hi all!
I'm 32 with 30-35 pounds to lose. I am trying the core plan for the first time, and have some questions. I hope that someone will take some time and answer them for me! TIA!
1-Are all whole grains allowed (even crackers?) I found 100% whole grain wheat thins-are they core?
2-If we can eat a potato once in awhile how should I prepare it? Does it matter? I love to cut them in wedges, sprinkle with Olive oil, and bake at 450Is that okay?
3-Is boars head deluxe ham okay? I love to eat it for lunch on whole wheat bread-I only put a few thin slices w/mustard. Would this be considered core?
4-I know that whole grain hot cereals are allowed-what about cold cereal? General mills cereals are all WG now-are these okay to eat?
5-are there any nuts that are core? Pistachios/almonds/ walnuts? What about peanut butter?

thanks for your help-I am really motivated to lose this weight, and I want to make sure I'm doing everything right! How quickly can I expect to lose on this diet? Is 2-3 pounds a week to be expected? I've also started exercising! I'm hoping to lose it in in 12-16 weeks (that's my goal) Is that realistic on this plan?.......................Nicole

Whew! I'll try and someone else can jump in. It would really be beneficial for you to join WW and get the materials from them. Due to legal issues, we aren't allowed to spell out the whole plan for you, and there are questions you're going to have from time to time that your leader should be answering. Now, having said that:
1. No. Whole grain crackers and breads are not Core.
2. Anyway you want to fix a potato is okay, unless you put non-Core items on them. There are a few recipes in our recipe section for potatoes like you mentioned; look for "oven fries" or something like that.
3. No. No deli meats, no whole wheat bread. Neither of those is Core.
4. No. There are a few cereals on the approved list and even one of the WW branded cereals has recently gotten the Core checkmark.
5. No. No nuts, no peanut butter.

You can, however, use flex points (on Core they're called WPAs, short for weekly points allowance) to cover the items you eat that aren't on the approved Core list.

As for the length of time to lose, everyone's different of course! If you start this, plan on giving it at least a month so you can really see some benefits. I think it takes about that long for everyone to get the initial water weight off, then taper back down to a steady loss. There have been people who reported gaining slightly during the first week or so while their body adjusts to this WOE.

OMG! I thought that whole grain breads were allowed on core. Is there any approved bread (no points)?
I have the list of core foods, i must have read it wrong. Thanks for the info.

No, there are no breads at all on the approved list. You'd have to use your WPAs for them.

Orowheat has a light wheat bread with no fat and 7 g. fiber (40 cal a slice) It's not core but it's only 1 point. (less actually but you wanna round it up to the nearest whole point). Wonder light bread has roughly the same stats. So, you have to use one point (maybe 2 for a sandwich - or toast) but when you really MUST have a sandwich, it's worth the splurge

I agree that when you really want some bread, there's no use denying yourself since that's what the WPAs are meant to be for. When I eat tomato soup, I simply MUST have cheese toast so I make it with FF cheese and Nature's Own SF bread.

It's a good idea to allow yourself like 5 points a day, and use your wpas that way (unless there is an event you know is coming up), I think. When I do things that way I am more successful because I know I can eat a sandwich for lunch or whatever and not worry about it.
to our group!

You're headed in the right direction and I hope youlike Core as much as I do.
Check out our menu section because some of us put out our daily food online to help others get ideas and to help us keep ontrack. Good luck!
Katpo did a great job of getting you started. As far as carbs, hot cereals, grits, couscous, whole wheat pasta, potatoes, corn on the cob, are all great to have accessible. Plain popcorn is Core and there are some nice desserts that are also core. Most of us have found that cravings lessen over time, but it's handy to use points when you need then. Good luck.
Judy Itry

When did WW remove the Boar's Head turkey and chicken from the Core list? I know the ham isn't Core, but the last time I asked (which was over a year ago), there were two kinds of Boar's Head deli meats that were Core.

There were some updates about a year ago that removed the deli meats. I think originally there was Aroastica seasoned chicken breast & Blazing buffalo-style roasted chicken breast ... I never had either of them but they sure sounded good. They were taken off the list.