Hi guys I'm just poppign in Quick! i have training in 20 minutes and i'm still trying to do my benefits stuff grrr
will be back later

Laurie, it's kind of hard to summarize but basically if it isn't on the list, it isn't Core. There are some other basic rules. I can't believe they don't give you the equivalent of the Week One booklet because it has some general rules. Maybe you should noodle around on the WW website. Stuff like you need 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily, at least 6-8oz glasses of water, 2 servings of milk, 2 servings of healthy oil, and a multivitamin. You can only have potato/wholewheat pasta/brown rice at one meal daily. You can have a smoothie mix or hot chocolate package only once a day. There is some other rule about cold cereal but I don't like any of the Core cold cereals so I don't eat them. I'm still bitter that I can't have my Cheerios! Check out the website some more, I'm pretty sure they have to give you this basic information.

So, I'm up 2 pounds this morning! What's up with that? I have been eating more this week with my TOM but it is basically gone. My Oldest Sister ended up in the emergency room last night. They didn't keep her but think she might be having a reaction to her osteoporsis medicine. Of course, my stress eating kicked in and I ate popcorn at 9:30 last night so it might be a little salt/water retention thing.

I'll chat with you all later!

Laurie, basically I think of the Core plan as allowing all whole foods in their original form, but not allowing many of the processed, artificial foods (excluding Splenda of course ) At first, I was depressed thinking of all the thing I couldn't have, and how restrictive the list was, but as I got into it, I reintroduced myself to all those nice real whole foods I'd forgotten about. If you were eating list foods mostly before, maybe this won't be such a change for you. As far as weight loss, it's working for me, so I'm not going to question it! I think a major part of it is making sure you stay in the "comfort zone." You know, never let yourself get super hungry, but stop when you're satisfied, not stuffed.

Good luck!
Angela

hi laurie, welcome! and for whatever reason it does work. I have been at it since Oct and have lost 29 lbs....

vickie, glad you are feeling better and i am sure the 2 lbs is water rentention.......TOMs do that.

kathy, how goes the shopping hunt? my ds likes the arizona teas but i don't think i have seen that one up here. will have a look in london tomorrow

deborah, wish i could send you some rhubarb......i have 8 patches of it and share it with everyone around.....of course, my family absolutely loves it too.........it is easy to grow....i do nothing it mine but harvest it....

to all those who have weigh in coming up i hope it is a great success for you.

i will be taking off tomorrow and missing weigh in, so i decided to stay on the straight and narrow that i would journal everything....i started that on monday, so far so good, but i too had popcorn last night after a huge "*&^%$ at the world" walk, felt much better after that......

cheerio

Hey Frannie, I was just thinking about you! Glad all is well. Is the journalling telling you anything you needed to know? I always wonder if my portion sizes are getting too big.

The Journalling helps me to stay honest and remind me what I have had! It is like big brother looking over my shoulder. My portion sizes were way too big last week and I blame TOM......famished city was what I was then! And I am also the worst one getting in my milk and oils.........

Good morning all! Well, good news for me ... this morning I was finally back down to under 150. Whew -- what a scary time that was! It was sort of a good news/bad news kinda morning though, because Zuki the dog is "messed up" again and I had to um ... help him out a little. Handling up on the dog's peepee is NOT the way you want to start your day, trust me! He's been to the vet three times in three days and if this continues, they'll have to do surgery. Oh and the vet yesterday told us that the more we have to touch it, the more he'll like it and he'll start sticking it out so we'll have to put it in. Just like a guy! (Did I say that out loud?????)

No luck on the tea, but I'm going to check out the new Crystal Light that Vickie saw an ad for. It sounds like I could make that work for me! (Assuming I can find it????)

Welcome, Laurie and hey there, Kierie! Good to see you both! Kierie, hang in there with that job stuff. Ugh, sometimes I think I'd rather not have benefits than to have to jump thru all those hoops!

Frannie, good luck with the journaling. I still put everything in Fitday to keep track of calories, and then calculate my points from there. I know I don't have to, but I want to make sure I'm not letting things get out of hand.

I forgot to tell you all that I made that Garlicky Sour Cream topping recipe and it was very good. I've been missing garlic salad dressing and it was good on my salad. I also dunked celery sticks in there and Yum! If you like a sweeter, tangier salad dressing/dip, then I would use Miracle Whip Free instead of FF Mayo. It still is missing something, don't know what, but it is pretty good. I know....it's missing the fat!

Lunch with My Chicks!
Kathy I'm sorry about your handling sitch but you had me laughing out loud at my cube!
Vickie I hope your sis is ok!
Frannie you are an Inspiration!
I had the smothered chicken and barley last night except I made it in the oven and use more tomatoes and Excluded the stuff angela excluded
It was really good I just had it for lunch
I wish i could close my eyes and fall asleep for 20 min but lol theres no guarantee of getting up!
bbl
Kier

GREAT NEWS, Kathy! I know you are relieved. Hope you like the Crystal Light so you can dump the coke.

Kierie, I'm glad you like the smothered barley chicken. It makes great leftovers for lunch and doesn't keep you from having the fun starch at dinner!

Vickie sorry you're up two pounds., I'm sure it's the popcorn, though. I missed WI because DS is sick. I think it's just a cold, but sounded really croupy when he got this morning.

Frannie, I too am going to journal this week. Last time I was keeping tracking, I wasn't eating enough pts., now that i'm only losing 1/2 lb. per week, I want to see if I'm eating too much.

Kathy, glad to hear you're finally under 150. I can't wait to be back in the 50's, but it's taking me a long time. You guys really help me stay on track though. Sorry to hear about Zuki, but I must admit, I don't laugh out loud too often, especially when I'm alone, but I couldn't help myself today. Hope he doesn't need the surgery and don't handle it too much.

Laurie - I think too, you really need to learn when you are satisfied. That was hard for me, and if I don't plan ahead, I get too hungry then just grab for whatevers around. Don't forget the water. The weeks I drink more water, are the weeks that I lose more.

Gotta go to the store, so I can have a CORE dinner.

Lisa

Thanks, Lisa. I'm hoping it's gone by my weigh in tomorrow night. I've already had 8 ozs of water today and 16 ozs of decaf coffee to try and flush the salt!

Off to cook dinner now and make some more delicious homemade applesauce or applesnauce as my Mom used to call it.

Hello, all! Hope all is going well. I just got back from being sick and after a couple weeks have realized how much I have missed all of you. I have not had a chance to read everyone's posts, obviously, but I wanted to say, Hey! and let you know what's going on.

Here goes, I started working out on a plan a few weeks ago and everything is moving along. Since my trainer/workout partner has been out of town and I have been sick, workouts have been not as on schedule, but when they are boy-howdy!!! I'm maintaining right now, but I am down to 190. I, of course, am not finished (40 lbs. bodyfat to go) but in light of the sporadic exercise and spotty food plan, this small loss and maintaining is good.

A while ago, I realized that I was afraid to work out, which I had not done since September, b/c of the sometime ups on the scale at WW. The scale meant more, than the gym. From experience, I know that my body responds well and needs strength-training AND cardio to be where I need it to be. My bodyfat percentage, measurements, etc. may be more important than what the actual scale reads, so I had to re-evaluate some things.

CORE and this forum has been incredible for me, in not only going through the journey last fall, but educating me on the similarities and differences that we have on the same plan and also, how incredibly supportive a group of women who don't know each other can be.

I stopped going to WW meetings about three weeks ago, b/c the only reason I had been going was simply to weigh in (no meetings). I have a scale at home and that $$$ can be saved. I plan on utilizing CORE principles which are phenomenal and also the basis for many healthy eating plans, however, due to my goals and maintaining health and energy b/c of my workouts I need to make to some adjustments.

Just following CORE the way I had been and working out made me a crazy, BINGEING woman. I kid you not! Three times a week, we burn 600 cals/workout and two times a week we burn 1,000 cals. "Straight" CORE was going out of the window, b/c by the end of a workout, I was blinded by my hunger. I have been researching and reading on nutrition & fitness a lot & the plan has been tweaked and we shall see what happens.

That all being said, I really, really, really hope that although I am not totally CORE girl, I will still be welcomed. This feels like home to me and I will like to be ok-ed to stay!

Thank you so much!
Torrey

Hi txlawchic!
I see someone started a new CORE thread. It's number 10. Also check out the Chat me Up thread. Last week we started an online chat, Weds. at 8:30 or 9:30 depending where you are. If you read the thread it tells you where to go.

Lisa