Weight Watchers Core Food List
I’ve gotten tons of hits from people who are looking for this information:
- Vegetables and fruits
- Soups (non-creamy)
- Whole Wheat Pasta, Brown Rice, Potatoes and Grains
- High Fiber and other cereals without added sugar
- Lean Meats, poultry, fish and eggs
- Fat-Free Milk Products
- Healthy Oils
- Condiments
- Coffee, Tea and sugar-free beverages
This is the “magic” list of core foods that are allowed on the Core Plan for Weight Watchers, but I’m going to be totally honest with you. If you are looking for this, you need to get your butt in the door of a Weight Watchers and pay the minimal fee to go to the classes. A magic list of foods is not what you need to help you achieve your goal. You need the full program to get you through this process.
This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle change. You got fat for a reason. Sorry to break it to you, but this fat didn’t mysteriously creep onto your body of its own accord. You have been systematically overeating (or worse, bingeing) for some time now. You need to get to the bottom of the reason that you have been abusing your body. A magic list of foods is not going to help you analyze these problems.
Are you feeling out of control? Are you feeling like this might be the last way that you have to get into control? Are you sick of the way you feel every day? Then you need to take that big step and get yourself into the door at Weight Watchers.
There are no excuses. The fee that they charge each week is nominal. Stop buying a couple of double lattes from Starbucks each week and you’ve got it covered. Some insurance companies will reimburse you for the cost of attending. I’m not a CPA, but I’ve even heard that the cost of attending Weight Watchers is tax deductible.
You think that it’s full of the old biddy committee and housewife brigade? Think again. There are plenty of men attending Weight Watchers. Your best bet is to attend in the evenings or weekends if you want masculine company. If you are a professional woman, Saturday morning is the best time for you to attend and find like-minded women who have a little more on their mind than feeding children or watching Matlock.
You didn’t like the teacher once? Try again. There are probably twenty teachers in each major metropolitan area. Keep going to different classes until you find the teacher that is the best for you, then cling to that teacher throughout your journey. Wait the extra minutes to weigh in with your teacher and talk to him/her personally. Tell them that out of the hundreds of people who come through this door every day, you’re the one person who is going to make it. You’re the one student that is going to make them proud, then live up to that statement.
You came here looking for the magic bullet. You came here wanting to know the supernatural list that would solve all your problems. Your problems are bigger than a list. They need the full treatment. Get your butt into Weight Watchers because the core food list isn’t going to help you if you’re not fully committed to this process.
Update 12-24-04: I am now writing for Starling Fitness, a health and fitness weblog. If you liked (or hated) this entry, there is a new one every day on Starling Fitness. Good luck with your weight loss!
Thanks Laura
I don’t have money to attend meetings right now as my husband is unemployed, but I had heard about the core program and am very eager to give it a try.
Comment by donna — 9/8/2004 @ 9:32 am
There are no excuses. It’s about commitment. You have to be committed to yourself to do this. You are worth $10 a week.
Plus, if you are spending your hard-earned money on the program, you’ll be more likely to follow it.
Comment by Laura Moncur — 9/9/2004 @ 11:00 am
Thanks Laura for the core food list. I thought your additional comments were unnecessary and rude for someone who was so eager to make this list accessable by anyone.
Comment by Frank Hawley — 9/21/2004 @ 2:19 pm
The list is not what you are looking for. It is not magic. Posting it is not going to help anyone get closer to their goal.
What you are looking for is support and a window into the reasons behind your weight issues. That is why Weight Watchers works, not magic food lists and points values.
Comment by Laura Moncur — 9/21/2004 @ 2:25 pm
Laura, thank you for the core list posting, however, if you want or attempting to encourage anyone to join weight watchers, your information is great but your delivery need some improvement.
Some people stuggles for reasons beyond their control and I understand others lack motivation. You have a great format and a captive audience, WORK IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. Encourage not degrade!
Comment by Wanda hughes — 10/6/2004 @ 7:12 pm
I do not believe that people struggle for reasons beyond their control. Whether we want to admit it or not, we control our lives. There are so many people who say they want to lose weight and then give up on their dreams so quickly.
There are two reasons for this: they don’t believe in themselves or they really don’t want to lose weight. If you don’t want to lose the weight, I’m ok with that. Enjoy your life and quit beating yourself up about it. Let go of the guilt and eat whatever you want whenever you want. Don’t go searching for a magic pill, ab machine or food list. They won’t help you if you really don’t want to lose the weight.
I’m talking to the people who don’t believe in themselves. I’m talking to the people who truly and desperately want to lose weight. The ones that are to the point where they will do “anything” to lose the weight. If you are committed to losing the weight, then you need the support that Weight Watchers gives you. This isn’t about food. It’s about feelings and learning how to deal with them without turning to food.
Comment by Laura Moncur — 10/7/2004 @ 8:05 am
It looks like your “magic pill” is degrading people. You do not know everyone’s circumstances. You never will. You have to wonder about yourself if you think your answer is everyone’s answer. People have hundreds of different reasons for not losing weight. Hospitalization, depression b/c of traumatic events, etc could all be part of it. Don’t categorize everyone until you know their story. So WW might have been great for you, but just because someone doesn’t succeed in weight loss, doesn’t mean they don’t care about themselves. Remember that your words affect people. You might want to reconsider what you write. You are very quick to judge people for thanking you for this list. If you are just going to criticize, then why did you post this? There are excuses. If the lady above can not afford to attend a meeting, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about herself. Have you been a position where you can’t afford to eat or get to work? Try to support a family on that income. Trust me, WW will be the last thing you will be able to pay for. I work with homeless and poverty stricken people. Even if weight loss is their top goal…they have to prioritize. WW may not be at the top of that list.
Comment by Sherry — 11/29/2004 @ 11:35 pm
Thank you for your response. It’s hard to know where to start, but I’ll do my best to address all of your issues.
You’re right. I do not know everyone’s circumstances. I wasn’t talking about everyone. I was talking to people who have enough money to have Internet access and email me from accounts that cost more than the weekly WW fee. You can’t see where those hateful emails came from. I can.
What I am talking about is EXCUSES. People have hundreds of reasons NOT to do things. They spend hours thinking of reasons NOT to lose weight, or chase their dreams or live their best life. My words were harsh because sometimes people need harsh words to wake them out of the coma that they have been in for their whole lives.
I was not judging people for thanking me for my list. I was explaining to them that a list of foods is not what they need. They need to make a SERIOUS commitment to put themselves first. The minute that they put themselves first, before anyone or anything else in the world, things will work better for them.
Weight Watchers is just one way to make a commitment to themselves. If these people aren’t willing to make a token commitment of once a week, then they might as well stop badgering me about photocopying the WW book and sending it to them. It’s not going to help them any more than the list of core foods.
Remember again, that this entry was not directed at the homeless or the indigent, but at the people who have enough money for a not-free email account. You ask if I have been in a position where I can’t afford to eat or get to work. Yes I have. You are listening to the voice of experience. You’re right. When you said that people have to prioritize, the two of us were in agreement.
Their priority needs to be themselves. If they are supporting a family, they need to take care of themselves first. Otherwise they’ll be useless. It’s like the oxygen mask that falls down when the airplane loses pressure. Put yours on first before you help your child. If you don’t, you’re both dead.
This issue is as serious as that oxygen mask. Our nation is in crisis and people are literally killing themselves. You tell me to remember that my words affect people. I sure hope they do.
I don’t have a magic pill. This is not an easy journey. There is no list of foods or seven simple rules or workout video that will make this easier for you. My only advice is to put yourself, your well-being and your health first on your list every day. Every choice you make will bring you closer to that goal or further away. With every decision, you either choose life or death. My only advice is: choose life.
Comment by Laura Moncur — 11/30/2004 @ 9:52 am
Laura – Thank you so much for the list. It is an exciting starting point that allowed my sister and me to get started before we got to a meeting. We are both WW Lifetime members who have not been back to the new program, but are now very excited to do so.
I guess we are lucky, in that we can get to meetings, but I agree with your comments about choosing to be committed to eating healthy and getting slimmer.
Comment by Sharon — 2/15/2005 @ 12:15 pm
Laura, I agree with everything you’ve said. Those that are offended by the harsh words, maybe are the ones that need to look at themselves more openly. I know you certainly opened my eyes, and for that I’m thankful. It’s nice to know that someone will finally tell it like it is.
Comment by Stacy — 3/2/2005 @ 11:23 am
Who are these women that only have ‘feeding children or watching Matlock on their minds’? Are you talking about stay-at-home moms? Attitudes like that are why this country has such dismal child-care policies- no respect for raising children.
Comment by Angela Tyler — 3/16/2005 @ 8:17 am
hi, i like this web site, i am wondering if you can give me a list of the core plan foods, i can not afford to join, i used to be a member, but i do ot like going to the meetings, so, please thank you, keri
Comment by keri boucher — 4/16/2005 @ 11:06 am
Oh, the melodrama!
Weight loss is a choice and you can’t browbeat, reason, or shame someone into it. The best you can do is be supportive and facilitate that person’s willingness to make the decision when they are ready to commit. Showing “tough love” is about your hangups, not someone else’s. Not everyone who has lost weight needs to wax poetic about the hardships of their “journey”. Some people find the process more satisfying than painful. This “you-have-to-suffer-as-much-as-I-have” mentality is the voice of the newly-thin who get to finally turn the tables and badger the people who resemble their formerly fat selves.
Comment by AB — 5/26/2005 @ 1:47 pm
Wow Laura is a super ice queen. Snotty pants needs to wake up and realize that $50 a month is not in everyones budget. Really, Laura you should apologize and stop being so bitter and rude, no one likes a rude bitch.
Comment by joy — 5/29/2005 @ 4:50 pm
Well, this has been interesting. I am a lifetime member, just looking to find out what the new core list idea is, and I got way more nastiness than I bargained for, primarily from people responding to Laura. If you don’t know that a healthy diet consists of fruit, veggies, whole grains, and meat, I’m not sure what to say. I think I’ll stick to the points – it worked well for me. There is accountability to myself when I count points, accountability to my leader when I step on the scale at the meetings, and accountability to the friends I’ve made there – from all walks of life, by the way.
Comment by Diane — 5/31/2005 @ 11:54 am
Yowza…
I’m looking into starting the Weight Watchers traditional program and came across this site while looking for the differences between the old points program and the new core program as the last time I did WW it was the WW at home program which was not a big motivator for me.
I happen to come from a background of having lived through multiple traumatic events that brought about incredible bouts of depression that most likely did contribute to my poor eating habits and obesity today, but, I can say with absolute certainty that it was my hand that lifted every spoon and forkfull of food into my mouth and not the hand of a violent attacker. I take responsibility for where I stand today, obese and in pain.
I don’t think Laura was being overly rude, but trying to point out in a humorous manner that looking for a freebie list won’t take the pounds off alone. I got the humor … I guess this means I’ll have to tell my husband that my sense of humor isn’t so bad after all.
Comment by Stine — 6/29/2005 @ 4:55 pm
Wow. I didn’t expect to find this when I went searching for the CORE food list. I am a lifetime member of WW, reached my goal for the 2nd time a couple months ago. I had the books, however, it seems that WW is constantly changing what is CORE and what is not. For example, my book doesn’t show Fiber One cereal as CORE, however, I just found out that it is. I was only looking for a more updated list of foods rather than every couple of months having to spend more money for a book that will possibily change before I even leave the meeting.
Comment by Pat — 7/26/2005 @ 1:09 pm
WOW~ Touchy people!
I googled for the core list and found this site. I was just curious about what was on the list…doesn’t sound like it’s for me.
I will stick to the points. I used to attend meetings, and LOVED them, but now I do it on my own, without the meetings because we can’t afford them. My internet connection is only 14.95 per month by the way. WW is $44 or $55 per month!
Can’t afford meetings because I quit working to watch Matlock. I mean raise my 3 children ages 5, 3, and 3 months. haha
I agree with Laura though, if you can afford membership, or find the time to go, DO IT! I lost weight easier and faster on WW when I went to the meetings!!!
Comment by Carrie — 7/27/2005 @ 1:16 pm
Laura, I LOVE what you had to say. So what if people’s toes got stepped on?
Getting serious about losing weight IS tough! I know I had to face some harsh realities about my own life–still am–and what I saw wasn’t pretty. I think most of us need a swift kick in the pants to get off our rears and do something about our weight. I see your words as motivational. I don’t need to be coddled about weight loss. I need straight talk.
The cost…give me a break. I am also a stay at home mom (don’t watch Matlock) and can’t afford Weight Watchers…or CAN I? How can I not afford to lose this weight, prolong my life, better my health and my quality of living? I’m a WW online member and I pay only $45.95 every three months. That’s about 51 cents a day. A large bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms that helped me achieve my “monumental” proportions = $3.19. Last minute candy bars at the grocery store that also contributed to said stature = 2 for $1. There were the gallons of cookie dough ice cream, cakes from the grocer’s bakery, frozen desserts, McDonald’s and Taco Bell on alternate Sunday evenings, potato chips, french onion dip…shall I go on?
I have been on the Core plan since January 2005. At this writing, I am down 55 pounds. I still have money in the bank. I’m not starving and my kids got toys for their birthdays and shoes when they needed them. I can still put outrageously-priced gas in my not-yet-paid-for vehicle. My husband makes just enough money to pay our bills without having anything left over to save in the bank. And yet, I can still afford to be on Weight Watchers. Imagine that!
Am I happy with the Core plan? Yes, I am! Do I pay for it? Yes, I do! Do I think Laura’s passion about Weight Watchers is too harsh? No, I don’t!
Comment by Carol — 8/17/2005 @ 9:04 am
People are getting so excited! PLease, basically, what she is saying is put yourself first, and we (woman, mostly) seem to always put ourselves low on the list.. we NEED to stop it!
It has also been proven that those who attend meetings have a MUCH higher success rate.. stop bickering and DO IT.. do it for yourself- live a longer, happier life .. healthy.
How much do you spend at the supermarket? On the phone bill? On the bowl of ice cream from the palor… or even getting a haircut? There are always ways – IF you make it a priority. It is worth cutting some other luxury items to go.
Trust me, when you get around others struggling with similiar issues, you will feel at home, and have a whole team routing for your success.
Comment by Terri — 8/17/2005 @ 9:52 am
Good job, Laura. You could make money being blunt and straightforward. Just look at Dr. Phil! He doesn’t hem and haw, he tells people the truth, whether they want to hear it or not. Granted, there are people who truly cannot afford the cost of going to WW meetings and that’s okay. The problem is when they use their financial situation as an excuse to remain fat and unhealthy. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to eat properly. Most stores have weekly specials on produce, meat, poultry, fish, canned goods, etc., all of which can be incorporated to a healthy diet. Another great way to save money and lose weight? Cut your portions in half. Your food will last twice as long that way! And, the last I heard, walking was still free. Bad legs/feet/toes? Try some upper body movements. Bad arms/shoulders/hands? Walk. If your physical problems are so bad that you can’t do any kind of physical activity, then perhaps a visit to the doctor should be your next step, not web surfing to get the Core list or typing on your keyboard to tell Laura how pissed off she made you.
Comment by Christine — 8/17/2005 @ 10:34 am
Hi :-) I heard every word you wrote here…. I say- come join the core board on the WW website
Comment by Gal — 8/17/2005 @ 10:57 am
Hi, Laura! I agree with much of what you’ve written and appreciate your clear-minded (and bluntly spoken) analysis. I do take exception to your characterization of stay at home moms and seniors, as I am a homeschooling, mostly at home mom with a graduate degree, diverse interests, museum memberships, interest in the arts and books, and a lively circle of friends. But even if all I was interested in was “feeding children,” would that be worthy of a “slam?” I think not. All women are valuable, even those that are different from “us.”
That said, I want to mention that I am a Lifetime member of WW, and a WW Leader. I strongly agree with your suggestion that folks get to meetings to receive support. The support that Laura (or anyone else) cannot give on a website is widely available at WW meetings. We staff are there to give information, inspire, help with the emotional ramifications of being overweight (and the weight loss journey), and generally be a support to you. We are trained to understand. And all of us have been overweight and have lost our weight with WW.
Core is a wonderful food plan, but it’s just a tool. When I was 42 lbs overweight and in tremendous pain over my own behaviors, I would have looked for ways to make Laura “wrong” for freely speaking her mind. I have respect for dissent, but not when it’s just a hateful personal attack.
Laura, my hat is off to you for telling it like you see it. Also I give kudos to those who have been willing to discuss without being snotty.
Thanks, Laura, for your thoughts.
Comment by MyLikeIt — 8/17/2005 @ 11:23 am
Wow, I love a good controversary, but….WOW!!!! All I can say is the Core works if YOU work IT. Change your lifestyle and eating habits and you will lose your weight. Core is the best thing since sliced bread (not Core, but oh well)!!!!! Love your website!! :o)
Comment by Monica (JeddoMom) — 8/17/2005 @ 11:32 am
I think you are awesome Laura. That is all.
Comment by Emmalee30 — 8/17/2005 @ 5:19 pm
All hail, greetings, salutations, and happy hallucinations! Ave Laura,
Cedant arma togae errare humanum est Sic Itur ad Astra status quo ante bellum Ave atque vale Brian
Duo sunt quæ in cognitionem Dei ducunt Creatura et Scriptura ST. AUGUSTINE
Comment by Brian — 8/20/2005 @ 1:26 pm
Laura, I responded to a post on WW website to a gal who was disappointed because she could no longer access the core list on WW site, because her paid subscription had expired. I posted your web address, trying to help her. Someone, who obviously likes to cause trouble, accused ME of violating WW copyright. (as if it is any of her D. business) and reamed me a new one. I had much to say back to her but, being the diplomat that I am known to be, I didn’t say what I would have loved to say. WW pulled your address from the board. I am certain it is because she reported me for posting it. You are so right about this list. It isn’t a magic bullet. What is the big deal anyway? We can goggle “core list” and find it in more then one place. I purchased 2 books with the core list from WW and neither of them are correct.
I hope I didn’t cause any problem or trouble for you. If I did I appologize. I totally agree with you on this list thing. Good luck on your journey. Keep on trucken. Love your website.
Comment by josh — 8/21/2005 @ 10:44 pm
I need to add. I am not sure it was your website. Just wanted to say I am sorry if I caused you any trouble.
Comment by josh — 8/21/2005 @ 10:52 pm
I have just re-started on weight watchers after taking a year off. Thank you for the core list of foods. It does help. I have already lost 23 lbs. I am losing slower now and could use alittle inspiration or “tricks” on what to do when the weight comes off slower….is the core better or the points??? I haven’t fallen off at all yet, but I am sure it WILL happen. Thats just life. I can’t afford to go to WW. I wish I could but I am the only one working in a family of 5. It costs me enough to buy the “good food” that I have been buying. Thanks for the list. Take care all. Julie
Comment by Julie — 8/30/2005 @ 11:07 am
Julie,
I write a daily health and fitness weblog on Starling Fitness, http://www.starling-fitness.com. If you need daily inspiration, I’ve got it for you there.
As far as Core Vs. Flex Points, I prefer Flex Points. I have to tell, you though, that there is no way that I would have been able to follow the program without my Weight Watcher leader. You’re doing yourself a disservice by not putting aside the money every week to go. If you have to scrimp elsewhere, it’s worth it, believe me.
If I had tried to follow this program without the support of Weight Watchers, I would have “fallen” off and said to myself, “See, Weight Watchers doesn’t work either.” It’s a complete program, not just a way of eating. You owe it to yourself.
As far as buying “good food,” I’ve found that fresh veggies and fruit are much cheaper than the frozen dinners I was eating before. Watch what you are buying. Processed food is far more expensive than fresh meat, veggies, fruit and whole grains. Buying the low fat meals and cookies, etc. was really expensive for me. Once I started eating healthier (in addition to staying within my points), our grocery bill took a noticeable drop.
Good Luck! Laura
Comment by Laura Moncur — 8/30/2005 @ 11:21 am
Julie, let me ditto Laura’s message and add that neither Core nor Flex is “better” intrinsically. The bottom line is that the best plan for you is the plan that fits with your lifestyle. Only you can decide which plan is the best fit for you. Please be sure you’re getting the complete, accurate Plan information from WW. There’s an abundance of misinformation and incomplete information on the web — it will be hard to follow the Program without having the whole deal. And WW really is there to give you the support and encouragement you need. Blogs and other websites are an absolutely terrific supplement (I have a website you might like to visit, http://www.mylikeit.com), but get to WW for the complete, basic necessities! Hope that helps, and good luck to you.
Comment by MyLikeIt — 8/31/2005 @ 11:39 pm
I have one more question. If you are suppose to get 22 points and only get around 13 or 14….does it hurt anything? Wouldn’t you lose more if the points were lower???? Or are the points higher to help control appetite? Or do you HAVE to get the amount of points that the paper says????Thanks
Comment by Julie — 9/10/2005 @ 3:12 pm
Julie, I’m assuming you’re referring to the Flex Plan, which gives you daily Target Points. If your daily Target Points are 22, this is the minimum number of points to eat per day, based on your metabolic needs. You should not eat fewer than your Target Points on any kind of regular basis (once or twice a year is no big deal, if you are sick, say, but beyond that, be sure to eat your Target Points!). Sure, you might lose faster for a few weeks, but I guarantee that your weight loss will slow down and even grind to a halt sooner or later. This is because your Target Points represent the minimum number of calories your body needs to function efficiently. Believe it or not, your body requires energy to actually shed pounds. If you underfeed your body, your body will hoard calories to ensure essential organ function, thus bringing weight loss to a halt. Think of it this way: it takes fuel to stoke that fire to burn the fat!
Now, for many of us, the Target Points are not enough (or there may be special occasions). This is why WW gives us the Weekly Points Allowance (additional points you can eat or not eat, you decide).
But do be sure to eat your Target Points. They’re important for your health, and you need them to be able to meet your Eight Good Health Guidelines, too.
Hope that helps.
Comment by MyLikeIt — 9/10/2005 @ 8:19 pm
I weigh 196 right now. How many points should I have……..want to make sure I am doing it right!!!
Comment by Julie — 9/11/2005 @ 3:54 pm
Julie, check out the Turnaround Program details on the WW website: http://www.weightwatchers.com. You can subscribe online from the website, or find a meeting in your area. Hope that helps.
Comment by MyLikeIt — 9/14/2005 @ 12:09 am
What kind of scale do you suggest??? There are so many…there are the standard models and the digital ones-ranging in price from $20.00 to over $100.00. I even found a WW digital scale at Wal-mart. Or do you suggest throwing out the scale and not dwelling so much on numbers???? Thanks everybody for your help.
Comment by Julie — 9/14/2005 @ 8:23 pm
Julie – I purchased the WW scale from Wal-mart. I love it! It goes by tenths……so you can see all of your progress. I weigh myself way to much, I think it is probably better to do a monthly weight check personally. But I don’t do that LOL
Comment by ambher — 9/20/2005 @ 7:57 am
Hi gang, I’m new at this ww and so far i am finding it very fun and easy doing flex points. I went to the grocery store today with a pad and pen and wrote down some items and their calorie/fat/fibre per serving so I could go home and get out my chart to get the points. It felt too weird pulling out the chart in the store. this is a good tip i thought I’d share… anyhow I wanted to ask if it is possible to lose weight if someone were to choose processed foods as opposed to whole foods if still staying at the points allotted to their weight. I am only 5’3″ and weigh 133 lbs I want to lose about 15 lbs is this plan good for me? WW told me it would work. So does that mean weight loss is guaranteed if i stay at my 20 points? Does this mean 20 points is my lifetime point allotment? wishful thinking…but if say, I was losing too fast, would i just add more points? One more Question: these 35 extra points does that mean someone could eat all of them at one sitting? Hypothetically and still lose weight or would it probably stall? so really the 20 points for me is the bufferred amount of points becuase everyone gets the additional 35/week. could that be used on alcohol? sorry to rant I am new and need all the help i can get. thanks so much. Terri~Canada. NS
Comment by Chasie30 — 9/20/2005 @ 1:39 pm
How do you decide which to do? Flex Points or Core Plan?
Comment by Lisa — 9/20/2005 @ 7:11 pm
hey everyone, I’m gonna be starting up WW here soon. I was on the flex plan oh, 5 years or more ago and I did lose weight but slowly. Now they hav the Core program. could anyone tell me if this is more succesful than the flex or about the same? thanks samantha~Stayton,OR
Comment by samantha — 9/22/2005 @ 12:03 pm
Wow. You really sound like your either getting paid to indoctrinate new members or that your involved with a cult.
Comment by Ferdie — 10/1/2005 @ 12:45 pm
You go girl!~ Some people get so offended so easily. If they don’t like it – they should not come to this site – just leave!
It never hurts to have someone bring you back to reality, kick you in the butt and shove you out the door to the right path! I needed it and a good reminder of why I am doing this – thanks!
Comment by Sherrie — 10/4/2005 @ 8:47 am
Good site, though here is a bias here, which is that people who need to lose weight are “systematically” overeating or bingeing.
In fact, some (perhaps not the majority, but not a rarity either) have gained the weight through pregnancy or a health condition. Some, like one person I know, took prednisone for asthma and ballooned even though she had never had a weight problem before or since. Even people who have been slim all their lives and eat balanced meals can have this happen to them.
For these people, it’s not a lifestyle change or an change in attitude toward food that’s needed, but simply a solid program geared toward one-time weight loss.
If you’re writing for a fitness magazine, I for one would love to see some articles which don’t assume a problematic attitude toward food, and which address the admittedly less common causes of weight gain and the different approach that is needed. For these people, the pep talk should be about the effort needed to diet (something they’ve probably never had to do before), and not about attitudes toward food or body image. Thanks!
Comment by Bracha — 10/4/2005 @ 3:44 pm