I've heard this mentioned on other boards, and I was curious what people who are doing Core (or aren't) think and why.

Personally, I can't figure out why it would be considered restrictive. You can have everything you want on the program and more. When I did Flex, I never ate avocado because it was too many points to "waste." I never ate popcorn or SF,FF pudding or WW smoothies (too many points) so I'm finding it actually less restrictive for me.

What I did do on Flex that I don't do now is save up my points for the day of weigh-in when I ate more stuff than I usually ate. While an indulgence every now and then is a good thing, IMHO, I don't know that my eating pattern of saving up most of my points each week for one large day of eating was a good thing. I never had a problem jumping back in the next day, but I don't really think it was a healthy and "normal" thing to do.

Actually for me it is restrictive HOWEVER I eat mainly core for 90-95% of my time and always have. I don't horde points to eat more and I have never not eaten anything I wanted. I tend to eat out more than the norm lately so Flex FOR ME is easier, and the fact that I eat a 'bread' with each meal makes it hard to stretch the WPAs. I still abide that 90-95% of the time my meals are core but counting points and watch points is easier for me.

I do understand how liberating it makes some people feel and that is great.

I was re-reading your post and I don't believe I ever saved up my points to 'splurge' on weighin nights. I did tend to use many FPs and have a heavier point meal on those nights (such as lasagna) but I didn't over eat. I had Sour Dough Jacks during the week occasionally. Just my 2¢

when I am travelling on business. It seems hard then, so I will flip back to Flex points for the day.
Cheers

I think people just have this mental block because there is a list of foods involved. They keep focusing on the ff stuff and say they don't want to use points to eat things like full-fat cheese and pizza. I don't understand their point because it is not like they can eat those things on the flex points plan without counting the points in their weekly allotment. I remember when Winning Points first came out and it was all about using ff products to make your daily points stretch so you could save for the weekend. That was when all the research was coming out that said eating fat made you fat and if you limited your fat you could lose weight and eat more food. Then they decided that fiber could counteract the fat. Well, people were pigging out on high fiber cereal and high fiber bread (I remember one guy posted that he ate 12 pieces with his chili cause it only cost 6 pts.) so they put a limit on the number of fiber grams you could count. I eat much better on the Core plan because I don't avoid things like fruit and milk because I don't want to waste my points on them because I might not have enough for dinner that night. But it is about what works for you and it is my prayer that Core is the one that can help me not only lose the weight but keep it off this time.
Janette

Personally I do find it somewhat restrictive. Just for the fact I view it as a "diet", I am not knocking it for people that love it, just saying it is a diet that seems to restrict certain foods. I always thought ww was about eating everything in moderation? I know that is and understand you can use your flex on but still any diet that says you can't or restrict a certain food item you eat scares me.

J

I don't view it as restrictive in the least, because there are so many foods on the list that I like and eat anyway.

I think that lots of us just don't get the "eat everything in moderation" part of things, because (and speaking for myself now) if I had practiced moderation, I wouldn't be here. WW in general, and Core in particular, has taught me that I have to have certain foods to reach and maintain my goal. And reaching a goal is what every eating plan (or diet) in the world is about. Getting there takes sacrifices and determination. PLUS ... once that goal is reached, most Core folks are former Flex WW'ers, and as such know the Flex plan inside and out -- mainly that we have to stay within our limits to maintain what we have achieved.

At first I found Core restrictive (I remember the first day vividly, going from fridge to pantry..."I can't eat anything!!!" lol). But now that I've been doing it for almost a week, I'm much more relaxed about it. I suppose technically it is a bit more restrictive because there's the "list," but it's healthy, whole foods and that's how I want to eat anyway.

I think it helps that I always plan my meals ahead because I'm on a tight budget, and pack my lunch, breakfast and snacks to take to work. I make a lot of foods ahead of time and freeze in serving sized bags (I have one of those vaccuum sealers...they are AWESOME! ) So for a lot of things (like veggies, couscous, pasta, cooked chicken and turkey) I just pull out a bag and pop it in the microwave.

One thing I've noticed is that I don't feel as pressured to eat. With Flex it was always "you HAVE to eat all your points." So if I didn't eat them all, I felt like I was going to mess myself up, but yet I was afraid to use points in case I got hungry later. I was also eating way too many carbs...it would be nothing to eat 3 sandwiches in a day...it was only 3 points for the bread, after all.

I'd definately say I like Core better.

I think it is restrictive, but in a good way. I am not eatting as much junk! I would save point and eat pudding, yogurt pops, sf fudgicles...you know snack. I snacked more that I ate good food. So in a way, I did not learn anything, except how to eat healthier snacks...

I think this diet forces us to eat better foods, not processed stuff. The only pit fall I see, is first we are gunhoo (sp?) and we are losing, but eventually keeping our "comfort zone" in check is going to get tough, because I think people get bored with diets...

I talk to much....thats all

"Diet" is just your eating plan. It can be a low-calorie diet that helps you lose weight or a high-calorie diet that makes you gain weight or a balanced diet that lets you stay at a healthy weight for you. Whether it is good or bad is up to you. I think that, as a society, we want what we want when we want it. "I want to lose weight but I don't want to give up anything that got me here." I look at this weight loss and maintenance journey the same way I manage my budget. If I want to save money, I have to make changes--some short term, some long term. If not I will always be in debt living from paycheck to paycheck. Same with with my life style, I can either take time to exercise and limit my sugar and fat intake and feel good both physically and mentally or I can sit around on the couch and let food control me and gain weight and feel tired and depressed all the time. It is up to me. I refuse to let food control my life by saying that "I can't live without ......." The real question is "can you live with it?" Heart disease is the number one killer in this country and the main cause (not the only one I know) is our lifestyle and diet. Just my 10 cents worth.

Well let's face it... ANY eating plan to lose weight will require some restrictions (in a way to keep calories lower). As far as I know there still isn't a pill to counteract "eating what I want when I want", so I need some guidence.

I admit, I wasn't the most open to core when it came out. Why? I pretty much eat core anyway, but I decided to try core without counting this week and what I already notice is: I am not afraid to get my milk in (sure I ate two small yogourts a day, which in reality I know really was only one serving). I also don't mind now using a small portion (not a full serving) of blueberries in my cereal.

Chrissy: I agree about the pressure to eat.. Like finishing off my plate because I planned it into my day.

I think I will be one of those people that do flore, or switch between the two. I love flex too.

Also in our week 2 literature I think they were trying to help us determine portion sizes as a guide for whatever program you choose to follow. I still pay attention to my portion sizes.

Cheers!

Ali

This is the good thing I am talking about with Core. Many people didn't realize how much junk they were actually eat! Good job!

While I disagre that when Winning Points came out it was all about using F/F products so you could save for the weekend. W/W has always been about eating healthy and they provided but people choose to ignore it. And you said it was your choice to avoid foods because you worried about having enough point for dinner and that is where planning came in. But it was your choice. I always had at least double my 'required' servings of fruits/veggies and got in all my dairy, all my protien, some real fat and all my water with complex carbs tossed in for the minimum points a day...then I used points (sometimes a few sometimes more) each day for a small treat (but usually my treat was more fruit) or dining out. But it was all about choices and knowing what is healthy. Core is teaching many that...and many are using or trying to use more Core foods in their Flex and then may eventually move over.

I am glad we are all doing what we need and not 'knocking' anyone who isn't (we are doing that right?)

About splurge nights... I do have one treat meal a week which sometimes includes dessert, I did it while losing weight and have started doing that again. It works for me, I'll ignore the chocolate in the office if I know I'll be getting a treat in a week or two. It's about what works for you.

My mistake when I got to goal was saving most of my points for snacks. HUGE mistake. The snacks weren't terribly good, low fat yes, but high in sugar. Eventually this lead to a bad binge eating habit and probably contributed to me getting hypoglycemia and brought me from 140 (which was too low) up to 169.5lbs. I don't save points at all anymore for an evening snack. Sure I'll have fruit or some popcorn or even a sf/lf fudgsicle once in a while (not every night). That's what I love about the emphasis on core, to get away from the FF or LF high carbs/highly processed snacks to whole foods.

Cheers!

Ali

I really found Core liberating at first and it did a great job of switching me back into a healthier eating mode and restarting my weight loss. I think it's a great plan but have switched to Flex because for me Flex makes more sense. IMO WW's new "turnaround" concept of using both Core and Flex is perfect.

I found it restrictive this first week, mostly because of all the fat free stuff. I am getting used to it more and more and it's becoming habit now. I agree though, ANY diet is restrictive, you just need to find what restrictions you can live with!

Kelly, I have been a member of WW since 1998. I know what all the literature says, I've read it all. I have worked the program and reached goal (132 lb.). I also know what was practiced--ff foods have always been a part of the program and were used to keep your points down. Those who had 100 pounds to lose had at least 10 more minimum points to use every day than I did. They could afford to eat full fat foods and still be able to stay on program. With a minimum of 22 and eventually 18 pts. per day I could not. There is no way to eat 18 pts. a day, get all your fruits/veggies, milk, and protein in without eating very small servings and being hungry at the end of the day. We were encouraged to save (bank) points for the weekend so that we could eat out and still stay on program. To do that you had to use ff products. I know that is the way it was because I was there. I got to goal December of the same year and have been gaining and losing ever since. The longest I have been able to stay at goal is 2 years.
I don't think counting points and journaling work long term. Life has a way of side tracking us just long enough to let the old habits creep back in. Kids have trouble in school, they leave home, they come back, divorce, births, deaths, illness, injuries. You can't give your attention to these things and be thinking about how many points you have to eat today much less stop and write them down. But if you are used to eating only healthy foods, you will just reach for them by habit and not have to worry about the number of points you had today.

This is the Core Board--we can say here that Core is the better program for us. That's why we have our own board--so we won't bother those that are doing flex with our views about the program we have chosen to follow.