The crack of the bat. The swish of the basketball going through the hoop. The arc of the football through the goal posts. The blur of the puck gliding along the ice. The golf ball satisfyingly going into the cup. The goalie making a save.



All of these are a huge part of life, not only in my home town of Boston but around the world. We love our sports, and we love watching them. Fenway Park, the Garden and Gillette Stadium are all destinations in their own rights, as are Olympic stadiums around the world. Memorabilia sells well. It's hard to go a day in Boston without seeing someone in a Red Sox cap or jersey, or a Celtics shirt or Patriots jersey.



So you're on a diet. And someone -- perhaps someone very close to you -- announces they've got, say, Red Sox tickets. And you're a fan. What do you do?



You know there will be calories aplenty. And you know there are going to be vendors hawking all sorts of treats.



So, again, what do you do?



A few strategies:

• Eat a meal before the game begins. Ballpark food is expensive, and often not of good nutritional quality. Have your meal beforehand and you won't be distracted by hunger.


• Research your choices online. There aren't a lot of places where the calories are added up, but do some research and try to take a stab at it. Fenway and Gillette Stadium both give some information. The Garden has restaurants and offers some information as well. Check your hometown favorites, and even deeply dive into online reviews, anything that can clue you in regarding what to expect. Make some estimates by checking calorie counters online, but recognize that portions will probably be rather large.


• Decide on one or two treats before you go to the arena. If you want to have a Fenway Frank, then have one, so long as you've made up your mind that that's going to be your treat and you won't also have nachos, a Cuban sandwich and some Crackerjacks. And, of course, log it.


• Don't get your calories from liquids. Adding a soda (even a diet one) or a beer (even a light one) to the abovementioned Fenway Frank is just going to add to the damage. Pick one or the other.

The game is more important than the food, but the food can be mighty tempting. Keep your eyes on the prize and think about what the athletes you're watching have gone through in order to make their dreams come true. Your dreams deserve to come true, too, so don't let a plate of pizza or 32 ounces (!) of buttered popcorn stand in the way.