Moving day.

Hey y'all! I've moved my blog to www.ptmm.wordpress.com.

Come on over!

Motivationally challenged?

I am, by nature, motivationally challenged. I want everything right now or else, which means that motivating myself for the long haul is difficult. However, how is this for motivation....a two week trip to Europe!

We're landing in London, and visiting Britain, Amsterdam, Cinque Terre, Italy (check out that pic!) and Ireland. Not only do I want to look good for the trip, I want to feel good...this will be a necessity for the trip since we are going to be doing the backpack route. Me, a 36 year old backpacker! I love it!

I've added an exercise section.

Hey! I have added a section to address exercise and activity.

I've added a recipes section.

Check out here for a list of favorite recipes and food combinations! I will be adding to this continually. I'm trying to eat at home more, and am finding that I am actually a pretty decent cook! Some are my own, some are from others (and will be noted as such). Enjoy!

Facing the music, and having some damn good pasta after.

I went and weighed in tonight since I decided to switch my WI to Tuesday evening.

And...I was up 3.6 pounds. 190.8.

I'm not surprised...it could have been worse. This is after two weeks of pigging out, and a night WI vs a morning WI.

I decided to celebrate my new commitment, and use some of those groceries I bought, and I whipped this up:

1 cup whole wheat lingiune - 4 pts
2 oz shrimp - 1 pt
mushrooms - 0 pts
yellow onion - 0 pts
kale - 0 pts
red pepper flakes - 0 pts
2 tsp olive oil - 2.5 pts
lemon juice - 0 pts
1 tbsp fresh parmesan cheese - 1 pt

Cook the linguine. I sauteed the veggies (I didn't measure...I don't count points for zero pt veggies) in garlic and vegetable broth, added shrimp and sauteed. I added the kale last, then topping with the cooked pasta. Then I added a bit more broth, the olive oil and lemon juice to taste and mixed together to warm and blend flavors. Finished off with fresh basil and cheese, and voila!!! A huge, hearty meal for 8.5 points!!

So, what does $116.65 get you at the grocery store?

WW has this new plan, The Momentum Plan, that emphasizes the use of "filling foods"....this is not completely unlike what I was already doing on Flex, which was trying to focus on Core items, but counting points. Come Wednesday, I am recommitting and facing the dreaded scale knowing that I have probably put on a few pounds in the two weeks since I last weighed because I've been eating everything in sight. So, tonight I went to the store and did some stocking up:

Vegetables (kale, mushrooms, potatoes, butternut squash, brussel sprouts, bananas)
Fresh ginger and garlic
Jalapenos
Avocados
Tofu
Bulk beans (black and garbanzo)
Bulk quinoa
Bulk hummus mix
Bulk curry lentil soup mix
Bulk nutritional yeast
Bulk whole wheat couscous
Bulk TVP
Light sour cream
Whole wheat penne
Crushed tomatoes
Organic instant oatmeal
Spices (green chile powder, cinnamon)
Bulk tea - red chai
Peanut butter
multivitamin
Flax oil pills

I also got a big ol' caesar salad and some tomato basil soup from the deli, a "Real Simple" magazine and a tea infuser.

It seems like a lot of money, and Central Market is pricier than other stores, but the bulk items I got will last me a long time. I LOVE buying bulk grains, beans and spices.

Hopefully, I can stick to my guns and start cooking at home more often. Eating out should be an exception, not the rule.

Weeeeelll, here I am again.

Today, WW jumped the gun and posted the new Momentum plan online for onliners and etoolers. I read it all, and I gotta tell you, I'm semi-excited about it! The Thanksgiving holiday did a number on me, between the death of my beloved Mrs Mia Wallace and the overabundance of comfort foods and sweets. I skipped WI on Wednesday because emotionally I was just not ready for another letdown.

So, about Momentum. I like the ability to save up APs....this is especially useful for people like myself who can easily earn 10-12 APs on a long ride, but not necessarily want to eat all of them that day. It will take some getting used to with the tracker taking from weekly points before APs, but all in all I think it will work nicely. I also like the idea of set points...since I always had this guilt about miscounting when I go out to eat. This eases my mind.

Updates on me? Not much, except I did sign up for the BP MS 150 bike ride in April. Please visit http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/carrie.gentry to learn more and donate, if you would like. Oh, and I signed up for monthly pass....in 8 weeks I lost 1 pound. Yeah, I need a kickstart.

I bought a new cookbook, Vegan Fire & Spice, filled with spicy dishes from several different cuisines, i.e. thai, indian, chinese, american, mexican, etc. While I am not vegan anymore, I still like to eat a vegan diet quite a bit. I'll be testing some of these recipes soon!!

Be back soon!