Can someone inform me of what the difference is between L.A. Express and the other plan (free to live, i think?)

My counselor said something about L.A. Express today and that was the first time I had ever heard of it.

ALSO, is there a substitute soup for what they sell? I'm going to look on the recipes board to see if I can find any! I am craving soup!

I have found no salt added tomatoes at Wal-mart and Kroger stores, which are great in homemade beef-barley soup. You can also get low salt or sodium-free boullion, either powdered or in cubes, with which to make your own chicken soup. I make homemade soups and chili a lot. I load the soups with vegetables (I use a lot of peppers, green onions and fresh jalapenos) and they are always plan-friendly.

Whip out the food processor, toss in tomato and a bunch of other veggies and you have yoru soup.

FYI: 1/2 a cup of tomato soup is equal to 1 veggie once you get out of stabalization. Might help if you need to squeeze in an extra veg and you're still craving soup.

Anybody... L.A. Express?? What is the difference?

My COD doesn't have either of those so I can't answer. I don't think anyone is ignoring your post, more like they probably don't know the answer. Have you asked your COD?

The source of confusion is that LAWL was running a special for $249 and they called it LA Express. The difference between that plan and the LAWL was that you weigh in once a week and it only includes the weight loss portion and does not include stabilization and the maintenance.

Then, to add to the confusion - they came out with the new numbered plans to replace the old color coded ones, but only in some of the centers (more and more are converting to the new numbered plans). I can only tell you what I have read here about this LA Express and it is linked to the numbered plans. Apparently from what I read here, the first 4 weeks on the new numbered plans, some people are put on LA Exress which limits your choices. Then after 4 weeks on the Express, other choices are added and you are on a regular numbered plan.

I am on the other LA Express plan with the color coded ones, and I signed up for the special rate which only includes my weight loss phase.

Someone else can jump in who is on the numbered plans and give you more information about the Express phase. They totally should have thought of another phrase to title the first 4 weeks of the numbered plans than "Express". Very very confusing.

Hope that helps, at least a little.

LA Express is the same program but with the "consume infrequently" foods removed. That is the only difference that I saw anyway.

Thanks for the explanations and recipes girls! Y'all are awesome!

I just finished my 4 weeks of the LA Express (#4 plan). My mom was started on the free to live plan (#3, I think). She could have different cereals, beef (occasionally), rice, etc. There is a definite limit on all the food group choices, it seemed very restrictive compared to the free to live plan, but it works. I don't really like fish and beef was not allowed at all, so I ate a lot of chicken and shrimp. Veggies are almost the same I think, but starches were very different. I am starting the free to live plan tomorrow and I am looking forward to it, honestly. I think it has a bit more practical balance for me considering I have 3 kids and my parents are currently staying with me until their house is ready and sitting down with some chicken, rice and veggies like everyone else will be great. In the past I sat down w/ my chicken, a matzo and veggies - but it was still good...LOL I'm glad I like matzos - they were my main starch choice.

Kimberly,

I think of the LA Express as the same concept as the "Excel" plan on the colored plans. It is generally for 4 weeks and you are much more restricted on what you can have. There are no limits on the number times you can have the items listed on Express plan (like beef to once a week - of course beef is not on the Excel plan).

The items on the Express plan are not just the regular plan less the consume infrequently's. For example, a waffle is a consume infrequently on the new plan, but you can have it every day on the Express plan. Corn flakes are another example & is Brummel & Brown and BBQ sauce.

The way I understand it is you do Express for 4 weeks and then switch to the regular plan. However, some people skip the Express and go straight to the new plan. I think it depends on how well you were losing on the other plan.

Hope this helps,
Kathryn

LA Free to Live I believe was the coloured plans which had the carb cravers section. I think the whole concept of Free to Live was that you had more options that the previous plan.

I have only been with LAWL since January, so I could be wrong on this. When I joined in January I was given a Free to Live package (binder with some tip cards, samples, scale, etc.) This plan allowed eating specified frozen dinners, and had a carb craver selection. Alcohol can be consumed infrequently as a starch/fruit, etc.

When I plateaud, they moved me to the "old" coloured plan. Starch and some fruit portion sizes decreased...instead of 2 breadsticks, only 1, instead of 3/4 cup blueberries, only 1/4 cup. There were other variation as well, but no frozen dinners, no carb cravers, no alcohol, etc. Foods were broken down into ok and consume infrequently. You couldn't mix a consume infrequently starch with a consume infrequently protein. Was a stricter plan...

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.

Dodis!

I am on the free to live#2 plan and cut out a starch and a fat (per my counselor) and have consistently lost 2-3lbs a week- I also stay away from the "infrequent" foods and have them only maybe 1 time a month... hope this helps...

Juliez

Hi Juliez,

Thanks so much for your feedback. I was beginning to feel super discouraged. I'm assuming then your weight loss had slowed down too before the change? So one starch and one fat. You're still having the two dairies then I'm guessing. I'll try it your way and see what happens. Thanks again!

Dodis