LA Weight Loss Exposed

I've been on the program for 14 weeks. I truly wish I had read this forum before forking out over $1000 and losing weight at a snails pace. I refuse to spend another dime with these people. I'm not losing the guaranteed 2lbs a week and I think it has something to do with the bars. I was using 2 a day. These bars are high in calories so I've decided not to use them. So far I've spent about $400 on bars. I've never used any supplements although urged to death to do so. I have used the take off juice 4 times during my program and it does help minimally but it's pretty much just getting rid of excess water weight which a good glass of water with lemon juice can do. I've stopped going in 3 times per week because I get too frustrated with the ill treatment imposed upon the clients who have already spent their money upfront. For example, the final straw came when I had a serious concern one day during my "1:1 counseling session" but when the phone rang and a potential new client was calling in for the first time, she took the phone call, abruptly cut me off then asked me to leave,and I've never been back. Once they have your money, they could care less about your success. Unless you spend thousands of dollars with them, without hesitation, they are your best friends otherwise, they get annoyed with your presence. These are salespeople never believe they care if you lose weight. They will have you crying thinking they will really help you reach your goals but they could care less once you are paid up. Never use the care credit and don't bank on the 50% total refund, it will never come. I've seen countless people come in for their refunds and be told they missed a session or didn't buy enough bars as stated in "the contract". I expected $300 back but have spent over $400 trying to get back $300-silly huh? The bars are good and they do help with the sweet cravings but the cost is not worth it. Have some sugar-free jello with fat-free cool whip. Or just find another bar with the same calories and take a soy supplement from GNC. It's a shame that they are so misleading. The only way to really lose weight is to determine in your own mind that you can limit your intake and exercise and the weight will come off. I should have stopped the program once my meal plan was given to me, my initial check hadn't been cashed yet and the fee for stopping payment on a check versus a $600 program fee is a whole lot easier to swallow but I'm just too honest to have done that. I guess I just expected them to be more upfront and honest with me. And remember if you are on the program and you are not having the success you expected---THEY HAVE AN EXPENSIVE PRODUCT FOR ANY SITUATION! I've realized that they calculate your weeks knowing that you will not lose that weight in that time span therefore in desparation, you will buy any and all products to meet that goal. Come on! It didn't take 30 weeks to put it on so it may take a bit longer to take it off. So going broke about it just isn't worth it. Stay away from these people, especially if you are as trusting as I am.

I am in my 6th week of lawl (-12lbs)...i have just read all the blogs in hopes of finding an alternative nutritional bar. anyone out there know of one? the diet does work for me if i stick to it, as any diet will, but i feel the the benefit of the program has been the portioning of the food and getting myself retrained on how to eat, not overeat. add to that the reading of french women don't get fat and you'll be on your way. i resisted the sales pitch up front and have been buying the bars 10 boxes at a time until today when i realized i could get them on ebay. i do find disappointing the disappearance of the manager..the new manager is totally into sales. the old manager would put a ticket in a bowl for every pound you lost and there was a drawing each week, which sounds better than the bell ringing thing. i respond to winning things! overall i feel the program is a good one for retraining yourself to eat correct portions. for anyone who hasn't signed up yet, take up the suggestion of reducing your sign up fee by $100 by foregoing the money back thing and get your bars on ebay. good luck to us all. aa

Hello G. Neal and Online Community:

Although I believe that there are some people who have wonderful experiences on LA Weightloss, I was not one of them. I purchased $1604.00 Canadian worth of bars along with $828.00 Canadian for the program within the first week of the program. I have 50 pounds to lose. Let me first start by saying the program is expensive. Do not go to the LAWL Cente expecting it to be anything less. The Staff (at my LAWL Centre) are not Trained/Certified Counsellors, they are bascially SALES CLERKS.

I have a few questions:

I was told that it is illegal to sell the bars on Ebay, as LAWL has a clause in their contract stating this. Does anyone know if this is true?

Because I have not sold anything on "Ebay" before and have no feedback I am finding it difficult to sell my bars that way. Does anyone have any other suggestions.

Also I notice that G. Neal has stated this in an earlier post "Contact customer service for them to credit my unused weeks back.". How did you manage to get this in writing?

Please, I know that as a buyer I should have been aware. I feel sucked-in and stupid for making this mistake. If anyone has any advice or can offer some support I am open to ideas. Thanks.

I just want everyone to know what a rip-off LA Weight Loss Centers are. I started the program the beginning of May and charged on my credit card quite a bit of money. I initially told them in the beginning that I was allergic to most foods that had diet spelt out on labels because of the additives they put in. Well, the second week into the diet I had a bout of IBS, didn't think much of it then, and yet did not loose much weight either, in fact did not loose anything. Went on the initial fast all over again but added Shakes for lunch and also added the LA lights 2 times a day as well, and cut out one fruit and one starch. 4th Week into the diet had another attack of IBS which was worse than the 1st and just knocked me off my socks. Found out that the Lights and shakes is what did it. Received doctors note that the LA Diet plan was not for me and to get off it. I went to the office, spoke to a manager, to see if some of my monies would be credited back to me. I explained to her that it was nothing against the program nor the girls, but that the program was not for me. I did not get any satisfaction other than she telling me she had to speak with her boss, well I know for a fact she is the boss, because the other girls working there told me. I also mentions on a statement that hangs on the wall that if you are not satisfied, your money will be refunded. I got the feeling that I was going to have a hard time, and sure enough I have had no satisfaction, and really feel that I will not.

I am writing this to all, because I want everyone to know that they do not operate in an upscale legit manner. They are terribly expensive, and I feel they are more concerned about making profit for themselves and not the health of their clients. Sure their clients lose weight, but what are they also doing to their bodies in how they are losing this weight. I am going to continue to try to get credit for some of the monies, but I think as the note from Mary mentions, I will be paying off my credit card for sometime.

What did you do with all your bars and shakes Barbara Q.?

I am going to try to pick up some already paid for bars tomorrow after a month of not being at the Centre. I will let everyone know how it goes.

I am interested to know how many Canadians, particularly Albertan's have been affected in a negative way by LAWL. When posting could you please indicate if you are an Albertan (if you feel comfortable). There may be strength in numbers, as a single voice does not seem to be heard by this company.

I am an Albertan who has been negatively affected by LAWL. Please think twice before joining this Centre. Let rationality be your guide not desparation to be thin/healthy. This is the mistake I made. : )

I just joined LA Weightloss on Thursday. I got the sample box of the bars and some of them are really good. It is expensive. The woman I spoke to, Pam, was very nice to me and she did try to get me to buy $1,000 worth of bars, shakes, etc. I chose not to and I plan on finding them at Walmart or somewhere else cheaper. They do give you a good incentives, like if you visit 10/month you get $25 in care credit. And if you visit 40 times from June to August you get to be in 3 drawings for up to $300 in American Express CC. I'll let you know how I make in a month for today.

Ginnie G., please do not feel bad about being "sucked-in" by LAWL. I beat myself up about it for some time but desparation to lose weight is a strong emotion and LAWL is right there to exploit it. They are the bad guys not we consumers. I just wish I had realized all of this before spending over $1000 but I'm glad that's all I lost. I never went for their credit or used my credit cards with them, only checks. They are all about the money and could care less about our success or health. I wonder if "corporate" really even exists being that all the centers are franchised by private owners who run their centers their way with only a week's seminar provided by "corporate". If you have problems with the center you would probably have to go to the owner and I'm sure that would be a tough battle if they ever tell who the owner really is. This program is a mess and further legal action is necessary, I'm not sure how to go about it plus I don't have much more than complaints to go by but I'm willing to team up and fight them. Any lawyers out there? I'm in PA.

I've looked around for substitutes for the LAWL bars. I've checked lots of nutritional bars from Wal-Mart, SAM's club and various grocery stores. None match the calories and other nutritional facts exactly, many nutritional bars are even higher in calories than the LA lites. The closest bar was the Slim fast sweetened artificially but it tasted awful and it cost $1.79 for one bar. I do like the taste of the LA lite and I used them for my sweet tooth but I can no longer afford to buy them at $29/box. I tried ebay and continually get outbid. The higher I bid the closer I got to paying what I'd be charged at the center after adding in the S&H fees, so I'm back to square one. Any suggestions out there about how to obtain these bars any cheaper?

Thank You for posting this information. I so desperately want to lose weight, and feel that this will be a financial scam. I am sorry to all those who were taken in by the psychological games these people seem to play.
Than You for having the courage to expose this stuff.

Does anyone know of a support group or discussion boards for people who are currently doing LA Weight Loss. I have just signed up and experienced most of what has been already posted. However, I was told about the bars upfront and that they were optional. Now, it WAS downplayed and I was told of the savings, but in my mind I was never going to do the bars anyway. Unfortunately they signed me up on the plan with the bars and today I had to call and force the manager to explain the non-bar plan. She did, and ensured me I will get the same service. I paid for a 73 week program (15+6+52) at $5 a week. I will still get this even without the bars. I can also buy more weight loss weeks later (at $7/week) if I need to, but I don't have to b/c I have raised my goal weight to accomodate 15 weeks at 1 lb a week instead of 2. I figure this is the best option.

I will report back on my treatment as a non-bar participant. I do plan to purchase their salad dressing. I was assured that I would be treated the same. I also was told they would not continually push the bars. The supplements have not been pushed on me AT ALL- so far.

I am considering using a soy protein (not in bar-form)from GNC somehow (I don't know anything about soy), b/c I have found research to support that it does help weight loss.

I also considered just buying all the bars (94 boxes) in bulk at the $10.49/box price they will offer me on Friday (that's almost $1000) and then sell them on eBay. If I make even $3-4 profit, that's still $350.

I think the meal plan is solid, so I'm just trying to beat the system.

Back to my original question - anyone know of a support board for members on the plan?

Out of fear of the company, I am hesitant to post this, however, I feel that anyone walking through the doors of LAWL should know the truth.

LAWL is 90% money, 10% customer service.

It is true, if you follow the program, eat the LA Lite bars, use the supplements faithfully, and come in 3 times a week, you will lose weight, however, many are not aware of this fact up front.

The reason research cannot be done on LAWL foods is because no one is allowed to show menus to potential clients until after they have signed up. It is against policy to go over the menu options with anyone in a consultation. To be fair, the program meets many dietary recommendations, however, it is extremely strick and many are not capable of following the program 100% of the time.

LA Lites are optional, as a counselor, we could state this fact. However, if a counselor did not sell a "bulk" of LA Lites to a client, they were pulled from the sales floor and were not able to sell for a long period of time (this happened very frequently at the center I worked at, which was very consistant with surrounding centers). So, one can imagine while counselors are so pushy. Sales are commission based, and the more one sells, the better the paycheck will be.

If a person does not use the actual LA Lite prducts, the contract is null and void. There may be products IDENTICAL to LA Lites, but it will not matter. Unless they have the LA Weight Loss logo, it will not fall in line with the contract a client has signed.
In order to "garantee", one must use the LA Lites. A person can follow the program without them, if a counselor tells you this is not an option, it is a lie.

Once a client has completed the intial week of LAWL, they do come in for one on one counseling with a "weight loss specialist". These specialists are not what they seem. They have been through, if lucky, a 2 week training course based on LAWL, not nutrition. This can be VERY misleading to many people who want to discuss health. Managers have had no specific training. This can make or break a center. In my case, it crushed ours.

I urge anyone who walks into a consultation to really review a LAWL center. Many are shady. It may seem great on the surface, and for some, it does work. But for about 70%, it fails and is a HUGE waste of money.

I have been with LA Weight Loss for a little over a week and am very happy with them. I have lost over 7 pounds. I have bought most of my bars through ebay, and continue to do so, I just make sure not to bid higher then what I would pay for at the center. The reason it works for me is that you must weigh in 3 times a week, which keeps me motivated. The cost seems high because you pay up front, but it is not any higher then going to something like Weight Watchers, which is $12.00 a week, and their food is expensive also. Any program is costly, you just have to decide what works best for you.

Suzy - do you tell them you buy the bars on ebay? How did they react to that? Can you tell me what the calorie/fat/protein/carb content is? I'm doing the non-bar plan but this is my first week and I'm wondering how often they are going to try to get me to buy them. If I told them I was getting them on ebay, would that stop them or make them mad?

You go in for free consultation and they make it seem so easy to lose weight and are so enthusiastic. God forbid you go in for your thrice weekly weigh-in and you have actually gained weight - yes even 4 oz. - that means they don't ring the little bell after they weigh you.

Can anyone tell me the calorie content and nutritional values of the LA Lite bars? I would really appreciate this information since I am trying to look for a soy based protein bar that similar calorie & nutritional content to the LA Lites.

I would recommend to anyone considering L.A. Weightloss to google and read up on the D.A.S.H. plan. It is free, it is based on portion, and tells you how many of what you can eat a day. Example: for 1600 calories a day you get 6 grains, 3-4 Veg., 4 fruits, 2-3 low fat or fat free dairy foods, 1-2 Meats, poultry and fish, nuts, seeds and dry beans 3 times a week, fats and oil 2. The only oil you use is olive and if you fry in olive oil you must discard it after one use as it breaks it down and it no longer has the health benefits. DASH stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension. It is approved by every cardiologist I have worked with. I too went to LA Weight loss, and when we got to 650.00 to start losing 45 pounds, I knew it was way too much money for the opportunity to lose weight. My doctor told me about DASH and gave me the information. At least read it first before signing on the line at L.A. Weight loss. Good Luck.

Weight Loss is about commitment. If you are committed to a program, you will likely be successful. But as anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, losing weight can be easy, it's keeping it off that's hard.

LAWL can be viewed as expensive, but they teach you the tools you need to make smart decisions about eating for the rest of your life. They help you identify when and why you make poor decisions and give you tactics to help overcome the temptation the next time it happens. Coupled with the 1:1 counseling (accountability & support) and the nutritional education you receive, if you lose weight on the program, you will keep it off and never have to pay for a diet again. So in the long run, they save you money.

As for the L A Lites, they are not a required part of the program, but for anyone with a sweet tooth, they do help curb cravings and add to your success on the program.

I lost 10 lbs. in 4 weeks before getting pregnant last year. After having my baby in Feb., they helped me get all of the baby weight off in 4 months and today (he's 10 months old), I'm lighter and a smaller size than I've ever been.

One final note -- in all marketing materials today, LAWL makes it clear that they are not a pay-as-you-go program and they guarantee your money back if you cancel for any unused weeks (minus your set-up fee) and any product you have not yet taken home with you (they can't take back stuff you've taken home for health reasons). For those of you who say you can't get your bars, supplements or $ back -- keep calling until you get a hold of someone at customer service. They are slow, but you will get your refund.

Good luck to everyone losing weight.

To "F":

Not all of the centers are franchised, only some of them, and the ones in PA are not. And yes, there is a corporate office. Check the website: LAWeightLoss.com and go to "about us" their corporate address and phone number is listed there.

I have been on the program for 5 months and lost about 30 pounds. I agree that they try and force you to buy the bars but if you stand up to them and say NO they will listen. I think the diet program is good but they should lose the "sale tactics". The counselors are okay but you do have to wait for a while when you go weigh in because they only have like two working which is aggravating. Overall I guess it is okay just expensive.

I joined three weeks ago and have already lost 15 lbs.
Maybe it is the counselors at the center I go to...but I receive no sales pressure.

I joined for a 27 week program, plus stabilization and maintenance for $3.00 a week. (total 85 weeks) total paid was $255.00. I can get 1/2 back if I keep the weight off.

They asked my medical history and I mentioned I get occasional gout attacks, and they immediately told me I could not use their Lite Bars,Fast forward Drinks or any other drinks. They did not try and scam me, they seemed genuinely concerned with my health. In the three weeks I have gone, I received no sales pressure, even when I met with new counselors.

They even gave me some herbal tea FREE...and my wife stopped in to inquire about buying the LA weightloss cookbook..(which I recommend!)...and they did not have any in stock, so the woman GAVE MY WIFE THE DESK COPY, FOR FREE!

This program works...I am very happy with it...!

I want to thank all the people who took the time to comment on LA Weight Loss. I appreciate the option of making a informed decision!!! Good luck!

I signed up for LAWL two days ago. I decided it was too much money for 10-15 lbs. I did one day of the supplements and juice. I went in the next day to cancel. They told me it was non-refundable. I know for a fact, that you have at least 3 days with most contracts to cancel. I called two different stores to ask about the cancellation process. They gave me shady answers and kept saying they weren't sure. I went into the center to cancel on the second day. The lady said that I would have to talk to a supervisor who wouldn't be there until the next day. This concerned me because it would be my third day and I was afraid they were just putting it off until Friday so that I would be stuck. I mentioned this concern to the lady and she said I could sign a Refund form if it made me feel better. Amazing that 5-minutes before there were NO refunds, yet she pulled out an entire folder with forms labeled refund at the top. I signed and dated it, but didn't get a copy. Still feeling uneasy when I got home, I called Care Credit and told them the situation. The representative said that I could cancel at anytime and the money should be refunded. He even said there was no 3 day time limit. He said that you could be a month into the program and cancel if you wanted! He said the information I was given was completely wrong. He also said that if they refused to give the refund when I return tomorrow, that I should fill out the dispute forms he is sending me. However, the girl at L.A. Weightloss did say that if I was able to cancel, that this process would take 4-6 weeks. Well, I'll get a bill from Care Credit in the mean time!!! Who pays this????? I've never felt so stupid.............Don't do this.......!!!! I feel as though I've been lied to the entire time!!!! Guess it's time to get in gear the good ol' fashioned way--except with less money!!!

I went through the LA Weight Loss Program several years ago. My main reason for joining was that I needed structure, not so much as in "what" to eat, but as in "when" to eat. You see, I was working third shift hours, and I had an extremely rough time planning how to eat meals. As silly as it sounds, I had the hardest time figuring out when to eat. This was thoroughly discussed during the initial session. I was repeatedly assured that the plan would be geared to my unique situation, and that they would work out a structured plan as to not only "what", but "when" to eat meals.

I was pressured a bit about supplements, bars and other items, but I made it clear that I was only there for structure and support, not added $$$ items. I was also assured that if I did not make it in three times a week, they would call me with gentle reminders. There were times when coming in during the day was difficult because that was the time I was to be sleeping. No one ever called as a follow-up.

I lost a huge amount of weight in a relatively short period of time, mostly water weight. The loss at the time I stopped going was 51 pounds, and the period of time I lost that weight was slightly more than a month and a half. Clearly this was incredibly unhealthy. Nobody, not even a very large person should lose that amount of weight that rapidly. No one was ever concerned about my health during that rapid weight loss. All they seemed to be concerned about was posting the large weekly loss amounts for all to see.

There was never a bell rung during weigh in, but there was a board posted at the reception desk with the top ten weekly losers. I was always on that list, and they just fell all over each other like rabid chipmunks because of the large number they recorded next to my name each week.

I was on a 1200 calorie plan, and that low-calorie amount caused more than an unhealthy, rapid weight loss. I developed bone and joint pain, my hair thinned (and never did grow back as full as it had been), and my immune system was weakened, causing me to have frequent colds, and eventually walking pneumonia.

The 1200 calorie intake was simply not enough to maintain good health. At the time, I did not have a car, so I walked to work and everywhere else I needed to go. My job was a very physical one. Add exercise to all of this, and it is easy for one to see that I was taking in enough nourishment on a daily basis to function. I never felt so poorly in my entire life. It is my personal opinion that this bad experience actually made my weight problem far worse than it would have been had I NOT gone there. Prior to this experience, my overweight was a combination of a lot of things, but mainly lack of discipline. After this life-altering shock to my entire system, I slipped into morbid obesity, even though I maintained a physical job and kept up with an exercise regimen. Before, even though I had been overweight, I managed to carry it okay, but after this system-shocking experience, my weight gains left me what I call "sloppy" fat. I developed an abdominal apron, "ballrolls" of fat on the inner thighs, and all-over odder dispersements of fat. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it is my experience, and even though I cannot prove that this is the result of the LA starvation "plan" that I was on. To add more insult to the whole thing, on the last session I attended, the "counselor" did not wish to hear of any of the health troubles I was incurring. Rather, she was "thrilled" with the numbers, and said since I passed the 50 pound goal we had initailly set, it was time to tweak the plan. She actually wanted to cut more food OUT of the plan. Can you imagine what could have possibly happened had I gone along with that?

Please, please, please save your money. Go to a real MEDICAL professional. Learn all you can about good nutrition and making small changes here and there toward better health. The diet industry is all about $$$$ because it preys on the desperations of people who deeply want a change and have reached a point that they WILLINGLY pay a huge price for that change. The problem is that there is a great deception in that way of thinking. The change has to come from within, and if you really think it through thoroughly and deeply, you know that no amount of money in the world can buy that!

By the way, each caloric diet would allow so many proteins, starches, etc... The only material I was ever given was a pocket-sized food journal where you recorded what you ate and circled at the bottom of the page the number of proteins, starches, etc... you ate. Richard Simmons' Deal-a-meal works in a similar fashion....so many of this, so much of that. Why pay the huge amount of money LA Weight Loss wants when you can find the same type of info. online?

Hi Pearl,
I'm sorry to hear about your experience with LA Weightloss, but blaming the company for your "morbid obestiy" is absurd. If you think thouroughly and deeply within yourself, I'm sure you will realize that your obesity is no one's fault but your own. It is your counselor's job to be encouraging, and most people are pleased with results. Instead you make fun of them for being "rabid chipmunks" when they were just trying to be nice. I wish you luck with weightloss.

Real weightloss is worth money. Jenny Craig costs $100 per week for pre-packaged meals. That's $5200 a year, and it doesn't even include your family's grocery bill! Weight Watchers may be $12 per week, but what's your motivation to stick with it? You are not invested at that price. Paying up front for service and product ensures your commitment, accountability, and long term results. Sure you can buy you product on E-Bay, and LA Weightloss would be none the wiser. But it's definately not cheeper in the long run and the product is usually stale. Buying Luna bars et al. are just as costly. They can cost approximatey $2.00 per bar. It's unfortunate that so many felt misled regarding the cost of this program. However, this could be avoided by reading all contracts before signing them. Ask questions if you are not clear. It's too easy to cry foul. It gives you an excuse to not lose your weight. Best of luck. The program works if you work it. If weightloss was cheap and easy everyone would be skinny.

I'll agree with you that weightloss isn't always easy, but it doesn't have to be expensive. I managed to lose 80 lbs without really paying for a lot of stuff. I started buying produce to snack on instead of processed chips and cookies and such, stopped eating out, and started walking. When I had lost a little weight, I started running and lost the rest. All I had to buy was a pair of shoes and an MP3 player to make it more enjoyable. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars for a bunch of "supplemental bars" and to be spoonfed basic info on how to lose weight. That's why all these places are still in business...they don't work for long term weight loss. Or people join, lose weight, stop their membership, gain weight, and then join again. Not only LAWL, but Nutrisystem, WW, most of those places are like that.

I just joined la weiight loss and what you said happen to me. I went in for a 3dollar a week program they never metion that it would include 52 weeks of mantience which is mandatory then I went back 3 days later to get my program which they show me this 1600.00 package I felt that I had been scamed. I had already given them 500.00 for the program this company is very sad I wish I had never given them my money.They tried to get me to buy the 1600.00 package when I told them I couldn't they tried to get me to get a credit card with them. I ended up spending 339.00 more over the 500.00 for 5months of shakes and bars.I will not buy anymore from them because it is really a scam

To all that have joined for the $3 per week special: you did get a very good deal, it is currently $9 each week. It is not required for you to purchase the year of maintaince but it is a wonderful idea to make 50% of your program cost back. As far as your set-up fee, that is only when you join to cover all of the paperwork and initial information and tools you receive during your first week. The LA Lites are extremely helpful (and overall cheaper than what I've seen them going for on E-bay) to keep you from other temptations during such a difficult period of time trying to lose weight. During your maintainance (no matter how much you get) you are taught how to use other foods to satisfy those cravings that will always come to those who have struggled for years with their weight. You are paying for a wonderful program that will teach you how and what to eat.

For the client who was on 1200 calories and shiftworker with no car, I am terribly sorry that you lost that much weigh in 6 weeks! I am very shocked. Each center is differently run and mine would have quickly increased you calorie intake. On behalf of LAWL I am truly sorry that you had so many medical conditions resulting from it. I pray that God will heal you and you will find a system that does work for you. One that includes at least 2000 calories.

I hope that those of you who just joined will see the results and know that it is much cheaper than plastic surgery or any kind of health surgery your weight may bring to your heart, liver, gall bladder and many other problems obesity does bring.

Inside LA Weight Loss

I started LA weight loss 3 days ago and I have to say that the concept of healthy eating is exactly what I was looking for. The Cons of the program are cost and I did notice a bit of a scam. When you recieve your trial box of LA lites in place of the nutritional information it says " see your councelor for details"..WHAT?? They don't want you to compare nutritional information with other bars such as Luna or Pria..I want to make an informed decision based on facts and comparison , not some lady telling me that if I don't eat their magic bars I wont lose weight. I like the program but I would tell you to decline the bars and go with Pria or Luna, I know I am!!! Good luck:)

I would not recommend LA weightloss to anyone. I got totally ripped off by them and didnt lose the weight they had promised. When i went in i only wanted to lose 10 lbs so i thought it would be cheap and fairly painless.

Well 486.00 later, then went i went in for my first weight in i was presented with the "bar packages" and my counselor basically told me that if i wanted to lose the weight, the bars were necessary. So i paid another $400 for those and still lost nothing.

As far as one on one counseling........i never had the same lady more than once. I went to the Woodbury, MN location and their employee turn over was so high, how could these people really know what they were doing. None of them were nutritionists they are people like us who just go to a job every day.

Take my advice............DONT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!

I joined LAWL last spring. There was a special running at the time of $4/week, not including the cost of supplements or bars. I got suckered into the "buy the bulk and save" speech and by the time it was all over with, I had spent close to $1000. I did lose some weight, but I could never get to the goal they said I needed to achieve in order to get half my money back, and part of that deal is that you have to go to the center at least 3 times a week to be eligible for that, which is almost impossible as I live and work about 30 minutes from the only center in town. The turnover is so high at the center I go to that I constantly had to re-tell my situation almost every month. And one thing they did NOT tell me was that if you don't go to the center at least one time in a given week, you lose that week (that you have already paid for) and you do not get it back. The only exceptions are if you are sick and cannot come in, or if you are traveling. They do encourage you to to weigh in at other centers if you are traveling so that your time is not deleted, but I never felt comfortable with walking into a strange center and asking to be weighed in. And I traveled a lot last year in my job. So my time ticked down. I was obviously drinking the red kool-aid becasue I went back and restarted and they were so happy to inform me that I would not have to pay the start up fee since I was a returning customer. Big deal. I had already bought the case of bars and needed to use them up. I have lost and regained the same 15 pounds. It is a difficult diet to maintain, it is very expensive, it is difficult to speak with the same person longer than a month at a time, and frankly, I am in better shape that a few of the ladies at the center who claim to be on the diet. I also don't relish talking to someone half my age about weight problems that they will not even begin to understand until they are in their 30s.

The lesson I learned here is that you will not lose any weight unless you cut your caloric intake and exercise. So I have joined a gym, have cut my intake of calories, and I spent less on a 3 year membership at a nationally known gym than I did for the year I was unsuccessfully on LAWL. I certainly don't need to pay someone any more money to look at a food list and try to sell me more of their product.

Good luck with whatever program you try!

I was a client at LA Weightloss about 5 years ago. I did lose 20 pounds and reach my goal weight. Back then the bars were $20 a box. I have since had a baby and put my weight back on and am in the process of starting to work on taking it back off. I am not going to return to the center because it is very difficult to drive there three times a week. I can do the program on my own now that I know what to do but I plan on eating Pria or Luna Bars instead of the LA Lites. They are just as good and pretty much comparable in calories, fat, sugar, etc. to the LA Lites, but for a lot less money!

Oh yeah, when I purchased LA Lites 5 years ago the nutritional information was on the box. I did compare them so I know that the Pria and Luna bars have the same if not less calories, I believe sugars were less, and the protein was the same if not more!

I joined LAWL in June 2005. I am 22 and a college student. I agree that the program is expensive, but honestly costs me less than either of the other two programs I looked into. The girls at the LAWL center that I go to are friendly and HONEST! They told me exactly what to expect as far as the program, and all the costs. I was down 20lbs by Sept. 1st. I gained a little back due to my job and being sent to the gulf coast twice post Hurricane Katrina, but the girls have been understanding and have really worked with me to get back on track. I feel great about myself, and see changes in the mirror almost daily. All of you that are saying you've been on the program for a week or less, should give it a fair chance. And for the comment about being weighed in your clothes, whenever I wear something heavy, (like a sweatshirt, or jeans) things along that line, they provide adequate privacy and have ALWAYS given me the option to weigh without the heavy clothes. This program works, my mother in law and I are proof of that!

I lost 19lbs and made it to maintenance. It cost me a total of $1500! I have gained back only 2lbs and today I was going to go back to LA tonight for more (because, oh my god I gained 2lbs over the holidays) until reading all of these stories. I must have been nuts! I am surely not going back. Instead, I am going to follow the food plan I did when I lost the weight. Instead of their Lites Bars, I am going to use Atkins Advantage Bars and work out harder!

Which bar is most similiar to the L.A. Lite Bar-the Luna Bar, Pria Bar or the Atkins Advantage Bar? The counselor at my center informed me that the L.A. Lite Bars are composed of both soy and whey protein. When I asked her if I could continue taking my whey protein shakes and just add 2 soy protein bars to my daily plan instead of the L.A. Lite Bars, I was advised that this would drastically slow down my weight loss process.

I went back yesterday for my second appointment, well informed thanks to this blog, and the specialist gave me a 1 hour speech of trying to get me to buy a bulk package of the L.A. Lites. When I informed her that I did not want to be dependent on the L.A. Lites versus regular items that I could buy in the grocery store, she became extremely frustrated and started saying "well, you will be on your own from now on". I quickly informed her that I would not be on my own and that my contract with them stated I had counselors at my disposal for 86 weeks, and that I did plan to visit 3 times per week in order to get every dime of my money's worth.

I do believe that the design of their program without their supplements is very informative and will help me in the long run. It does teach you how to be healthy and to not overeat. However, the strategic set up to persuade vulnerable and sometimes despearate clients to purchase their products with a guarantee to lose weight is extremely unfair and unconscionable in most situations. Clients with the strong desire to lose weight will do almost anything to achieve this goal; they know this and take advantage of it-which to me, is overreaching contractually. Be informed when you make your decision to join, and be informed of the optional supplements that you are offered. Do your own research is my motto. I mean, it is your body and your choice.

As for me, I have decided to stick with the plan (since I have paid for it) w/o supplements or the L.A. Lites. I will look into purchasing a substitute-probably one of the three above. By the way, are all of these sold in a local grocer?

Thanks. I will keep you updated on my experience.

I AM A FORMER CENTER MANAGER... after reading all of these posts I have a mix of compassion, frustration, and annoyance. My center was in Seekonk, MA and then I switched to Woonsocket, RI. My name is Kate and some of you may remember me, I hope. You want the truth? Read on... have questions? Post and I'll check back and hopefully help.

I first need to address the LA Lites. We were trained to sell them and sell them hard. Some centers communicate their importance well and others not so much. Now, when I say trained to sell them hard I mean one week of role play and constant overturning negatives. When the center was empty I'd pull my counselors in for one on one role play and I'd also rate their Personal Success Visits by overhearing the appt. and grading them. My center kicked butt and you know what? MY CLIENTS LOST WEIGHT!! LA Lights force you to be successful because they keep you full with soy protein, help you with cravings, and kick start your metabolism. To those of you who think you can go without: have at it. And when you fail: don't blame the program because the program is designed around them. Now, could they be more upfront? YES!! My center was upfront and my clients were never surprised about bulking up on Lites. But that was my style and I believed in putting myself in each of my clients shoes. If you all want to buy them on EBAY then go nuts. BUT USE THEM! As for the supplements: some of my clients swore by them but I found them to be ineffective myself. I think that should be a personal decision. Perhaps try them or perhaps not... it's up to the individual. As for the clients who had a medical condition and couldn't use the Lites? No biggie! I informed them that they may have a slower weight loss than the average bear but I had many a trick up my sleeve to get that metabolism to work (plateau breakers! In other words, I custom designed their menu for three days and my breakers worked every time so long as the client followed plan.) On their service contract, I also crossed out where it said the guarantee was contingent upon consumption of Lites so they could go ahead and get their money back upon success.

THE REFUND: you can cancel your membership at anytime and your unused weeks will be refunded via check by mail. It does take time but what doesn't when you cancel a membership?

FALLING OFF PLAN: my center called once a week to the clients who didn't show up. A lot of centers don't do this for fear of the refund (managers take a big whack out of their paycheck for these)but I have to say it... if you choose to not show up then don't lay 100% of the blame on your center. The 1:1 contact is a relationship, not a chance to be stalked and harrassed by center. You are owed a courtesy call and encouragement, yes, but you owe it to yourself to follow thru on commitment. So, again, don't lay 100% of the blame, it's more of a 50/50 failing.

AND FINALLY TO LAWL CORP: as usual, you care more about your daily income than your overall presentation to clients. The plan works and it works so wonderfully that if you cared about retaining your educated and experienced staff you wouldn't have blogs of unhappy clients. And yes, I'm the one of the four managers who sent you a four page letter to every executive in the company. Glad to see you took recommendations.

TO MY OLD CLIENTS: I miss you!! Leaving was so hard but as you may have clued in on, the pressure to make numbers sent me over the edge. I know I "sold" all or you, too, but dammit you lost weight and I'd sell you those flipping bars all over again if I had to.

THINKING ABOUT JOINING? The plan works it you follow it. If you don't want to spend money, put forth effort, and truly make a deciding commitment to lose the weight, than look elsewhere. But if you are ready... NO ONE WILL STOP YOU! GOOD LUCK AND YOU WILL DO IT!

Does anyone have the actual weight loss plan that one follows on beginning of the diet? Three years ago I was on the plan, lost close to 50 lbs, but was starving all the time so I discontinued plan and put some of the weight back on. Oh yes, I fell for the LA Lites deal, put them on my credit card and had a heck of a time trying to get a refund for them. Eventually I did get my money back from the home headquarters. However, I would like to semi adapt my own form of the diet again since I don't want to purchase their supplements, LA Lites, etc. again. Has the plan changed in any way? Please advise. Thanks again to anyone who can help.