Thinking of switching to CORE

[bmkpoe]

I've been doing Flex for about 4 months and have lost 34lbs but now I think I want to try Core but have no idea where to start. I do this on my own and don't attend meetings or do it online. Can someone give the basics on Core or is there somewhere I could get the info? Info like, foods that are core and not core, do I still earn AP. If Ive asked too much, I apologize. I've been reading alot about core, but it seems confusing to me. I would like to try it out for a few weeks to see how it goes. Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

[DreamWalker]

Hi there again, I think I posted to you this morning on watp. Come check out HardCORE Hotties. We started up under the buddy section until yesterday when the official core forum became available. There's a bunch of us. Come on by. We're finding our way through core together. I just started core 4 wks ago. Here is a quote from WWCarol. Hope it helps. She's also a Hardcore Hottie!


A CORE outline...Okay.

The Core Plan helps you make wise food choices from a Core Food List with NO TRACKING. (That's the good part! ;) )

Core Plan Rules:

1. Eat as much of the Core Foods as you need to feel satisfied. (However, some foods are limited to once-a-day, or in a required combination, i.e. Core approved cold cereals must be eaten with milk or yogurt).

2. If you want to eat foods that are not on the Core Food List, use your weekly points allowance (35 per week).

3. Follow the 8 Good Health Guidelines.

Important: The basic Core Food List and guidelines are in your Getting Started Booklet. It's highly recommended to go to at least ONE WW meeting to get the materials you'll need, and to have it explained by the WW leader~ :)

Another important aspect of the Core Plan is to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're satisfied, remembering however that calories do matter in weight loss. Your GS booklet shows your Comfort Zone, and recommends you stay between 1) hungry, 2) getting hungry, 3) satisfied/comfortable and 4) full/not hungry at all, while avoiding, 0) very hungry/starving and 5) very full/stuffed! :p

You have 35 weekly allowance points for non-Core foods and the occasional treat. Some people save them for special occasions, while others spread them out evenly (5 per day) over the week.

I think it's important to plan ahead before beginning the Core program and have Core foods available in your fridge, freezer, and pantry.

There are many ideas/tips/suggestions that can make Core a fun and enjoyable program. That's why we've got this forum...so we can SHARE, and support one another in the program~ :) :bcbsalute

[elusivecow]

What is the difference in terms of success, both short term and long term, between flex and core?

I've been doing flex, because I definitely needed to be structured to start out. But, I seem to have plateaued -- or maybe it's just some 'external forces' at work. I'm giving it a few more weeks before I think about making a switch, plus I want to make sure it's right for me to do so, and rule out those 'external forces' as the cause. (things like TOM as well as a few weeks back realized I was starving myself, which definitely slowed things down--just waiting for it to pick back up again now that I'm eating closer to my allowed points).
But -- do people seem to lose more when they switch to core? Or, is it simply a preference thing and people do equally well on either one?

Just curious on your take.

[jillwbee]

I don't know if WW has released any hard numbers on the differences. My husband's WW leader has said both have shown to lose equally well. I can tell you that my husband has lost bigger amounts on Core, but that is probably because it is a better program for him.

I think it basically comes down to what makes more sense to you and fits your individual needs and habits. I am too new at it to show success versus flex (which I was on a while ago), but I like the fact that my focus is on being balanced and making healthy food choices rather than how much actual food that I like that I can fit in for my points for the day. For some people that is better~I work with a lot of women on WW and only one of them is attracted to Core the way I am. She got her to her goal on Core back in November and loves it also for maintenance!

My mother started WW about a month ago to lose 10 pounds. She started flex, but she is an older lady and hated trying to figure out points and asked me about Core. She tried it but thinks that it might not give her enough structure. She keeps saying it can't be a diet if it doesn't limit you. Of course she is right if you don't limit yourself--if you eat 3000 calories a day on Core and don't exercise, you will not lose and probably gain. You need to control what you eat.
I don't know if that helps...

[WWCarol]

Kerri~ Get Thee To A Meeting! ;) They're still offering free registration at my meeting, so for about $12 or less you can get ALL your Core materials and have it explained to you, and answer all your questions, after the meeting.

It would be impossible to list all the foods on the list, along with the rules for those foods, and the entire Core program. It probably wouldn't be legal, either! :eek:

As far as APs go, you use your APs the same day you earn them. With Core, it's almost mute because if you're "hungrier" from exercising you just EAT more! ;) But your APs are there for more non-Core foods that day, if you choose to use them.

Elusivecow~ I think either program is supposed to work as well for losing weight. Personally, I think it's good to have a Flex background, for portion control and the nutritional analysis of foods. However, I've read a lot of people on the WWs board who jumped right into Core and lost all their weight!

I think it's about what feels best to you. Some people feel "free" eating Core foods without counting/weighing/measuring. Other people feel "free" eating whatever they want and counting the points for it. It seems to be a "personal fit" issue, and you almost have to TRY Core to know if it will really work for you or not.

Then some people use both programs, switching from one to the other, depending upon their lifestyle.

My best advice would be: Be prepared! Know the program, and have the foods available that you will need~ Then you can see if you love the program or not~ :bcbsalute

[jenjenmat]

I have a Question for people on the Core Plan. i have been a aiken and south beach goer and love the programs, i have recenlty got married and have start to gain. i start doing the flex and started gaining weight. i have looked at the core and it really alot like aiken and south beach. but here are my questions, i know if it has a check than it is on the list and if not count the points toward your weekly. but if chicken is a checked item than should a chicken sandwick at chick fla not be has high of points for us? shouldn't we only count the bread or if it's fried than add for the fried part?






I don't know if WW has released any hard numbers on the differences. My husband's WW leader has said both have shown to lose equally well. I can tell you that my husband has lost bigger amounts on Core, but that is probably because it is a better program for him.

I think it basically comes down to what makes more sense to you and fits your individual needs and habits. I am too new at it to show success versus flex (which I was on a while ago), but I like the fact that my focus is on being balanced and making healthy food choices rather than how much actual food that I like that I can fit in for my points for the day. For some people that is better~I work with a lot of women on WW and only one of them is attracted to Core the way I am. She got her to her goal on Core back in November and loves it also for maintenance!

My mother started WW about a month ago to lose 10 pounds. She started flex, but she is an older lady and hated trying to figure out points and asked me about Core. She tried it but thinks that it might not give her enough structure. She keeps saying it can't be a diet if it doesn't limit you. Of course she is right if you don't limit yourself--if you eat 3000 calories a day on Core and don't exercise, you will not lose and probably gain. You need to control what you eat.
I don't know if that helps...

[sodacracker]

I tried to post a link to the WW site where their was a thread about why people chose Core over Flex. I couldn't get it to work so cut and pasted some of the responses.

See if any of these ring true for you.

it's something I can honestly see myself doing for the rest of my life. I'm teaching myself to listen to my body. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm satisfied, I stop. In no way, shape, or form did I ever honestly believe that I would count points for the rest of my life. This I can see myself doing and maintaining because I'm learning how to eat to live, rather than live to eat.

I got tired of weighing and measuring everything, and found I ate at least 50% of my points in cr ap. . . . . . . . . . .

I was sick of counting points which made me eat more because all I did was think of food. Now I'm not hungry and I don't think of eating all the time.

1. I can do it for life.
2. I am eating better & setting a good example for my child.
3. With Flex, I was "buying" junk food and had this anxiety about "what if I don't have enough points and I'm still hungry?"
4. CORE has eliminated 99% of my cravings for junk food!!
5. I'm losing way more weight on CORE than I did with Flex. heehee :-)

because I am sick of eating processed foods just because they are low points. because I go out to eat a lot. because when I count points and have one bad day, I feel like the week is ruined and it turns into a downward spiral. because I could see myself eating Core forever. because after doing Flex for so long, Core does not seem like a diet, I am eating things I haven't eaten in years.

I was just starting WW and had no desire whatsoever to count points, weigh food, "buy" milk with points, feel hungry, etc. With Core, I don't count points (except WPA), I eat til I'm satisfied and when I'm hungry, and I can drink skim milk or eat FF cheese for my dairy without counting points.

I never would have predicted that I'd love core as much as I do, though! I've had no trouble whatsoever sticking to it (although all those holiday treats are tempting, but that's what WPA can be for) and feel like I can do this forever.

I was sooooo tired of weighing and measuring. I was also tired of running out of points and by the time dinner came I was sitting in front of a plate with a piece of chicken the size of my thumb nail because I had run low on points!!!


I originally chose it because I was stuck on a 4-month plateau with Flex and I needed to change something, or else I was going to give up entirely.
I've stayed with it because it's easy and it works. I no longer am obsessing about food (which is the biggest benefit I see), I am always satisfied,or if I'm not, I have the freedom to eat more, I'm eating healthier (which was my goal for joining WW months ago), I have more energy, and it's something I can do.

Because I'm a lifer from the old exchange days.....Core is more like that.

I hated points from when it was first introduced.......could NEVER imagine needing a slide rule to figure out what I could eat for the rest of my life

Because I can enjoy fruit and milk.

Because I'm not a big processed food eater to begin with. I LIKE healthy food.

When I do eat "junk" it is an addiction for me, so better I don't eat it except for a very special occasion.

Because I can go to a restaurant and look at the menu and EASLILY decide what is OP, and ENJOY it.

Because it is really healthy.

Because I don't have to starve (I was always hungry on points).

Because its a no-brainer.

I'm sure to get in my fruits and veggies because I didn't spend all my points on a candy bar or FF pretzels.

I don't mindlessly eat out of bags of low-fat junk food.

I get all my dairy in (my mom is 44 and has osteoporosis so this is a biggie for me!)

I was gaining with Flex and now I'm losing again!

My body feels so much healthier and I feel like I can maintain this way of eating for life.

Some days I am hungrier than others - I can change the amount that I eat without worrying if I'm under or over my target points.

Because this truly is a way of life. I can't imagine counting points for the rest of my life, but I can imagine eating healthy. This is something that I can maintain...and it doesn't seem like a diet.

Because I'm no longer obsessed with food. I don't feel like I'm "on a diet," and I can envision eating like this for the rest of my life.

Ditto to all the above. I never liked the Point system, and preferred the old exchange program. Plus I got ridiculously sick of counting, measuring and tracking every morsel I put in my mouth. And here's the real biggie - I was always hungry - and realized I was NEVER going to stick to a plan which left me hungry.

Because I was tired of trying to eat 3 meals a day, get in all my dairies, and not be hungry -- on 20 points a day! Wait...I did add 5 allowance/flex points a day just so I could be sure to get those dairies in...so I ended up with 19 points a day (25-6 for the milk) for 3 meals.

CORE is the way I'll be eating the rest of my life...I guess that's why they call it lifetime.

Because it seems to help with my sugar and chocolate cravings.
Because I don't have to obsess over how to count things.
because you can make a nice dinner and no one will notice that it is a weight watchers planned meal--especially if THEY get bread.
Because fruit is a dessert.

I chose CORE because my last 3 adventures with WW were Flex. It is not possible to live like a thin person while thinking/writing about food all day long! I got tired of writing down, calculating, etc. CORE seems more realistic for the long term.