I have a confession to make… I am southern. I love fried okra. And fried chicken. And biscuits. Especially with gravy. And all of those other yummy and fattening southern foods. My desire to eat yummy, fattening southern food tends to compete with my desire to fit into my clothes (which I currently do not do. Seriously. i have one pair of pants that fit. eek) and I am facing a conundrum: how exactly do I balance my culinary heritage with my modern day appearance? Really, is it possible to eat buttery, fried, smothered, filling foods and NOT weigh 700 pounds? How? Has anyone found that balance?
patienceamber 
You asked for my opinion on this topic…well I don’t actually have one. I don’t know how to balance excellent foods with a healthy weight because I have not yet achieved it. Every time I lose the weight, I gain some of it right back when I go back to what I usually eat.
But I offer three suggestions:
1. Find healthy substitutes to your favorite foods. Read Cooking Light, Hungry Girl, and Skinny Taste for inspiration on things like oven fried chicken, potato salad, and desserts.
2. Eat your favorite foods, but in moderation. Really want that biscuit? Eat it (but only one!) and eat healthy the rest of the day. Splurge occasionally, but mainly stick to what is healthy. If you know you are going to eat poorly at one meal, try to eat super healthy (veggies, whole grains, lean protein) for the others.
3. Stop eating unhealthy foods. This is clearly the least fun option, but if you don’t think you can do it in moderation or you lack any willpower, then it might be your best choice.
Everything in moderation, which usually means not eating the delicious southern food in the frequency or portions we’d like. Try limiting how often you eat it and drink a lot of water (and the occasional sweet tea) to help fill full. But it’s seriously an addiction, a delicious addiction.