Trying Core.

[Macabe]

Well, I've decided to try core. Last time, it lasted for about 3 days. I'm really trying this time, though. Anybody else doing core? How's it going?

I've been really getting into this idea of eating "real food." There's a new book out by Michael Pollan called The Omnivore's Dilemma, subtitled Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

The whole idea of "eat food" is that so much of the food available today isn't really food, but a processed approximation of food. So I'm getting on this kick of trying to eat more real food. As he puts it, stuff your great-grandmother would recognize as food. Avoid foods with ingredients that are more like chemicals than food, and stay away from high fructose corn syrup.

For example, we tend to eat a lot of convenience foods because DH and I both WOH. We got into a pattern of eating these frozen, breaded chicken patties about once a week. Now that is not food in the most fundamental sense.

So I feel like doing core will help me achieve this goal of eating more real food.

So far today, I've d one alright. A quesedilla at lucnh added a point for the tortilla. I had a 1 point bar. And I had breaded chicken for dinner for another point. 3 points today. It's hard, though. I don't know what to have for breakfast because I typically have a granola bar or an english muffin, and if I do that's like 21 points a week just for breakfast.

Anyhow, wish me luck. Anybody else doing core?

[Jazmyn]

This sounds like a neat idea... I have been trying to eat more basic foods... like make more of my own. I stay away from the processed premade foods for many of the ingredients are fat or high salt which I avoid.

You know what you put in if you make your own salad dressing, your own chicken, etc... and you are better off eating an orange than drinking frozen oj say.

Please let me know how this works for you!

[Macabe]

Well, I made it through one day alright, and only using 3 points or so on non-core foods. I'm having serious trouble with breakfast as I can't think of anything to eat (don't like eggs). I had some fruit and now I'm hungry.

I have to eat in the company cafeteria today because I didn't plan for a core lunch. Maybe a salad with chicken or something? I'm really hungry, which totally goes against the core principles.

For dinner I have a pork roast marinating, and I'll add a side of green beans and the same potatoes I made yesterday, because everybody loved them so much.

[Jazmyn]

With core can't you always have a bag of veggies around? Like having carrots, celery, apples, clementines etc? And can you have different seeds and nuts? If you precut veggies and place them in the fridge with a little water at night,... it would be easy to bring them to work with you in the morning. You could also prebag snacks like seeds and nuts for the week.

[Kassandra]

I'm not sure what "core" is, but I think having a goal of eating whole foods is great!

For breakfast you do oatmeal - real oatmeal, not the packet kind with scads of added sugar. Add fruit - blueberries (frozen or fresh) or raisins (I like to add them while the oatmeal is cooking to plump them), etc. A heart healthy portion of oatmeal is going to fill you up.

I know you don't like eggs, but what about scrambled egg whites with salsa mixed in and top with a bit of 2% cheese? You're going to taste the salsa, not the eggs. The eggs are just the medium for the salsa and cheese - plus they have a ton of protein. Couple that with a piece of whole grain toast with light cream cheese and sliced strawberries on top.

[Macabe]

With core can't you always have a bag of veggies around? Like having carrots, celery, apples, clementines etc? And can you have different seeds and nuts? If you precut veggies and place them in the fridge with a little water at night,... it would be easy to bring them to work with you in the morning. You could also prebag snacks like seeds and nuts for the week.
Yes, I've been bringing in lots of fruit and veggies for snacks. I just had a huge bag of green grapes, as a matter of fact. But nuts and seeds aren't on the core diet.

I'm not sure what "core" is, but I think having a goal of eating whole foods is great!

For breakfast you do oatmeal - real oatmeal, not the packet kind with scads of added sugar. Add fruit - blueberries (frozen or fresh) or raisins (I like to add them while the oatmeal is cooking to plump them), etc. A heart healthy portion of oatmeal is going to fill you up.
"Core" is one of the options for Weight Watchers. The "Flex" plan lets you eat anything you want, but assigns a point value based on calories/fat/fiber and you're limited on points. The core plan has a list of approved foods, and you can have as much as you need off that list, but it limits any foods off the list.

The foods are basically all veggies, all fruits, lean meats, including trimmed beef and pork, a bit of healthy oils every day, potatoes, and some whole grain foods, like brown rice. The list is quite extensive, but does not include bread or processed foods.

I really need to leave more time in the morning for breakfast. Real oatmeal with fresh fruit or maybe some all-fruit preserves would be a great start, but I tend to wake up just in time to get dressed and get to work.

[Macabe]

Well, I made it through the first week of core. My WW buddy at work just quit WW after her first week, which is really fine because she doesn't need to lose weight and I'm not sure why she was even going to WW.

I have my first "core" weigh-in tonight, and I'm not sure if I lost any based on my scale at home. I guess time will tell. I hate evening weigh-ins. I always feel like I don't want to eat too much through the day or it will skew my weigh-in. Then I kind of binge a bit after the meeting. But whatever, it's been working for me so far.

I have about 20 lbs to go, and it just feels like so much to do 1 lb a week at a time.

[Macabe]

Considering the "hell" I've put myself through in the last week, I only lost .8. I'm giving core another shot, though, as I've really been eating a lot more real foods, and I want to keep that up. If I don't lose next week, though, I'll reconsider.

It's not like I'm eating a lot either.

My first week back to WW (flex) I lost almost nothing, and the next week I lost 4. So maybe that will happen with "core" also.

[thirtyeven]

I review books four times a year for a magazine, and I was just looking at that Michael Pollen book with the thought of reviewing it. It looks really good. I hadn't heard of "core," but the idea of eating more "real" food sounds great to me. I second your thought of doing it for at least another week--it might take some time before the dietary changes start showing themselves with weight loss, but a long term change towards healthier eating is always worth it, IMO.

[Elizabethdaisy]

hows the core going? I want to start either core or flex. I did flex before I got pregnant with kyler and lost almost 40 lbs. I know I can do this. I just need to figure out how. lol

[Macabe]

I was down 3.4 last week, so I guess it's going pretty well. It's fairly easy to stick to the core food list when I'm cooking for myself. But my mom was in town this weekend and we ate some convenience foods and such, which made it a bit harder.

I'm committed to being back on plan totally this week, though. :)

[Elizabethdaisy]

well I started off bad so tomorrow is my day to start. but cant decide with core or flex. have you tried both? if you did which do you prefer?

[Elizabethdaisy]

btw congrats.

[Macabe]

I answered on your other thread re: flex vs. core. :)

[Elizabethdaisy]

thanks I see that now. I think I might start off doing flex then see how that works. I liked it before but I am not going to meetings I have all the stuff here.