Well, it's been one week since I have started LAWL. I went for my 1st weigh-on Tuesday and lost 3.5 lbs. Feeling pretty good. Unfortunately, the past two days have been very stressful so I knew I probably didn't lose too much weight. I ended up gaining a .5 lb. So I go talk to the lady (who I have never met before) and the first thing she says as she looks at my diary is if I've been eating the lites. I told her that sometimes I need to eat two and sometimes I only need one. Then she tells me in a kinda snippy voice that I have to eat 2 lites as day because they are part of the program and if I don't eat 2 a day, I won't get my refund.
So I wasn't in a good mood to begin with, I gain a half pound and then I have the chick tell me that if I don't eat the lites I won't get my money back....not a great morning!!!!!
My question is, if I buy the lites from ebay, or eat luna bars and NOT buy any lites from my center, could I be forfeiting my refund? That really bothers me, because I would need to spend over $700 for enough bars to get me through stabilization. My husband (who is extremely supportive) had sort of a tough time when I told him how much I spent to start LAWL and now he's freaking out that I would have to spend another 700.
ARGHHHHHHHHHH...sorry to be so long and vent so much. Any advice would help me a lot and hopefully get me out of this funk. Despite being like this, I have not strayed from plan (boy did I want to tho, I have a craving for doritos) Thanks

Kim, my Dorito friend (I am addicted to them and I do have to binge on the 25cent bag sometime but don’t tell…shh)

As far as the bars go, some COD’s I have hear said you are not allowed the refund if you use buy them off e-bay or get them from a friend. However, the contract does not say you have to get them from them. The refund contract also only talks about maintenance with the bars (because it is a refund for maintaining, not really loosing) If you tell them you are using lunas I am positive they will void it though.

The way I looked at it was that I would spend far more on bars then I would get back from my refund so I did not buy enough for the whole thing (plus I couldn’t afford it) I personally would like to use my maintenance to eat “real” food daily and have them to support me in the life I will live without the bars rather than have me do the bars and then throw me out without the bars and no support after I am done with the year….JMHO and my cheap opinion do what you think is best for you.

This is something I've always wondered about. How does the refund amount compare to the amount you spend on the bars - Also, are there terms in the fine print that could prevent you from getting the refund, even if you buy the bars?

I hope I don't offend anyone by mentioning this, but I read a comment by a former LAWL counselor (not here, but on a consumer complaint website) and she said that most people lose weight easier without the bars, but they were not allowed to tell the customers because the bars were a big money-maker.

Kim, some centers can be so rude about the bars. You do have a few options.
1- Buy the bars from them
2- Buy Lunas off of ebay or in the store. You may lose your rebate, but like Shennie said, the bars cost more than the rebate anyway.
3- Don't do bars at all. Tell your center that you don't want them at all. They will give you a higher food plan.

There are a few of us on here who do not do them, and we have lost just as well as everyone else. I do get more cravings for sweets, though.

Question: When I told my center that I have IBS, they said that I cannot do the bars. Since I got to LAWL on a family deal, I do not get the rebate anyway, so I never really thought about this before, but what if the bars make you sick? Surley they could not deny you the refund if you medically cannot eat them. Just wondering about that.

Hey Suzanne, nice to see you chime in! I heard the same thing from a former LAWL Counselor. Makes you wonder....

hi suzanne, thanks for stopping by,

I read that comment too about the bars. The amount of your refund is kind of dependant on how much you loos. You get half of what you spend back., but the ting is that if you get your weeks on like a $3 special you don't spend as much. so it really depends. For me I think i would get about $300 total (about $150 after the first 6 months and then the 2nd 6 months) but at $20 a box, or even $15 a box for a year I am looking at spending at far over $300
but if i had more to loose and spent over $100 on the plan....it would be beneficial for me to spend the $300-$400 to get back $500 or so...it just depends.

My contract says that I have to come in once a week...eat a bar a day and stay within 5 lbs of my goal to get the rebate...but I am tellign them i want off bbars when I get on stabilization so I won't have a choice but to bypass the refund

Thanks everyone!! It's so good to have other points of view
As for these bars, I really like them (la lites and luna) but as for buying the lites at my center is just WAY too much money. I've checked on ebay and might do that in the future. But as for now I think I will stick to the lunas when I need one and just tell my counselor that I am eating 2 of the lites (and keep my luna secret to myself) I spent a lot of money to join LAWL and I really need to get my refund, and unfortunately that means a little white lie here and there.

They pushed the lites on me today too, at my first wi. I told them I couldn't afford the huge outlay of $2000+ for 108 weeks of the silly things. YIKES! Then they offered me a discount ($10.50/box instead of $16) and then it was only $1700. I still said thanks but no thanks, I would buy them off ebay, where if I played smart, I could get them for around $1/bar. She wrote something in my folder and that was the end of it. Oh yeah, she did say to check the freshness, but that was all. Hopefully no more pressure, there.

Check your local Albertson's, if you have one - mine had 10/$10 Luna bars - in only a couple of flavors, but I bought a case of Lemon Zest!

I seem to think I have a great COD because they aren't pushy about the bars or supplements. So far I have bought bars just to see how things go. As far as the refund...well I would love to get it back but I'm not banking on it by any means! I've decided that anything I spend on this program is cheaper than weight loss surgery (which was the next step), so refund or not, bars or not it's worth it! JMO.

Heather I have to agree there what ever works at this point. I personally bought my LAWL bars on ebay and I told the center that I did. I told them also that theres were to expensive for me, the manager then said to me what ever it takes to get you on the program. I said thanks and that was that.

I am very sorry that they pushed the bars on you all, I am just glad that I like my COD.

Hope you all are OP all weekend as I intend to be.

See ya

Bernadette

SOOOO glad I'm not the only one who was bugged by the push of the bars. I have personally found only one of the Lites that I even like (the old caramel) and I only eat one a day. I make up for the lost protein by adding a little extra chicken breast to my salad at lunch and have done fine so far. My center is not that great and all they do is try to sell, sell, sell. I'm sick of it, and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one out there that is frustrated. I actually sometimes dread WI day because I know they will (and always do) get on my case about the bars. But I walk out of there and just keep doing what I'm doing, which is working for me.

I agree 100%. I am not doing the Bars, first they gave me stomach problems, second at $1,400.00 there's NO way I can afford that. So, I'll forfit that $300.00 refund. No biggie to me. And if, as they say, it also voids the guarantee of 70 pounds in 35 weeks, well then I'll buy a bit more time.

My CODs haven't been pushy either. Once I explained to them the problems, they backed right off. They DID tell me I'd forfit the guarantee but so far haven't said anything about the refund. We'll see. I assume, from what I've read here, that I won't get the refund, and well, so be it.

One thing I find interesting is that my paperwork (I signed up Nov. 18) has an asterisk next to the bars, and says they are optional. My contract says nothing about having to buy the bars to be eligible for the refund. Did they change that recently?

Also, can you buy the Lunas at the grocery store? This is the first I've heard of them. Any good flavor recommendations?

Sorry about that last post -- just pulled out my contract and it does stipulate that I will consume bars and shakes as directed by the company. It's frustrating though because in other parts of the stuff they gave me (not the contract) it says the bars are optional. I guess that means I won't be getting my refund!!! LAME!