To use or not use LA Lites, that is the question...
 

Hello! I've introduced myself on the bio thread but this is my first real post. :)

Well, I went in for my PSV today and got the LA Lites sales pitch. (Down 2.2 lbs so far, BTW) I was all prepared to say that I could not afford the bars and that I wanted to do the diet without them. BUT, the rep I got today was really nice and not all that pushy. She stressed that the bars were optional, but having tried to do the program herself without the bars and by even trying other bars out there, she found that she lost more weight and cheated less when she was using them. I'm sure a lot of what she said was still sales pitch, but she did seem genuine. She showed me the highest bulking option, of course, but she spent the most time showing me lower bulking options and how to make them more affordable (i.e. using CARE credit to stretch the cost over 3 months, and then transferring to my own credit card for a 4th month if need be). The problem is that I do like the bars, and I have a serious sweet tooth. Before I joined LAWL last week, my normal afternoon routine was to go the vending machine and grab a candy bar and often a REGULAR soda. The bars have nixed that craving. I so don't want to fail on this diet! I know that no one can make the decision on whether or not to use the bars except for me, but I'd love to have some support and/or advice on this issue.

Thanks!!

I'd say for you, do the lites because I have a serious sweet tooth too and even though they are expensive, they keep me OP.

You will find different opinions here I am sure because a lot of people here substitute the lites with Luna bars or they are successful without them.

Stick with what works for you and will make the program successful for you. Good luck and good job for being down 2.2 lbs. so far! :)

I think the bars taste great and they had helped with cravings. I can't eat them now because of my braces (even though the COD told me different). Plus they have high fructose corn syrup in them which I'm trying to eliminate from my diet.
But...with that being said, I bought the bars in bulk and it made it easy to just pick up a box or 2 at WI. You'll save money if you buy an alternative bar at the store, but then you have to go purchase them every week or so.
I'd say if you can afford them and want to keep it simple, go for it...hope that helped.

I do not use the bars, and I have done great without them!

Katie, you really have! I love looking at your pics for inspiration :)

I DID do the big bulk purchase of lites, and I'm not one bit sorry. I like the majority of them, and the convenience of not having to go buy more and always having a ton on hand at home makes it worth it to me. Then again, I'm the kind of person who does something all-or-nothing, so it made sense for me.

It's really a personal decision...you'll find someone here from every level when it comes to the lites. :)

I told them I was soy intolerant so I am now ineligible to buy the bars (and most of their other supplements). So, I couldn't buy them if I wanted. I figure if my sweet tooth rears its ugly head, I'll try a Luna bar.

I've found that if I get enough fiber in my diet though, I usually don't have too many cravings. We'll see how that works on this plan for me.

I wasn't going to do the bars, and then I decided that I would try them for three months. I like them. I like the little treat. Yes, you can lose without them (Look at Katie and Evette's ticker for great examples of that), but if you like them and can budget for them, I think they are great. I don't know the stats on our board, but I think more than half of us use bars.

By the way... you can always change your mind. You can always add them later, or stop doing them. It's not written in stone.

As long as you don't take the bars out of the COD (they will show them in your file as pre-paid so you don't have to take home cases all at once), they should be refundable if you purchase the bulk plan. I didn't purchase the bulk plan, but purchase them at like 20 boxes of 14 bars each for $180 or something like that.

My advice is to go with your gut. Do what you want to do, and know that you can always change your mind.

The lites have really helped me. They really have helped me from cheating and take care of the sweet cravings. I have been on LAWL for 25 weeks now and have not been off plan not once.
When buying the lites I just figured that I was buying a Venti mocha from starbucks 3 times a week.. that is $15 a week on Mochas. I did the math and the bars were cheaper then my mochas! funny eh! and I get two a day :D And that does not add in all the junk food and and fast food I have not been eating :)

I just made a speech about bars in a different thread, but one thing I want to add is this. You can buy a small amount and add more later if you like. I bought 8 weeks supply at my PSV visit. If you choose to buy a smaller amount like that, you will not get as great of a discount, but they do go on sale, and if you have to pay interest on your credit card, the discount doesn't really apply anymore :) Which ever you choose, you are going to do GREAT!!!!

Thanks for all the advice. I really do appreciate it. BTW, I did buy a box today to get me through the weekend, so that I will have time to discuss this all with my DH. In addition to my bulk package prices, I was also given the discount schedule for buying multiple boxes (i.e. 1-9 full price, 10-19 5% off, 20-39 20% off, etc.)

I'm SO glad I found this board! Right after I joined, I was regretting my decision because of all the negative opinions about the program out there. Reading your posts really helped motivate me to not give up before I even started.

Candice - That's a great way to compare the bars. I never thought of that. Considering that I used to grab breakfast (a sandwich and chips) on the way in to work every morning, that's $25-$35/week right there. My bar price is $20/week. I'm already saving money!

I don't think I could do it without my caramel bars!!

Well, my body may have made the choice for me. :-( I have psoriasis, and when I got out of the shower this morning, my DH noticed that I was dotted ALL over my back with new patches. I know that some foods cause flare ups, and the lites are the only NEW things I've been eating. I guess it will be an all food plan for me on Monday.

I'm with you Candace. I so look forward to my Caramel Deluxe bars every day! I find them really satisfying and they give me that sweet treat so I don't feel deprived.

.

I loved the lites, because they are definitely a treat, but they make the skin on my face break out terribly. Unusual for me, because I have good skin and normally never break out. So, I have done LAWL without lites and lost the weight. I guess it's the soy. Too bad cuz I love the caramel lites. That's the only thing that gets me about the program is the pushing of their products. But, that's business and it does work. The $24 for the take off juice is really too much though, they should change that. Thanks to you ladies for giving me the recipe for the same juice recipe that costs me around $3 a bottle instead of $24:^:

Wendy..........you will do great on the all food plan. My body made the choice for me as well. I cannot tolerate soy either. There are pleny of people who do the all food plan.....so don't be nervous. Here's to a POP day tomorrow :)

Thanks, Nicole!...and everyone else who chimed in. At least, I don't have to hear the sales pitch anymore.

lites
 

I have been doing the lites but I may switch to all food. I have dry skin patches that I have not had much trouble with, in the past two weeks I have had flare ups on my face and elbows. I guess it could be the soy. I purchased my bars during a special (9 boxes for $99) I felt this gave me the option to try them for awhile without a longterm commitment. My COD offers specials all the time.
Kelli in NC

I have 3 different bars that I go between -- and I do look forward to them too. The caramel ones are my favorite though.. I'm very glad I decided to get them...

Okay, it's my first day without the bars, and let me just say, "I want some chocolate!!! :mad: I'm sorry, but bigger protein portions and an extra vegetable is not making me happy. Oh well! I'll stick it out for a week or so, and then try the bars again to see if they were the cause of my flare up. I'm sure I'll get used to life without them.

Wendy - How about adding some SF chocolate syrup to a yogurt smoothie?

You know, Wendy...........the funny thing is.....I do NOT crave chocolate anymore. I actually just realized that today. I was talking to my DC (dear cousin) and best friend, and she was telling me how she cannot LIVE without chocolate, and how she just bought a 24 pack of take 5 bars.....and it was at that moment that I realized that I truly do not feel like I NEED chocolate anymore. I am a HUGE sweet eater......but after a couple of weeks without lites......I totally quit craving sweets, and just didn't really notice. I still WANT them, but I do not CRAVE them. And, I have to admit, that when I was doing the lites, I used to just WAIT for my afternoon lite. I didn't like that. It worried me, as I am trying to change my relationship with food. Who knows........you might like all food, and you might decide to go back with the lites........the beauty of it is, you can change your mind, and the program will still work!!! And, this day will be over before you know it.....stay strong :)

Oh, Cassi, that's a good one!!!

and if you don't have choc syrup......you can mix 3 parts splenda with 1 part (teaspoon would be best, I think) unsweetened cocoa....then mix in a tiny bit of milk to make a paste, and add that to a smoothie. My mom used to always make hot cocoa that way........yeah, you could make hot cocoa also, if you haven't used your dairy yet. You mix the paste with hot milk. It is YUM. Obviously, I used to make it with sugar, not splenda, but I'm sure it would be good with splenda.

Or a banana split kinda thingie-banana, choc syrup and cool whip. Add pb too if you'd like . . . Or put it on a graham cracker . . .

I'm not doing the bars this time around, because they are not really in my budget.
I LOVE peanut butter pie, and Reese's peanut butter cups.
I made my own version as close to LAWL style as I could the other day.
1 graham cracker, RF Peanut butter, and drizzle with SF choc syrup
(1 S, 1/2 or 1 P, depending on how much PB you use, and 1 condiment)
Not the real thing, but it cures the craving, while still staying POP.

Just my two cents ...

JM - we were posting at the same time!

How about if you take some plain ff yogurt (Stonyfield or the greek Fage is best) and add a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa and some splenda for sweetness. Would this make a chocolate yogurt/pudding thing? I got the idea the other day when Hungry Girl posted about adding cocoa and splenda for a chocolate taste to your milk or something like that.

I bought one box to try out...I'm finding that when I get a craving and eat one, I am still having cravings and I find I end up cheating anyways. Now, it just adds more calories to the little I would cheat with before...lol...do they have a will power flavor?

Good one, Jason! If they did, I'd pay dearly for them!

Carmel is my "will power flavor".. I look forward to eating them, which I can't say about the other flavors...

It gives me sweet and cruchy, both things I look for in a snack... Now if they could come up with nacho flavored, I'd be golden...

I think I need chicken wing flavor...lemon pepper or honey mustard!! It's hard to stay away from wings in Saskatoon because so many pubs sell them for 9 cents each along with $2.50 beers!!

Thanks for the ideas everyone!! And, Nicole, I'm going to at least tough out this week to see if I can make it without the bars. It would surely save me some money!! And Jason I'm with you on the chicken wings! Those are my second favorite indulgence next to chocolate. :-) Well, I'm off to have my last 1/2 dairy for the day. I would use some of the chocolate milk suggestions, but I haven't bought any splenda yet. Definitely must run out and get some tomorrow!!