[derrydaughter]

Well, I'm hoping for some words of wisdom here from a few ww and core veterans....
Here is a little bit about me. Last April, 2004, I re-joined WW after a long absence. I am a lifetime member, but regained all my weight and then some. I've tried So. Beach, Atkins, ww (more than once), and a few other things.
I'm fed up (literally?). I was doing really well until some really hard emotional challenges occured in my life a few months ago. I'm losing my dad to cancer, and I've been slowly but surely eating my way (provides me with comfort, and I know it's wrong, but I do it anyway) back to all the previous weights.
I have continued going to ww meetings and have stayed on Flex points. I tried the ww core plan right after it came out and had a minor loss at first and then started to gain weight again on it. I cut it out and went back to flexpoints. But, the emotions I am going through make it really hard for me to stick with journalling and I keep "restarting" over and over. Each morning, it seems, that I try again to start journalling and eating right and then by mid-day, I've lost it and started uncontrolled snacking.
This is not good. I've put back on about 12 pounds that I had worked so hard to lose. I'm really looking for something to inspire me and the points plan has become boring and I know it so well and seem to find all ways to manipulate it. So, here I am.
I've done some soul searching and I figure I am really stupid... yep, that's me. WW keeps stressing how this is not a diet and you need to find a life plan of eating that you can stick with for the rest of your life. It's obvious that the journalling, points and all that are NOT working for me and are NOT something I can find a way to stick with and ride out through the good and bad times.
So, it's back to the proverbial drawing board. A plan I can stick with for life.... is it core? I don't want to be destined to be heavier and feeling awful in tight clothes, like I am feeling right now. I don't want to have illnesses like high blood pressure and cancer, etc. that the wrong diet and being overweight can contribute to. I'm 50 years old and I need to FIX this and FIX it for good.
I know the core plan, basically, I have all the ww stuff here and I just had a full core breakfast. I feel satisfied and full after having cream of wheat, half an orange (I actually felt full and couldn't finish it) and ff yogurt. So, I could that as meal 1 of day 1. Will I even make it through today? I sure hope so.
I'm going to challenge myself to stick this out for the week, I know myself well and will allow myself the 35 flex points and I will try to get back to some exercise, but take it easy on myself.
I want to be at goal or at least close to goal. I want to be healthy and I've been a very "bad" girl.
So, maybe someone here will help me with this and offer advice, meal ideas and support?
Linda in New Hampshire, starting over for about the millionth time

[aghiowa]

Linda, first of all, let me say welcome! You've come to the right place for Core support. The ladies on this board are so warm and friendly, as well as extremely knowledgeable. We love Core, and we know it works. I've lost almost 50 pounds on it, and am maintaining at goal now. That said, it's not a magic fix, and we all have challenges. It sounds like your life is very stressful right now, but you're doing so well to recognize what you're doing with your eating, and nipping it in the bud! Good job! We always say here, give Core a month, and it will work.

Feel free to come on over to our Core Support thread. That's where we mostly hang out and chat. I think we're on #19 now.

My sympathies to you and your dad, and again, welcome.

Angela

[Katpo]

Welcome, Linda! I remember you from when I first joined last August! Welcome back to Core land -- we've learned a lot since then.

I so know what you mean -- last night I was about ready to give up. I recently rejoined meetings and don't feel as though I'm doing that well, especially this week. Last week I lost 4 pounds but it was just that initial whoosh of water weight that always comes off. I can't stop the emotions OR the emotional eating (and drinking) and so I'm literally at my wits end.

I'll see you on the discussion board, but meanwhile, give it a try. Sounds like you're off to a great start!

[ontarget]

linda, welcome to the board. like angela said, this is a great place for support and strength. i'm a lifetime member who now has about 50 lbs to lose, so i congratulate you on getting back on track before this happens to you.

my heart goes out to you and your dad.

[Froufy]

Linda,

Hang in there - as you know it's a constant battle but well worth the fight. I too have a history of some scary stuff in my family and I know losing weight will help me stay healthy as I try to avoid life altering conditions.

I think you had the right idea - it's a lifetime plan and for many of us here we can see eating Core as a lifestyle - something we can do for as long as we want to. I also agree that one day at a time, even one meal at a time is a great way to go.

Don't put undo pressure on yourself at this stressful time - in fact sometimes eating well and taking care of yourself in a healthy way will make you feel better and more in control at a time when everything else seems out of control

Good luck and welcome!

Frouf

[cher123]

Linda, I hope it can work for you. I've been on Core for almost 6 months now, which is the best I've ever done on an eating plan. I'm not losing really fast, but I'm losing consistently.

I've found a couple of things help. First was identifying when I turned to emotional/mindless eating. Mainly it was when I was bored at work or stressed out on the weekends. So at work I've tried to substitute chewing gum, a pot of tea or walking up to get a diet soda (and nothing else) at the snack shop. LF popcorn can also go a long way. At home, I try to find something to do, or just go out for a while.

Another red flag time is letting myself get too hungry. It's really easy then to make bad choices and shovel it down when you really don't need anymore.

Finally, I've discovered that there are just certain foods/situations that I have to stay away from, at least most of the time. For example, when I go a fast food place, I don't want a salad--I can make better salads at home. I want the bad, fried, gooey stuff. So it's better just to stay away.

Good luck and keep trying. If you really stick to Core at the very least you'll be eating food that's better for you.

[Vickie]

Linda, hello and welcome back. I remember you too from when I first started back at WW the end of last September. As you can see by my very fluffy chick, I've lost 40 pounds all on Core. I am 49 and have dieted all my life and have a very slow metabolism. I am here to tell you that Core works if you get on it and stick to it. It may not be fast but it will eventually work. I'm a stress eater too and can sympathize with you. I've found that many of the Core foods (or combinations thereof!) are comforting to me. I weigh in every week and stay for my meetings but these women here on this board are absolutely the best support I have ever had on WW. They are kind and helpful and always there for each other. No sniping or nastiness like on some of the WW site boards. I hope you'll join us. My motto is that you have to give Core a solid month of really sticking to it to give it a fair chance. Stopping when you are "satisfied" is a bit of a lesson to be learned at first but you'll get the hang of it. I eat every 2-3 hours. Keeping satisfied I think is one of the keys to success. We have a profile thread that we've all completed so that we can get to know each other. Why don't you fill it out so that we can all get to know some other stuff about you too! I've another 110 pounds to lose so I'll be here a while. We can do this together.

I'm really sorry to hear about your Dad. I lost my own Dad to cancer 27 years ago when he was only 58 years old. I'll pray that your Dad can win his battle.

[derrydaughter]

I will check out the core support board, thanks.
I made it through today and have planned a core dinner as well. Dessert time, when the rest of the family has their ice cream may be difficult, but I did 40 minutes on my treadmill this morning and earned 2 flexpoints, so maybe a ww frozen dessert?
What are you guys doing for dessert?
Have you found any good substitutes for breads, or are you skipping them?
Have you (dare I ask) found any good substitutes that are core for a homemade pizza?
I'm willing to open up my mind. I have a family with two teenages and a DH who are just NOT going to eat core foods all the time, but I can maybe find a way to work it out.
I'm so fed up with how I've been doing that I need something fresh and new to hang on to right now. I want snacks for "comfort" right now and found that I've been going over on my points each and every day, which made me bummed out and I'd end up abandoning the flex plan for a few days and just eating whatever I wanted. The result, gaining back almost all the weight I worked so hard to keep off. It's a pretty clear message to me that I can't make a "lifetime committment" to the flex plan.
How are those of you who are doing core work out maintenance, do you just still eat core foods and just add a few more flexpoints? Kind of curious about that, but I am a long way from needing it, sadly.
I feel so good after reading all your responses!
Linda

[septembersgoal]

Linda, we're glad to have you back! Core is great. When I was doing flex I was always obsessing over how many points I had eaten, how much is this worth, etc. But now I don't have to worry about that stuff. I haven't lost as much as I could because I'm a cheater, but its been pretty steady. Good luck to you!!

[derrydaughter]

I'm a cheater too, Melissa, I have to work this all out and cheat with better quality foods... at least with core no one is "standing over my shoulder" (meaning the journal) and making me feel like a failure if I didn't stick with my 22 points, exactly. This failure feeling seemed to be compounding and making me feel even more miserable.
Linda, who has done well all day and not one non-core food has passed over my lips. One day at a time, I like that!

[Katpo]

Linda, I'm such a journaler that I still write down my Core foods. I actually try to stay at my 22 points but eat Core foods within that range.

Now having said that, you can see it isn't exactly working, because I'm just as frustrated as everyone else who isn't making it. I'm trying to figure out what's wrong and then maybe I can make a new plan.

[Vickie]

Linda, I do one meal at a time!

[cher123]

I've been using a lot of one-point breads, bagels, english muffins, and tortillas. They aren't really trigger foods for me, and not having anything like that was one of the reasons I found South Beach to be hard.

My favorite pizza substitute is portobello mushrooms topped with whatever you would usually put on a pizza. I buy or make smaller pizzas for the family and have mushrooms myself (although dh likes them, too). That way there aren't any tempting leftovers.

[WWEnthusiast]

Hey Linda.....Lj here....glad to see you here now, and of course I remember you from your other board. This IS a Great bunch here.....always, always post...so much so, it's hard to catch up, at least for me :-)
I don't get on as often as everyone else, but the welcome is always there. I found it very hard to start to count points again,,,,and if I remember you are also quite the cook, like some of the others here....so I think CORE will be great for you. You can do it you know....and this group of wonderful Core'ers are just what you need. Vickie always says...give it a month, and I think she is right. Come and join us on Core Board 19, which may change soon. This board fills up in days instead of weeks...
Good to 'see' you......
See you at Coreboard 19- when I can get there.
Linda (LJ)

[active]

Linda,
I was having my own personal pity party and was just browsing this site. My weight story is very similar, a life time of diets. Always ending up at WW. I too so very much want to try CORE and make it work, I posted here about a week ago and then didn't make it a day. I was TOO embarrassed to post again.

Now here is where my pity party ends for me, because I have walked in your shows about 15 years ago. At this point, my advice is take each day and do the best you can. Trust your body, spend time with your Dad, but remember to take care of yourself, too. I know this is really hard.

After reading all the love and support on this board, I will definitely be back and give CORE another try. Hope to see you around.

Hugs and prayers,
Wanda