I have not gotten a list of additions to my gold+lites plan! My booklet says 1cup lettuce is a vegetable. I read on the posts that this has changed to 3cups! My center is brand new I don't understand why I have an old book. Is their a list of foods they have changed? or a list with new items they figured the exchanges for? I also would like to know how to figure out the exchange V,F,D,Fr etc. for certain foods like the joseph's pitas I have been using they are 60 cal, 2g fat, 4g fiber, 0g sugar and 6g protein? I have been counting them as I starch. I should probably ask my COD, but then again they told me if I don't do the lites all I would get is one more veggie in exchange for the lites
TIA
KelliNC

After joining this board, I also asked my COD about the 1c lettuce=1veg. vs. 3c and they told me they have not been informed of this change. 3c of lettuce is a lot for me to think of as only 1 veg. so I've been going by my book. My book (purple, no lites) says that 1 six inch tortilla is 1/2 starch, so I would assume that 1 small pita would be somewhat equivalent.

If you search through the restaurant guides you can find the exchanges for some things. I do that a lot becasue I'm a college student and have to eat at a cafeteria for lunch most days. I'm not very good at planning because I stay so busy with school, but I've memorized the exchanges of most foods that I like. I just think about what I've had for the day and go from there. This may not work for everyone, but it works for me!

I know it seems like you're being bombarded by lots of information at one time and you may feel that you'll never get the hang of it, but trust me you will! Welcome and good luck!!

Kelli - if you email me and send me an email address, I can send you the list of changes to the program. Cassi actually sent me the list a while ago. She got it from her center, which is a corporate LAWL center, and we all sort of consider them the King of the centers. And yes, 3C of lettuce now equals 1V.

Keep in mind that LAWL is NOT Weight Watchers, so you do need to be careful how you consider your exchanges when you substitute or use alternate foods. In other words, there is no point finder or books or known websites where you can figure out the exchange V,F,D,Fr etc. for specific foods. The glory of this is that you paid your COD to help you with these types of questions. Even if they are a franchise (vs a corporate), they have access to LAWL approved nutritionists/dieticians/whatever; if you don't trust their answers, ask them if they can email the LAWL nutritionist and give you a print out of the response.

In my program books (I have a purple, gold and blue), 1 whole wheat pita, 4", equals 1 Starch on the plan. Any brand...but it should be whole wheat and 4 inches. I think at 60 cals you are pretty safe to consider your Joseph's pita as 1 starch.

Good luck; also, keep asking questions......you'll have all your answers in no time.

thanks for that clarification on the pitas. I had asked my cod, but couldn't really get a straight answer and it doesn't have pitas listed in my purple book. i've also asked about some other foods, like the shirataki noodles and no one seems to know how to count them exactly either so if you have any info on that i would appreciate it!!

I'm pretty sure a bag of the Shiraki noodles counts as one condiment. Either do a search on Shirataki or someone else will chime in. Also, some great recipes were posted by Holly in the Recipe thread (main entrees section) for Shirataki recipes and their exchanges.

4oz shirataki noodles = 1C. I e-mailed the LA dietician and that was the response I got. I think you can do a search like Joni said and you will see the e-mail I got that I posted here.

3c lettuce = 1 veggie

My purple book also says that 1 4" whole wheat pita = 1 Starch.

I have found that you really need to read through the plan books and the food lists because I still get portions wrong (15 cherries = 1fruit, but 12 grapes = 1 fruit). Also, it just seems like I miss things on the lists, but find them if I go back and check. (Sometimes more than once.)

I know that this is very overwhelming at first, so just take it slow. Stick to the basics until you are ready to branch out. We're here for you!

1 bag of Shirataki Noodles=8 oz so one bag would be 2 Condiments.