Saturday, December 6, 2008

Changing to Core

blereotIt seems that I have been stalled out at this weight, gaining and losing the same few pounds for several weeks now, and nothing I do changes the outcome. I have PCOS, and it does respond better to a lower carb approach. Try as I might with the Flex points program, it is too easy to overdo the starch carbs. So, I decided that I will give the Core program a try.

We do not attend meetings for WW. Not in real life and not online. Part of the reason is expense, part of the reason is time and another part is life style choice. I officially became a member of WW back in 1974 when he program was all about exhanges and not points. I did the meetings every week and lost 10 pounds, but then quit. The meetings, after the initial benefit of getting the program materials, did nothing for me. Years later, totally and copletely on my own I used the program to lose 110 pounds, so it pretty much proved to myself that meetings were not something critical to my weight loss. Knowledge , however, was. So enter a new challenge- learn the Core program without formally joining. I searched, I snooped, and came up with a pretty darned good idea of the program. A few details are missing, but I belive I have enough knowledge to be able to get er done.

So now I am doing Core and son and DH are doing Flex Points. Yep, stimulating. However, in time it will become as second nature to me as calculating points is. Testerday was my first day on Core, and i noticed something right off the bat- i am less hungry and eat a lot less than I do on the Flex plan. it comes from eating till you are satisfied instead of needing to eat a certain level of points. There have been many times on Flex that I am really not hungry but need to still consume 10 points, and there is not enough fruit in the house or yogert or chese to go around for the three of us for the week, so I wind up eating things like Fiber one bars,Rye Crisp crackers or Chex bars. Yummy, but they are carby choices and after I eat them I wind up feeling like they woke up hunger or something. I do not eat more, but my body feels very unsatisfied. Perhaps it is psycological, but I do not belive so. I think in people who are insulin resistant for a variety of reasons, carbs make you hungry and it begins to become counter productive. I noticed the points I consumed yesterday as well as folloowing the core principles just o satisfy my curiosity. Currently on Flex I have 26 points per day. Yesterday on core I ate 20 points on Flex but only 4 points on core ( With Core you are allowed 35 points per week that are used to count non core foods), and was more satisfied than I have been in weeks.

I am curious to see how this works with my body. I would LOVE to get to One- derland ASAP. That is 30 pounds away. And from there, full speed on to my final goal weight of 130. With fingers crossed and determination, I proceed

3 comments:

Skye-Lynn said...

I had the same experience when I was on core. I also counted my points and found that I was eating a heck of a lot less points, but I was constantly full. I was averaging a loss of 3 pounds a week the last time.

In fact, I am planning on switching to core on Saturday when my new week starts. I had intended to start this past Saturday, but I realized that I needed to grocery shop first and I don't do that again until this Friday.

I find myself starving these days on flex. And like you, I think I am eating too many carbs. I'm anxious to make the switch.

I have all of the books,excluding the new program they started this past week, so if you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Di said...

Thanks for the offer to guide me ! I think I am understanding most of the program. There are a few things that I totally disagree with WW on because they make no nutritional sense ( the thing with nuts on core) and I am thinking about ignoring any activity point I earn because of the carb impact on my body. I know in my case when i eat h9igher levels of starchy carbs i get hungry, feel strung out and my endocrine system goes into serious overload. With Core i seem to feel better and my body actually works right. Yesterday while exercising on my bike i actually started to sweat- something I was not doing because of my Adrenal gland problems. I am also feeling like my body is just plain relaxing, which is going to be a big help in the rest of this weight loss journey .I say oif you think Core may be the way to go , do it !

Skye-Lynn said...

I agree as well. There are several things that I do disagree with. I just tweak the program to where it fits my lifestyle.

For example, on core, restaurants are out. Well, excuse me, but if I go to Subway for example and eat a grilled chicken sub, no cheese, no mayo, loaded with veggies and apples on the side, then I am counting this as core and I'll just use my 35 wkly. pts. for the wheat bread. On WW, this is a no-no. Pu-lease!

I feel we have to make the program work for our lifestyle and as long as the weight is coming off, who cares what adjustments we make.

I also do not use my AP's. I don't do it on flex and I also plan on not doing it on core.

My body also felt 100% better when I was following core. That's another reason that I plan on starting it on Saturday.

How awesome that you are sweating now! I know how you were struggling with this.