I'm having a very difficult time balancing my points vs. my calories. I know I won't lose if I don't eat enough, but today, for instance, my calories are only 938 for my 20 points. I *DO* have exactly 20 points, and it includes veggies and milk and some FF stuff as well as my daily "cheat" of a small coke. So ... I don't know what to do. I don't really get hungry because I keep drinking the water, but I also didn't have a loss this morning and I'm getting pretty discouraged. In fact, I might be up just a teeny bit.

I'm trying to decide if I want to join the new round of WW @ work that starts this week. I only have a handful of pounds to lose and hate to pay, hate the mean stares I get when I go, and I know what I'm supposed to be doing. Ordinarily the meetings would be for encouragement, but these gals are really b*tchy to me and I hear them say snide remarks to the effect of "why is she here?" Fortunately, I don't have to work directly with them or if I did, I'd probably go off on them and tell them to mind their own beeswax.

Oh well ... I'll keep grinding away at it. I know it's possible.

Happy day to all!!

Hey all! Sounds like everyone is getting back into the swing of things. I'm working on getting back on track. I had a couple of quick questions, (1) anyone have any good suggestions for a quick and CORE breakfast that is not cereal? I usually have no time to have breakfast before work, so I need something transportable that I can eat in the office. I usually bring snacks and lunch in small cooler, need something for breakfast that is easily transportable. (2) I am making chicken salad this week for lunch and debating on whether to have it on bed of greens or as a sandwich. Leaning more towards the greens, but in an effort to get carbs in looking for a low-point cracker addition to have with salad. Any suggestions?

It's weird how I've been doing this since September, yet since I was un-Core for two weeks, I feel like I'm starting over and every strategy and tips that I have learned or developed for myself has been sucked out of my brain.

I make an egg to take to work and heat it up in the micro after I get here. Another suggestion is those egg quiche cups, very good and filling and you can add chopped canadian bacon and vegetables as well. I make a whole muffin pan of them, freeze them and just take two out. By the time I get to work they are thawed, then I put them in the micro.

As for the chicken salad, I think the Sara Lee Delightful bread is the best. Two slices for 1 point, and chock full of fiber. Plus, I think it tastes good.

Hi everyone! Even though my scale was not showing a loss last week I was down a pound at WI Thurs. night. I was the only one there because of the weather but since it is only about 1/4 mile from my house I decided to go anyway once I survived the drive home from work. I ususally go non-core for breakfast (english muffin) but my core choices are ususally oatmeal or a smoothie. You could make oatmeal portable by placing everything in a container and just nuking it when you get to work. I do that occasionally if I am in a rush. The smoothie you could mix up at home and place in a commuter mug and drink it on the way. If I am hungry in the evening I'll have either a "milkshake" (ff milk mixed with some ff/sf pudding mix and splenda, or popcorn or another yogurt or some ff/sf pudding (1/2 package mixed with 1 cup ff milk). I ususally don't eat after dinner which I make my biggest meal. Strange weather we are having here in VT. We have a snow storm every other day (couple of inches) then it melts the next day. Thurs. forcast is for a temp of 55 degrees. I think the earthquake changed our weather.

Kathy

For breakfast ideas, besides the various egg combinations, what about some fruit and ff cheese cubes? Or fruit and yogurt?

Glad to see everyone posting and doing well. I'm still working on the transition to Core, but I made my favorite vegetable barley soup last night and have plenty of extras for lunch this week.

Well Hello EVERYONE!! Wow lots of post here since the other day!! Glad to see everyone and WELCOME to all who are new here at this board....which by the way is the BEST!!!!
My last few days changing have been uh,,,,ok....I am finding that I am hungry, darn it!! But I still feel unsure all of a sudden about the 'till you're satisfied' thing. I HAD that soooo uncontrol for months and then, bam, something happened. I am going to stay with the pts this week and then Saturday, maybe JUST maybe I'll start Core again. I feel just like TXLAWCHIC..it's like starting over again, and yes every tip learned has been sucked out of my brain too.....You put it in the exact wording for me.......ughhhh... I had this all down pat for months....and now puff, it's gone. Core has been very good to me......With just a few pounds from goal you'd think this would be so simple, but nooooooooooo, it's harder.
Today is only Monday so I have a few days left to complete my week. Although I may have known I was going to do this because I went shopping yesterday and most of my stuff was Core........somebody please save me from myself (hahahahahaha)
I am the same as VICKIE....I love my sweets, and that is what gets me.....unfortunately for me FRUIT is NOT a snack, I can't get passed that one (LOL)
But VICKIE'S idea of Banana smoothie or frozen fruit smoothie is a great one too.
Even the WW smoothies are good, but sometimes I like my snack to be chewable.....go figure....no never mind, don't try to figure me out, you'll make yourself nuts :-)
NITA I hope you have a GREAT time, you'll do just fine.....just stay warm!!
KATHY IN VT....good going on the weight loss, and such dedication.....you go girl!! Kudos to you!!!!!!!!!
KATHY IN TEXAS - I am having that same calorie / point ratio thing.....geezzzz. You think these last few pounds would just leave us the heck alone:-) Well like I said, I will finish out this week, but I am sooooo hungry, how 'bout you? AND now afraid that I may just lose total control.... I am running out of ideas on how to battle this. But this board and ALL of you are my saving Grace. So the battle and the saga continue. If I am not happy with my results or I become discouraged this week, I just may change again. I still can't help but think because I am so close that we are losing control and interest...and that worries me.
This weight loss thing is for a lifetime, or else, we'll be back where we were, all of us, and none of us wants to be there....ever again. So I continue to fight the fight and see where this week takes me. Why can't I just pick one and DO IT...and call it a day....nah, that would be too simple. KATHY (TX) even though you reached your 20 are you using any of the WPA??

To everyone here that I did not address....WELCOME, just can't go back to see what was posted once at this point. Best of luck on your weight loss journey....you have come to the right place...this board is the best!!
Well I will check with you all later......Linda

I'm not using my WPAs yet ... well okay I might have to do it today!

Kelly_S might have figured out my problem. I'm rounding everything up (actually my calculator is doing the rounding) and there are things that I should be counting as 1/2 point instead of a whole one. For my lower calorie foods, I'm going to double them and see if they still calculate to only 1 point, and if so, I'll count the regular amount as only 1/2 pt. Make sense? That would give me more room for calories but keep the points the same.

You are so right about regaining. I've seen so many people who said they did and I am determined NOT TO! I got that way because of steroids and inactivity after a back problem, and there's no way I want to weigh 175 again. For me, it is just totally unacceptable. I will stop my loss at 145 if I have to but will not ever ever again peek over into the 150s or beyond. I mean it!

VICKIE you mentioned your leader said that if you are hungry every 2-3 hours then you should eat , 1. is that normal....and 2. ...what should you eat?? You mean like fruit??? (yuk:-) or could that something be protein of some sort, or chicken or egg salad or something substantial, like a mini meal?? Or could it be my 'favorite' ......cous cous...
I will try anything to get back into the swing of something!! I can feel myself drifting already...and it's only day 3. I do that don't I ....(hahahaha)
Perhaps the best thing to do is...start over like I never did the Core program before. Start like a new person, with the excitment I had when I first "tried" it. First I should keep my commitment to this week....and go from there...If you don't mind Vickie would you address my original question,thanks Just to clear that up, my leader never touch base on that and it's captured my interest.
LKTS- how is your transition going??? How do you make your favorite veg. barley??
MERCEE- I hope your weigh in goes well for you.. You are doing so Great!!
KATHY -TX- eqq quiche cups - what are they?? sounds good though!
Great suggestions......see I just may have to do Core this week instead....thanks to all you wonderful suggestions
Well I think that's it, at least for right now......... .......Linda

Hi everyone. So I was really bummed out yesterday. I thought I was starting to look so good - then I saw a photo of myself from the back. Ugh. Don't you just hate that? So to motivate myself, I put my pre-Core start weight on my tracker, from last January. I realized I'm halfway to goal, and that's not so bad, considering that up to a few months ago, I was nursing.

So do any of you have real trouble losing the week or two before your period? My weight hasn't budged in 2 weeks, and I know that's why. Grrr! Is there anything I can do to change this? Drink more water? A sex-change operation? (Just kidding.) Just wondering if anyone has any strategies to help.

You guys are great!
Angela

haha......a sex change operation would be very expensive! i find that if i drink more water and dont eat cuts of meat like canadian bacon for the salt content that it really helps.

'l.j. egg quiche cups......here i go again cooking without a recipe but basically for 6 muffins.....use 5 eggs beaten, add to it whatever you want that is core.....red peppers, onions, turkey sausage, canadian bacon, ff cheese mushrooms (yuck) to name a few.....pour into a muffin tin sprayed with your favorite 'pam' type spray and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees..... yummy, i made some of these last night......my son had 1 this morning and just loved it.

my leader stresses the all important breakfast with a protein, then have a ff yogurt for coffee break, then your lunch with a protein, then i usually have fruit for an afternoon snack, but have also been known to have some ff cheese and those rice crackers.....need the crunch sometimes......then supper of course with a protein and sometimes a dessert or a snack of popcorn......i found that awesome kettle corn to try but now i have to figure out the n/i and how it compares to orville's smart pop.....which is better? hummmm

went for my walk tonight and the roads were so slippery......no sun today except for 10 minutes which i think i blinked, so anyway, the snow did not melt but turn to ice.....made it back but am sure i burned a few extra calories being so tense......grrrrr.....

am off tomorrow to take care of some appointments and do some housework everyone else is either at school or work so i will have some me time.....trying to get a pedicure in there sometime! maybe with reflexology thrown in......

everyone have a great evening and will chat with you all tomorrow

Mercee, it would be great if we both hit the big 25 this week. I'm hopeful but so far the scale hasn't budged!

Kathy, I need the accountability of weighing in on the WW scale because I would try to kid myself. If you don't, then I wouldn't go and put up with the garbage and pay for it too! You know, this is hard enough without having to deal with that nonsense. That's why I'm here beceause the other boards were so nasty. My Group Members are pretty nice but they are only there for me for 30 minutes a week. I can always find you guys when I need you! I know you probably don't need to hear this but maybe you need a little more food or maybe different kinds of food. More starch, more fat? I don't know but I keep hearing that if you don't eat enough your body will think it's starving and hang on for dear life! I think you might need to eat some of your 35 WPA's. Do you exercise? Do you eat your AP's? The more I ponder this, the more I think you're not getting enough food.

Torrey, sorry but I'm a cereal girl so I can't help you out too much. The hard boiled egg would have been my only thought.

Linda, try the banana smoothie. I'm telling you, you can imagine it's a milkshake! Isn't this soooooo hard. Don't worry. You'll figure out what to do and you WILL lose the rest of your weight. I really trust my Leader. I don't have any real proof that she's right but she says that if you are keeping your portion sizes to a reasonable amount you'll probably be hungry every 2-3 hours. On Core that would mean that you could eat more of any Core food. I think we'd have to be careful that we don't overload on protein or starch but yeah I think you could make yourself one serving of couscous or an egg or a LOVELY piece of fruit!

Angela, I think you are doing GREAT and you should give yourself a break. I think you should break the neck of whomever took the picture of your backside! Cut them right out of your life. LOL! I have trouble about a week before my period and Frannie is right, I need to avoid salt as much as possible. I also drink more water and other decaf fluids.

Frannie, did your Leader say why protein is important for breakfast? I never eat any and wonder if it would help me. I love protein.

Wow....I really loved all the posts!

LOL Vickie! Unfortunately, it was my husband, so I'd better not cut him out of my life. Sorry honey, for the divorce, but you took that picture, remember? Any court in the world would undertand. : ) He actually was taking pictures of my sister and her fiancee for their wedding announcement; he wasn't trying to get me in the picture, so I forgive him.

Thanks for the laugh!!
Angela

L.J., I'll post the vegetable barley soup recipe on the Core Foods recipe forum.

I definitely have the PMS water retention thing - I can lose 5 pounds after my period!