Core Plan

I hestitated to entitle this post "Starting Over Again" because if I titled every post that signified starting over with that title, I would have a lot of posts with that title. I have decided that I am totally burned out on counting points and keeping a journal so I have committed myself to one month using WW Core Plan. I don't have to count anything (unless it is not a 'core' food) and I don't have to write anything down. I think WW encourages keeping track of healthy eating, eg., how many servings of vegetables, dairy, etc. but I'm not going to think about that. At least not this week. This week is devoted to getting the fridge and the pantry stocked and planning meals and snacks.

Since I cleaned out the pantry and the fridge already, I am in pretty good shape. All those Kashi bars and WW cakes and bags of pretzels are not core--basically all my planned snacks. I do have some core popcorn on hand. I need to get fresh fruit.

My breakfast, Irish oatmeal, minus the dried fruit, is already core. I will substitue fresh or frozen fruit for the dried--no big whoop. My lunch, a Subway sandwich or salad, is not core so it will have to be counted for points. If I switch to a Grilled Chicken or Club salad with my own salad dressing, that is only 2 or 3 points (as opposed to 5 for a sandwich).

I will need to cook my dinners instead of relying on Lean Cuisine. The good thing is that my favorite Iranian meals are, or easily can be. core. The plan is to make two or three entrees and then vary them through the week.

The big problem is snacks. My usual snack has been carbohydrates: Kashi bars, WW cakes, etc. On the core plan I can have fruits, vegetables, nonfat milk and popcorn. This will take some retraining. And some shopping.

For tonight, I have the makings for Peruvian Chicken Ragout--totally core--for dinner. After my aquasize class tonight, I will hit the grocery store. Stay tuned, buckaroos.