La Lites
 

I've been using LA lites through the center but im not a big fan of them.

So I know you can use other types of bars for LA lite substitutes such as Luna.

But what flavors can you use... any of them??

Im trying to get back on track after having my Gall Bladder removed and not being able to be on LAWL for about 7 weeks or so. :(

Any advice would help!

Sam

You can substitute with Pria Complete, Luna and Kashi Go Lean...any flavor. I personally like the Luna bars the best.
You're almost half way to goal...that's awesome!

I don't like many of the lites either.. Thank God for the carmel and peanut butter.. If you nuke the PB in the microwave (sans wrapper!!) for 15 seconds, it makes it even better!!!

I'm thinking I may have to break down and buy some lite bars. I'm finding that the past few days I've been craving very bad. Yesterday evening I ate 4 small chocolate chip cookies. This evening I ate 2 plus a handful of chocolate coated raisins. I'm not as bad as I was before I started lawl, but I don't want to be eating that stuff. Dan, you mentioned in another thread that they help with cravings...would you recommend them in my situation? Are there other alternatives that anyone knows about? If you don't eat the la lite bars, can you substitute other foods in their place? I think I read somewhere in here that you can eat extra veggies without any real risks to your diet, but I'm not sure a stick of celery would curb my craving for a nanaimo bar! lol...thanks!!

Jason, I've been shopping for lites and lunas on Ebay, there are some deals there, just remember to check the shipping costs to Canada before you order.

ETA: I mentioned to my COD today that I might order them online rather than buy them there...I think that was a mistake. They were thrown for a loop and want me to speak with the manager on Saturday. I should have just said a friend gave me some.

Jason... I find they are VERY handy in killing off my cravings in the afternoon.. Right around 3 o'clock, I start getting hungry and in the past, usually made a trip to the vending machine.. But since I have the lites, I have not needed the vending machines....

I'm not a sweets person, so I was afraid the lights wouldn't be that great, but the carmel and peanut butter (and to a certain extent the chocolate crunch) seem to really do the trick..

If you don't want to go down the road of buying lites or one of the store bought alternatives (haven't tried them, so I don't know how good they might be or not), you could always save a fruit and eat that in between meals instead...

You have to be really careful about those little cheats.. Sometimes it can be VERY hard to stop at just a "handful"...

This is a mental game as well.. You've got to really fight the urge to blow it... Just focus on the money you're spending and WHY you're spending it!

You and I have a slight advantage over the ladies here, in that men usually tend to lose faster, and those little cheats tend to affect us less.. Be that as it may, we can't get complacent with the losses we've had so far.. You've dumped a ton of weight in a short span of time.. For that you're feeling pretty good.. But it's easy to become comfortable with the loss so far and lose sight of the overall goal... Stay strong!!

Dan - I'm a 3PM snack hunter too. My carmel deluxe bar fits the bill nicely. It's actually the only flavor I like anymore. Carmel crunch is OK too.

Jason - they're not nanaimo's, but they do help, I think. Get one box and see what you think.

Angie - Yes, you need to become wise to the ways of the COD... LOL. I always say that 'my sister was on LAWL and she has a ton left' or something. Not because I care what they think, just because I don't want to waste time arguing with them. I write down 'Slimdown' when I have slimfasts, Take Off juice when I use the Knudsens, etc... My file is so thick they would never think to look back and see when I last purchased those items.

There are two kinds of carmel bars??!! My COD only has one kind (the crunch I think) and they are so popular that unless you get them when a shipment comes in, you're SOL... I've become a hoarder of the carmel bars!!

Major hoarder! I leave with 5 boxes at a time! (some for work, some for home)

There are Carmel Crunch and Carmel Deluxe (like a fat person's Snickers bar, LOL)

I'll have to ask about the other kind.. Or Maybe they're just for you Upstate folks... My family is from Upstate, NY.. Mom was born and raised in Saranac Lake and my uncles lived in and around Syracuse and Plattsburg for years..

Thanks for the tip!

I agree that the lites seem like a treat to me but since Dr. Oz has enlightened me about the HFCS, I'm a little less excited about them. I usually have one every other day or so. I love the Caramel deluxe also!!! It took a while to finally get them here, but they are my favorite along with the mint. DH loves the coconut (says it tastes like a Mounds candy bar but I don't think so) and his other favs are the peanut butter and the choc crunch. His COD gives him a deal whenever he buys 5 boxes at a time (if you think $100 is a dea!)
Jason - be strong! Another thing I like for a "sweet treat" is a caramel rice cake with peanut butter on it. YUM!! COD told dh that a rice cake is like eating next to nothing when you need a treat.

Ooh - I'm not THAT far upstate! Saranac was -30 today... Brrrr. I'm near Albany.

Lite flavors are a weird thing.... Franchise vs corporate means different flavors available, east vs. west. You'd think with a large corp like LAWL there would be more consistency.

Yeah, the high fructose corn syrup is a baddie, but if it keeps me out of the Hersheys, I'm OK...

I tried the mounds ones - first bite good, second bite YUCK! I think it is a texture thing.

SasKNewfie
You can buy their chocolate biscotti that counts as a fruit and starch or their snacks like toffee popcorn, cheese curls etc. I take these to parties or events where there are chips etc. as they each only count as starch and you can still feel like you are having something fun other than celery!

Angie.. if you COD has been low on stock or out of stock like mine tell them that you heard of the bars on Ebay and wanted to ensure you can get product and that may hush them up quickly since they are tripping over themselves right now being out of everything. Or like someone else said tell them you had a friend etc that bought them but had a problem with soy and she gave you some. They can be intimidating but you are the customer.. they are the staff.. if you mention lack of stock I'm sure they'll hush quickly!

Pearl - I've been very aware of HFCS lately as well...bad stuff! Even most salad dressings have it in. It takes me forever at the grocery store because I'm constantly reading labels, but it's worth it.

That's what I'll say tomorrow, thanks for the tip! "My sister couldn't tolerate soy and she gave me her whole case!" :^:

How funny that each COD have different stuff! Mine said they don't make the Mint no more, and don't know anything about the Coconut flavor?! I've never heard of the Carmel Delux either? Now this is the firs time I hear about the coconuts... Too bad, I LOVE Almond Joys!! :(

Nancy, try the coconut ones for yourself...I'd been told by lots of people how bad they were, but then one day I was chatting with another lady while we waited and she raved about them. So last week, I brought a box home, just to try, and I DO love them. I think it's all individual. :)

That's always the way it is.. My wife really likes the smores flavor, and while I love smores, that one just plain sucks, in my opinion.. :lol:

The trick with the peanut butter flavor is to nuke it for 15 seconds or so.. Makes a great treat!

I am near Binghamton, NY. My COD doesn't carry the Smores or the Chocolate Cherry, but I have ordered them off Ebay. My sons eat a lot of my bars, too. Figure it can't hurt them. I love the lemon and the honey nouggat. Mint and Coconut are good too. Guess we all have different tastes. I have found when I run out and don't eat them, that I do lose the wt. better. But I do like the bars, so I continue to buy them. I'm like you, Dan, they get me through the afternoon. Otherwise I am starved by the time I get home and then start to pick while making supper. Good luck everyone.

Lolene

Megan - I will have to track down the Coconut flavor one somewhere. My COD here does not have it.... I go WI tonight, and will ask them again...

I do not use lites. I did, and I loved them (honey nougat was my favorite, even though I am a chocoholic), however, I found out that I cannot tolerate soy.....for real. I thought maybe it was something else in the bars, but this week I started eating veggie burgers (morning star), and after eating them everyday for lunch for a few days, I found I had the same issue with them as I did the bars. (break outs and a very bubbly hurty tummy). The HFCS is crap, no doubt, but had I been able to tolerate the bars, I would most likely still be using them. Since I physically am unable to use the bars, I have been forced to do the all food program. Now that I am used to it, I am very glad. I don't get cravings for sweets very often at all anymore. I don't really crave anything. If I really want to munch, I DO eat extra veggies. I have found ways to satisfy my sweet with whole real foods, and I have never felt more empowered. Also, there are recipes on this forum that help you figure out how to endulge your sweet OP. I have made the fall time pumpkin spice cake a few times, and it is delightful. It counts as 1 F, 1 S. Perfect with a dallop (I really cannot believe I just used that word....LOL) of FF coolwhip. SF jello is in my fridge at all times also. I prefer it soft serve with FFCW. That is how it has worked out for me. There are some who have made a health conscious choice to stop using bars, and i am so proud of them. I was forced.......they actually decided!!! It is quite liberating.

If you do choose to use bars...........then use them the way the program is designed to use them. They are a tool........and a very smart tool. They taste wonderful (to me anyway), and they work well if used properly. Sask, if you do decide to start using the bars, your exchanges will change. Talk to your COD about possibly making the switch if you want. Like Cassi told me one time.....you can always change your mind. I believe you lose a protein and a starch. That is not a trade I would be willing to make anymore........but before I started the all food plan, I was perfectly fine with that, and didn't get hungry.

I think the bottom line is......whichever way you decide to go (bars or no bars), the toughest part of this program is to "change your mind." We now have to think of food as our fuel.......and we have to think of meeting our bodies needs, not make ourselves feel good at the moment. I had a small revelation at the COD yesterday as I was talking to the manager. She commented that she is suprised that I am losing so much each week when I am eating such heavy foods. I thought to myself...'hmm, I don't really think beef is the devil.......and bananas have wonderful nutritional value.......and my pumpkin cake is OP.......and I eat what satisfies me.' I also told her that sometimes after I weigh and measure my food, I start tearing into it, and it is so yummy, and I get full before it is gone. And I think to myself.....'gee, I should probably stop eating this now.....but I am allowed, so I keep eating.' And she said to me, "so you are starting to hear what your body is telling you then?" And I said,,,,,"yeah, I guess I am." And she told me that that was the biggest key to my success.....and that I should just put my plate away, and when I am hungry in an hour or so, to finish it then. And, truthfully, I am kind of a grazer. I heeded Dr. Oz's advice about NEVER letting myself become ravished, and in that process, I learned to start listening to my internal cues for hunger. I honestly did not consciously try to do that.......it just happened by accident. This is one more example of the "fake it till you make it," theory. Most of the time I do that.......but somedays it is tough.

WOW, not getting a lot of work done this afternoon, am I? Well, I hope my babble helped someone besides me. Writing these things really does reinforce good habits and force us to take a look at our progress. Thanks for listening :)

YES! Perfectly said and just what I needed to hear. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am adding this to my montras. - "I am eating to fuel my body - not to make myself feel good for the moment" and "Will I still be happy I ate this when it is gone?"

I have another thread about deciding to use the bars or not, but I wanted to ask a quick question here. If I decide to cut my bars down to ONE instead of two per day, what would that do to my plan? I'm currently on gold w/lites. I mainly get my sweet craving in the afternoon and can really take or leave the bar I have in the morning. Thanks!!

Unfortunately, the plan does not allow for that. You can, however, get lites in other forms besides bars, I believe...........some one will answer you better, but I believe there are shakes and coffees and soups and such.

Good to see you actively posting, Libby!!! This forum ROCKS!!!!

My plan actually calls for 2 bars a day...so i should be fine there.

Thanks for all the hints everyone...I appreciate it!!

Libby - Nicole had a good suggestion. You can do one bar and one "other thing". They have soups, shakes, hot chocolate, and cafe au lait. I switch up a lot.

Also, my COD has two new flavors coming. One they got in yesterday is Key Lime. It has the crunchy of a luna or a soft granola bar with a yogurt/white chocolate coating on one side. I tried a sample today and they were yummy so I bought a box. The other flavor is chocolate raspberry and it's suposed to be the same kind of crunchy. The girl I met with today said it really good. But she didn't know anything about those soy snacks you guys mentioned. Darn.

I think Wendy is the one looking to swap out a bar :)n n They won't let me eat 'em. Although, now that they have key lime flavor I am getting very jealous. That is my FAVORITE dessert.

Sask.......my plan calls for lites also, but they all do. I was supposed to be on purple with lites, but since i went to all food, they upped me to red. the red book still calls for lites, they just told me to ignore that part. when you got your plan, did you tell them that you were not doing lites? if so, then I'm sure your plan is right........if they think you are doing the bars, then your plan is not allowing you enough food, and that could be where your cravings come from. what plan are you on? also........we call the dicky do a tool shed.....LOL

I'm on the red plan. I told them I wasn't doing lites...when she explained the servings to me...you know, 4 veg, 4 fruit, etc......told me to simply ignore the 2 servings of lite bars each day. I'm heading for a weigh in tomorrow, so I'll ask about it then...thanks!

I'm so excited, I just won an auction on ebay...here's what I got for $68 (shipping included!)

* 2 boxes of Cherry Chocolate (14 bars) Expire on 3/21/07
* 1 box of Smores + 5 bonus bars (12 bars) Expire on 6/2/07
* 3 boxes Carmel (21 bars) Expire on 5/24/07
* 3 boxes of Vanilla Slim Down Shakes (12 shakes) Could not find an expiration date on any of the shakes.
* 1 box of Strawberry Shakes (4 shakes)

The bars alone would have cost me $120 here...yay!! :carrot:

There are more great deals there. Jason, I saw a post there you might be interested in... $78 currently for 10 boxes, from Nova Scotia, so shipping might be less.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=014

Thanks for keeping me in mind...I think I might try out a box tomorrow...well not the whole box...and see if I like them and how they work for me before I decide on purchasing a larger quantity like that.

I have another question about the lites My friend that is going with me to the COD we only like the carmel bar it's the one that tastes like the snicker bar, anyway they keep telling us we need to alternate bars because this bar may be interfearing with our WL! can you believe it. I don't care for any of the other ones. Has anyone else heard of this? Can the lites make you not lsoe like you should?

that sounds fishy to me--why should it matter if you eat the same bar--they are probably trying to get people to eat the ones no one likes--since the caramel ones sound so popular--wish we had the "snicker" one--yum.

I bought a box of lites today...haven't tried them yet. Turns out I'm on the Red "1" plan...I can have only 1 per day. They are quite expensive...$23 for 7 bars!! Can't I simply look at the label/nutritional info and go to Costco or GNC and buy something 1/3 the price with similar values?

Yes--long ago someone (maybe Aphil--sorry) did a LOT of the legwork for us. Luna's and Kashi go Lean Krunchys are two comparable bars that I use. I'm sure there are others.

Everything I read says that Luna's are for women...is that just a marketing tactic?

It is marketed towards women I think b/c of the vitamins and minerals in there are good for women. The calcium and folic acid. That is what I think at least.

kayla: I dont think that is true b/c when they tried to sell me the bars I told them that I only really liked the Lemon ones and she is like that is ok you can use those only. I didnt do it but I doubt that having one flavor will really hinder any WL you would have