You could be making a valiant effort to lose weight, but if you eat too much each day then the number on your scale will not budge. Even if you think that you’re limiting calories, you won’t know unless you do a little research.

Get a small notebook to carry with you and jot down everything you eat for an entire week. Be sure to include the exact amount that you eat of each food item. At the end of the week do a tally of each day, and then figure out how many calories you eat on an average day.

Review your daily entries for items that are filled with empty calories – like cookies, candy or soda pop. These should be the first things that you cut out of your diet as you transform your body.

Salty, crunchy snack foods are a weakness for most people. Instead of eating chips or popcorn or crackers, which quickly add up in unwanted pounds, make a batch of these delicious, crunchy kale chips. Kale chips are low in carbs and make a delicious crunchy snack.

What you need
Serves 5

1 bunch kale, washed and torn, stems discarded
1 Tablespoon olive oil
dash of salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl mix the kale pieces with all of the ingredients.

3. Spread evenly on foil-lined baking sheets.

4. Bake for 12 minutes, watching closely that they do not burn. Remove from oven when crispy.

Nutrition
One serving equals 51 calories, 3g fat, 68mg sodium, 5g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 2g protein

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