Hello from an LA counselor
 

Hi, I'm new here and was just kind of flipping through the posts and just wanted to set some things straight. I am a COD, as you guys call it, and we are not all paid on commission. LA centers are not all owned by the same people. Most centers are franchised. In my center we are not paid on comm and we care about you guys more than you realize. I have run into my clients out in public (and off the clock) and have answered questions they have had. I have made agreements with clients to give them checkup calls when they are battling with late-night snacking. That's right I was awake at 11:30 well after the center closed (and I was again off the clock) and called a client from my home to encourage her to avoid the snacking. Maybe some of you need better counselors in your centers, but we are not out to take advantage of you.

As far as the bars go, we do recommend them as part of the program because of their content. The bars are designed to be part of the program. Luna and Pria bars do not contain the same ingredients nor the same nutritional value as LAL.

Give your counselors a chance. They are only there to help you. If they didn't they wouldn't even try to give you any suggestions to help you.

Hi There,

Welcome to the discussion group. I also work for LAWL as a Center Manager. I'm in North Carolina. Where are you?

I would like to say that there ARE many different centers, and they are run differently. While you both may sincerely care about your customers, and may not work on commission-there indeed are centers where the counselors are paid on commission, and are trained to hard sell products to their customers-even taught such phrases as "cryers are buyers".

I realize that not all centers are ran this way, but there are some that are, and they have done many questionable and rude things to their paying customers-things such as advising a woman to stop breastfeeding her baby so that she could take some of the supplements they were trying to sell her. I am glad to hear that you are not one of these counselors, but they do exist. It isn't that the members are not giving their centers a chance, it is that they maybe do not have a counselor that cares, like you obviously do.

I also would like to add, that the Pria bars are not nutritionally adequate for substitution for Lites, as I have stated in another thread-because they are too low calorie and too low in protein-but the Luna bars are VERY similar in protein, calorie count, and in the vitamin and mineral content. VERY similar, and I deem them a suitable, and less expensive, alternative-and highly recommend them to those who cannot afford the LA Lites. :) The Lunas were not chosen by randomly grabbing any energy bar in the store-the nutrition labels were compared.

Aphil
moderator

hello lagirl and :welcome: to our forum.

Thanks for your input and we appreciate the work you do at your center, but I think you can tell from many of our posts that we DO NOT have counselors who care about us, who do not push products. I have actually changed Centers because I was so unhappy and I am not thrilled with the new one, but at least they do talk to me even if I don't buy stuff.

Both you and joy seem to have wonderful centers, and I applaud you for your work there, but sadly many of your colleagues do not have the same care in place for their non product buying clients.

I hope you will stay around here and show that there are counselors who do care, but please do realize that many counselors give the same advice for the same thing over and over again and of not try to assist as you do or to find real answers instead of guessing what is wrong.

We have all paid hundreds of thousands of dollars on this program and we believe in the program, but it would help to have counselors who are really there to help as much as you seem to be there.

Freudian slip??? :rofl: I know it feels like that much sometimes!! ;)

I have said it before. I am lucky. My center is great. They are still the COD, though, because that is where I have to face the scale and the cheats. Nothing personal.

LAgirl- Are you on the program? I am glad that you care about your clients. I'm sure that they love you. My center must be non comission based too, because they do not push their products at all. Buy them if you want to, or don't. Thanks for your feedback. Joy has said before that this site has helped her to better her center. I wish that the big LA in the sky would take some of our experiences to heart, and use them to make things better at all centers.

One other question, since I have IBS, I cannot do the bars, and I have lost as well as everyone else. So has several other girls on here. If the bars are the answer, why can I lose so well without them? Katie

hello
 

LAgirl - it is Center of Doom Counselor; COD:devil:
Just so you know the lingo....lol

I have a question regarding the staff at the centres. Do all cousellors need to have attempted the program at one point or another? I have one at the centre that I always seem to get and she is tall, thin and blonde... Barbie type. I guess I have a hard time when I'm trying to follow the program and she is givng me crap for eating grapes and banana's (high in sugar). It's hummiliating enough to have to sit there and count out 15 grapes, but she gives me flack over it.

I think it should be a requirement that the counsellors have done the program, so then they knows what their clients are going through.

Okay, that kind of turned into a rant!! Lol Sorry!

I don't know. All of the ladies at my center have done it, or are still doing it.

I have some wonderful "counselors" at my center. From bits and pieces that I have heard most of them have done the program.

As far as the nutrition goes with the Pria bars it all depends on the type of Pria bar you get. The ones I get have 170 calories, and have more protein (it's soy protein even), more calcium, and is higher in other nutrients than the LA Lites. Not all bars are created equal, but I am a label reader and have weeded out the ones that are not so good.

None of the counselors at my center have ever been on the program. One of them said she use to be a loan officer and through her job met an LAWL manager who told her she had great sales potential and that she should consider a career change. Although she is one of the nicer counselors I still feel as if I have to go back and check out everything they tell me for myself. Everytime I go to weigh in it is like a factory they rush you in and out. When I go into the center I am in and out in 5 mins. Some of them don't even ask to see your diary.

They are also very pushy when it comes to selling their products, they make you feel like you cannot lose the weight if you don't use their supplements, bars, etc.

I don't mean to go on a tirant but for the amount of money I spent to have "one on one counseling" I should be able to at least trust the information I am given.

:lol: sorry meant hundreds or thousands....got really into the typing, lol

The regular Pria bars are the 110 calorie snack bars. Are you using the Pria Complete? (They are called something slightly different, at least, than just Pria.)

I am using the Pria Complete Nutrition.

I think my pria bar has 170 cals in it....yep just looked they are the complete....

You I do like the girls at the center....BUT BUT BUT I HATE being pushed into buying something that is triple the cost....

Gymgurl - how long have you been on LAWL and did you start at 220?

I have only been there a week or so......I started there at 168 and went down to 161 and now have been the same for the last 2 weigh ins.....

They probably tell you that you work out too much? Are you on the Gold Plan?

No the red plan......

We are all strongly encouraged to do the program as long as we are medically eligible. In my center we have employee weigh-ins before opening on certain days to make sure we are not underweight. When I started with the company I was just getting over a few medical problems where I had lost almost 30 lbs, the managers in my center called the dieticians and put me on a plan to gain weight and get back to a healthy weight.

Sorry, I thought COD was Counselor of the day.

Counselor of the Day???? ROTF.....

Maybe they should give incentives like that and they might be more patient lol

lagirl, at first i was thinking why is she letting that little girl hold thebaby like that :rofl: i figured it out.

The photo is of me and my 4 year-old cousin that I often refer to as my niece (long story). It's from this Christmas. I don't have any children of my own so I spoil her rotten.

Lagirl...adorable little niece!!! You're not on the program, are you? Have you ever been?

I am on the mant. part of the program after they got my weight back up (see above post). I do occasionally do the Take-Off if I've been way out or I have a special occasion coming up and want to get rid of any puffiness. BTW is that Miss Emmy in the photo with you?

You tow are so cute and so are your kiddies

That's right, LAGirl...I did read your post about the weight gain issue. I read so many posts, I forget things! :dizzy: Yes, that is my little Emily (aka Emmy, Embem, Booboo, etc). She'll be two on March 17th.

Emmy - that just trips me out - my Savannah and your Emmy are exactly one week apart!!! That is so awesome - what are you doing theme wise for Emmy this year?

Oh, Savannah...that's so pretty! Last year I did Sesame Street because she was big into Bert. This year she loves Elmo, but I'm not sure if I want to go that route again..maybe Clifford. She's really getting into that lately. She also loves Barney, but I'm not a big fan! Or maybe Blue's Clues...UGHH!! I don't know...how about you?

Well, I'm not sure yet. I did butterflies last year - b/c that is her bedroom theme. She absolutely loves Elmo and Bear in the big blue house. I have a friend that makes cakes and she has a stand up 3D type bear cake pan - that I might try....or maybe go with Elmo - not quite sure yet. It is so fun planning for these things....It shouldn't be too hard this year She loves bears and dogs- but I dread next year - when she has "Her own opinion and ideas" - then we are in big trouble........

Too funny...Emily's room is butterflies, too! Her room has light purple walls, purple carpet, butterfly curtains, butterfly stick-ups on her walls and some furniture...and in the middle of all the pretty little girly stuff...a bright blue and red comforter with a gigantic Elmo on it!!! She just had to have that blanket!

That is so funny - Savannah's room is purple and pink butterflies. It is the paloma set from kidsstuff - I got it at Babies r US. That is so neat. Santa brought Savannah a big fleece blanket this year with Elmo's all over it too!!

Wow - what similarities!!

That one might be hard to find.....you might be able to order cake things form a cake supply store...

Mary - I was actually thinking about you this weekend. Me and DH were discussing what theme to use this year - Savannah loves Bear and the Big Blue house - but he isn't as popular now as he was 3 years ago. Now they don't even play him on Disney channel during the weekend - Only on the weekends - ARGH!!! So I might have to do some searching myself. I liked your idea of the edible Maisy - so I might have to do that depending on what I find.

My son loved Bear in the BBH....I did an edible image with him and they are still easily available...the plates and such are still out there too, just go to your local party store or try ebay...my fav, of course:)