Going to Baton Rouge and New Orleans this week. Talk about a food capital!!!! I haven't been down there since I started this WOE, we go once a year. I'm a tad concerned. Especially as we plan to stay on Burboun Street one night. What drinks should I stick to? and what should be my max amt to not gain?

I do plan to exercise while I'm there, not the French Quarter day, but I'll be walking a lot so that will be good. I just am gonna be a little depressed, I think, at the restuarants there.

Any advice, should I break down and have a cheat meal? Don't know if its worth it, as I haven't cheated once since starting.

Jenny

Cant give you any advice on that one, I live about 15-20 minutes outside of Baton Rouge and I deal with this food daily . Hard to say, but if you only come once a year, I would personally indulge once. Pick one meal only and dont feel guilty. Just dont do it for the whole weekend, then get right back on track monday. Le Bon Temps Roule!!! (Let the Good Times Roll)

This is a tough one. I always gain weight in NOLA.

Are you on OWL or maintenance?

If you are visiting restaurants in the Quarter, there are some places that serve excellent seafood dishes that wouldn't be too bad (can't remember names at the moment, sorry). Also, Copeland's now has a low-carb menu!

The last time I was in New Orleans was 3 years ago...So, I can't say for sure what's available that's LC. I liked the Alligator, but I don't remember for sure how it was prepared. If its available Non-Fried, try it...its great. They had a great Mustard Dip at this one place, but it was probably too high in Carbs. You might try the Casinos. I haven't been to the LA Casinos, but the MS Casinos have Buffets with plenty of LC Food Choices.

We were in New Orleans for New Year's - I reread your post just before posting, so I see you're probably familiar with lots of this, but here are some low carb possibilities from our trip:

Acme oyster house – raw oysters w/squeeze of lemon (approx. .5 carbs per oyster)

shrimp remoulade (remoulade is a spicy mustard sauce, but in most incarnations it's really not high carb - just don't smother the shrimp) - in lots of places

any seafood dishes that aren’t breaded or with pasta - lots of good choices

Brunch at Brennan's would be a wonderful splurge that could easily be done low carb, so long as you don't mind skipping the bananas Foster.

Lots of walking, even a walking tour of some of the cemeteries or of the French Quarter or Uptown, should help. I found it difficult to keep up my water intake while I was there, and I put on a few pounds of bloat, but it came off quickly when we got back.

Can't help you with Bourbon Street - we avoided it like the plague!

You can skip most of the tourist traps but whatever you do, dont miss Uglesich's for lunch. Take the trolley to the Garden District and get off at Emeril's steak house, Delmonico's. walk across the street from it past some fast food joint on your left. You will think you are lost, in some warehouse area but on the right corner ahead of you will be the hidden gem of NOLA. You might have to ask Mr Uglesich what will work on lo carb diet but lots of fish and shellfish and all good. Walk inside and order then be prepared to wait. They will call you when a table is free. there are few tables and always a wait for lunch but well worth it. Best lunch in the city, just without the ambiance and crazy prices of the better known stops. I will be in NOLA in May and will eat lunch here daily while I am there.

First off you'll have a great time. I live in the best city in the states! You can have raw oysters at Acme Oyster House (i think it is on decatur) or try Mike Andersons it is fantastic. Boiled crawfish or shrimp would be LC and are fabulous. I always liked Frankie and Johnnie's on Arabella St. but you would have to take a cab there. If you take the streetcar down st.charles you can go to Houstons, Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, etc. You can do walking tours of the garden district and cemeteries. You don't need to overpay a guide to walk you around. You can buy a book and do it yourself. Plus half the stuff they say on those things is BS anyway, made up to make the tourists happy.

Stay away from crap like Bubba Gumps or Hard Rock Cafe, it's all deep fried and not worth wasting carbs on when you can go to the real resteraunts in the city!!!

If you were going to cheat this is a great city to do it. Mothers has great poboys & Central Grocery has good muffaletas.

You can drink diet coke and rum, that is low in carbs. But you should definatly try a hurricane if you want to splurge, they are delicious & you don't even notice your consuming alcahol with them. Daquiri places are on every corner too if you prefer those. You can go to margaritaville & get a good burger. Oh and old dog, new trick is a vegetarian cafe that's menu is online.

Have a great trip!!!

why don't you try switching to the plan that gives you a rewards meal just for your vacation? I know they don't advocate switching plans all the time, but it might help to get you through the vacation. I can't remember what plan it's called though.......sorry!

If you are looking for things to do there is always:

Audubon Zoo
Aquarium
D-Day Museum (very interesting, but can take a long time to go thru.)
You can go tour Blaine Kearns mardi gras float building area. These floats can be super elaborate.
St Patrick's Cathedral

If your in town on a sunday the House of Blues Gospel Brunch is awesome!

Stay away from the hurricanes. About 18 carbs each.
I've been working out of Baton Rouge 4 days a week, and found that once I accepted that I couldn't have the gumbo or jambalaya, I was okay. Plenty of great seafood. Heading to NOLA for Jazzfest myself.

--nw

Hey Everyone!

We're going to NOLA at the end of May for DH's 40th b-day. We also go once a year and I haven't been since I started this WOE!! My advice Jenny - do the best you can. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to prepare myself - know that I could come home having gained. Don't beat myself up if I eat more than what I planned. Vacations are a big challenge and I will be strong while I'm on vacation and will be stronger when I get home - if I get "off track" while in NOLA - I will know that I can get back on track when I get home. I'm also hoping - like you - that all the walking will help. I went to NOLA while on Weight Watchers and chowed and drank everything in sight and not only did I NOT gain I lost 2 lbs because of all the walking and dancing! Another thing I just found out - if I do eat too many carbs I'll feel like crap. And I don't want to feel horrible while on vacation. (I had a small slice of pizza - my 1st piece in almost 4 months - with salad and naked hot wings the other night and my stomach felt so darn bloated - I was miserable - I told DH that I felt like a float in the Macy's Parade - just take a pin to my stomach!).

Anyway - just be strong, think positive, don't beat yourself up and have a GREAT TIME!

Well I feel a little more confident that it won't be as bad as I anticipated but I really am going to miss not getting my mudslide or white russian daqs.

But I think a lot of you had really good ideas with just sticking to the seafood.

We'll see.
Jenny

I have actually done the reward meal and not gone off the diet, you just have to right back on next meal and can only do it one meal a day. I would think that would be better than going off all together. Vacations are hard and no matter how you try, it is hard to not mess up, but if you only eat one cheat meal a day, eat it within an hour, you will be okay, just make sure you eat low carb the other two meals and stay within the hour. It is low carb addict diet. I have done this and it does work and keeps you on track on a trip. You just have to be strict about the hour, from first bite to last, and eating low carb the other two meals, so chose your cheat meal carefully if you chose to do the reward meal. I hope you have a really great time, I can't wait to go there myself, but try if you can to stay on plan, you do not want to bring home any pounds as a souvenier !!! Stephie