Yes, if you are not careful you can eat bread all day. Toast for breakfast, crackers with soup at lunch or a pita sandwich, pasta at dinner.....it can be easily done.

I have been eating whole grain flour products for some time now and enjoy them better than white flour. I actually find regular pasta too starchy and would rather eat whole wheat. I used to eat pasta 4 times per week - it was my rush from work dinner staple but now I only have it once per week at most. I now have 3 - 4 ounces of meat and 2 servings of veggies instead of potatoes or rice.

I think all of us switched to whole grains because of the fiber/fat/calorie point counter. FF stuff was also pushed on the winning points program. That was the way you got to eat more food and stay in your points range and "save" points for the weekend. So that is not new with Core. I have lost 2 lbs. this week on the program so I plan to really get after it next week!

[QUOTE=fiftieslady] "A lot of fuss was made about the no bread and 1 starch a day."

Just to clarify ...we can have MORE than 1 starch a day on the Core plan. Page 24 under Starches, Grains and Cereal states that whole wheat pasta, brown rice or potatoes is limited to one meal a day, but there are other starches mentioned: barley, buckwheat, bulger, cornmeal, couscous, Kasha (whatever that is??), Popcorn (air popped or 94% ff microwave), Quinoa, Rolled Oats, starchy vegetables, and cooked cereal. Then it mentions that the other cereals are limited to one meal a day, and must be eaten with fat free milk or fat free yogurt ...so, we can have more than 1 starch a day on the core plan.

Fifty, The fat-free, sugar-free stuff was never pushed at my meetings. It was allowed to use but then again so was the full-fat or full-sugar versions. I know what you are saying that it was not introduced just with Core but you (unless you use your 35 WeeklyPointAllowance) 'have' to use it on Core. Many of us don't use it. I am not now nor ever been knocking Core. I just since I started W/W has been doing 90-95% of the time Core concepts in my Flex and have never been hungry or craving foods. It is not a 'versus' program as W/W says weekly you can switch back and forth. Both programs are a hand'in'hand thing.

Kelly, you don't HAVE to eat ff salad dressing on Core. Anymore than you HAVE to eat asparagus spears, whole water chestnuts, banana peppers, fish, chicken or anything else on the list. It is your CHOICE. If you want full fat salad dressing you just use your flex points, just like you do when you eat more than your points allowed in a day. It is the same thing. On winning points everyone was trying to find the 1 or 2 point "snacks" they could eat but were avoiding bananas because they cost 2 pts. I never had ff stuff until I joined WW years ago. We are doing the Core plan and supporting each other. It is not an issue with us, so why does it bother you?

fifty, I agree SOME where eating 1 or 2 point snacks an avoiding fruits and stuff but not all. 90% of everyone I knew followed the PointsPies and ate the CoreFoods but used a few FPs to eat snacks. The only time my days were not like that were days I really had to eat out or attended potlucks, etc. and then then I still ensured I got 5 servings of fruits/veggies, my dairy, my protien, a couple of oils and my water and a problem a lot more simple carbs than I'd like but it was still satisfying.

I am not saying you have to eat anything but nor am I knocking the program. Core is helping me more on Flex becuse of the lifestyle I lead using points (along with core values).

And did I say it ever bothered me what anyone choose to do...I am saying for me that Core pushes 'artificial sweeteners' and 'fat free' products as Core Products. I am not saying that you can't use points for non artificial sweetener products, full fat or low fat prodcuts, etc. But it will use up those points fast. There are things I am a snob about (for example cheese I will not eat anything less than regular because of taste) and since I eat full fat cheese (1 point worth) nearly daily along with whole grain breads (3 points worth) there is 28 of my 35 FPs already. Add to that 5 points in low fat dressing for my salad takes me up to 33 leaving me 2 points for my 3 days of dining out. That doesn't make me any less healthy than you. This is where the Flex with CoreFoodValues helps me.

I am not disagreeing with you that some (maybe even many) used Flex the way you stated with lots of simple carb 1-2 points snacks because yes I do know that but the tools where there to show that you really needed to eat basically Core.

Was just happening by and thought I'd add my .02.... I too have found the idea that NOT JOURNALING has taken an enormous amount of guilt away because I just struggle writing down my food... I have been able to keep track of my 35 extra pts all week in my head but then again, this week, I didnt use more than 10....

The other thing w/ Core I began to notice was that by Wed I had passed on 2nds for the 3rd night in a row and realized.....just knowing I could have more if I wanted was somehow enough ....
So, yes, there is a list of foods... so I guess technically its a FOOD LIST....
but to know its ok to have a cup and a half of yogurt ( Sorry, I switched to the plain nonfat to avoid aspertame a while ago and add my own "fixings"..)
now, and to know I could have more really has been the best part of Core....
So yes, I've been eating brown rice and wheat pasta for awhile...
So, for me, Core was good news... will it work?? we'll see... if not, I 'll go right back to Flex and struggle w/keeping track again...

Do I miss bread??... Oh yeah...but will only spend the points on really good bread... and since bread is a trigger food... this all might be a blessing in disguise...

What I miss more, is cheese...

Am I concerned that certain company's products seem to "make" the core list when others don't... ( when they appear to have the same ingredients) ... yes, I wonder...

so.....
there it is ..my .02

Yo! Hi, Corettes! IMO, the beauty of Core is that it's so flexible and for me, liberating ...

Kaylets, it's funny, but today I switched FROM whole wheat English muffins to plain English muffins just because I wanted to ... that's the liberation factor. What my first week has done (besides losing me 1.6 pounds) has been to free me up from dogmatic and chaotic thoughts about food that are counterproductive to my weight loss.

At first glance, Core seems to have a lot of contradictory rules subject to interpretation and I've been reading about everyone's disagreements on interpretation here and on other boards ... but the bottom line is this program reminds me that I make the decisions about what I eat ... it's all about moi! The Core program is a beacon in a sea of dietary mish-mash, as far as I'm concerned.

In my journal I'm challenging myself to another week on the program (awarded a virtual rose for each day OP) ... we'll see!

K, I couldn't find you again on that other place ... hocus pocus!