Mary:
I also just heard from a friend that Good Morning America did an undercover expose on LAWLC and found that centers were routinely not telling people the cost up front STILL and especially, although not part of the article about the settlement, they were not telling people about the LARGE additional cost involved if you don't get to your goal weight by your goal date.....not the end of your contract, but your GOAL DATE. They are still failing to explain that difference to their clients.
I have personally decided that the way to analyze any program is to ask yourself "do they profit more from your success or your failure?". LAWL, since most of the costs are up front, profit more from your failure and getting another contract in the door to pay upfront. WW "pay as you go plan" profits from you continuing to come and your failure costs them money. I don't know about the others. LAWL has one of the highest failure rates in the business, and also one of the best balance sheets.... make sense?
Hey... whatever works is my motto!! I am just a sticlkler about honesty for some strange reason and I don't like deception. I oersonally think LAWL has very deceptive business practices.
I did not reach my goal weight by the date they said and I did not have any large additional cost. I knew I was not going to make it so at Christmas they had a special of $3.00 a week I did not think that was large. Even $7.00 a week is not bad, it is cheaper than WW. I was supposed to finish at week 33 and instead I will probably finish at week 50. I don't see any LARGE additional cost.
Jibbelle do you use the cookbook often, I used a lot when I first got it, but now I just seem to have gone back to eating the same things. You are so close that 50 mark ( I was going to say keep it up, but keep it going down.
I finally reach 60 pounds today, I almost can't believe it. I have 5.6 pounds left. When I am finished should I do a before and after?
ML I am glad your weekend is starting well, have a nice one.
At our center they are having a count down to spring, We have not had a bad winter but I can't wait until the warmer weather. This may sound silly but since I lost weight I am always complaining that I am cold, I guess I lost my insulation.
Marcie how are you doing? Everything O.K. I bought some running shoes yesterday I felt the walking ones were not very comfortable when I am running on the treadmill.
Have a great OP weekend
Diane
04/06/01 201
2/23/02 140.6
goal 135
I agree that the cost of extra weeks really isnt too bad.
Congrats on your loss Diane! I can not believe how close you are. When you get to goal I would love to see your before and after shots! I am sure it is a HUGE difference.
I do not have the cookbook...I just got that recipe off the LAWL webpage. Do you have the cookbook? If so, I would appreciate it if you looked up the apricot custard recipe and told me the food exchanges. THANKS!
I am having a salad and 1/2 turkey sandwhich for lunch. I am think I am making chicken fajitas for dinner. Will have to eat mine without the tortilla shell though!
Hi everyone! Hope you don't mind someone new dropping in. Actually, a few years ago I used to post here all the time. I was on LA and really loved it, but alas, as I always seem to do I eventually lost all inspiration and gained back all the weight plus some. Now I am super motivated to follow the plan the best I can WITHOUT going back to the center. I really like the diet, but I hated my center and stopped going long before I stopped following the diet. I am going to have to try to find a bar that is a good replacement - I know it's probably not the ideal way to go about this but it's worth a shot at this point.
I have a favor to ask of someone. I have my plan card still (I was on the Gold Plan), but I can't find my sheet on the quick start part (?Jet Start? I forget what it was called). If there is anyone who has time to post the details, I would be most appreciative.
Well, thanks in advance to anyone who can help. I'll try to make it back to catch up on posts and see what's going on here as often as possible (although I don't get a chance to get online nearly as much these days with a new baby).
I guess cost is all relative. After I had spent almost $1000 in up front costs for a saleslady to ask me when I went last to the bathroom and take my blood pressure, I thought ANY extra costs were "large". I considerered it throwing good money after bad. If I had been told up front (which I wasn't) that I HAD to loose 50 pounds in 24 weeks or pay more money, I would have gotton up and left, which of course they knew so they didn't tell me....and apparently didn't tell many others. I know my body well enough to know I do not lose weight that quickly no matter what. I suppose if it had been made clear UP FRONT that you are charged extra after your (ridiculous) goal date, and if they had been honest about their training and so-called expertise in the nutrition industry, I wouldn't have been so disillusioned. In any case, the advice from GMA was if you felt deceived by them, to contact your state's atorney general's office because you are not alone.
Hi Jibbelle:
The exchanges for the apricot custard are 1 fruit, 1/2 protein and 1 Dairy. I have been having the frozen dinners for lunch lately, I was eating to late otherwise and at least it is not chicken.
Sammy the I did the old take off phase which was done with the oranges, I hope this is the one you want.
2/ oranges/ day one in the morning and 1 afternoon
Proteins - beef, chicken, fish, lamb, tuna(in water) veal
No breading
vegetables broccoli, asparagus, celery, cucumbers, endive, escarole, greenbeans, green cabbage, green onions, iceberg lettuce, romaine, swiss chard, zucchini
you may use butter, margarine or oil while preparing ,
lite salad dressing on salads up to 24 oz. diet sode and your eight glasses of water daily. I hope that is everything.
Good luck
I weighed in today stayed the same from Saturday thank goodness I cheated on Saturday again. I can't wait to finish.
Have a great day
Diane
04/06/01 201
02/25/02 140.6
goal 135
Sammy-
Welcome back to the progam! I am glad you are joining us...we need all the support we can get sometimes!! Best of luck to you. Keep us posted on your progress.
Diane-
Thanks for the exchanges. I am going to make it this weekend for a treat. I have not had dessert in soooooo long! Well...except for that cookie I ate in madison.
I am going to weigh in tomorrow morning. I have the day off since I have an exam tomorrow night. I need to study most of the day. I would love to be down a little when I go to the center. *keeping fingers crossed*
Well, I have been reading all you posts and you inspired me to go back!!! I joined last July and did wonderful, and then I blew it!!!! So I am back up to where I was when I started. I am getting married in May and can not think about getting a dress!!! So I am on my way back and I will update where I am at when I get back.
I want to thank you all for the inspiration too!!! I hope coming here often will help too!
More on deceptive practices, then I'll shut up about it
Your points are well taken, Barb.
I wonder how much the practices differ from center to center; they are a franchise operation. I can only speak to my experiences at my center, and they were quite honest about all the costs. Then again, having lots of experience at this game, I asked lots of questions and read the contract that I signed in detail. Most of the counselors I've worked with at my center have been great (there are a couple who are clueless, but that happens everywhere).
The only cost I had upfront on the day I joined was the membership fee. I had the choice of buying the bars weekly, at retail prices, or in bulk, at a significant discount. I chose bulk.
Nutritionally, the program's working very very well for me, much better than WW Points ever did. The reason is that it's quite similar to the WW program I started on back in '84. That's why I'm sticking with it.
I'm a stickler for honesty, too, believe me. If I feel like I've been ripped off, I'll scream loud and clear. So far, I've not felt that way.
Well, I have a wee gain today: 0.4. I'm not worried about it, though; I have them from time to time, and I was not as rigorous as I should have been about staying on the program. And, I lost a pound on Saturday, which is much more than usual.
However, I was a little irked at the counselor today. As we sit down to chat, she says to me: "So, how about if you agree to lose 2 pounds by Thursday?"
I almost burst out laughing!
Yeah, right! Two pounds in two days! I told her that was unrealistic and ridiculous, and she said, "How about a pound and a half?" And I laughed again!
So instead, I said, "Tell you what. I'll commit to following the program strictly and I'll take what I get."
Then she changed her tune and said, "Oh that's a good goal! There are so many ways to set good goals!"
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
While most of the counselors at my center are great, this particular one is just clueless. There's no way to predict what your body's gonna do; you just have to follow the program, relax, and let your body do its thing.
Pardon the rant! I know it probably seems funny coming right after my big LAWL perspective, but please. I guess they can't all be winners, eh?
I agree that there is a difference between centers and counselors. We have a few great ladies working at our center and a few of the clueless ones also. We had a really awesome manager who just left to move to TX to be closer to her kids (grown kids). Right now we have no manager, but they said there is one moving one from another location to mine. I hope she is as good as the last one! Have to wait and see.
Up 0.4 really isnt bad. I think weight fluctuates quite a bit through the week and month! I am sure you will be down when you go in next time. Keep at it...you are doing great!
Mary:
Our center has had good counselors and ones that don't stay very long. this is the longest group that I've had so far and they are great. I have 5.6 pounds to finish and the counselor I saw on Saturday said OH you can finish this week. I think she was kinding but I said any way that during the whole program I never lost 5 pounds in one week. I have I think 4 weeks now and that is what I am going to try to finish in. We all I think have are ups and downs. I think any loss that anyone has is a week is great no matter how much it is.
Jibbelle good luck with the test. and Your Welcome. Let me know what kind of recipes you like I will look through the book and post some.
Welcome back anjh7, I have really done well with LA this time around, I am glad that I tried again and everyone here is wonderful and supportive.
Diane
I just wrote a big long reply and then when I posted it, it said I didn't specify a thread....Huh? That was weird.
Anyway..... I won't keep you long just wanted to make a few points.
1st...there is no such thing as "finished". You have to learn to live in the real world without expensive bars and with preservatives and all that or it will all come back on. Just how long is your maintenance period? I was made to buy 24 weeks of weightloss and 28 weeks of maintenance while others, with more to loose could buy only a few weeks of maintenance. Made no sense to me. I know they just want that entire year of $$$ but the COULD have given me more weightloss weeks and fewer maintenance weeks...they cost the same after all. Just what was the point of pushing me out the door unless it was to make room for the next unpaid "year up front" sucker. Sorry...I'm not at all bitter, am I?
Anyone cruising these boards thinking about LAWL... just be aware of what you are getting into. Make sure you SEE the plan before you pay. It will more than likely be the gold plan...most people get that one...it's not really "custom". And those counselors are not really "counselors". The only nutritian training they had was a quick course in LAWL. They are hired for their SALES ability and nothing else...the more high pressure experience you have the better. Make sure you know ALL the costs up front, the plan, the bars, the supplements and the exra-weightloss weeks. They run through all that really fast if at all or no one would sign. The plan itself is nothing special. it's a low fat, low calorie program. They make their money off of selling expensive soy bars. If you suceed, you suceed because they monitor you 3 times a week and some people need that. I call it Weight Watchers for masochists. Also....make sure if you ever deviate even an inch...a bite of birthday cake, a skipped weigh in or another brand of bar...do NOT tell them. They are waiting for you to screw up so they can void any guarantee they have, if they still have one. They used to guarantee your success or you can keep coming for free...but NOT if you admit you goofed up. I mean don't even breathe Dorito dust or your guarantee is history. They profit if you fail. Unless, of course you buy bars as you go and not in bulk...then they are more attentive.
Good luck to all here...seriously.... we are all in the same boat.
I just want to say that the majority of folks do not start on the gold plan. The plan they assign you is based on the number of pounds you need to lose. If you are like me and have 100+ lbs to lose they start you on red, move to purple, then to gold when you get close to goal. If you are a teenager, male or vegetarian you use a completely different set of plans (orange, blue, etc).
To all else-
I just went to the center this morning and I was down 1.2 lbs!! That is a total of 47 lbs. Only 3 more to 50! They will change my plan from red to purple after I lose 2 more lbs. I am ready for the change!
I am off today to study study study! I will check back in later for a study break.
Best of luck to you. Keep us posted on your progress. 
More on deceptive practices, then I'll shut up about it
That is a total of 47 lbs. Only 3 more to 50! They will change my plan from red to purple after I lose 2 more lbs. I am ready for the change!
