I am gaining and losing the same 1 lb over the last 6 weeks. This also coincides with my trying core. So my question is, can you actually eat more points on core (I don;t mean intentionally), but can your food count actually be higher than it was on flex and you still lose weight?

I have lost about 42 on flex but was a bit obsessive about points and hunting down the food. I like the food choices I make better on core and feel better, but I am just about sure my points are higher on average.

I have tried counting points and eating core, but that is just like being on flex, and hunting down the food I have left.

I am at my wit's end about what to do next. Please advise anyone.

It still all boils down to how many calories you take in vs how many you burn. So if you are taking in more calories than you are burning you'll still gain. You can if you are not honest or have a 'mental block' about satisfaction to eat more. That is my problem on Core...yes it is all mental.

I have always followed the 'Core Concept' about eating. More whole foods vs processed/convenience foods which has kept me satisified. So in a way it was counting points and eating Core...common (since the change) called Clex or Flore. LOL!

Have you tried 'eyeball measuring' for 1 serving then if you are not satisified with that adding 1/2 to 1 serving more so you can learn your satisifaction level? That is something my leader suggested to many who were gaining and losing the same pounds over and over.

But then again it could quite possibly just be a 'natural' plateau time for you and no matter what you do you (Core or Flex) you may just be at the point. Try shaking up your food choices and your exercise.

Finally are you eating enough? There are a few members at my meeting who ended up not eating enough food.

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Great advice, Kelly. The only thing I might add is to increase your water intake. I seem to do better when I drink at least 8 eight ounce glasses of water. My body doesn't seem to respond well to me counting non-caffeine drinks as water.

All great advice -- I need it as well! I find when I'm not drinking my water, I either gain a pound or stay the same.

I lost the most weight when I stayed within my points range but included (what was then known as) Atkins foods. Eggs, lean meats, lots of vegetables, and lots of water. I didn't do the pound of sausage or cabbage fried in grease, or pork rinds or real mayo ... one meal of that would have put me way over my points range! LOL! Now that Core is out, I'm trying to stay at my 20 points by eating Core foods. Sometimes it takes quite a bit of it to get up to the 20 points and I am often wondering if I eat enough too, which leads me to overindulge at times. I still eat real cheese (unless it's a baked potato at home, which I will use FF grated cheddar on) and I eat bread sometimes.

If you're afraid of overeating, try to stay within your points range but eat all Core foods, and see how that works for you. Both programs, when combined, will work fine if a person doesn't mind continuing to count and/or journal.

thanks for the advice. See the thing is I can't even imagine finding it hard to eat up to my points. Maybe i just want to eat too much.
Hmmm. More thought required.

Try filling up on veggies and only having one serving of protein and one of a starch at a meal. Usually people are eating too many carbs and too much protein/dairy, even though it is core, and not enough veggies. Have the one serving. If you find yourself wanting more, have another veggie serving. If you are truly hungry, then have no more than 1/2 a serving of protein or starch.

I disagree most do not...most eat too many veggies and don't give their body the needed nutrients from protein and dairy. It is hard to get too many carbs on Core as it is a lower than the W/W normal change of life (and yes W/W touts it like this).

good ideas, but I was thinking I was getting a lot of carbs - grain for breakfast, potato at lunch, grain at dinner, fruit in between and usually popcorn. Seems like a lot to me, what do you think?

It's hard to say, Kally. I don't eat popcorn every day, just when I need a crunchy treat. If you grain/starch portions are normal size then I wouldn't cut them down. My trick is to eat my salad/veggies/fruit first at whatever meal I'm eating. That way, I hope to be satisfied before I overeat my protein and my starch/grains. Maybe this would work for you?

I know I'm losing weight VERY SLOWLY on Core (a lb a week maybe), but the plan is SO easy for me to live with that I don't care. I do struggle with eating too much-- I'm a guy, and a big eater in terms of quantities-- and pushing myself away from the table while at that "satisfied" place instead of going for "full" is a challenge. Sometimes I suceed at it, sometimes I don't. What's nice about Core is that even if I DO overeat, I'm probably not taking in THAT many extra calories because the Core foods are naturally low-calorie.

What about your exercise? Are you doing enough, too little, not changing it up enough?
When you say you eat "grain" for breakfast, potato for lunch and "grain" for dinner, what are you counting as grain? I'm asking because you can't have rice and potato on the same day without counting one of them.
I agree about the water, if I don't get enough--not only do I feel it the scale tell it!

I agree with fifties what grains are you eating and (I hate to say this) how much?

And are you eating your recommended 2 tsp of fat/oil? I find that when my weight loss stalls, I've stopped eating fat. Plus I notice from your signature that you're very close to your goal, and for many that last 5-10 lbs is very, very difficult to lose. Hang in there - you're not gaining!

I find that it makes a big difference in my week if I have the recommended amount of dairy. You have probably seen the commercials stating that if you have so much FF dairy in a 24 hour period it helps you lose weight, well I find that it is true for me. I was eating yogurt (maybe 2 a day but mostly 1) and was starting to lose only .4, .8 etc. Once I added the FF milk in my losses picked up again.

Kathy