Wow, I have the first real thread in the new forum.....kick butt!

For those of you who don't know, I'm a radio personality who used to work for LAWL. Now, they are basically paying me to do the program & do testimonials.

I'm an avid exerciser & weight lifter, started the program in early November, have been nearly POP except for 3 weeks over the holidays when I was very sick. On the scale, I've only lost about 10 pounds, but I've gone from a size 16 to a loose 12 with almost 20 inches lost. In fact, I was disappointed about the scale being the same again this morning as I felt about 10 pounds lighter & thinner this morning. My jeans, which I just bought about 3 weeks ago, are practically falling off.

I've been ecstatic with the program, but now they're threatening to cancel me because of the scale. Well, the corporate folks are threatening, though the center people understand & think I'm doing great.

I'm just so pissed off about it all, as I like getting the extra money I'm getting, plus I've been losing inches. But, that pesky scale is being the stick in the mud. I simply can't do the 2 day TO because I need the fuel for my exercise.

The center manager was going to talk to the corporate supervisor & try to convince them to keep me on since it's obvious I'm losing inches. She said it will probably be fine to continue, but I'll know on Wednesday for sure. Working out less & weightlifting less is NOT an option for me, as my metabolism gets sluggish if I don't workout. And I workout too much to drop me down a plan. Why can't corporate just accept that some people lose weight in different ways?

I'm just pissed off...this is exactly why I stopped working for them before, I just didn't like the corporation.

Just wanted to vent, as I pretty much have no power over what happens next.

Travkitty - your point is something that's been mentioned several times - that LAWL is based on scale success and doesn't take into effect other measures! What plan are you on? Is it possible that you are not eating enough cals?

But, your success is awesome - dropping that many inches with only a ten pound loss! How close are you to goal?

Several chickies on the main thread are stalling because they are about 10 pounds from goal - could this be happening to you, too?

In any event, I have my fingers crossed for you on Wednesday. Let us know how it goes.

Julie

Well, initially my goal was 30 pounds, down to 137. I didn't know how my body would lose going in. When I lost my first 100 pounds on my own several years ago, I never looked at the scale until about a year in. I had dropped about 10 sizes, but according to the scale, I was astounded to have only lost about 40 pounds. Using weight loss arithmetic, 10 pounds = 1 size. That's how I measure having lost 100 pounds of fat. Of course, I put on a LOT of muscle. I've always put muscle on easily.

Anyway, I started at 168, now I'm at 157, but down 2 sizes. My main goal (and I told them this from the get go) was that I wanted to be a size 8 & not even pay attention to the scale because I KNEW that my body didn't operate that way. They insisted that I have a scale-based goal as well.

The problem is that my body just doesn't want to give up the ghost with my tummy, thighs & butt. I'm STILL losing weight in my feet & hands, which are practically skeletal anyway. I'm losing in my midsection, but at a snail's pace. Granted, slowly is better than nothing. Every time I come into the center, feeling great because my pants are baggier & I feel lighter, that scale doesn't budge & I feel deflated. Then, they act like I'm doing something wrong, trying to analyze my diary for problems. Of course, because there's a new counselor every week, I seem to always get the new one who doesn't realize that I know what I'm doing....I used to work for LAWL, for friggin' sake!

I also told them from the get-go that my body takes a while to decide to lose weight. When I lost my first 100 pounds, I was doing everything right, working out, & not the scale nor my inches budged for 6 months. In fact, I got BIGGER. But then, overnight the inches started melting off. Because I spent most of last year inactive because of my back injury, I gained back about 15 pounds & I'm sure my metabolism had fallen back to sluggish, so I had been expecting it to take 6 months again for it to rev up.

I guess it just astounds me that some of the people running & working for LAWL really have no clue about real weight issues. They are taught this program (which does work, but it needs to be modified on a case-by-case basis) & that it's the law. If the person isn't losing scale weight, they are doing something wrong. That's just not the case. Not everyone will lose actual weight, but lose the inches. Some people will lose weight quickly, but not look like they have lost because they aren't toning. Some people will not lost 2+ pounds per week, as each person's body is different. The all-or-nothing viewpoint of so many in corporate is maddening.

But, at least at this point, all looks good. My salesperson with the radio station says that the person pitching the fit isn't the decisionmaker with my endorsement deal anyway, & that he'd take care of it.

To be honest, I could probably lose it myself, but I like having the extra money. If I ended the program, I'd just have to find a different endorsement deal. And, let's face it, what do they care if it works for me, as long as I get people into the center? LOL!

What a world I live in....

Hi Travkitty -

Let's hope that you can get LAWL to shift their emphasis from just pounds to both pounds and inches! I have my fingers crossed for you until tomorrow.

I do think it's amazing that there is such a turnover in their staff - I have about two that have been there since I started; the manager just left; and it is a challenge to go to WI and have to face the same questions each time. Are you on the new plan yet? I also lose weight in clumps - nothing around TOM time and then I drop 3 pounds in a week. . .

One question - why would you need to find another endorsement deal? Is that a job requirement?

Julie

I'd need a new endoresement deal to replace the money I was getting for LAWL. When you get used to that extra money, you want to find something to replace it.

travkitty-

I am a moderator here at 3FC, not an LAWL member-but I mod this section.

I have found that the biggest problem with LAWL is that they base their results on the scale alone-and don't care if you are losing inches at all. They don't care about fitness.

If you are losing inches, but not pounds right now-then don't change anything. You are mking progress. You are obviously gaining muscle mass and losing body fat percentage. DON'T CHANGE A THING!

What I would suggest, is that you take a tape measure and measure your bust at the fullest point, your waist, the fullest part of your hips, the fullest part of each thigh, and around your biceps. Write this info down. Measure snig, but not tight in underclothes. Keep track of this. Measure every couple weeks and chart it. Maybe it will help if they "see" the changes in writing.

You can't change LAWL. The counselors are not trained in nutrition and fitness...they are trained in the LAWL plan, and there is nothing you can do about it.

I have stayed the same scale weight approximately for a few months. But-I am a performer, and I dance, strength train, walk, and do yoga for what equals out to approximately 10 hours per week. I took my measurements yesterday and just since the start of the new year my butt is 3/4" smaller and my waist is 1/2" smaller. So-there is progress that is visual. The whole point to me is to "look" good anyhow-so I don't care if my scale says 110 or 150 as long as I look firm and shapely, you know?

I love the ladies here that do LAWL, but I really do think that they need to start making some changes in their program. Taking measurements once a month and charting that as well as the weigh ins is one of them.

It is not that you are losing weight "differently" it is that you are working out and changing your body. Because active people who exercise have more muscle mass than sedentary people-most weigh more than inactive people of the same clothing size.

For instance-some of the mods here at 3FC who strength train a lot weigh in the 130-150 range-but they are wearing 4's and 6's. Those same weight ranges on people who don't work out are wearing 8's and 10's.

LAWL is scale based...and that is just the way it is. You are doing what is right...and honestly, when it all comes down to it-you have to do what is right for you and your body-and not what is right for your endorsement deal.

JMHO,
Aphil

Travkitty,

LAWL advertises it's success at a "weight" loss of 2 pounds per week. That's what they determine how many weeks it will take someone to get to their ideal "weight goal"
For them to change their rules for you is pretty far fetched, don't you think?
I'm not saying their obession with the scale is right, but that is their measuring tool for success. They have never even encouraged working out and I have gone there two different years for weight loss.
On a brighter note, sounds like you are doing fine and if you can do it on your own, without LA & their money, then your probably better off and less stressed to do just that.

Yes, they base their weight loss weeks on the 2 pounds rule, but when I was in training, they made it clear, to us, that it was unrealistic for that to happen consistently throughout the program. In their words, we were setting them up for having to buy extra weeks. But, we had to get them committed to something right off the bat, & then when the 2 pounds didn't happen (although occasionally it does) their refund was void.

So, although the program does work, it doesn't work quite as easily & quickly as they make it sound during the initial presentation. Yes, it is a form of scam, which is why I stopped working for them a while back. The funny thing is that they knew up front when I started the endorsement deal that I used to work for them & know how it works. The turnover, however, is what keeps these new people on my ***, because I do have to explain myself anew every week, so it seems.

I'll keep doing it until they just pull it. But I won't fret about it anymore. The extra money is nice, as I still have to pay for a trip to New Zealand next January. That's why I'm trying to hang on for as long as I can. The program is paying for the trip!

As an extra note, a different radio personality in my building did the same deal, lost his weight, albeit slowly & without exercise/lifting, but has since gained it back. He's still doing the endorsement deal, just not telling anyone that he gained the weight back, & they aren't giving him ANY grief over it. Of course, he went to a different center in this city, so perhaps that's the difference.

He was eating a cream filled long john donut this morning. GRRRRR!

When I went to lawl in 2000 they took our measurements every month so at least at that center they used both the scale and inches to measure progress. It was good to see that I'd lost inches because it is somehow a different type of encouragement than simply seeing the numbers change on the scale. Somehow a reduction in inches seems more tangible than seeing the numbers change on the scale. IMHO!

If they base their success on 2 pounds for week, why is it that all of the testimonials on their website that lost 2lbs per week say "results not typical"? What IS typical for them?

Suzanne - I'm not sure if it's the 2 pound a week rate that is not typical, or the total loss that is not typical. I've noticed the same sort of disclaimer in the WW magazine for their featured losers.

I suspect that what is not typical is that people stick with it long enough . .. like most diet plans.

Julie

My center still makes a big deal that I'm over the 2lb a week average, but most of it is because I lost so much, so fast that I was averaging about 3.5 pounds per week some weeks. Now that I'm down to the last 25lbs or so, it's been .5 or maybe a pound a week, but my average is still over 2 lbs per week. I do think the ads are somewhat misleading because some people expect to lose 2lbs each and every week without fail.

I agree with Julie, I think the non-typical result is to stick with the program and get to goal weight...here's to being a non-typical result statistic :-)

Jen

Well, I'm staying on the program, but the center manager said "but I want to see some real progress in 3 weeks. I'm giving you 3 weeks."

I shot her a bad look & said, "What progress have I not shown? I'm on plan, I've lost almost 20 inches & 2 sizes."

Her response was, "Oh."

Well, luckily I don't have to deal with her every time I come in.

The funny thing is that a guy on one of our other stations has lost 19 pounds in his first month, but only 5 inches. I've lost 12 pounds & almost 20 inches. Just goes to show you how different each person can be, & that they need to measure progress on a case-by-case basis, not a general blanket.

Travkitty - good for you - glad that you got at least 3 weeks. What kind of endorsing do you do - is it radio ads? (Can you find anything nice to say?)

Well, the center manager is the one saying "3 more weeks" & that was before I pointed out the inches. I'm just not going to lose 2 pounds on the scale every week, not the way I exercise & lift. When I talked to my ad exec again, he said not to worry about it, since it's the corporate gal who decides yea or nay, not the individual center manager.

Yes, I do radio ads. I find plenty to say. I am shrinking, feeling better, not hungry & my blood pressure is normal again. The problem is that my success doesn't fit into their categorical box, which probably wouldn't be as much of a big deal except that I'm not paying for the program, plus I get paid to do it. So, they would throw a fit if they only looked at the scale & not my inches lost.