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The Scale Isn't Moving... Why?

Over the last couple of weeks, I have seen an maintenance trend on the scale. At first, I was mildly frustrated, but then I decided to trust my body and the process. Plateaus happen, and I was not gaining, so it still felt great! On top of that, I reflected on my planned indulgences, considered my treats, etc., I also considered the progress I have made over the last six months or so: I was not bingeing and that was huge for me; I was also choosing healthier options and smaller portions. AND I tracked everything. 

 Or so I thought.

After the weekend, I was a little more curious about why there wasn't more progress in the numbers, so yesterday, I took some coaching advice referred to in the Half Size Me show podcast: Whenever in the kitchen wanting to take a bite or grab a small thing from the fridge while constructing a meal or otherwise, stop and put every item on a plate and see what would have been consumed prior to sitting down for the full meal.

Mind you, I only took this baby step during lunch because hubby made breakfast and we had leftovers for dinner. Here is what would have been consumed prior to lunch:

 Based on putting some of these items into My Fitness Pal tracker over these past couple of weeks, I guesstimate that this bowl contains approximately 150 calories: 2TBS of chicken salad, 1/4C of fruit, 1/2 cracker, and a bite of colby/jack cheese. Again, these are all estimates, but still, I stopped to think about that for just a minute: if while I'm preparing 3-4 meals per day (I have 2 children and spend about 80% of my day in the kitchen) I consume 150 calories per preparation, that is 450-600 calories being ignored and untracked. Yes, that is going to show up on the scale, or in my case, allow me to maintain.

I wanted to share this with my readers so that you can also be aware of your habits and nip grazing in the bud!

What are you struggling with? What is frustrating you on your journey?
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