Hey Vickie...it's early morning, but I just read the posts here and I wanted to make sure I wrote you before I left for work......PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE don't think I think anything other than the fact I feel you are some amazing cook!! I love reading what you have made, it motivates me, so please 'my friend' keep on keeping on.....
Also I LOVE what you said about the "craving being in my head and not my body" I just love that and will remember those words which I honestly could have used last night and Monday night, both Very stressful and I just mindlessly ate not the whole day just dinner and after....( oh boy) but I guess it happens, it just has not happen to me in 17 weeks. And now I must face that scale Saturday :-( My husband said, just pick up today and move forward and don't worry, it's done and over.....don't ya hate when they're right (hahahaha)
Well I will write after work and WELCOME Teri.....glad you are here with this great group!! Talk with you all later.........have a good day out there.......Linda

Thanks Linda! Try not to worry about your two bad days. Maybe Saturday won't be as bad as you fear....and if it is, then you'll just start a new week. When you get home tonight, give your hubby a huge hug because he is right. How wonderful of him to be that supportive and WISE! I think you should celebrate that this is your first slip in 17 weeks. It's going to happen once in a while. If you only slip once every four plus months then you are definitely my role model. Don't beat yourself up anymore and if you are good between now and Saturday you just might be surprised!

Hi everyone!

I've been lurking here on the Core board for weeks now and finally decided to register! I've been on Core for almost 6 weeks and have lost 11 lbs! Tomorrow is my 6th weigh in day. Here's hoping for another loss!

I'm loving the Core program. I honestly think I can stay on this for the rest of my life, especially when I hear about how many more WPAs you get on Core maintenance! I'm not even using all of WPAs now!

The hardest part for me in the beginning was giving up white rice. I'm Asian and was weaned on white rice 42 years ago. Now I have brown rice a few days a week and haven't had white rice in 6 weeks! To tell you the truth, white rice now sounds mushy and not "hearty."

This is my 3rd time trying Weight Watchers. The first time was Winning Points. I lost weight but got obsessed with food because I got tired of the counting and measuring really fast. I was a real grouch because I was hungry most of the time with no points left for the day. I gave up and got back all the weight and then some. I tried joining again a couple of years later and couldn't even stay with it for more than a month. After hearing about the core program here, I was excited to join and try again, and I'm SO happy I did.

I've enjoyed reading about everyone's successes, and all the yummy recipes. My family insists I make baked oatmeal every weekend.

Welcome Carol and congratulations on your success with Core.
Hello to everyone else... I am back from a visit back east and am really glad to report that although I am thrilled to be back on Core - a week of Flex was perfect for the traveling situation. Normally I don't have too much trouble travelling on Core but this was a special celebration at my sisters house and I really didn't want to impose my core food requirements on a event that was clearly about family and friendships. So - I did great and feel good about being back home and doing my Core thing again.

I ran across this recipe on the WW board and thought it sounded great enough to pass along. Minor modifications would make it Core:

Tamale Pie
4 servings
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin, optional
2 cups cooked pinto or kidney beans
1 teaspoon salt (less if beans are salted)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup whole ripe olives, sliced or chopped
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, optional
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery

CRUST
3 cups boiling water
1 cup coarsely ground corn meal or 11/2 cups regular corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (more, if desired)

For the filling: Saute onion and garlic clove in oil. When nearly soft, add chili powder and cumin and crush garlic with a fork. Continue to cook, stirring until spices are fragrant. In the pan with the onions, mash beans with salt and tomato paste. Add remaining filling ingredients to pan. When hot, adjust seasoning and set aside.
For crust: Stir cornmeal slowly into boiling water. (If using regular cornmeal, stir first into 1 cup cold water, then add to 2 cups boiling water.) Cook, stirring until thick, adding salt and chili powder once mixture comes to a boil.
Grease an 8-by-8-inch pan and spread two-thirds of the cornmeal over bottom and sides of pan. Pour bean mixture into cornmeal crust and spread remaining cornmeal on top. Sprinkle top with cheese and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
(From "Laurel's Kitchen" by Laurel Robertson, Ten Speed Press.)

Susie, welcome back and I love the souvenir recipe your brought us! How did you know that I've been looking for a tamale recipe? I can't tell you how excited I am! This just might be Friday's lunch. I'm glad you had fun and the Flex worked for you during your travel.

Carol, welcome to our little corner of the world. You have done excellent so far with Core. I've lost 8.4 in six weeks....but I would be REALLY happy if I had lost 11! Any secrets you want to share?

Hi Carol and WELCOME to our group, and CONGRATS on that great weigh loss!! Wow!! That is fabulous. Keep it up!! Core really is good, isn't it. EAch time I think about doing pts after weight in, I just can't do it, and this is how I though of Core when it first came out..."I just can't to do" Now I can't go back.....go figure :-)
Welcome back Susie.....glad pts worked for you while you were away. Guess that's the beauty of being able to "turnaround" I had a rough two days, first time in 17 weeks but I'll get back into it - I will not ALLOW myself to gain anything back again. I swore I wouldn't do that the first time and worked hard to get this 20 lbs off these past several weeks, and even harder to get my original 55 lb off. So I will remain focused. I think it was Carol who said with pts you always felt hungry, that is so true at least it was for me too, but I did lose all my weight with it. Core for some reason just seems to be easier for me now, although I will admit I do journal everyday. I like to see what I eat and keep a record of it. I am thinking of weaning myself off of it, what do you all think??? Please advise :-) I agree with Carol too, Core is something that you can do for the rest of our lives, I mean if we have to watch ourselves what better way?? Just my feelings.
Vickie I didn't realize you had a great weight loss on Core too. Shouldn't that little chick be changed?? Or is it in increments of 5's ??? (if so, that stinks :-)
But CONGRATS on that great weight loss.!!!! Perhaps you have some secrets you want to share :-) Must be those great recipes.
How's it gong Teri? On the Whole Wheat Tortilla, only thing I found in the Complete Food Companion is WW tortilla 1-7 inch= 1 pt - might be worth it though!!
Let us know how you do..
Everyone else have a great day out there........and will talk with you all later.......
Here's hoping for a better next three days for me...I will let you all know how I did, but I am not expecting any good news at the scale. but like Vickie said "if not" I jsut start my new week. Oh and Vickie 'thanks' I will give my husband a hug :-) YES indeed he is SO supportive...
So until tomorrow......have a great day out there....wherever 'there' may be.....let's enjoy!!! Linda

I just bought Aroastic Baked Chicken Breast (Boar's Head) and put it in a salad with Balsamic vinegar & oil. It was so good. Have you tired the Aroastic chicken? I wanted to stay on Core today and save some of my last points for Thurs & Fri. as weigh-in is Saturday and I'm looking for a good loss.

Norma

Well....Weigh in is tomorrow night. I sure hope there is a loss this week. For my first weigh in, I had only been doing Core for 4 days, Thursday being the fourth. (I joined on a Thursday but did not actually start the diet until Monday) And boy was I surprised when I had lost 3 pounds! I was not expecting a weight loss at all. This week, I have done very well food wise. I did drink some Pina colada's with my hubby Sat. night, but I was hoping the 35 points I am allowed would sort of take care of that ....... But I checked this morning and my scale has not budged! So I doubt there will be a weight loss for me tomorrow. It is also nearly that TOM, any day now, so that may be partly to blame......

I am keeping my fingers crossed though.

Thursday will be my 30th B'Day and my husband I are planning on going out to eat. I told him for that one meal I don't want to think about my weight, I just want to go enjoy dinner. (Not that I do not enjoy the core meals, but.....) I SO want a Chili's Mushroom Jack Fajita! And I love their chips and hot sauce and it has been so long since I have had some!! A long time before starting this diet... I could skip the tortillas and just eat the fajita meat, but if I get the mushroom jack fajitas it will be loaded with jack cheese. I could get the regular one fajitas, but........... I absolutely LOVE the mushroom jack ones....... It is so darn tempting. At the same time, I do not want to gain any weight either. I will try not to use any points next week to save for that meal, but I know it will not cover anything. I tell myself I will do excercise to make up for it, but I know that will be so hard to make happen.

Basically it is a major battle of willpower, and CRAVING!! Which will win? That is yet to be seen. If the Craving does win this battle, it does not mean it has won the war...... I will not let the one meal turn into a B'day weekend, week, or even a whole day.

I wish everyone the best of luck this weekend, and the during the week to come.

I think I may be too particular about my scales! My husband started to weigh the other day and I said "don't you dare step on my scale--you will mess them up and I won't weight right the next time I step on it." He said I was crazy but at least he didn't get on them! I have this idea that if the needle moves past where it was the last time I weigh, it won't go back in the right place and I will show a gain---boy that IS crazy.

Gotta go walk the dogs.

Teri, Happy Birthday! Don't go out for that meal BEFORE you weigh in though! If this one meal is very important to you then you should eat what you want. Try to still stop when you are satisfied so that tomorrow won't be so bad to go back on the wagon. You know, you can ask them to modify the meal for you. Most restaturants are very accommodating these days. You could have the mushroom jack, easy jack. No matter what...have a great day. I have to weigh in tonight and I have the same bloating dilemma that you have. Bummer.

Janette, you made me LOL! I thought I was the only "possessive" one about my scale! I let people get on it but I have to get on first and then I get on after to make sure it is still registering correctly. We just might be a little bit of crazy!

Sorry y'all! I said my B'Day was Thursday, but I meant next Thursday the 28th..... But thank you for the birthday wishes!!!!

I need to try those Boar's head meats. I know the Blazin' buffalo is fantastic! That would be good on a salad or in lettuce wraps.

I had weigh in today. Down another 1.8 for a total of 12.8 in 8 weeks. I am never eating non core again. LOL. I decided to shoot for 149 as a personal goal. I think I can, I think I can.

Heather, are Boar's head meat Core? My Leader said anything from the Deli was a no no. Is Boar's Head deli?

Congratulations on your weigh in! I leave for mine in about an hour.

The core corrections that have been floating around say that two Boar's head meats are core. The blazin buffalo and the Aroastic. My leader has never had those corrections but others say they are true. I don't eat lunchmeat enough for it to affect me I don't think but it is nice to have the option.

Good luck on your weigh in!

Heather, is it REALLY buffalo?! I never tried buffalo meat. I don't even know what aroastic is either! I'm feeling really dumb here this afternoon!