Congratulations, Linda on breaking through the plateau with Core! I have my materials but confess that I've been too busy to really read them and compare to see what's different. As I said on the other post, I'm going to hang with what I've been doing until we get the final word. My snacks are usually fruit and skim mixed together into a smoothie...oh yeah...with SF/FF pudding. I am NOT counting points for that! Not yet anyway.

Vicki, sounds like you are on the right track for YOU, I think that is important to recognize. I have heard people discuss the CORE plan, and their failure with it, at meetings sometimes. For some people, it gives them a "green light" to just eat CORE foods non-stop all day and not portion control themselves. I've not been that way, and I don't think you have either.
I don't think I would count 1/2 cup of FF cottage cheese, mid afternoon as flex points. If you were following the new plan, exactly, you would have to do that, even if it's a core food. If you had a WW Smoothie (very expensive) they wouldn't have you count is as flex points. Both, to me, offer similar calories and nutrition.
I think they are trying to create an awareness of in between meal snacking and how it can sabotage losses, but if you have been very good with regard to that anyway, and are comfortable (and losing) with the current plan, then stay with it.
Linda

I just can't believe the snacking guidelines are changed like that and they didn't mention it anywhere on the Online version. Here's what I mean.

It says:
For meals, choose from the Core Food List - as much as you need to feel satisfied:
Fruits
Veggies
Lean meats
Fat-free dairy

Well, that's not ALL! What about whole wheat pasta, brown rice, black or pinto beans?? Apparently when they list those four categories, they're not intending that to be all you can choose from for meals, but instead just giving a few examples.

So likewise, then, I see this:
For snacks, choose from the following. Or spend some of the 35 POINTS® values from your weekly POINTS Allowance.
Fat-free milk
Fruits and veggies
Weight Watchers Fruities
Air popped (or 94% fat-free microwave) popcorn

I interpreted that to mean that those things were also a sampling of what you could choose from. And now I'm a little confused, but I think I'm doing like everyone else and stick with the "old plan" for a while. I can't see the harm in that at all.

As for portion control, I have the opposite problem as most people. If I don't keep up with it, I won't eat enough. That's why I've continued to either write it down or use the Plan Manager in the e-tools to continue to journal. It's a habit that I have a hard time breaking anyway because I need to see, in black and white, what I'm doing.

Kathy, I'll try to interpret here. I asked specifically and clarified it with my leader.
The list you quoted is accurate, but you didn't mention WW smoothies that are on the list as well. From what I understand, if you eat something from that listing between meals you don't have to count it as flex points.
If you eat anything else, core or not, in between meals you must count it towards your 35 flex points. So, if I had a slice of leftover chicken or a small bowl of oatmeal mid afternoon, they would count towards my 35 flex points, as they are NOT on that very specific listing of allowed snacks.
WW smoothies are accepted as in between meal snacks, yet if I take a cup of fat free yogurt (plain) and put it in my blender with a few ice cubes and a half banana, I'd have to count the points for the yogurt unless it was eaten at mealtime.
A slice of leftover chicken, for example, is protein and maybe one or two points, equal to the points of the popcorn, correct? However, there is some kind of verbiage in there now about density of foods and to choose foods with a better density level. For example, they show you an equal amount of raisins and grapes in terms of calories, the raisins are more dense and less filling and for the same amount of points you could have an entire cup full of grapes. They want you to choose the grapes, of course.
Getting back to my own yogurt, ice and banana concoction, though, I'd have to count a point or two (whatever it works out to) for the yogurt as it is a non accepted in between meal snack. It sure limits us.
I hope I was able to make that more clear for you. I really left my meeting yesterday bummed out by this. I'm doing OK as I have been, though, maybe if I followed these new recommendations my weight loss would be more accelerated, but I truly want variety as well as freedom - why I chose to be on CORE in the first place as I see more freedom than flex.
I really want to hear more opinions of this new program.
Linda

That's where the confusion comes in. Smoothies aren't listed (although I've heard it from everyone and saw it elsewhere on the site). I posted the list EXACTLY as it is on the website for online memberships.

I'm trying to attach the page.

Now let's see ...

Ugh! Nevermind!

I'm sending you a PM ...

Here is the text from the page. Maybe this will work:

On the Core Plan, you control calories by focusing your eating on a list of wholesome, nutritious foods. Since the foods on the list were carefully selected to support weight loss, there’s no need to keep track of how much or which foods you eat.

Here’s how it works:
For meals, choose from the Core Food List - as much as you need to feel satisfied:
Fruits
Veggies
Lean meats
Fat-free dairy

For snacks, choose from the following. Or spend some of the 35 POINTS® values from your weekly POINTS Allowance.
Fat-free milk
Fruits and veggies
Weight Watchers Fruities
Air popped (or 94% fat-free microwave) popcorn

Learn to recognize and respond to your body’s signals of hunger and satisfaction.
Learn the basics of healthy eating with the Good Health Guidelines.


I think I'll start a new thread for discussion about the changes.

Kathy, I find that interesting that the Smoothies are not mentioned as they are VERY clear on that in the booklets we got.
I think a new thread is a good idea.
Linda

Not much action here at all, I'm wondering if everyone is busy making holiday plans and foods and not worrying about WW quite so much?
I'm worrying, but I know I will take a few days off. I look forward to those days and also look forward to having a "clean kitchen" again when all this debauchery is over.
Linda

Linda, we hang out daily/weekly on our Core Chat thread. Come see us. It's where we are all complaining and fretting about baking and the holidays and OUR dirty kitchens. We creat a new thread once a week so that it doesn't get too long for those on dial up. I'll go get the link for you.

Linda, here we are!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100126