Those last five pounds are a doozy. I’ve had to take a scalpel to my eating. Deleting things and moving calories around so I am not so hungry. Eating under 1600 calories is hard for me. One thing to note: I am not on a diet. I’m still eating my regular foods. The changes I am making are small. A little less of something here and there. It’s a balance between having enough energy and eating just low enough to ditch those last five pounds. I am not going to lie, I am looking forward to maintenance.

This week I am making a simple cake. You probably have noticed my desserts being lower in calories. That’s because it’s a small adjustment I could make without too much pain. I am starting with Honey and Spice Snack Cake from Taste of Home. I am keeping the calories under 130. I am also making the usual swaps to make this lower in carbs and gluten and dairy free.

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replaced the honey with sugar free variety to reduce the carbs.
• I deleted the nuts to reduce the calories.
• I increased the unsweetened applesauce to 1 cup to remove the canola oil to reduce the calories.
• I replaced the all purpose flour with almond and coconut flours to reduce the carbs.
• I lowered the amount of honey by 1 tablespoon to reduce the calories.
• I replaced the eggs with flax eggs because eggs are getting expensive.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Honey and Spice Snack Cake

Makes 12 Servings

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 granulated sweetener
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 3 tablespoons sugar free honey

1. In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Whisk the applesauce and honey. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
2. Pour into a 9-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.