Cooking, Losing Weight and Using the Crockpot

So during my blogging absence (explained here) I got away from meal planning and posting about my weight loss journey.  If you read my explanation you know that I was pregnant for part of this year. Essentially I have only lost 1 pound since the beginning of the year.  On the one hand it is good.  I am keeping off the 63 lbs I lost and my summer clothes from last year are not falling off so I don't have to buy new ones.  On the other hand....my summer clothes from last year are not falling off and I really wish they were.  I wish I could find some new motivation but I just sit here stuck at a LONG plateau and I don't want to cut back more or exercise.  I used to be so strict with myself and not "cheat" at all.  Over time I have allowed myself a bite of this or that and I really need to not do that. It just gets frustrating to stay the same even when being good.

(I weighed myself today and I am down a tad more...almost to 64 lbs.  At least it's something.)

I thought I'd share a before and current (not "after" because I am NOT done) picture.  The first picture was taken after I'd already lost several pounds...maybe 15??  The other one was taken just recently.

Christmas 2010
(I hate looking at this picture still.)

Here I am wearing my new shawl. April 2012

I must keep going!!!!!

So this brings me to the second subject of this post. Cooking, menu planning, crock-pots.  During the illnesses of 2012, I had to stay home from church 3 weeks in a row with sick children.  I was able to have a nice hot meal prepared when the rest of the family returned from church and it was REALLY nice.  So, I have been thinking that I need to plan ahead and have crock pot meals on Sundays so that we come home to something nice on Sunday.  However, I do not have a good stash of slow cooker recipes that are low in calories (or even have a calorie count provided) and don't take 8 hours to cook (about 4 hours would be ideal...6 could be managed too).  So, I am on a quest for new recipes for Sunday dinner.  If you have any favorites I would love for you to share.  Hopefully, I will be back to Menu Plan Monday soon with some great weight loss recipes for the crock-pot.