I'm guesstimating about 2500-3000 calories per day). On one hand, I'm thinking that it's only one day (well two, one for each event), and these are both events that I enjoy and look forward to every year. On the other hand, I've gained about 6lbs of water weight over the past week from eating out and getting over a kidney stone, and the weight is extremely slow to come off (plus TOM should be visiting some time in the next week or so).

So what would y'all do in this case? Enjoy the days, or try and be aware and stick to plan?

Temptation is hard... If I was in your shoes I'd go to the fairs but I'd resist the food there, maybe bring something of my own to snack on.

Or maybe have a couple treats there but don't go all out and binge? Good luck

I'd totally go and probably (absolutely) eat way over my calorie count so for me it would be more realizing its one (2) days out of the year. Yes it's possible I wouldn't lose any weight that week and I suppose if I went hog wild I could even gain a pound (doubtful but possible) but for me that's not the end of the world... It's probably because I have so much weight to lose I can't get upset over gaining a pound/not losing weight one week, especially if I had a blast and it wasn't a routin thing.

Totally going off my diet for a day won't send me into a tailspin leading to me blowing the rest of the week/month/year. If it will cause you to do this then I'd think twice about going...

What you could try and do is think about what foods are "important" to you. For me it would be funnel cakes and turkey legs. Sure the sausages smell awesome but I'd rather have the funnel cake. Also instead of eating a whole turkey leg, or a whole bag of pop corn or mug of ale, etc can you share with your fiancé? 1/2 a bag of popcorn is better then a whole one!

Besides look on the bright side, all the fairs I've been too involved ALOT of walking.... It's EXERCISE!! Ok that might be reaching a tad bit but again it's better then sitting on your butt eating those foods.

In short- if you can handle not losing weight that week and you can go right back to calorie counting the next day I'd go and enjoy myself but that's just my opinion.

(Now I want a funnel cake )

I would stay on plan with ONE reasonably sized treat at each event.

I would try to look at my approach as a lifelong one and figure out what works best for me, since this sounds like a pretty important and cherished event to you and hubby.

- Would you feel deprived, sad, maybe frustrated/angry/resentful with your diet if you went to the fair(s) and didn't get to enjoy them as you do every year? Would this affect your weight loss negatively in the long-run?

- Would you feel completely comfortable moderating the amount of food you eat at the fair this year (and maybe every year), and perhaps the type of food (if that's even an option)?

- Do you feel more comfortable making an exception to your plan for those 1 or 2 days and dealing with the possible 1 or 2 pound gain? MORE IMPORTANTLY, would you be able to get right back on track?

- Also, are there any alternatives to eating all of that food at the fair? If you think you can handle eating them in moderation later, can you perhaps buy some pierogies and ask the vendors if they can be frozen to be eaten at a later time (ask for reheat instructions, if you do) rather than eating everything at once?

I don't know for sure what I would do. On the one hand, I would be cautious about how this would impact my ability return to plan. On the other hand, I would be pissed off if I ended up depriving myself and missing out on something that really matters to me. So you see, it all depends on what makes the most sense for you. If you decide to go for it, 1-2 lbs aren't a big deal if you're right back on plan the next day. And if not, you can probably go in another year or two. Given everything, what do you think would be the most sensible and satisfactory decision for you?

I would go, but pick out my favorite item to splurge on that day. Also, since you know you are going, be very skimpy with your other meals. Don't consider it cheating....you are just learning how to fit these foods into your eating plan occasionally, with occasionally being the key word.

The AK State Fair is our honeymoon, (long story) and we eagerly anticipate it each year. We used to eat junk until we were in a food induced coma. This year we chose the best of the best which for me was a buffalo burger with "cow chips" a bit of french fried heaven and the big cookie from the booth that gives 40% of their profits to a selectable set of causes. For my husband it was the same plus a chocolate dipped ice cream with sprinkles. Given that this was the vast majority of calories for the day and that we walked over 3 miles, not too much harm was done. We were given free tickets to the fair and on returning we decided to eat before we went, not wanting anything else from the fair except another cookie. Miracle!

Beloved and wanna are right. Look at this from the vantage point of lifelong patterns. It's fine if you want to pack a baggie of fruit and veggies or whatever but if you will feel like the party p**per, stupid, resentful, cheated or anything else about doing so, then skip that and plan like we said for only the best of the best, split things among your party, be slightly austere in your calories the day of and the day after and go walk your legs off and enjoy yourself.

I vote for making it a "planned indulgence." Eat more than usual, but don't gorge. Expect to gain a pound or two. Make a specific plan for getting right back on track when it's over.

Some may disagree, but to my mind a lifetime of rigid adherence to a sensible, controlled, 100% healthy eating plan is boring and unnecessarily spartan. It can also lead to rebound excess when people snap under the strain.

Freelance

Thanks everyone

Would you feel deprived, sad, maybe frustrated/angry/resentful with your diet if you went to the fair(s) and didn't get to enjoy them as you do every year? Would this affect your weight loss negatively in the long-run?

I actually sat here thinking about it for several minutes because it was exactly what I needed to hear, Belovedspirit!! The fact is, I would feel sad, frustrated and resentful. I don't know if it would affect me in the long-run, but I know I wouldn't enjoy the day.

I have decided to be extremely minimal with my calories the rest of the day, and focus just on the fair food. The local fair is small, but usually setup in a beautiful little park, so I will take an opportunity and walk around a bit more, enjoy some of the quieter areas. I will eat only my favorite foods, and eat them slower so I en enjoy them longer, instead of stopping at multiple stands and getting random things. If a stall has a cause I really want to support, but I don't want to buy food, I will donate the money I would have spent to that cause instead.

I feel better now that I have a game-plan I don't see myself going off-plan because of these fairs, I've been successful in having planned off-plan days before and being able to get right back on track the next day. I probably will not lose much for the week, and if I see gain I think the actual real gain will be minimal (I expect a few pounds of water weight).

I like thinking of it like this!!! It would be unreasonable to go the rest of my life without letting myself enjoy certain things occasionally! Like Freelancemama points out, staying 100% on a sensible, healthy eating plain IS boring!!! And life shouldn't be boring...well, at least not all the time

Thanks everyone for your feedback, it really made coming up with a game plan much easier so that I can be prepared for the weekend!!

Sounds like you've got it figured out! Yay! Have a great time!!

Freelance, the reason I voted for "planned indulgence" is because that is the way normal weight healthy people eat. If they go to a function and see something they like, they have it. Then after that they go right back to their usual eating. They never give it a thought. And this is our goal, isn't it?

I'm happy to see you figured this out!

That's right. My definition of "planned indulgence" may be a bit broader than yours, though. You suggested the OP indulge in ONE thing. I occasionally have planned indulgences in which I exceed my usual allotment by 1500+ calories. As long as they're planned and as long as I get back on track the very next day, I find that letting loose on occasion is psychologically freeing, which helps me (for the most part) accept some restriction the rest of the time.

Freelance

"On the other hand, I've gained about 6lbs of water weight over the past week from eating out and getting over a kidney stone, and the weight is extremely slow to come off (plus TOM should be visiting some time in the next week or so)."

Hopefully this will not become a trend..... I would say have your off plan day if you must but start now in banking your calories for those indulgences. Skip the nonfat latte or lunch out at work or the weekend popcorn during a movie....those little things add up.

So I wanted to give an update to my planned off-plan day today

I started off my day with a Fiber One Protein Bar for 130 calories, and took my dog for a walk (1.75 miles). I ate nothing else up until the fair, where I will say I ate exactly what I wanted (but nothing more).

-1 Aw Shucks Corn, which I calculate to be around 175 to 225 calories
-5 Pierogies which I'm guessing to be around 500-600 calories (they are more dense than the frozen ones you buy in the store)
-1 Beef and Cheddar Sandwich with thick sliced roast beef and about 4 tablespoons of cheese sauce, which I'm guessing is around 450-550 calories
-1 Funnel Cake, which after some research I'm going to guess is around 700-800 calories.

So at my best it was 1955 and at my worst 2305 ish calories intake. My calories burned for the day according to my Fitbit was 2120 calories. My caloric intake was less than what I thought, although I still take those numbers with a grain of salt because everything is homemade, so I could be completely way off base.

Everything was delicious, and definitely worth the splurge I can feel the urge to get back on plan tomorrow though. I thought I'd be more tempted to keep eating, but after I ate my funnel cake, it was almost like a relief that it was over. It was odd to feel that way, but I'm happy I am not itching for more food.

I don't go out to eat often (never fast food), and we chose On the Border, which sadly had food so over-seasoned and salty that I regretted eating it right after. The rest of the time I keep myself strictly between 1000-1200 calories for the day My body is very sensitive to change, though (at least from what I've been observing), and I retain water very easily. The kidney stone is really the big one in the water gain, after starting to feel the pain I gained close to 5lbs practically overnight. Was not a good morning to wake up to

Thanks everyone for your help and support!!!