LA Weight Loss - which plan works best new or old

Hi Every one,

I have been doing plan 2 for a while now with out much luck. Before plan 2 I did the gold plan and it worked a little better for me. So I am wondering what works for you guys, the numbered plan or the colored plan?

I am thinking of going back to gold, but right now I am not sure what to do.

Thanks

Webb

I'm currently on Gold - It works well for me. What are the changes from Gold to plan 2?

What are the differences between the Gold and Plan 2. I am doing Purple, and I know that the number of food types I get are the same, just the serving sizes change, but I am not familiar with the Plan 2.

Can you give us a comparison between the 2 and then tell us why you think the Gold will be better for you??

Some of the differences between the gold plan & plan 2 are more carbs and less protein,most protein is 4 oz,but beef and pork 3 oz.

2 slices of lite bread =1 carb 1 whole e. muffin (whole grain)= 1 carb

2 dairy and 2 fats

For me coming from gold it is a lot of carbs to eat ,I like that it is less protein I

just have a problem with the carbs.

Sylvia

Hey guys,

I'm so glad I found this thread. I am also having problems with the numbered 2 plan. I was on the gold plan three years ago and the weight loss is completely different. I put up the following in another thread named "LA Express???"

"Hey everyone,

I've been confused about the very same thing. A few years ago, I was on the coloured (Gold) plan, lost 30 lbs, about 3lbs a week. It came off like magic.

A month ago I started on the new numbered one. The first month, I was on the "LA Express" plan which limits food choices, alcohol consumption. After that period, you go on a numbered Free to Live plan which gives you back all your food choices back and then some. But the main difference from the coloured plans were that the servings and portion sizes had all changed. Someone mentioned that it was meant to replace the Carb Cravers feature on the coloured plans and that is also what my counselor told me.

Here are the differences:

Gold Plan with Lites:

2 Proteins (6oz?)
3 Vegetables
3 Fruits
2 Starches
1 Dairy
1 Fat

Free to Live #2 Plan with Lites:

2 1/2 Proteins (4oz cooked, 5oz raw)
3 Vegetables
2 Fruits
3 Starches
2 Dairy
2 Fat

Now here is what I'm disgruntled with. It has been a month, yet I have only hovered around the 5lbs-loss mark. Going up and down a pound or a pound and a half. On the old plan I NEVER went up even a pound. Mind you, I was twenty lbs heavier when I started that plan than I was this one.

I am so tempted to just cut out a dairy and a fat because it honestly seems like too much food for me. I never worked out the first time and I haven't been this time so I should see similar results. My counselor told me to just stick with it even if it's frustrating until I get to 150lbs and then she'll drop me down a plan.

Hope this post helped those who were curious as I was."

So after someone responded, I've taken out a starch and a fat instead to try to push the weight loss along. It's still not as consistent as the gold plan but I'm going to see how it goes for another week or so. I'm on my day two of take off so I'm hoping that I'll lose about two more pounds. Thereafter, if my weight goes up again then I may switch to the gold plan. I'm pretty frustrated that this program doesn't work as well as the old one for me personally and that it's already been five weeks for me.

Hope to hear more stories from you all.

Dodis!

Mornign Dodis. You and I are exactly the same height/weight. I'm planning on sticking w/ Gold until I meet my current goal. It's worked for me since they switched me to it at 180lbs. (Started 225lbs on Purple). Feel free to PM me if you'd like. I'd LOVE to hit the same goal wt. as you, but I'm gonna shoot for 145 and work on maintaining first. Take Care!!

I had the same exact problem. I could not loose on plan 1 but I always lost on gold. I decided to go back to the old plan but somehow I have hit a plateu. Any suggestions?

Dodis,

Post after about a week and let us know how your change effects you!I know as a newbie I'd be very interested to see how it's working out for you.


My LL Rep told me they will move me down once I hit 145 (which may be never as I am on day 16 and lost 5 lbs first little while then went up then down then up and I am POP). I know LAWL is good for those who have lots of weight to lose but is it as good for those who have 30-40lbs to use?

Thanks for all the comments!!! :D

Okay, I don't feel as alone anymore since I'm sharing my little experiment with you all now.

Lady, we ARE the same height and weight. Great job so far, you're almost at your goal weight! So exciting!

Heidz, I don't know what you've tried so far but try doing any of the following: 1) take off, 2) eating only fish and chicken for protein and citrus for fruit for a week (got this advice from another forum), 3) switch up your meals i.e. eat dinner for breakfast, breakfast for dinner, etc. psych your body out, the more unpredictable your intake is the more beneficial for weight loss

Petite, I will definitely let you all know how my weight loss is going. I should have my final decision in a week or two (whether to stick with #2 or go back to gold). But on another note, LAWL is actually a great program or at least it was when I was on the Gold. I was at 184 and went down to 150 in maybe 2-3 months. Then I took off another 10 doing a half LA and half my own dieting. I'm very curious as to why your weight loss went back up so drastically. What sort of starches were you having? I share your frustration, I really do.

My friend is actually doing the #2 plan through me and she has kept all her servings and lost 6 lbs in 2.5 weeks. She has been working out though at least 3x/wk. I think the new plan works better with an exercise regiment. And her starting weight was higher than mine, which may also explain faster results.

Dodis!

My starches vary usually brown rice, ww bread or once in awhile yams. But it does make sense about the starches bc one weekend I went to a party and saved my veg/starch and had three drinks. Yup, I was up that next week. I was a bit peeved bc I have had other occasion foods and they haven't caused weight gain and if they had said right out it will cause weight gain then I would have refrained completely. I am happy to hear that it does work for less large amounts:) I need reassurance occasionally.

I started on Purple, was moved to Gold, then my center moved to the numbered plans. I didn't do so well on Plan 2, so I moved myself to Gold (with a bit of Plan 2 - like more cottage cheese, or pudding!) and then I moved myself to Green (with a bit of Plan 1). It worked for me. I took what worked on each and made it work for me.

I started on Purple, was moved to Gold, then my center moved to the numbered plans. I didn't do so well on Plan 2, so I moved myself to Gold (with a bit of Plan 2 - like more cottage cheese, or pudding!) and then I moved myself to Green (with a bit of Plan 1). It worked for me. I took what worked on each and made it work for me.

Hi Stephanie,

This has been very very helpful to me. Can I ask how long you were on the numbered plan before you decided to go back to the gold? Also, if I end up switching back to the Gold as well, was the main difference change to your plan just the protein size? and of course the one less starch and fat, one fruit for fat, etc. It was 6oz cooked for chicken if I remember correctly.

Right now, I am on the #2 plan but I have take it upon myself through reading someone else's post to drop a starch and a fat. So I am left with the following.

2.5 Proteins
3 Vegetables
2 Fruits
2 Starches
2 Dairy
1 Fat

2 Lites (Luna bars)

It's a bit over 5.5 weeks for me, down 7 lbs. Was hoping to lose 10lbs by my birthday party on the 10th. Let's hope those last three will drop in the next week, lol :S

My starches vary usually brown rice, ww bread or once in awhile yams. But it does make sense about the starches bc one weekend I went to a party and saved my veg/starch and had three drinks. Yup, I was up that next week. I was a bit peeved bc I have had other occasion foods and they haven't caused weight gain and if they had said right out it will cause weight gain then I would have refrained completely. I am happy to hear that it does work for less large amounts:) I need reassurance occasionally.

Petite, so you're saying the three drinks made you gain the next week even though used them as your starches that day? :S I'm saving all I can for tonight cause I have to drink with my friends. My counselor told me to have tons of lemon water the night of drinking and the next day to flush it all out. I'll be sitting with my pitcher of water all day tomorrow :P

Hey there,

I just wanted to share a response I received from a counselor from a different LAWL branch.

She said there are some "old" clients on the coloured plans but all new ones and some old ones have all been moved to the numbered plans. Most have been successful some who haven't have returned to the colour plan. She said the secret to success with the new plan is to follow it precisely as is and to really be stringent on the infrequent choices and the smaller protein servings as well as trying to have some protein in every meal. The point of the new plan has been to accommodate a more normal way of eating to be easier to follow and to maintain once the weight is off.

Well there you have it. Has anyone compared the experiences between doing the take off with the actual TO juice versus citrus fruits? The last two take offs I did I used oranges and grapefruits. Maybe next time I will try the Knudsen's juice.

Dodis!

Hi everyone!

Looks like my experiment is working in my favour finally. I am losing like I'm supposed to now. Here are the reasons I think I'm back on track:

1. Minimizing each starch intake to 100 calories max.
2. Taking 1 starch and 1 fat out from my #2 plan is working for me. I think it evens out to be pretty similar to the Gold plan.
3. Trying to have a protein in each meal.
4. Trying my best to get everything in.
5. Continuing with my Luna bars (2 a day)
6. Having my starches earlier in the day.
7. AND using Shirataki noodles (miracle noodles) for those meals when I need a "starchy" fix.
8. Drinking lots of water.
9. Taking my starches out the day after "over" drinking.
10. Having a source of protein in my first meal of the day.
11. Minimizing my "infrequently consumed" and drastically reducing my Lean Cuisines (although, my next experiment will include using Lean Cuisines to see if there's an actual difference).

I have lost 2 lbs since my last posting. I'm hoping this will continue to be a 2lb a week trend. But I will start counting AFTER my birthday celebrations :P

Thanks for everyone's input. I hope I've solved my problem! :D

I need help. I am totally stuck. What are you using for your morning proteins?

Hi Heidz,

What's your case? It doesn't really matter what protein just as long as I start off with a protein. So I'll have peanut butter or egg or if I'm hungry something with meat. I read back and realized you've hit a plateau. If you want, you can fill us in more and maybe we can all try to find some answers for you.

Well I went back to the gold plan. I added 1/2 a protein back into my diet bc I remember when I had hit a previous plateu that is what they suggested and it actually worked. I weigh 126 and my goal is 110. My typical eating schedule is as followed:

Breakfast: 1/4 cup egg beaters, 3/4 fiber 1 or Kashi/ yogurt
Snack: 1/2 of a bar either a clif bar, genisoy bar
Lunch: tuna or chicken, apple, 1/3 cup sweet potatoe, cucumbers
Snack: 1/2 of a bar
Dinner: 6 egg whites or shrimp, 1/2 cup frozen vegetables and an apple or watermelon

Any suggestions. I am trying take off and I hope it works.

I just want to get rid of these 16 pounds!!!!!!!

Are you having all your portions on the Gold plan? I remember it was supposed to be two "La Lites". Clif Bars and genisoy bars I think are much higher in cal, fat, sod, carb, and maybe less in protein than Luna Bars. I use Luna and they've been really great. Protein is really important for losing weight. Can I ask how tall you are? Is 110 the goal weight you had when you started with LA?

The key thing is to get all your portions in. If you cut out anything at all, it slows down your metabolism because your body goes into starvation mode and begins to store the fat. I heard chicken and fish are good sources of low fat protein so if you're plateauing then this is the right thing to do.

Take off is great. Are you using the drink or an alternative?

Well I am 5'3. The center said that I 110 is the lowest that I can be. I started at 180. I was doing half of the genisoy bars because they are so high in fat and calories. So in reality I am only doing 1 full bar. You think that could be the problem. I was cutting calories thinking it would help me. If I were to start doing the 2 lunas, should I continue with my 1/2 protein?

I am trying take off with the knudsen juice, this is my first time trying this. Have you tried it...any good results?

Thank you so much for your help.

Hi Heidz,

That's tremendous to go from 180 and be so close to your goal weight. Congratulations indeed! I think you are at a plateau because you ARE so close to your goal weight and because 110 is like you said the lowest your body should be. It is of course only my opinion but consider trying the Luna bars but look on the back as some are higher in fat and cal than others. I usually only eat the nuts over chocolate and smores and sometimes the almond cranberry one. These bars are absolutely the closest to the LA Lite bars. Do two of these daily without fail and stick to your plan by eating everything you'e supposed to. These are very high in protein and it is the protein that supports weight loss so well. Cutting calories will actually slow down your weight loss and I'm pretty certain this is the reason why you've plateaued.

What did you mean in your 1/2 protein question? Could you clarify?

I would like to try the Knudsen juice next time I do take off which is probably coming up in a week or two. I have only tried the Take Off juice and doing 4 oranges or 2 oranges and 1 grapefruit daily. I don't think I was ever one of those people who dropped so much off of TO but I continue to do it because I don't want to risk anything and because I certainly haven't gained weight from doing it.

Since you are at a plateau I would try this experiment.

1. Do the take off for two days. Make sure it's done properly. Have two luna bars each day.
2. Stick to the two luna bars a day.
3. For your protein servings try only having lean fish and chicken for one week. Try to refrain from canned tuna during this period.
4. Have only citrus for your fruits.
5. Drink lots of water and lemon water.
6. Try having "dinner" at breakfast or lunch and "breakfast" at dinner. In other words, switch around what you usually have to different times during the day. This is meant to psych your body and take it out of a routine.

Maybe try this for a week and see what happens. I would be very interested to know how it turns out for you. Good luck and keep us up to date!

Dodis!

Thank you so much Dodis. I am going to try and keep you up to date. I guess what I meant was, I am only supposed to have 2 proteins. WIll it jump start my metabbolism if I continue to do half a protein in the morning?

No problem!

Ahh I see. Yes, I think it is a good idea to start off with some sort of protein first thing in the morning. Whether it is the protein bar or half a protein of something else.

I think this should take you out of your plateau. Try to minimize your salt intake too. If you work out at all it is also helpful to have your fruits following exercise.

Look forward to hearing the updates! Good luck!!!

I might be a little late getting in on this conversation but I was on the colored plan for awhile and then had to switch to the numbered plan for the last 2 months I went to my center. I was Red1 no lites before and then they put me on Plan 5. Now with the red 1 I have a hard enough time most days getting all the food in and plan 5 was darn near impossible for me. Yes the serving sizes went down but at the sime time the # of servings went up. I couldn't handle it all and told them so week after week and they wouldn't change it so I told them I wasn't doing the numbered and went back to the red. I lost the first week I was back on the colored plan. Previous to that I yo-yo'd the same 3 lbs for 2 months.

So for me the colored worked better but I know there are lots out there that the numbered works well for too. Its like anything else - Nothing will work for everyone and sometimes tweaks are needed to make them work. For me the tweaking was to just go back to what I knew worked. But I don't think overall one is better than the other. It all comes down to what works for you.

I definitely think that the old colored plans work the best. I did them back in 2004 and did great. Losing 30 lbs in 2 months on the purple plan. Unfortunately, I kind of got off track and gained the weight back. When I went back in to try again last year I was put on the numbered plans. I kept bouncing back and forth with the same 10 lbs. Way too many starches for me. I still have my purple plan from back then and started again just 6 weeks ago and have already lost 15 lbs. I am looking forward to completing the whole program this time around all the way through stabilization and maintenance. Since I never reached my goal before I never saw the other colored plans, but fortunately for me a lady from another message board sent me a PDF file with ALL the colored plans, stabilization, maintenance, and tricks and tips that the counselors used. It is 95 pages long! I feel I will succeed this time around because I have all the info that I couldn't get from the center since the new numbered plans started. Here's to success THIS time around!

Vickie

Hello Everyone,

I just want to thank you all for your replies. I was away for awhile and just got back.

Every thing I've read tells me I should be back on the gold plan, so I am going gold starting this morning, again thank you all.

Webb

Hey Heidz,

Just wanted to check in on ya and see how those plateau breakers are working out for you? :carrot:

Dodis!

Hello Everyone,

I just want to thank you all for your replies. I was away for awhile and just got back.

Every thing I've read tells me I should be back on the gold plan, so I am going gold starting this morning, again thank you all.

Webb

Hi Webb,

I'd be very interested to know how going back to the Gold works out for you. I'm also going back on the Gold as of today. I had a diet hiatus for a few days during my birthday week and have been sick the last two days so I figured this would be a good time to switch plans. Stay in touch.

Dodis!

Hi all,
I am glad you are here. I am new to posting. Have been reading a little. I am in Plan 3- I weigh 208. Since beginning 5 weeks ago, I have lost 3 pounds and go up and down. I am using control trim tablets and following it well most days, even no red meat. I think it is too much food. I have heard that 2 tsp. of fat is not much a day, I heards you need more for good health. I am thinking of cutting out the milks and 1 starch. I don't know. I was eating 2 LA lite bars (I love them) but switched to one LA lite co co and 1 LA lite bar a day.

I get realy down because I have tried every other diet and I like this, the structure, the weigh ins w/ no appt, etc. I want to be successful.

Any ideas?
Thanks so much,
tobey:)

Any chance of getting a copy of that PDF? All the Centres in Canada have closed and I used to be on the coloured plan - which worked fantastically. Got switched to the numbered plan and ground to a halt. Because our centres are closed I do not have access to the plans now.

My hubby and I both did much better on the colored plans than the numbered ones. As soon as our center put us on the numbered plans, we stopped losing altogether. They kept saying "but look at all the starches you get now...!" Well having a lot of starches was part of what got us overweight to begin with.....the numbered plans just weren't a good fit for us at all. Which isn't to say they don't work for some....I'm sure some people do fine on them.....but not us.

I started on the coloured plan, then I was switched to the numbered plan. I found that with the extra carbs I was either putting on weight or holding my own. I lost 100lbs total and, unfortunately, as I'm going through a very nasty divorce I have put on 40. Now I've re-started, done TO1 (with my last bottle of TO - centre is closed) and am following my coloured plan. I have talked to so many people who didn't find the switch worked for them.

Glad to be back

Any chance of getting a copy of that PDF? All the Centres in Canada have closed and I used to be on the coloured plan - which worked fantastically. Got switched to the numbered plan and ground to a halt. Because our centres are closed I do not have access to the plans now.

I would love to get a copy of that as well. I have been "stuck" for a month now. I have not been getting all of my portions in though these last couple of weeks -- just not hungry and to be honest a little down!! Gets kind of depressing to see the same number on that scale every morning!! I am currently on the purple plan -- I had just gotten back on LA when the center closed and was switched to the number plan (2). Didn't work for me -- just pretty much maintained so I went back on the purple plan myself. I also lift weights 3 x week, cardio 3-4 days a week and yoga/pilates 2 x week. So, starting today I'm going to be POP and get all my portions in. Next week I'll try TO too and hopefully that will kick me into gear! Any suggestions are certainly welcome!!

[QUOTE=Angela1;2778170]I started on the coloured plan, then I was switched to the numbered plan. I found that with the extra carbs I was either putting on weight or holding my own. I lost 100lbs total and, unfortunately, as I'm going through a very nasty divorce I have put on 40. Now I've re-started, done TO1 (with my last bottle of TO - centre is closed) and am following my coloured plan. I have talked to so many people who didn't find the switch worked for them.

I feel your pain Angela!! I lost about 50 pounds and then went into a nasty divorce and ended up gaining a bunch back (around 30) ugh... I have managed to lose about 15. I'm currently stuck at 175 and my goal is 145. As I mentioned in a previous post the number plans did not seems to work for me as well. Good luck and I'm glad that you have restarted the plan with us!