We've all been here before; we've eaten too many shrimp po'boys and it's time to get serious about losing weight (ugh). Fortunately, there is a way to continue eating the amazing food in New Orleans and watch your calorie consumption. I've been working on this for awhile now and I want to share with y'all what I've have been utilizing in New Orleans to watch my waistline.

Martin's Wine Cellar has salads and so does St. James. I also am a huge fan of Sake on Magazine. There's nothing wrong with going to your favorite restaurant and ordering some form of protein (gainzzzzz!) and some vegetables. You can even share your favorite entrée and appetizer with a friend. Today I went to Kenton's, and instead of ordering eggs Benedict, I just got fried eggs and sausage. It does take some sacrifices, but your end result will be so worth it! There are so many restaurants out there that have healthy options on the menu - you just have to look!

Eat Fit NOLA has gone around to a lot of New Orleans restaurants and mapped out certain options on their menus. Eat Fit NOLA also has an app, featuring over 65 restaurant menus altered to be healthier. So if you're at the zoo, Fat Harry's, or even the Green Fork, you can find the healthiest option.

Working out is also crucial to losing weight. There are plenty of places to get fit for free. Audubon Park and City Park have walking tracks and workout stations. Even just running up and down St. Charles is so easy. (It's super motivating having all those cars watching you run!) I also like running through Loyola and Tulane's campuses. And of course there are so many gyms, barre studios, and spin classes you can join. The November Project is a free bootcamp that meets on Wednesday and Friday mornings; I highly recommend it. You just have to find what's right for you!

The most important thing about losing weight in New Orleans is that it's okay to "treat yo' self" every now and then. After all, when we live in a city like New Orleans, we can't just forget about foods like chargrilled oysters or a scoop of Black and Gold Crunch from Creole Creamery. So go out and hit your weight loss goals. We got this!