Could anyone recommend a good FF cheese? I love cheese and would like to find a tasty FF one that tastes better than rubber.

Glad to see both LJ and Danny back again! Keep up the good work guys!
I've not found much as far as ff cheeses that I like, but find certain ones tollerable. The Kraft ff shredded cheddar and the Kraft ff mozarella are ok. I am buying store brand ff cottage cheese and sour creams. I have used, counting the point, the laughing cow lite cheese wedges a few times. They are really good and I love to cut them up in tiny pieces and put in an egg beaters omlet with sauteed veggies. I think they are worth the point now and then.
I've not seen a ff paremesan anywhere or ff cheddar in blocks vs. shreded. They are all kind of rubbery, have to admit, but they are better than nothing, for me!
Linda

Derrydaughter, thank you! I think I will probably stay away from cheese as much as possible and/or use low-fat and use my points.

txlawchic..........real quick I just wanted to let you know that Borden has FF american cheese that is very good and IT melts......good on a baked potato with a vegetable too. Hope that helps! And it is core if you are doing core and I believe with the nutrition label 2 slices = 1pts....so enjoy!!! Linda (L.J)

PS - also makes a good grilled cheese sandwich....so either Core or Pts way... enjoy!!
Linda (L.J)

Good Evening to everyone on this support thread. I've been on WW for several years (since points came out), and have even been a WW leader. Found out the hard way that unless you "work" the program, it doesn't "work"! Have been off and on and off and on, etc. for the last several years. I've also been a member of the WW online community, but gave it up because I wasn't using it and was spending $15/month for the "service."

I am a teacher (Title I), and I teach Writing Workshop to 175 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders every day. I get up at 5:30 every morning, so easy breakfasts are a must. I've been eating a blend of several varieties of Kashi cereal (Good Friends, Kashi Crunch, Good Friends Cinnamon Raisin, etc.) with 1/4 cup dried fruit mixture (raisins, cranberries, dates, tropical fruit, etc.) sweetended with splenda and with skim milk. This keeps me "regular" and full until my lunch time at 11:45 (or so).

During school I go from class to class and have no time between classes. I have about 20, sometimes 25 minutes for lunch, about a 35 minute lunch duty, and then I go back to moving between classes. Fortunately for my eating habits, I have a small fridge and microwave in my classroom/office. Ideas about lunches would be especially helpful.

I think I like the idea of the CORE plan, but would like to know more. Any help, advice, pitfalls, etc. that you can offer would be helpful.

Good morning everyone! For me, it's a day or reckoning. Weigh in later on today, will post and let you all know how well I've done????
Welcome Rhonda. First, if you want to do core, you'll have to modify that breakfast to a different cereal and some fresh fruit. What you can have vs. the Kashi stuff (tastes like cardboard to me anyway, was never a fan - so I don't miss it!) is a sugar free cereal such as shredded wheat or puffed rice (probably not filling enough) or even hot, plain instant oatmeal with fruit on the side or stirred into it. All of this with fat free milk. If you still chose to have the Kashi, you'd have to count it as part of your 35 Flex Points a week. I'd much rather save those points for something else!
If you try Core, don't worry about being "regular" as I think the increased fiber in this diet is wonderful for that. I was also warned by my ww leader that the increased fiber slows down the digestive process a bit and you might actually see a slight weight gain, initially, (that scares people off when they see it, I think) and then "things get moving again" and the weight then drops off. She also warned that one must drink water and be careful to keep that situation "on the move".
For lunch, take along stuff can be a pain - but if you have a refrigerator in your room, maybe not. Salads, of course, are the "usual" and you can add chicken, tuna, lean beef, etc. you can also add chick peas, kidney beans and the like. For a short cut, during busy times, I got to my local marke that has a salad bar and fill my container with the "extras" (not the lettuce) that go on salads and then use my own lettuce (from the bag as a further short cut) and add my mix from the salad bar to it. I can get "goodies" this way like cut up broccoli, cauliflour, little corn cob things, artichokes, beans, cabbage, carrot, all the times that would take lots of time, but make my salads "interesting"!
One thing about Core that is a big plus, I think, is that certain canned soups are Core. One could bring a thermos or use a microwave. Progresso Lentil soup is my personal favorite, with about a tablespoon of red wine vinegar added to "zip it up".
I am enjoying a variety of fresh and wholesome foods. One thing I have done, on Core, this past week, was to re-start journaling to gain portion control. WW is promoting that you don't have to journal, but I have always been a "high volume" eater and find that I just need to keep track of what goes in my mouth more!
I hope you try it.
And, by the way, Navy wife and Army mom.... I find myself wondering if you have family members serving in the war on terror right now? If you do, I salute you and your family and support you all. Take care and remember that the respect and thoughts of so many people are with you!
Just had to say that!
Linda in NH, where the remants of hurricane Jeanne shall "visit" today

Hi Rhpnda.....welcome !! Since I am an early riser I thought I give you some info that may help. As for the cereals that you are eating, if you are thinking of doing CORE they are not core foods. Fiberone IS, as are Farina, Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice, Puffed Rice -ready to eat, and Puffed Wheat - ready to eat, Shredded Wheat...to name a few....which has to be eaten with skim milk at breakfast if I am not mistaken.

For lunch, soup has become a bigger thing for me. Even while doing pts I had some, but with Core I do my own. Cook Barley and mix it with, FF Chicken broth, cut up chicken, Delmonte peas and carrots, kernel corn, mushrooms and add in some Campbells Grean Pea soup to thicken (all core)
I am on my second week of Core.....but let me say I am a lifetime WW - but like most fell off the wagon....and took off running again about 13 weeks ago. I have lost each weeks with my pts, but my first week on Core I did great!! I am now .5 UNDER my WW goal, like most my personal goal is another story. I have lost 18 lbs. I am continuing CORE, something I thought I would never say or do. I still journal, but my jouranalling consist of Core foods with an occasional pts food. We are allowed 35 Pts Allowances on Core Plan. To be honest I used them on the weekend for a couple of socializing drinks and made sure I counted them. Since it was done at home I was able to measure and I DID!! I did not have bread or empty calorie snacks this week and have now turned to fruit---and I am not a fruit person, but Red grapes, Gala apples and bananas have become good friends. I am very satisfied throughout my day and did not experience hunger pangs. I am making better choices and it shows and I feel it. I was one of the last holdouts denying the Core Plan, but I promised myself I would try it for a solid week just to prove it wouldn't work for me...HA- it proved me wrong! I am happy with what I am doing and will continue. Let's face it.....it is a lifestyle change, and we all want to be back on the wagon and in the healthy place we ALL worked so hard for and to get to....I know I do. I worked long and hard to lose 55 lbs, and fell off the wagon....no more.... I like my size 8's and 10's. Why dismiss everything I (we) we worked for when we only come back to do it all over again, with perhaps more to lose.....I am not preaching believe me, I want us ALL to be successful as does WW.
This is a very supportive group and so many with so much input and information and support. So I want to wish you the best in which ever WW plan you do. I am sure the rest will have some great suggestions too.......On that note, have a great day, and come back soon and often.........Linda (L.J)

Opps!!!!!!!!!! I meant Hi RHONDA ---- sorry my finger slipped :-)

And God Bless your family and the rest of our troops. My son was in the Military (Bosnia, Liberia, Rowanda, Zaire) my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Hi Rhonda, Welcome! I had my second weigh-in on Core yesterday and am down 8 pounds in 2 weeks. Probably a lot of that is fluid and it will slow up soon but I haven't felt hungry or craved sugar at all. My favorite breakfast is plain oatmeal sweetened with Splenda with some type of extract (maple, vanilla). Recently I have added some fat free, sugar free pudding mix to flavor it, Banana cream was pretty good. Lunches are ususally salads but if I am in a hurry its yogurt and fruit (I use the ff/sf pudding mix in the ff plain yogurt also. My dinners have been pretty boring, meat, veggies and couscous but I am going to try some of the core recipes listed on this board soon. The best part is not having to count points or calories. For me my problem was never portion control but those extra things like chocolate (sigh) that I have a hard time resisting. This plan seems to help with those cravings or it could be that I am just more committed this time. Whatever it is it is working for me right now.

Kathy

Hi Kathy.....I just had to tell you that after reading your post, I ran into the kitchen to test that FF PLAIN yogurt (yuk) theory with the ff/pudding, just a tbs spoon of the yogurt and a touch of the ff/sf choc pudding....OMG it IS great!! I will do that for this evening "treat" Never thought of that, just had the ff plain yogurt there wondering what the heck I could do with it....NOW I know....thanks Kathy....all this info is making Core more and more my choice of programs. It is working for me that is for sure. I can see it and feel it in my clothes.
I might even get some ff/sf banana pudding and try it that way too with maybe a piece of real banana.....
Again, thank you......Have a great day...........Linda (L.J)

Welcome, Rhonda.

Sounds like core would mean a big change to your breakfast routine. I've been enjoying eggs every morning, usually poached or scrambled w/ mixed veggies. I'll have a couple of slices of light toast w/ Take Control (which I count as a point, although WW would probably have me count it as 2). I find that the protein in the morning helps me to get to lunch w/out hunger. I actually have to make a point to eat.

A tip for those who want to bring their lunches to work but don't have a fridge - I bring a little cooler chest w/ me, filled w/ fresh fruit, salads, cottage cheese, veggies, and sometimes some celery sticks filled w/ soynut butter or a sandwich on light bread. It keeps stuff cool and fresh all day long.

I had missed my weigh-in last week and will not be able to make my regular meeting tomorrow. I may go in today, although I'm afraid I may be up a tad. I'll let you know.

Good morning everyone! Thanks so much for all the responses and welcomes!

Thanks to dannyb for some breakfast ideas and to fergusonvt for the idea about oats. I'm not fond of instant oatmeal, but I really love regular oats and steel cut oats (does anyone know if these are CORE or not). In fact, I had regular rolled oats this morning with splenda - sort of satisfying, but I was surely missing my brown sugar that I usually put on.

Sunny734 - thankfully, I LOVE cream of wheat, and have actually missed it from WW previously and a couple of other diets I've been on. A box is on my grocery list now! As for lunch, I was really impressed with the selection of soups. DH is doing the shopping today and I gave him a "little list" of soups to get for me.

derrydaughter - thanks for touching on the "delicate" issue of fiber in our diets. I have mild IBS w/constipation so, I really worry about the fiber part! And, I REALLY loved the part about going to a salad bar and just getting the "goodies" - what a GREAT idea!

And to all of you - thanks to all for supporting our troops. About my "handle," my husband is a Vietnam era Navy veteran, my youngest son was in the army but got out right before the US went to Afghanistan and Iraq. I am also the daughter of a retired Air Force Captain (deceased) who flew bombrs and recon planes in Vietnam, AND, I am also the step-daughtr of a Korean War veteran!! Now, if I could just get one of y grandchildren to join the Coast Guard I'd have all branches covered!

Must run, time for lunch duty!

Rhonda

Kathy, your weigh in is impressive! Was wondering if you were new to any weight loss program before trying Core or were you already doing something, either with ww or without and then switched?
Well, I had my own weigh in today, nothing spectacular like Kathy's, but I lost 1.4 pounds. My total loss is now 13.8 pounds! 2.4 more to go til I make by 10% goal of 16.2 pounds. I have 13 more pounds (now less than what I have lost!) left to reach GOAL! I'm psyched!
Will be making some more sf, ff, pudding after lunch for tonight. I am staying in control and loving it!
Will also try mixing the pudding in with my plain yogurt, which I've only used for cooking.
Like you, Danny, I have been enjoying eggs as well! I'm either having one egg mixed with one egg white (2 points, in case you wondered) or one small container (equal to two eggs) of egg substitute and making scrams or an omlet. Then I buy, frozen, chopped green and red peppers and also chopped onion. Buying frozen is not all that expensive and it saves valuable time in the morning. I put about a teaspoon (getting my olive oil in early and it coats the pan) or two of olive oil in the pan and saute' the veggies. I add a bit of diced tomato and stir to heat that up and then put aside in a bowl. I pour in the egg and add cheese and the veggies on top. My cheese varies depending on the day from ff shredded cheddar to ff cottage cheese or (counting the point but really creamy) one cut up wedge of Laughing Cow Lite cheese (my favorite).
I have fruit on the side with my omlet and am really full and don't need a mid-morning snack. I like that I don't seem to need a snack!
Linda in NH

Sunny734...I will definitely try the FF Borden slices. I also got a suggestion of Great Value (WalMart) and Cabot's. Sounds like I will be doing a lot of cheese taste testing soon! Thank you everyone for your help!!!

Yesterday was my 1st day back on a WW's program in 6 years, although I joined on Thursday, I chose to start CORE yesterday and I am already convinced I made a great choice. CORE is very much like other programs I've been on as far as a balanced plan,etc. However, for some reason, I felt ONLY hunger and deprivation when I realized I did not bring enough food to work (rectified today!!!). I usually get super hungry in the evening and I just loaded up on skinless, rotisserie chicken and this amazing okra, rotel tomato and onion dish (amazing, b/c the only okra I will eat typically is fried - ; ). I realized that I really didn't gorge myself and had a decent portion of both. I also made the Baked oatmeal w/peaches (I HATE oatmeal, but WOW!!!!) and had that w/FF/SF Whipped topping, YUM!!!! The only points I used were for a glass of white wine w/dinner and there was no guilt there! I love this program!