Andi, my heart goes out to your DD (and you, too).

Truly, losing and then to KEEPING OFF weight is one of the hardest things to learn. If it was, we wouldn't be here, and have tried several diets in the meantime. We have to move out of our comfort zone - it was the comfort zone which put us here in the first place.

If I read your post right, there are two problems - first your DD is having problems keeping to the choices per the plan, and second - the change over in counselors, and having to 'retrain' them each time y'all go in, plus the commercials.

About the first - for each of us, there are things that stall the weight loss. Yes, it's all about cals in and cals out, but there are some foods that just don't work as well for some people. Maybe popcorn is one of these for your daughter?

Part of the process of learning to deal with weight is watching the scale and learning what affects our body. She's still young, and will learn that the scale can stall during TOM each month, and then it will pass and start moving again. She also may be a slow loser?

Truly, I do believe that if she learns to do this NOW at 14, she will be much better prepared to handle her weight for the rest of her life. However, if she's resentful against the program, and she thinks the counselors are the food police (and that IS part of their job) - she will have a much harder time of it. (This is a much better program than what I did when I was her age - a completely no carb diet, or hard boiled eggs for lunch for months!)

We all know it's much easier to eat whatever we want whenever we want, and are now facing the consequences. . .and at 14 she may be testing the limits a bit by forgetting her lunch and having popcorn?

Is she generally happy with the program even if she's not losing as much? Does it help her make better choices in her daily eating? Does she feel better physically, even if the scale isn't moving as fast as she'd like? Can she take heart with some of these non-scale victories?

About the LAWL organization - it is so true that commercials are made to SELL. And the counselors are trained with a minimum of what seems to be canned nutrional info - even though mine seem to be better than the last batch - but their paychecks are based on what they sell.

I have heard of people having things put in the front of their files something like "no sell" to stop the hard sales. Maybe you could try a talk with the area manager to get things straightened out?

About you moving to purple - did you remind them how much exercise you do? When you were counting points, where you using the LAWL portions, or just counting points? What are the points in a standard LAWL day and how does it compare? Just curious. . .

I know you wish you could wave a magic wand and take this away from you and your DD - but if there was such a wand, we'd all be waving it. . .

(this post may be a little disjointed - if I'm not clear about something, let me know). .

Hugs,
Julie

Very nicely said, Julie.

Andi- I really feel for you and your daughter. Dont let her give up:)

What a day....

My sister had a RIDICULOUSLY huge party for her daughter turning one today, it was held at an Italian restaurant, and I ate beforeharnd but had to sit there while everyone made total slobs of themselves (sorry! True!) and I picked on a salad that was WAY too drenched in dressing, so I literally had four bites.

It was a buffet, so I made sure to concentrate on helping my kids and then once they were done, helping them move on to the hired clown's little show... :angel: So it was only about 15 min of having to see all this crazy food in my face...IT WAS HARD THOUGH. I had literally a 1/4 tsp taste of the cannoli cake and belive it or not, FEEL GUILTY, HOW STUPID!

It was not a fun day, tomorrow is WI, I am NERVOUS about the new plan!

Julie - you make so many good points!! Thanks for your help!
Deetsmom - thanks for the encouragement!

I think that DD will be fine now that we both have sat down and planned out her week. It is so hard when you are 14 (about to be 15 in just a few short weeks!:cry: ) She is so sweet and loving and I want to make things all better for her. Her dad and I didn't insist on this diet, this is something that she wanted. I believe in her heart that it is still something that she wants. Before we left our consultation, I had our counselor show her on their little "weeks to goal" chart what date she could be at goal - first of April! She's perked up some over the weekend and seems ready for another go at it. I believe that so much of it is the disappointment over the weight not "melting" off like she thought it would. I think in her head she had herself starring in a commercial! :lol:

As for the points thing, that is tricky too. I do the Firm every other day using 5 & 8 pound weights. I walk 3-4 miles at a pretty fast clip on my off days. It just about hits 5 hours, but I don't really think I go over that limit. With WW, I have always added in my Activity Points and eaten them too in order to lose. Even on the Red plan, I was pretty hungry, which is why I ditched it this last week - I wanted to show a good weight loss so bad! :dizzy:

Now that I've been put on the Purple, I am going to do my level best to stick to it like glue this week so that I'll have something to work with when I go in this next Saturday. If I'm dying of starvation by Wednesday, I might go in early and have another visit with them!

And, so much of our disappointment has been the constant switching of plans and losing counselors at our center. We just have not been able to build any consistancy, I think. My dad pointed out that it was really rather short-sighted of the counselors to discount those who are not doing the bars. Successful clients are great advertisement - and my DH is a pastor of a fairly large church in the area!! We could be great advertisement!:lol3:

Still, it was so hard for me to watch my sweetheart cry her little heart out. I felt like a mother bear protecting her cub...

Thanks for listening,

Andi

Youre a lovely mom, Andi:) I WAS that little girl crying in the car when I was about her age and know how hard it is for her (although in retrospect, I wasnt even that overweight)...youre doing a great job:)

Andi and Deet's - I was that girl crying in the car, too --

And BTW, I bet many of us have dreamed about starring in a commercial too -- but there are many, many people on LAWL who take longer than those 'stars' to get to goal weight. .. (and have you noticed the posters in the center it says 'results not typical')?

Deets - WTG on the buffet -- I had chinese for lunch -- and trying to get my water in - my friends did bring pretzels and port wine cheese - and I resisted them ALL - well, almost all -I did have about 1tbsp of cheese on two celery sticks!

Julie

Juli

After reading some of the posts over the past few days, I am starting to feel "sold to". I joined LAWL under the belief that the only thing I couldn't have was pickles - everything else was on plan, but serving size was key. As well, I truly believed that I didn't have to do the bars to get the rebate. My counsellor even wrote it on my rebate form. Now I am thinking that this is going to be a struggle when the time comes.

I wish I would've chosen the other plan (without the rebate). I feel guilty about having 3 cups of Smart Pop popcorn - this is NOT life! I don't want to rely on buying their snacks and food. I want to learn HOW TO LIVE and not how to beat the plan.

Julie ~ You are so smart! Great information and advice.

Andi ~ I'm glad DD is feeling better. I think it is harder on kids who are overweight than it is some adults who are married and feel secure. She sounds precious!

deetsmom ~ It sounds as though you did pretty good at the buffet, much better than I could have done! Glad you made it through that with flying colors!

Bobby18 ~ :welcome3: You will find lots of support here. I'm sorry you feel the way you do, but I think as you go along you will find ways to incorporate the foods you like into your plan. You just need to learn to plan for them. Also, there are lots of things that can be substituted for the LA snacks. This is about learning how to eat healthy, and THAT can never be wrong.

;) Hello everyone!!!

It has been awhile since I've been here, tehre is a lot to catch up on. It does look like everyone is doing fairly well. Good job on the halloween candy situation. I wanted to let Andi know that my heart goes out to your DD, I do know how frustrating it can be to be her age and try to lose weight-- she can do it!!!!! I think that sometimes the counselors need to realize that we are in the real world and they do need to change their approach a bit-- some are better than others.

To the new people, I do realize that the plan can be hard when you first start. I have only been doing it for 4 weeks. When I first started I was not used to planning out my meals and weighting my food out, I almost wanted to rebel-- in the end the only person that I was hurting was myself. I do want to lose some weight and get to where I need to be-- I have to keep that in mind everyday. I have noticed that a splurge every now and then is not bad. Just try to do the best that you can-- it does get easier. You will find out that what works for some does not work for you, but you will get into the habit of doing this-- and you will feel sooooooooo much better!!!!!!! Good Luck-- the ladies on this site are a great source for info and support!!!

Everyone have a good day!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/weight-tra...4/160/184/.png

Andi~ I hope all goes well. I will definitely keep your daughter in our prayers.

Bobby~ does your rebate form mention anything about taking bars in WL. Mine does not, it just says I will do it in Maintenance, so check your to be sure, and don’t forget about the luna bars. Also take some time and do an intensive grocery shopping trip. Look at the products you aren’t too familiar with in the store and try somethings that you aren’t use to, just to be sure you don’t like it. I am probably the pickiest eater in the entire world (my grandmother useto say some very unnice things about my appetitive when I was younger) but I have found ways to make this plan work. There will be things that are definitely not on plan that you might want to treat yourself too when you make big goals, but the biggest thing I have found is that you have to try it for a while. I literally cried when I started because I looked at this plan and thought, I don’t like any of this stuff and it pissed me off when the counselors would tell me to just try the milk…I am 26 years old and have never drank milk, do you think all of a sudden because you said it, I will be ok with it. :devil:

Bottom line is that we have all been there and yes they are sales people. I felt taken advantage of too because I didn’t even get the discount for signing up on the day of my consultation and I was never given an option with the bars (and I don’t eat chocolate, peanut butter, caramel or oats, so I eat 2 lemon bars every single day… talk about boring)

But most of us have tried everything out there and always end up back were we were to start off at, if not further back. This is a life change and you will have to make a change with your life to make it through it, but you will also learn how to be creative and to get in some stuff you like. If you need too, post some things you think you can’t live without and we can help you with suggestions for those. (by the way there are low-sodium pickles if you just have to have one. My grandmother has them all the time, and you can do your own pickles too at home with less sodium)

I am really glad that I feel like this is one “diet” that I can do in some form for the rest of my life, and you sound soooo much like I did 2 months ago, so I want to just let you know it can be done and basically we have spent the money now, so lets get what we paid for. Hope you feel better about your decision soon.:D

Cnt~ great 4 week loss total!

Morning, chicks-

quiet for a Monday (guess we all miss Star :lol: ) - I'm off to WI - keep your fingers crossed for me!

Suzanne, WTG on getting the contract modified - if you have it in writing you should be okay!

About the food - it is all about the choices and making the best ones you can. . . Trust me, the plan is MUCH more extensive than it was when I first joined last October -- then I was really throwing hissy fits!

For me, having a list of foods to choose from is much easier to lose weight on than having points to play with - spent too much time with the ice cream container that way - (after all if you have 30 points - well, isn't that just so many cups of sf ice cream???)

If there is a food that you really want, have your counselor check with the nutrionist - there may be a way they can work it into the program. When I first joined, dark meat chicken was not OP - and I asked about it, and told how to count it - it is in the new menu planner, now. . . I guess the point I'm making, is that they DO update the lists and don't always tell us of the new options. . .

Hugs to all!
Julie

Sounds like we all need a little boost...my WI STUNK!!!! FIRST TIME EVER on a Monday, I MAINTAINED!!! NOTHING LOST...I am SO ANNOYED. I friggin resisted a whole party (my first social challenge since joining) AND went down to Gold AND exercised Saturday and NOTHING...I swear, I am so ready to cheat.

It seems the more I try and make positive changes, the worse it gets. I drink OVER 120 oz water per day, I stopped doing Carb Cravers, so last week I had one to "shake things up", I also had one piece of pizza and even MEASURED IT on Friday night which I havent had since being OP...had it thinking I would "shock my body". Today I even wore lighter clothes (just 3oz lighter- am I obsessed or WHAT? I actually WEIGH my clothes!!!). I started the lemon water thing all last week, I tried to reduce my daily McDonalds diet soda to every other day, I tried using flax oil capsules to "move things along"...the whole nine yards. Ive ended eating for the day by 6:30, Ive switched up my carbs to be eaten early in the day, I have varied my friggin choices and spread eating out over different times...I am telling you...this is ridiculous!

My counselor shrugged her shoulders just like the other one did on Friday..they dont know WHAT to do with me. I havent had a "real" loss in over two weeks...I did TO and lost last Monday but am still where I was before that now. WHAT THE FRIG?!

This is what messed me up on WW, I am so afraid of a stall again:( I am close to my plan goal but really wanted to go down to 125-130 so fluctuations in maintennance wouldnt be a big deal...this was SO easy in the beginning, I am so mad!!!

Good Morning Ladies!

Miss you Star!

Congrats on all the losers. Welcome all the newbies. Hey to all the rest!

Well, I really must be Ms. Workaholic! I started a part-time weekend job Saturday. I still have my full-time M-F job.

My plan is to pay cash for all of our Christmas shopping this year. We have had a few financial bumps in the road lately; and without working on the weekends, I don't see us buying the Christmas gifts that we want without using credit cards. My experience with credit cards are that they are evil! I have done really great, I haven't used a credit card since 2002. My DFI has used his, but only for necessary things so we are trying to keep our finances under control. If we don't have the money and it's not a desperate need, we don't get it! Exceptions would include car repairs and etc.