LA Lites - Bars vs. Drink Mixes
 

Hey all,

I have been having a hard time losing weight lately (and getting under the big 200!). When I went into my center, she suggested that I substitute the LA drinks (Hot Chocolate, Cafe Au Lait, mixed berry, etc...) for the LA bars. She made some good points that I thought I would post & see what others thought.

The chocolate chip cookie dough bar has 190 calories. 4.5 grams of fat, 30 carbs, and 19grams of sugar. If you each two of these a day that is 380 calories and nearly 40 grams of sugar in just the bars.

The hot chocolate has like 80 calories, .5 grams of fat, 10 carbs, and 5 sugars. (I don't have the box for exact amounts, but another post showed these as the amounts & they may have changed a little).

Anyways, if you switched from bars to the hot chocolate, you would consume 220 less calories, 8 grams of fat, 40 carbs, and 28 grams of sugar less each day. Doesn't this seem like a significant amount??? and hot chocolate is one of the higher calorie lite drinks.

Don't get me wrong - I love the bars, but I wonder if that is what is hindering my weight loss. Not so much the calories, since they are built into the plan, but the carbs, fat and sugars.

My counselor and I agreed to sub one drink for one bar for a week and see what happens. I'm not sure if I can give up both bars. However, if drop a significant amount of weight this week from just subbing one bar, I think that is a small sacrifice.

I'm just wondering if others have thought of this. While I knew the drinks would be less, until I actually compared the two, the significant difference didn't hit me. I'm also suggesting to anyone at a plateau or having trouble losing, maybe they should try this. I think the cold drinks only have about 40 calories - that's nearly 300 calories less a day!!!!

Anywhoo, just wanted to comment on the revelation that hit me yesterday about the bars.

Kathryn

Kathryn, Let us know how it works out for you doing this!

I enjoy the strawberry shake mix, with a serving of frozen berries, 1/2 and 1/2 water and milk, and a packet of Splenda thrown into a blender. It makes a wonderful breakfast or snack.

Hi Kathryn
You may be on a plateau because you have lost 40 lbs!! Your body needs to adjust!

i have thought of doing the same thing but havent gotten around to it yet.. please let me know if you see results.

Kathyrn,

When I was on a plateau they suggested replacing one bar with a lower calorie light. Just a little tweak. Sometimes if you cut too many calories, your body really does go into starvation mode. Which really just means it cuts back on metabolism since it figures food has gotten sparse.

I also was suggested to replace one bar with a shake and that is what I have been doing for 4 months, and I will not go back to having 2 bars. As of matter of fact I don't know if I could be successful on this plan without the shakes. I have come up with so many variety's of shakes I absolutely love them and look forward to them at night. I always have my lite bar for my am snack or afternoon snack and then my shake at dinner and make it big enough to freeze half to have when the kids go to bed as my treat. I do a peanut butter shake with both the vanilla and chocolate flavors, I just add 1-2 tbsp peanut with the shake powder depending on whether I have used all my dairy I will mix it with water or milk and ice. I will have a glass with dinner and freeze the rest for later. I take it out of the freezer and sprinkle some low sugar chocolate syrup and it tastes like chocolate peanut butter ice cream. I love it! I also add 2 tbsp of sugar free pudding mix to the shake powder with ice and water. The pistachio flavor is great with the vanilla, the butterscotch is great with the chocolate, the banana flavor is great with the strawberry kiwi. I also freeze my left over coffee in my ice cube tray and add that to the chocolate powder with ice and water to make a mocha shake. I mix all this in my smoothie maker and I also have a magic bullet that works great too! Sorry for all the rambling but I hope I gave you some suggestions. Good luck!

Nanette
When you speak of shakes are you talking about the slim-downs?

Fellow Canadians, Is it possible that the shakes are not available in Canada?

bahamadream--great ideas! I'm going to have to get some shakes!

Lucia,
No the shake powder mix that you can count as a la lite! It comes in a box of 14 envelopes. They have them mainly for their diabetic clients or people that can't have as much sugar as the bars, it is a great alternative if you have that sweet tooth as I do, and the bars are too high in sugar content! Ask them I am sure they have them if not ask them what they offer for their hyperglycemic or diabetic clients?

Queen Lucia - The shake mixes are available in Canada, I personally have one bar and one shake every day, however, at my center anyway the shakes come in a box of 7 envelopes. Like Nanette, I have come up with many different ways to have my shake (many similar to hers), however, I will usually add a fruit (whatever I have in the house, fresh or frozen, and will make it with a mixture of half milk, half water and a few ice cubes. I actually look forward to that treat more than the bars.

Thanks Guys! I will ask them when I go in on Saturday! Love the bars but would love the variety of a shake. So much you can do with them!
L