Thanks, Kathy, for the information. I'm exercising 7 days a week for 30 minutes but I think I'm not getting very much life exercise. Guess I better get up and away from this computer more often! You are also eating less starch than me. I'm eating my potato/rice every day at dinner and also eating some type of allowed starch at lunch i.e. barley/couscous, etc. These are things that I could cut back on, I suppose, if I wanted to get a bit more of a loss.

Torrey, way to go!!!!! My Leader said that you MUST use your activity points. She said that the program is already set to reduce your intake to make you lose weight and that if you earn them you must use them or your body will think you are starving it to death. I challenged her and asked her how this pertained to Core. Since we don't count points I wasn't sure how it would work. She said we should use our activity points for non-Core foods. She also said that activity points could ONLY be used on the day you earn them. I'm not sure I really buy into her answer. So....my approach has been to use my activity points first in a day when I am having something non-Core BEFORE I dip into my stash of 35. I usually just use my 35 for a little bit of Smart Balance margarine on my veggies. I figure the 35 points will just be my insurance marker in case I eat too big of a Core serving. I hope this is clear!

She also said that when you exercise you build muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. Therefore, you might notice a gain or smaller loses when you first start to exercise. I'm hoping this is what is happening with me. I hadn't been moving around much at all between my retirement in April and the end of September when I started WW. I've decided to just bite the bullet and keep exercising. Sooner or later, it'll come off. I'm really sorry that I don't know anything about weight training. I'm sure someone else will be able to help you.

Sorry, Robin. I didn't read your response before I wrote mine. You sure sound like you know what you are talking about! I guess I feel good that I'm finally getting moving. I also appreciate the comment about losing inches if not pounds. That makes me feel better too. I couldn't understand why I feel so much better and my clothese are fitting so much better than my 6 pound loss would indicate.

You girls are so smart!

Robin, is there a difference between weight training and weight bearing exercise? What exactly is weight training? I'm a real exercise novice.

Vickie, I think you're right to question your leader. You can choose to use those points or not. I rarely use them. Also, the whole muscle weighs more than fat is ridiculous. A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat. However, muscle is more dense so what you have is a volume issue. A person who weighs 150 with a high muscle to fat ratio will look slimmer than a person who weighs 140 and has little muscle.

When you start weight training, your muscles can retain more fluid so sometimes the weight gain is fluid retention. Women seldom gain enough muscle for it to show up as a gain on the scale, IMHO.

Weight bearing exercise could be exercises like walking, jogging, etc. where you are bearing your full weight as well as weight lifting. Weight training would involve lifting weights. If you go to a gym, they usually have a weight room where you'll see people using machines or lifting free weights. That's weight training. Weight training really helps tone your body and is beneficial to your bones so it's recommended to do weight training as well as cardio when you're losing weight. The 'rubber bands' that people often use at the end of an aerobics class also helps build muscle.

Check out the Ladies Who Lift threads for some really good information on weight training.

Sheila, you are right about the muscle/fat weight thing. When people say that, they MEAN what you said about a leaner body at the same weight but just aren't saying it correctly. I think they are also saying that they replaced fat with muscle and although the scale doesn't show it--they actually lost fat that week.

Sunny, I am going to take your lead in journaling and watching portion control this week. I stayed the same (at least on my scale--gotta get a digital so I can show those 1/2 lb. losses!) this week. But I will take that over a 2lb. gain any day. Tks for your concern over my family problems. Things are looking up--my daughter will have to have minor surgery to burn off the bad tissue (in hopes of building healthy tissue to replace it) but the good new is it was stage 2 and not cancer yet. Anyway, she spent the day with me here Wednesday waiting for the results and we had a nice visit--she even helped me do some heavy duty cleaning. She settled the problem with my grandson. My son and his wife are "trying to work things out" but I am still so angry with him that he is avoiding his mommy right now. He says I always take her side but I just tell him that's because he is wrong and she is right Anyway, I am glad this week is behind me and looking forward to a nice weekend.
Linda in NH, do drop in and let us know how you are doing. We are still behind you and want to help if we can.
Sandi, welcome to our group.
Robin, I guess you are feeling lots better by now but for future reference, we alway eat homemade potato soup when our tummy is on the blink. Seems to help.
Txlawchic, congrats on that loss. Good job.
Well, I have a car show today (if it doesn't rain us out) and a cookout and hay ride afterwards. I only have a few points left for the week--guess the hot dog will take that up in a hurry. But my week starts over tomorrow and so will I.
Spryng, how are things going with you?

Janette, sounds like you have a nice weekend planned. Thanks for explaining the muscle fat/thing so clearly. It make sense to me now.

Vickie I really admire you for being active every day when you weren't doing anything before. When that doesn't feel challenging any more, I'm sure you'll do a bit more. But you have already made a huge change that will add years to your life! And your clothes don't lie!

Cheers

Thanks, Robin. It hasn't been easy but I'm determined. I have to do it every day...it's just a rule. I couldn't do 3 or 4 days a week because I would make up a million excuses about why I should do it on another day.

I went to a family party tonight and it was really hard. I brought a baked potato and FF sour cream and ate chicken with no skin and cauliflower while everyone else at mashed potatoes, potato dumplings, polish sausage and birthday cake. I decided I didn't want to spend my 35 points on this because I gained last week. Hope I'm rewarded on the scale next week! I keep telling myself it was the company that was important.....right?

Hello! I am Jami. Mom of Kennedy 19 mo. I have a great husband. I have been at WW 2 times befor now I am down 8.8 in 2 weeks. I have to weigh in Monday. I am trying to reach 10lbs. My goal weight is 155 I am at 173.3 now. I am also trying to get pregnant again.. I did wel on Atkins but never kept it off plus It made me sick while I was pregnant I was on it before I got preg. I had Hyperemesis from it they think So have to stick to WW this time I lve this chat room

I hear you Vicki, headed to an 80th birthday party for my MIL today and it's also Thanksgiving here... luckily turkey dinner is mostly core. I will have a sliver of cake today and a sliver of pie tomorrow (we are having our own turkey dinner on Monday, which is a holiday). It IS the company that's important but I've spent years associating that company with too much food, and I've also used food at those kinds of events to smooth over the rough spots. So I think it's harder than it looks to get through these family celebrations.

Are you Polish, Vickie? I'm 1/2 Ukrainian!

Janette, homemade potato soup sounds very good, just what I needed. Could you post the recipe?

Jami, great to meet you. You've gotten a great start on your weight loss!

Hi everyone!! and Welcome Jami!! Good going on your weight loss..keep up the good work....I say, if you work it, it works!
I wanted everyone to know my results today (3rd week Core) DOWN 2 (more lbs)
on Core Plan = totally for three weeks....8 lbs. Not too shabby, for someone who was quite the holdout on Core. Now I am so used to it, I can't imagine doing points. and I was the BIGGEST points fan......go figure :-)
We also went to a dinner last night, and I must admit, I was very, very good. Did not eat anything I shouldn't have not even the dessert, instead came home and had a slice banana and 36g oz of FF coolwhop = 1 pt. hmm hmm dee-lish. Like my very own banana cream pie. I was proud of me, and W/I this morning showed that.
Robin enjoy the celebration, and enjoy the Turkey and perhaps a baked potato. Maybe some fruit for dessert....this coming from someone who always stayed away from fruit on pts and now fruit has become my friend. YOU can do it Robin and if not there is always the next day, and let's not forget our WPA. So you'll be fine, just enjoy the celebration.
And YES Vickie it IS the company that is important.
Let's face it, this is an everyday battle and life long battle for us, and we can do this, together with the wonderful support of this board.
Janette, I hope all is well with you and your famiy... and look forward to your next post.
Want you all to know I am so enjoying Core, and I am here to tell you it really isn't all that bad....for sure we make matter choices, and I even am used to not having my bread at lunch, and my Wow chips!!! Just wanted to share with you all, and hope you all are having good days out there.......Talk with you later............Linda (L.J)

Jami, Welcome and way (weigh) to go! You are doing incredible. I am really enjoying this board and hope you'll post often. We can all learn from each other.

Hey Robin, Happy Thanksgiving and Congratulations to your MIL. You have a couple of challenging days ahead of you. It sounds like you've thought about it and made a plan to cope so I bet you'll be fine. I'm not Polish. My Sister the genealogist tells me that we are Irish and Austrian. I've just always loved Polish food and really any European country comfort food. There is nothing like a good plate of pierogi! Don't even get me started. Last night, the little voice in my head said "Have a couple of potato dumplings, you have points, go ahead". Darn that voice! I didn't eat any but I sure feel a little week this morning. I was starving when I got home and made some scrambled eggs and ate them before I went to bed. That was bad....but not as bad as dumplings.

When I was a kid we didn't have a lot of money but we always had great food. That was how my parents showed love. And, we were required to clean our plates or we didn't get any dessert. Well, you know I cleaned mine! That's why I've started serving myself half sized portions. That way I can still clean my plate and not get into trouble.

LJ, I think it great that you are enjoying Core and great success. I remember when you expressed concern about giving up your bread and WOW chips. Isn't it funny how this plan gets rid of some of the cravings? Like I have a taste for chocolate but it's my brain thinking it more than my body craving it. Weird little program.

LJ, you cracked me up when you talked about your own little "banana cream pie" because that is EXACTLY what I said when I tasted mine. It really is good, isn't it! I wouldn't even have considered that dessert a month ago.

Enjoy your Sunday.

I will post the potato soup recipe in the recipe thread but I wouldn't call it a recipe, just the way I cook it!

It has rained all weekend here. But we managed to have a good time at the car show anyway.

Talk to you all later.

A quick intro:

I'm 51, and I've been on 3FC off and on since 1998. I've been on WW off and on too. I was the "inspiration" behind the Bootcamp Buddies, but they and I ended up having a parting of the ways (guess they are still doing well.) I lost around 130 lbs on points, but then had some health problems and other problems and used them as an excuse to say to **** with WW. Unfortunately, I've regained everything I ever lost, plus some more. BUT, I'm back now, and I'm trying the Core program, with mixed results so far.

I lost 4.4 lbs the first week, 6.4 the next week, gained BACK .8, lost 8.8 (no kidding!), then gained back 6.8 of it the following week. A wild and wooly ride so far, to say the least!

I have some problems with the vagueness of some of the "Rules" and clarifications of the Rules and whatnot. This is, unfortunately, typical of WW when they introduce a new program. It looks bad, though, when there was already a page full of corrections to the Food Companion being circulated here on 3FC before I could even buy it!

I'm concentrating this week on limiting my portion sizes. My whole house is on the Plan (my wife and 15-year-old son, plus me). We have nothing in the house that is not a Core Food, except diet hamburger buns and bread, plus my coffee creamer. We use Flexpoints for these, of course. BUT, I think we're eating too much, and eating when we're not really hungry. We'll see if watching portion sizes a bit more helps. I DO find the Plan ridiculously easy to live with, though, and I'm a LOT more enthusiastic about it than the Points plan (which, after all these years, I'm totally burned out on.)

Hey, Daniel. Welcome to our little corner of the world! You've really been doing fabulous. I'll try not to be jealous...you know us women folk are always jealous at how much faster men lose weight. Another of God's little jokes!

Seriously, it's great that you are getting support at home. I don't know if you read our back pages (and committed them to memory!) but my husband is also doing Core with me and it really makes it SO much easier. Sorry to hear that you gained all the weight back. That stinks. I've gained and lost the same 75 pounds so many times I could scream. I've 150 to lose. I've lost 6 on Core in 4 weeks which is actually good for me. I could live this way.

Do you cook or does your wife?