Hi, I'm new hear and I have been searching through various threads to try to decide if I want to go to LAWL or go back to WW. I was pretty successful on WW about 5 years ago (lost 30 lbs in 12 wks) but have managed to gain all that back plus an additional 35 since quitting smoking, turning 40 and getting married. I tried WW again about 2 yrs ago but only lost 12 lbs. in 8 months. Not sure if is age...not smoking...or what but it just did not work the same for me. I am desperate to lose the 65 lbs! My knees and back are starting to ache and I absolutely refuse to buy yet another size up.

WW now has an unlimited monthly pass that lets you visit the center as many times as you want per week and access all their online tools for $39.95 per month. I have heard widely varying stories about the cost for LAWL. One acquaintance told me she paid $1,800 up front. I've seen others though that say it is $9 wk - which is doable even though I know you need to pay in advance.

So, my question is, anybody know what the cost should be (before I go in)? And does anyone have any recommendations for which way to go. I'd really like to get started by Monday.

Thanks for all your insights.

Libby

Libby - I was a WW lifetimer and after about 10 failed attempts to get back to goal on WW, it wasn't working for me. My points choices were not the healthiest! LAWL teaches you how to get all the right portions in from the various food groups; much smarter lifestyle.

I started LAWL in June 2006 and in the beginning really needed and appreciated going in three times a week to weigh; after six months, I've scaled back to just one time per week for various reasons.

It's hard to say how much LAWL will cost. If you go in, do not tell them you want to lose 60+ pounds since what you pay upfront depends on your ultimate goal weight. You can always say you want to get to 160 and when you get to 160, reassess your goal at that time. They base the pricing on how many pounds you want to lose, divide that by 2 lbs per week. So if you tell them you want to lose 40 lbs, they will figure out 20 weeks of weight loss, then they throw in stabiliziation and maintenance. When I joined, I paid about $550 upfront (with a goal to lose 30 lbs). Somewhere along the way I added 10 weeks of WL visits at $5 per week. Then, if you eat some of their products which they say will help promote your weight loss and help with your success, you've got that added cost. I know some folks have paid a whole lot more than I did, and I'm sure there are some that paid less. The program is very good, and I wish they didn't hit us for all the money upfront, but that's their gimmick.

I'm not sure which program will work best for you....when I finally decided to try LAWL it was because of the saying "if you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got!" - I had not been successful on WW (my own fault, of course) and it was time to try something new.

Good luck.

The program is $9/week. It depends on how many weeks you need to take to reach your goal and stabalize and mantain it. Then you may have to pay a start-up fee, I am not sure. Also, if you choose to buy the bars/supplements (beware, they ARE salespeople).

Your best bet would be a free consultation with your local center because I'm not 100% correct.

At my COD they are running a special, I'm assuming because of new year's resolutions and the such, and they are offering the program for 50% off. It also cost me $9/week and that was in october. Hope this helps!

Hi DenverChick (I grew up in Colo. Spgs.) Joni explained it all pretty good. I paid $660 to lose 76 lbs. That includes 6 weeks of stabilization and 1 year of maintenance after goal is reached. After I hit my initial goal, I got more weeks to continue on. At my center, the additional weeks are $6 for up to 4 weeks and then $5 a week after that, so it really depends on how much you need to lose. The biggest expense that is totally optional and up to you is the lites. You need to buy the lites to get the 50% back on the weight loss part and also to use the 2 lbs. a week guarantee, but in all reality, you will pay more for the lites than you will get back or may pay for the extra weeks.

LAWL is a program that works if you work the program and I like the fact that it is a very healthy eating program that teaches you to eat healthy for the rest of your life.

Good luck with whatever you choose!!

The first consultation is FREE. Go for it. Talk to the people there. They did not pressure me to sign right there and then. Though before I went, I've already decided this is what I want. I looked into a few different possiblities, and felt that LAWL had the best program. It teaches you a new way of healthy living. While counting points would allow me to eat a big fat cheesecake, and nothing else for the day. My own weight loss has slow down a bit, for the holidays. But I'm sure that now, that I've been "back" on the program, the weight loss should commence again. Anyways, my point is, make an appointment, go there with a free mind. Look it over, so you will have a good comparason, sleep on it if needed. Then make up you mind, for you are the one who knows what best for you.

Good luck, and we hope to see you around the board here!!

Also, if you know someone who is on LAWL, they can get you a discount on the program and they get store credit. You can also go to the website www.laweightloss.com and put in your zip code to get the latest special in your area, which is usually 6 free weeks.

Ask a lot of questions because every center is different and runs different specials. I started at $6 per week and some centers run specials this time of year for $3 a week.

Thanks for all the great advise. I will definitely go in and hear them out. I was very successful using The Diet Center about 16 years ago - mostly because of the frequent weigh ins and huge fear of humiliation/failure that accompanies that for me. :-)

From what I've read the programs sound similar and I think I do better with more structure than WW now has with the Points Plan.

p.s. Deb, I grew up in the Springs too. My father was a professor at Colorado College. Small world!

And just to tack something onto the conversation.. CO Springs has LAWL shop with a very nice staff.. THey were invaluable to me on my November trip to Denver.. I did a WI on the way up, spent 3 days in Denver and then did a WI on the way back.. The staff was very helpful!

Hi Dan,
Is there any reason you decided not to visit a center in Denver? I currently live in Denver and am looking at the center in Thornton. From everything I've read on this board, the centers can vary pretty widely in sales pressure and staff friendliness. I really want to make sure I start out at a center that will work for me.
Thanks for the info.

As far as the staff goes, maybe a good question would be how long have the counselors been counselors and how many of them are actually doing the program or have done the program? My center is top notch, I really like most of the ladies there. All of them have been or are currently on the plan, so they know what it's like. It seems to be the newer younger ones that are the pushy sales people and not much help in the advice department because they have never done the program. When you do your initial consultation, if there are any people in the waiting room, just ask them a few questions about how they like the center, are the counselors knowledgable? Do they offer good support and advice? Usually a poor center will have high turnover thus meaning more new girls that don't really know anything.

Well, the truth is that I don't know Denver that well and I was in a company car, which I'm not allowed to use for personal errands... So the Springs COD being right off I-25 made it easy for me to pull over and stop in..

Plus, my conference was almost three full days and I wouldn't have had much of a chance to get away to go WI... We were over at the Double Tree near the old airport..

I'm much more comfortable (geographically, if not politically) in Boulder.. Some great restaurants and music venues!