[cld123]

Hi everyone --
I have been reading thru the postings on LAWL and am seriously considering joining. I have about 100 lbs to lose and need some serious help! I have a couple of questions:

* Do they take bloodwork before you start the program?
* What would be the approximate cost up front for someone like me with 100- 110 lbs to lose? I live in Pennsylvania in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.
* Once you pay up front are there ongoing weekly costs?
* Do they offer an interest free monthly payment plan?
* I travel extensively for work and will probably not be able to weigh in more than once a week for most weeks. Will this be a problem?
* Any tips on negotiating price with them up front?

Thank you so much for any advice you can offer.... I am a bit scared to join but know I need to do something for my health....

[Joni135]

cld123 - I'm NO expert, but others will chime in:

Do they take bloodwork before you start the program? Some centers do; mine does not
* What would be the approximate cost up front for someone like me with 100- 110 lbs to lose? I live in Pennsylvania in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. It seems to vary. I paid $250 upfront to lose 30 lbs over 15 weeks. You don't have to tell them you want to lose 100 lbs; maybe start with 50 and then add weeks from there.
* Once you pay up front are there ongoing weekly costs? No weekly costs, but they may try to sell you LA Lites nutrition bars, vitamins, etc.
* Do they offer an interest free monthly payment plan? Not sure
* I travel extensively for work and will probably not be able to weigh in more than once a week for most weeks. Will this be a problem? Should not be a problem, but let them know about this upfront.
* Any tips on negotiating price with them up front? I went in for my initial talk but did not buy the program; 2 days later they called me and offered a 50% discount, so perhaps stalling OR telling them you have friends (at 3FC) that paid $5-$7 a week so why do they want to charge you $xx

Good luck; it's never an easy decision but it's the smartest decision I've made (weight loss wise) in a long time! Oh, BTW, the best support you will get is right here!

[MTdebster921]

My center just did a medical questionaire to do a background check on your health.

When I joined I wanted to lose over 100 lbs., the counselor talked me into setting a higher goal and then buying more weeks at a later time to lose the rest. I initially bought 39 weight loss weeks, 6 stabilization weeks and 52 maintenance weeks at $6 per week. So I initally signed on for 76 lbs., you can choose whatever goal you want and then change it at any time. Check the website for specials at the center you will be going to, if you know someone who does LAWL, then you can get a discount with that and your friend will get some store credit with the center. They also run specials throughout the year so you can buy the extra weeks. It's usually different with every center. I just bought 10 boxes of the lites and got 15 weight loss weeks free. This week they are running 10 weeks for $40 and 20 weeks for $60, which is an awesome deal. So make sure to ask what the best deal they can give you is.

The biggest cost is the extras which you don't have to do at all, the choice is completely up to you even though they are going to give you a pretty heavy sales pitch.

Every center is different with payment plans. There are also corporate and franchise centers. Mine only offered -3 equal payments, LA credit at about 22% interest or pay all up front. Some have said they pay in monthly installments.

I will tell you that if you spend a lot of time away from home and you are eating out a lot, it is going to be hard to make the healthy food choices that you will need to on LAWL, so that will be an obstacle that you will need to talk to them about prior to signing a contract.

Good luck with whatever you choose and I hope to see you around the board.

[bizlawchik]

Here's my two cents for a fellow girl from the 'Burgh... (in Florida now, but born and bred in PGH)

* Do they take bloodwork before you start the program? Some centers do and some don't. I think it depends on if they have someone to do it. Mine didn't take mine, even though I see all the stuff there

* What would be the approximate cost up front for someone like me with 100- 110 lbs to lose? I live in Pennsylvania in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. My initial weight loss is 104lbs. I paid for 52 weeks of weight loss, 6 weeks stabilization and 52 weeks of maintenance at $7/week. I think it has gone up to $9. Also check the internet for any specials. I paid just under $800.

* Once you pay up front are there ongoing weekly costs? Just for your LA Lites and optional supplements. However, the Lites are pricey.

* Do they offer an interest free monthly payment plan? Yes. My center offered the corporate credit plan which is no interest if you pay it off in three months. However, I split my payments into $100 down and the balance over six months automatically withdrawn from my checking account. Done that way, there was no interest either.

* I travel extensively for work and will probably not be able to weigh in more than once a week for most weeks. Will this be a problem? Tell them up front and it shouldn't be. Also, maybe you can clear it with them to go in to a center where you are traveling. The only thing that may be a problem is if you need to weigh in more than once for yourself for the accountability. I don't think I would be as successful on this program if I didn't weigh in three times a week. Others on the board can't stand it and weigh in only once and it works great for them.

* Any tips on negotiating price with them up front? Set a higher goal weight. Tell them you can't afford more than "X" dollars. Ask if they are having an open house anytime soon because there are usually deep discounts on programs on open house day.