I'm new to Core but I did WW a few years ago before I had kids. I just have a couple of questions about condiments and marinades as well as yogurt.
-If added sugar is a no-no, why is ketchup CORE? Is it because you typically don't use much of it vs. BBQ sauce (as an example)? If that's the case, then why aren't salad dressings with sugar CORE? I typically use the same amount of salad dressing on my salad as I would ketchup on something... Doesn't make much sense to me.
-How do you figure marinades into the whole equation? If they don't have sugar, are they considered CORE (assuming either fat free or using daily allowance of good oils)? If they have sugar, how do you figure points since a lot doesn't go into the meat and also gets burned off?
-If fat free yogurt is CORE, and you can add fruit and splenda to it yourself, why isn't fat free yogurt with fruit and artificial sweetener CORE? The g of sugar in it come from the fruit, not added sugar...
Thanks - I really appreciate any insights! I joined online, so I'm not going to meetings and I couldn't really find my answers on the website.
Hi Karen -- WW does have some odd rules around core. I love that ketchup is core, but I have no idea why its core when other things with sugar are not. Salad dressings - I focus on creamy no fat and take those as core. I'm sure some have sugar but I have never looked at that. As with you I don't use a huge amoutn.
For Marinades, if its made with all core then I consider it core. Even if there is oil, the amount of oil that actually penetrates the meat is not a lot. I think this is a personal thing - try it and if it doesn't stall your loss, then it can be close to core for you.
Yogurt is the same issue - I have a fat free yogurt made with fruit and splenda (no fillers) that I consider core. There are some that do have fillers, but personally I think if its all core ingredients its core.
What brand are these yogurts you're finding with Splenda in them. I am looking for a FF Vanilla or Fr. Vanilla yogurt. The hubby is picky about his yogurts and the plain isn't cutting it for him. I know that I could add some splenda and vanilla extract myself for him, but I'd much rather just find a good yogurt that I dont' have to do that to.
I looked all over the yogurt section at walmart the other day, and was frazzled by the end of it all. So many yogurts, so many grams of sugar in the FF.
Please let me know the name of the FF one you're using as 'core' with splenda in it.
I'm new to Core but I did WW a few years ago before I had kids. I just have a couple of questions about condiments and marinades as well as yogurt.
-If added sugar is a no-no, why is ketchup CORE? Is it because you typically don't use much of it vs. BBQ sauce (as an example)? If that's the case, then why aren't salad dressings with sugar CORE? I typically use the same amount of salad dressing on my salad as I would ketchup on something... Doesn't make much sense to me.
-How do you figure marinades into the whole equation? If they don't have sugar, are they considered CORE (assuming either fat free or using daily allowance of good oils)? If they have sugar, how do you figure points since a lot doesn't go into the meat and also gets burned off?
-If fat free yogurt is CORE, and you can add fruit and splenda to it yourself, why isn't fat free yogurt with fruit and artificial sweetener CORE? The g of sugar in it come from the fruit, not added sugar...
Thanks - I really appreciate any insights! I joined online, so I'm not going to meetings and I couldn't really find my answers on the website.
Karen
I found this on dwlz written by harmonysky and it makes sense. Don't try to figure out why ww has one thing core, and another thing not.
A continuing theme in the Core Forum is that someone will post a note wondering why a particular food is or is not Core. The correct things are said in reply: that we use the list.
Frequently the comeback comment is: But I need to know why a food is Core so I can make decisions about other food out there.
Another comment is: Why are some processed foods on this list? Why are there foods with fairly impressive amounts of fats on this list?
Here is the truth: Anyone who is trying to find a common theme in the food on the Core list is going to look for a long, long time. There really isn't one common factor.
What I gather from all the leader meetings I've gone to and everything I've read is that there are three reasons the item is on the list:
- It's going to fill you up - full of either protein or fiber
- It's nutritionally dense
- It's not something most people would identify as a red light food
As far as I can tell, WW was not trying to come up with the All Natural Foods plan, though many foods on the list are not processed much or at all.
WW was not trying to come up with the Fat Free plan, though many of the foods are really low in fat or have none at all.
They *were* trying to come up with the biggest possible list of foods that fit all three of the above criteria. With some of the items, they put the modifier on (eat once a day, or with milk or yogurt, for example) because of the recognized possibility for abuse potential. What kind of damage could I get into if I could eat whole wheat pasta to the point of satisfaction, several times a day? The mind boggles.
Another example is the cereal. Who would ever think that someone could get into trouble with a puffed wheat cereal? What they found through testing was that, if they didn't have the 'eat with milk or yogurt' modifier, people were eating the stuff right out of the box all day long, like Cheetos.
So the Core list is a mish mash. It is based on a conglomeration of nutrition and an understanding of human nature and of creative dieters.
THERE IS NO THEME. QUIT TRYING TO FIND ONE. WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME CORE FORMULA THAT WE CAN APPLY TO NEW FOOD SO YOU KNOW IF IT'S A CORE FOOD OR NOT.
My 'tweak' of the plan for my members is: if you are tweaking the plan (grinding oats into flour and making chocolate cake, whatever) and you're losing weight, knock yerself out.
If the food you're making with the tweaks is turning into a redlight food, then you need to be a grown up and quit making it. Or, if you're not losing weight while you're tweaking it, even if the tweak isn't a redlight, then quit tweaking and go back to the way it was written.
Even some of the items on the basic list can be redlight at the right times, and we all have to be responsible for that and not just say, "Well, it's on the list so it CAN'T be a problem."
Thanks, Tracie! That sums up what I was already thinking/doing.
Yogurt is not a red-light food for me. I can't stomach it plain and even sweetened with fruit/Splenda I can only eat it max 1x per day anyway. I've only had it a few times a week when I don't have time for a bowl of cereal in the am. I don't think it's a major thing for me and considering how little dairy I eat, probably a good idea for me to eat some per week I understand the WW core "theory" (if you want to call it that), and I'll use my best judgement. Salad dressing is the same thing for me. I don't like my salad doused with dressing, so if I buy an all natural type product made with olive or canola oil with minimal sugar per serving, I'm not going to sweat it. Surely that's not what made me gain weight or will keep me from losing it (all the snacking and eating my kids' leftovers did - that's the behavior I need to change!). However, some people would go to the extreme with either the yogurt (eating it all the time) or salad dressing (using it as a dip for veggies as well as for salad), which would be bad. All in how you look at things, I guess.
I appreciate the input. I'm an analytical person by nature and I was trying to figure out the WW core system
For "Breathe...", I bought the Activia Light (FF) in the 6-packs. They said "sucralose" on them instead of the Splenda logo, but it's the same thing. One of the flavors is vanilla. There was another by Dannon - Fit something or other that also was FF and had sucralose. I agree, there is definitely a dizzying array of yogurts on the shelf!! HTH!
New - questions about condiments & yogurt
Question about the FF yogurts with splenda
I understand the WW core "theory" (if you want to call it that), and I'll use my best judgement. Salad dressing is the same thing for me. I don't like my salad doused with dressing, so if I buy an all natural type product made with olive or canola oil with minimal sugar per serving, I'm not going to sweat it. Surely that's not what made me gain weight or will keep me from losing it (all the snacking and eating my kids' leftovers did - that's the behavior I need to change!). However, some people would go to the extreme with either the yogurt (eating it all the time) or salad dressing (using it as a dip for veggies as well as for salad), which would be bad. All in how you look at things, I guess.
