PHILADELPHIA PHOOD PHIGHT

Speaking of having my day in the sun...yesterday I did just that!  I had a glorious day outdoors in the City of Brotherly Love.  I headed to Citizens Bank Park to watch the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Florida Marlins.  It was a great game and a great day out.  I hadn't been to a Phillies game in years. Nearly all the games have been sell-outs this season so I was fortunate to get my hands on some tickets.  The seats were pretty high up, but the vantage point was good and the weather ideal.

Nearly 46,000 people attended to watch the Philadelphia victory.  It was a sea of red as the fans packed the stadium.  I was grateful to be in the end seat of my row as if the cosmos new in advance the fat girl could use a little breathing room. The seats were comfortable and the crowd pleasant.  It was an ideal way for this dieter to spend a free afternoon. Except for one teeny little distraction...
THE FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everywhere you looked, there was some insane temptation!  For those of you who have never been to the city ranked the second fattest in the US by WebMD, and the one that earned a top ten standing in about a dozen other studies, you are probably unaware of the city's eating habits.  The Phillies playground is no exception, boasting of two restaurants and nearly one hundred concessions stands.  Citizens Bank Park was named "Best Ballpark Eats" by The Food Network in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010!

The staple is, of course, the Philadelphia cheesesteak.  Varieties include everything from standard onions, provolone, and cheese-whiz to sandwiches that contained fried salami and red cheese sauce!  There was ice cream and funnel cakes.  Kettle corn and peanuts.  Turkey legs and cheeseburgers.  Pork barbecue and pizza.  Soft pretzels and beer.  Crab cake sandwiches, nachos, and cotton candy.  My husband is pictured above holding two containers of the notoriously famous Chickie's and Pete's Crab Fries; crinkle- cut french fries seasoned with Old Bay and served with a white cheddar dipping sauce.

Even if you had super powers enough to avoid all of these temptations, as clearly I did not (you will notice my husband is holding TWO containers of fries) you were given little choice when the Philly Phanatic began to skyrocket hot dogs into the crowd.  C'mon, give the fat girl a break!  That would be the hot dog launching machine pictured on the right, and the evidence of what remained of the airborne wieners pictured down below! 

The next few days will be a challenge.  My husband took a couple vacation days and the Phillies game will not be my only temptation.  Regardless, I am grateful to have the time off to spend with him and will momentarily suspend my obsessive diet plans until Monday.

The final score of the game: Phillies 3, Marlins 0.  

The final score for my diet: 1 order of Crab Fries & cheese sauce, 1 hot dog with mustard, 1 bottled water.

GO PHILLIES! 

A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz. ~Humphrey Bogart