LA Weight Loss Exposed

Question for Kate, I joined last week, but after a lull between visits and now just realizing the implication of $$$ involved, I want out. What do you recommend my next step be? Believe me, there would be no way to change my mind. Thanks

I really wish that I had found this website 2 months ago before I joined L.A. Weightloss. WARNING: Do not attempt to join this weightloss program if you're not willing to spend a lot of money OR willing to say NO and mean it. Like many others that have posted, I went in for a free consultation. My counselor was great. She was very friendly and encouraging as she weighed me, showed me the Wall of Success and walked me through all that the program has to offer. Then she pulled out the cost chart. I was shocked by how much the program would cost. I ended up payed $816 for 1 year of the program and an additional year of "maintenance" and my startup kit for supplements. Now, when you do the math, this is actually a reasonable price for 2 years of a weighloss program but I thought that it was ridiculous that my supplements were $200 of the $816. I especially felt like a fool when I later discovered that I did not have to purchase the start up kit (something that wasn't mentioned of course) and noticed lower prices for all of them at GNC. Oh, and my consultant did mention the financing program to me. Thankfully, I wasn't stupid enough to do that. However, that alone should have been the red flag to get me out of the building. No one should need financing just to join a weight loss program.

After reeling from writing a $300 check and putting $500 on my credit card, I vowed to give L.A. Weightloss my best shot. Previously, I did a 10 week program with Weight Watchers and only lost 5 pounds which I regained in 3 weeks. With this much money at stake, I couldn't afford similar results again.

I returned to L.A. Weightloss for my first of 3 weekly consultations. The girl was very friendly and encouraging. I had just completed the Takeoff program (more on that in a little bit) and was delighted to learn that I had lost 3 pounds in 2 days. She rang the bell and clapped and I was secretly thrilled. Weight Watchers used a similar gimmick but I couldn't help but fall for it again.

Then, in her office, she dropped the bomb. According to her, L.A. Lites are essential part of the success of the program and should be eaten twice a day. No problem, I thought. The two I had already tried as part of my start up kit were pretty good unlike other bars I've had. Then she told me that the boxes are $28 each!!! For a box with 7 bars!! I'm sure she saw my shocked expression because she pulled out another cost chart for buying them in bulk. I finally chose the smallest amount of 18 boxes and that still cost me about $250. It was definitely a discounted price but off of an outrageous price to begin with.

Anyway, 3 weeks later, I bought the special Holidays bulk package which was 10 boxes for a $100. Each client could order up to 10 of these I believe. I couldn't believe I was doing it, but I do like the Lites and they help to curb my sweet tooth. (Oh, this also just the cost of the Lites. If you want the smoothies, drinks, etc. those have a separate price). The Take off drink is $24 a bottle.

I went home to visit my family and I told my mom about joining L.A. Weightloss. She was interested in joining but I told her not to and when she asked why I told her about the high prices. She was shocked. I have spent over $1,000 on this program in just 9 weeks. I've lost 15 pounds but I don't think it's worth it.

It's very obvious to me now that the consultants work on commission. As soon as I returned from my 2 week stay with my family, I was weighed. I had gained 1.5 pounds, so of course I needed to buy a bottle of Take off to detox and remove those unwanted pounds. Um, NO!!! Well, was I low on my supplements? Did I need more of those? NO Thanks!!

I'm wiser now. I am going to stick to the program and give it all. I've dropped almost $1,200 into this program so I have to give it my all. At least for me, that's some strong motivation. The program itself is easy to use which I appreciate. I have no complaints about that.

But like others have stated my counselors are less friendly now. Especially since I've firmly stated that I will not be purchasing additional L.A. lites when my remaining boxes run out (unless they're a really great deal on eBay) and purchasing my supplements from GNC. Since then, my sessions the last 2 weeks had lasted 5 minutes compared to a previous 15 minutes or longer.

So all I can say is beware. I definitely don't recommend this program because of the HIGH cost and I am disgusted with myself for being suckered into it. In any other situation, I would have never let myself be manipulated so easily but my desperate desire to lose weight made me vulnerable. These women realize that most of their clients are eager to lose weight and won't put up much of a fight about the ridiculous prices. Most are also former clients themeselves so they know how to say what's necessary to alleviate your concerns. So please, know what you're getting into if you choose to join this weight loss program.

Mary-just call the center and say that after careful thought you have opted for a less expensive program. It is their job to try to recommit you but firmly hold your ground. Next ask for a prompt refund. You most likely will need to sign a cancellation form depending on your center. Do that quick since that is the form sent to corporate and they are the ones to process the check. FYI: be respectful on the phone and you will find the manager much easier to work with in expediting everything. Good luck!

Like everyone else I joined this program. I paid $5/wk. They gave me a consultation and I was expecting at the most $200. The program for me was a little more than $500. They had mentioned the bars to me and of course I fell for there line too about how the soy traps fat and makes your skin have more elasticity to it. If you think about it what do pregnant women do they might apply lotion but you dont see all of them running to LA weight loss to get there bars to put elasticity back in there skin for them to get skinny again. I've dropped alot of money into this program with the money of the bars too. In the past 2 weeks though I havnt been eating any of the bars maybe 2-3 a week at the most in the past 2 weeks I've lost 5lbs. Ladies it has nothing to do with the bars it has everything to do with your motivation and how hard you are willing to exercise. I walk 2 miles a day and do 100 crunches and its working!!! The last thing I want to do for my body is get dependant on the bars, pills, snacks, shakes and whatever else they have to offer. People take the pills to loose the weight too but who wants to take them the rest of your life and thats something your body can do without cause who knows whats in those pills and what they can do to your body later on down the road. The LA weight loss I go to is PA they are nice but some have an attitude. Check around before spending the money and if you really want to do this program just beware of the type of money your going to spend. If I can help anyone out on what to eat let me know. My email address is gorgeous2343@comcast.net. Just becareful and diet safely.

I am sad to see that you have mostly posted negative comments about LA weight loss. I have done it for 29 weeks and have lost 50 lbs. I haven't paid as much as I would have through other plans, I just had to pay it up front. I have opted not to do LA lites, and the staff has been very gracious and helpful. When I have had weeks of not losing anything, they have made great suggestions. Everyone that loves me is very proud of my success. Any plan you chose is going to have positive and negative aspects. You have to chose what is right for you. I feel really good health wise and know this was the right plan for me.

I encourage others to look into LA Weight Loss. Like any plan, you need to go into it with your eyes open and take the time to make a wise decision. I didn't decide on the spot and thought through the LA Lites, etc.

This is a question for Kate. The center I go to is Castleton in Indiana. I have gone there for about 8 months and there is such a high turn over of consultants that now they don't tell me their name and I don't ask because within 8 weeks they are gone. There was a store manager there for quite some time and was sooo awesome but then asked why she left, they gave me some lame excuse, I took it as she was asked to leave. Shame on them she rocked and yes she did sell but she really wanted to make the program work for you and made sure it did. Why do they get rid of the ones that really get it? Now there is a district manager that tries but really doesn't show an interest in helping, definitely is into selling you and when you do buy I have had on more than one occasion been over charged, asked the next time I was in and then had a credit for my next purchase. Why do they ask all the good ones to leave?

Kate,thank you for the advise. I went in yesterday (after joining last week) and opted out of everything. They were very nice about it. I just held firm that it wasn't for me. They did allow me to keep the sample box of LA Lites and all the material, and told me to come back if I ever wanted to. Thanks again.

I, like all of the above bloggers feel the same way about LA Weight Loss. I figured it out when the counselor presented me with a sheet with the cost of the bars. I told her right out there is "no way" I was going to spend that much at one time on bars. She then offered me the "unwritten" plan, 5 weeks for $99 which was affordable to me so I bought into it. If I bought all the bars they wanted me to at once I'd have to rent storage!!! Needless to say once I started thinking about this at home I became mad at myself for being disillusioned. I'm lucky, I don't have that much to lose so I didn't have to pluck down a big hunk of money. But, supposedly, with a guarantee of losing 2 pounds per week it will take me 15 weeks to reach my goal. I'm going to follow through for 15 weeks. I'm not going to buy the la lite bars or any other products they want me to purchase after I run out in 5 weeks. Then I'm going back to WEIGHT WATCHERS. I just wanted to try something new for a change. I believe that anyone can lose weight on any plan if they follow it. This is a newly opened center and so far unorganized. My first three visits I had to remind the "counselor" to weigh me,(for goodness sakes, isn't that one of the reasons to weigh in???), they've never drawn my blood (as I was told they would do, of which if they bring it up ever I will need to see some certification they have training to do blood draws), they only occassionally look at my food diary. I agree with one post about weighing in 3 times a week. One day you are down, the next day you are up. One day I was up quite a bit and the counselor asked me when my last BM was, I told her 2-3 days ago which is normal for my and she wrote in the chart, "mildly constipated". I told her I wasn't "mildly constipated". She said she was going to leave in there for reference. The next time I went in I had one of the managers and I told her about the entry. She said that was weird and crossed it off. The day I call my "official" weigh in is on Saturday mornings when I've had no food or drink for the day. Yeah, I'll follow the plan, I have no doubt I will lose some weight (right now, 2 weeks in, I really don't know how much I have lost because when you weigh in three times a week, one time it will be 2#, the next you'll be up because the scales show you are up). Nevertheless, beware. Don't get yourself caught up into something that will cost you dearly.

Hello,
I just started LAWL and I lost 5lbs in my first week.Yes it was expensive.I felt I was worth it.I am 28 and 254 at my intial weigh in.I needed to do something befor my weight got any higher.I was shocked when I saw the price of the bars.I have choosen not to use them and I am still loosing weight.I have a goal to loose 80lbs.I think LAWL can help me do it.I think with anything its a personal choice.Do whats best for you.I just cant put a price on my health..I am approaching 30 soon .I want to start the next decade healthy.So in short LAWL is not that bad.Just follow the plan drink you water and do some type of activity even if they dont ask you to.Good luck to everyone.

Laura, the good ones go because they get burnt out. It is very difficult to balance the genuine desire to help the client and the constant pressure from corporate. For example: let's say you and I are in a visit and the phone rings. I need to answer that call by ring 3 and go thru a "script". What's worse is that the call may be the DM calling to grade me. The center gets graded on voice inflection, overcoming negatives, the ability to book a same day appt. (of SDA)... it goes on and on. I viewed this as a silly game that cheats the client out of my full attention. The reason I left was because of something called a "chargeback." When a client refunds, the commission you originally earned is taken back by corporate. And that's fine since that's sales... no biggie. BUT each month the center manager would also take a hit called a chargeback and not one person could explain to me how this chargeback was calculated. Way too fishy and my attitude turned sour. The chargeback wasn't twenty bucks either, each month hundreds of dollars were being deducted from my pay and my centers refunds weren't even high!! I gave my notice and was asked not to bother and I was welcome to leave that day. The company itself leaves a lot to be desired. Sorry about your situation... the turnover is indeed high. If the Area Manager is working your center it means they have someone in training waiting to move in.

I have found all of these posts interesting & helpful, especially the ones from Kate, the LAWL "insider." I have to say I am a believer in the program. However, I feel one's experience with it is influenced by the specific center one attends, as well as one's specific circumstances.

I am 47 & lost weight (about 25 pounds) in my late twenties at NutriSystem when they still had centers. I lost weight (around 20#s) in my thirties after my first child at Weight Watchers. Each time I got down to my optimal weight of around 150-155 #s. In 2001, in my forties, after my second child, I was 194#s at 5'9". I joined LAWL in late August of 2001 (I work in a school district, so September is the "new year" for me).

My goal was to lose 40 lbs. I lost half by the holidays. The people at the center were very nice & supportive. Mine is outside Rochester, NY & the center is within 5 minutes of my home & work place, so it was very convenient to go 3 times per week. They let me "take a break" for 2 weeks at the holidays. I didn't lose time from my plan I had agreed to, etc. By mid-February I had reached my goal of weighing 154#s. My husband joined LAWL in January of that year & eventually lost over 100#s. I did the maintenence plan, got my refund, etc.

I kept most of the weight off until 2004, when I was at 175#s. While I still followed most of the LAWL suggested eating behaviors for breakfast & lunch, I did lapse into eating just about anything I wanted at night & on weekends. Last January I went to Weight Watchers & lost about 7#s in two to three weeks & then dropped out. I could not keep up with their schedules & the group "herd mentality." On January 2 of this year I was back to 175. I re-joined LAWL, which is what I should have done a year ago. My husband re-joined too the same week. One week later I am down to 168. I am over a quarter of the way there already. My husband has lost over 10 pounds.

The people in my center are nice & take a lot of time with us. They have allowed my husband & I to get a "group deal" on the bars & I have not found them to be overly pushy. Yes, it is a retail outlet & yes they work on commission. Yes, I spent several hundred dollars to achieve my goal. I compare it to what you would spend to go on a nice vacation for a long weekend. Who wouldn't want to go on a vacation & achieve their weight loss goal?

So, for me, LAWL was a good choice. Several people from work joined after I did & achieved (and maintained) their goals too. Granted, it's not for everyone. Thanks for letting me share my experience! Keeps me motivated.

I have been on LA weight loss since Nov. 2005 and I have lost 10 pounds. I have never been able to loose any weight. I feel great being able to start somewhere. I feel that it was a bit pricy but I have been told that I look great and I love hear it. I have lost 4 inches as well. I dont buy there supplement or food. I take the la lites because it was in the price to join. I buy my take off drink from GNC for half the price and I loose weight from that. It is the same drink just a different name. This is the only program that I have stuck with. I am happy for joining.

It is sad to see so many unsatisfied people. Unfortunately you can have a an A-1 product or service but without well trained reps/counselors like Tonjua(April27,2005}, their business is jeapordized. Every company will encounter these problems. My advice is that if you feel uneasy about any company, or you feel they are pushy, back out. Then resource the company, talk to customers and other reps. You might find the company itself is good, it's just that you got a bad rep.. As we used to say when I worked retail. " You must first sell yourself, then the product will sell itself" Good Luck !

I have a question about the measuring. I joined LA this past October and the weight loss has been very slow. I was thrilled when they said that they also took measurements and didn't totally rely on weight loss. I liked this because I work out (with weights) between 4-6 hours a week and I know that I'm building muscle and that muscle weighs more than fat. Anyway.....I haven't been measured again since the first day that I went in. I'm just wondering if I have to hit a certain weight loss before they will measure me again? I have only dropped 8lbs in the past 3 months, so I'm moving pretty slow, but I would like to know if there has been a loss in my measurements also. I was told that I would be measured every month. Does anyone know anything about that?

Hi, Robyn. In my experience with my center, if you ask your "counselor" to update your measurements in the context of your question of losing inches vs. pounds, I would expect that they would accommodate you & would do so.

Thanks Ann! I will try that next week. I guess I have asked a couple of times and they always say "next time". I guess I was then thinking that maybe I had to atleast hit the 10lb mark before they would do that! Thanks again for answering!

Hello,

To those who are considering joining LA Weightloss, DON'T DO IT. I did, and after carefully following the plan for 9 weeks, I had only lost 7 pounds. Then Christmas came, and i informed them I would be out of town quiet a bit. They said "no problem". I came back in January, went to my "weigh in", and was told, "Well, you're out of weight loss weeks, so you need to pay us another $144.00" I said, "WHAT?" "Well, that's your choice, another $144.00, or we start stabilizing you now". I got my balance of bars and left.

Now, I will say this, the bars are very good. They run about 2.00 each.

They are very high pressure at the centers, they do work on commission.

To join, I paid 550.00, plus 150.00 for vitamins ("I swear they work!"), and then another $400.00 for bars.

I did not do enough research, and only had 25 pounds to lose. I have several friends on Weight Watchers, and they have lost more and have more sensible eating plans.

The way LA Weight loss works is they put you on a color plan. Each color gets certain amounts of fat, dairy, protein, vegetables, etc. So, I was last on the purple plan. My breakouts were:

1. Fat, 1 serving (about 1 tbsp of butter)
2. Dairy, 1 serving (8oz skim milk)
3. Protein, 2 1/2 (6 oz. chicken)
4. Vegetables, 4 servings
5. Fruits, 3 servings
8 - 8 oz water every day
3/4 tsp. morton lite salt
2 LA Lite Bars every day.

They really focus on low sodium. They drill it into you. I KNOW some of the weight you lose is purely water weight. They also tell you to eat reduced fat or low fat in addition to low sodium. It is a very hard plan to follow, and they "counselors", better known as "Sales People" are very rude and unsympathetic. They have scheduled weigh in days of M/W/F. If you can't make it on one of these days, too bad. I actually went on a Thursday once, as it was the only day I could go that week, and was told "Sorry, you have to come back tomorrow, we don't have anyone to weigh you".

The weigh ins - you sign in and wait on a counselor to call your name. You go back, and take off your shoes, and weigh. You have a food diary that you are supposed to bring with you every time, and fill out daily. When you do that, she looks at it, and literally picks out the one thing you did wrong, and writes it down. They tell you that you can have birthday cake (an example) a 1"x1"x1" sqaure, and count it as 1 fat and 1 starch. I did just that. She then wrote it down, and referenced it EVERY TIME I complained about not losing more weight. It's ridiculous.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PROGRAM. Save your money!

Robyn- a lot of counselors don't want to measure you because everyone measures a bit different (they aren't supposed to) and this causes screw ups with all future measurements. My advice as this is what we did in my center: have the same person measure you each month if at all possible. My Assistant manager did most of the measuring in my center as she was good at it and always consistant. Clients could trust that each month their measurements would be accurate. If you are exercising than get ready for some great numbers! Good for you!

Jeanna, I just read yours and I'm pretty much in the same boat. I know that I won't lose 40lbs in 20 weeks. Does that mean that I will have to pay more to stay on the plan? I looked at your purple plan and noticed that you didn't have any starchs. Was that an error? If you put 3 starches in your plan then it would be exactly the same as mine--the red plan. Is there really a difference in the plans?

Kate, thanks for the advice, but ofcourse I have no idea who measured me the first time 3 months ago. And actually I haven't seen her there since!

Kate, I have a question for you on the take off (and really for anyone else that has any comments on it). I did it for the first 2 days ofcourse just like everyone else and I GAINED weight! Well, they just shrugged it off at the center and said that it sometimes happens. Well, I tried it again before the holidays and when I went into the center the next week I had a couselor that I had never had and she told me that I was doing it all wrong (but she also chewed me out for drinking one high protein slim fast drink and not one of theirs)! No one had ever told me that when it says 6 oz of protein that is for the day! Ok, I'm not a stupid woman, but when they handed it to me the first time I assumed that it was 6 oz per meal. I did eat a lot of meat and veggies for those 2 days, but I just thought it was a "high protein-no carb" thing. So, is take off basically the Hollywood diet where you drink the juice and not eat anything? I feel stupid!!!

Hi, RT-

Now they call the "take off" juice "fast forward." The procedure has changed since I first joined LAWL four and a half years ago. Now, you mix half the bottle of fast forward juice with 16 oz. of water & sip it through the day. You do the same the second day. You are allowed to eat as much as you want of steak, shrimp, chicken & other meats & can cook them in butter or margarine. You can eat as much as you want of GREEN vegetables & can put unliminted olive oil or light dressing on them. They are supposed to be eaten raw but you can now lightly steam your broccoli. I lost over 2 pounds in 2 days when I did it recently. However, my husband once screwed his two day "fast forward" stint up by taking Nyquil liquid, not realizing it "counted" because it has sugar in it. They let you do the "fast forward" bit every two weeks. Of course one bottle of the juice is around $28.00. I am trying to only do it once over the course of losing my 20 pounds. I started on January 3 & have lost 8 pounds. Twelve more to go!

Thanks for your response Ann. That is exactly what I did and the "counselor" chewed me out for eating 6oz of protein for breakfast (egg beaters) and another 6 oz of protein at lunch! She told me that it was 6 oz of protein for the entire day and that Take Off was NOT suppose to be fun! Needless to say I felt horrible after leaving there that day. Oh, and by the way, you can buy the juice at Walmart for $14.95 (the hollywood diet drink it's the same thing).

Hi, RT-

The problem is likely the personnel at your particular center. They do not sound well-trained. They should have given you more guidance & have been more supportive.

I am on the LAWL "gold plan," which consists of, daily,
2 proteins
3 vegetables
3 fruits
2 starches
1 dairy
1 fat
2 LA Lites (bars)
1/4 tsp. of "lite salt"
8, 8 oz. cups of water
3 condiments (includes salad dressing, fat free jello, fat free cool whip, etc.)

The definitions of these categories & serving amounts are spelled out in the program literature.

Hi,

I recently joined LAWL and have opted not to buy any of the bars. I do however have a sweet tooth. So I told them that I may buy a box once in a while if I need a bar to help with my sweet craving. They told me that I either do the 2 bars a day or don't do them at all -- that there was no inbetween. Does anyone know if that true? If I don't do the bars, is there anything else (like fat-free puddings etc.) that I could buy at the grocery store instead of the bars to curb my sweet craving? Please help!

I have been on the LAWL purple plan for almost a week now. I have already lost 6 lbs. and I am very happy with that. But I do have to say that they dropped a bomb on me when they gave me the package options for the bars. I went ahead and bought 2 boxes but I think I have decided to do without them. This was my x-mas present from my mom, and I am not about to ask her to pay another $1000 for all of my bars. All the counselors at my center are very nice and supportive. They encourage me when I am feeling down and they praise me when I am doing well. They have even called me several times to see how I am doing. I have 31 weeks left of weight loss, and I am trying to lose 75 lbs total. This is a huge lifestyle change for me and I think I can do it. Plus the counselor's at my center were all clients including the owner! They liked it so much, they hopped on board.

Joanie- if you don't do the bars than you will be on a totally different plan that will compensate for the lack of "food" the bars provide. There really is no wiggle room to maybe do them today, maybe not tomorrow. My advice is go one or two full weeks without them and then evaluate where you stand. Did you fall off plan due to hungar, or a sweet craving? If so, perhaps it's time to buy a box and tell your counselor it's time to switch plans wherein the lites are incorporated. Then, after that week, evaluate your progress again. Were you fuller, more satisfied, productive in weight loss? Trust me, your center will be most happy to sell you a box of bars and switch your plan unless you were really nasty during your appt. (which I doubt you were) :)

help what is a good diet if la is so bad need help need to lose 70 lbs

First of all, I'm reading many "weekly" and "monthly" fees, please be careful- this is how car sales people try to get you to see what you can afford.
I have been on the program for almost one month, and have lost 21 pounds. My friend was on the program for 6 months and lost 70 pounds. It does work.
My advice is wait till they have a special...$3/week and then if you are 50 lbs from your weight, go in saying you only want to lose 20, so that's all you pay for..once you learn how to lose 20, you can lose 50 over time.
Secondly, the bars- are you someone that buys a candy bar or snack for each day? and how much do you spend? Think about it- out of the vending machine it's atleast $.60 / bar. If you get the 14 pkg on sale ($8.00/box) you are only paying about $.60 anyway. I'm a choc-o-holic and these are what keeps me on target- otherwise I would be cheating.
I have followed the program to a T...with a few opps...I might have had an extra veggie or fruit b/c I miscounted, but overall the program is very healthy, balanced and I would suggest it to anyone.

Good for you on your weight loss Heather! I'm wondering what happens if I don't meet my weight loss goal by the time I'm suppose to? Do I get charged more to stay on the program? I really wish that I would have just said that I wanted to lose 20lbs instead of the 40lbs that I said! :( I truly think that it is a very healthy plan, and I'm losing, but not as fast as they said that I would!

Started LA Weightloss at 218# and $1,970 lighter in the pocketbook. The cost for the program was short of $1000. The bars are optional, but weightloss is not "guaranteed" without them, so you feel forced into buying them. Am I losing? One month later- down to 212#.

I expected more, I expected counseling and support. An average trip in is to get weighed 3 x a wk and they look at my food log, make a comment or two and rush you out the door. I do not recommend LA Weightloss. I think I am motivated only by the fact that I have shelled out SOOOO MUCH $$$$money$$$$ that I am compelled to lose the weight!

Melissa, that is where I am at right now also. Only it's been 3 months for me and I've only lost 7.6 lbs!! When I signed up I only signed up for 1-2 counseling sessions a week just because i live 30 miles from the closest center and with gas prices and time I just can't get there more than that. And truly I believe that weighing in once a week is actually better for me. I want to make this program work and I will stick with it just because I have spent the money also, but I'm really worried about having to shell out more money if I don't lose my weight in the 20 weeks (which are creeping up very quickly!!!!) Can anyone tell me.....will I be asked to pay more at the end of my 20 weeks if I haven't lost the weight. And does that mean that I forfeit my "rebates"????

I have been reading a lot of posts about the L.A. Weight Loss Centers and it seems, if you can get past the sales pitch for all their extra products, that it works for a lot of people. I'm confused as to the minimum I would have to pay though. Right now it is $7.00/week so if I want to lose 15 pounds how much would it cost me just for their program without buying any bars or supplements ? I know you have to give up the 50% guarantee if you don't buy the recommended amount of bars. Also, can you buy just one box of bars at a time ? It sounds like you can but at a much higher price. Any help is greatly appreciated. I really need to have someone kicking me in the butt so I think going in 3 times/week would be helpful to me. I just don't want to lose weight because I have no money left for food after I join this program. :) Thanks

I started LA weight loss one week ago. I too was enthusiastic and excited. Such comments as "you'll be down 5 to 7 pounds by this time next week" motivated me even though the initial 600+ dollar fee threw me for a loop. Today I sat with the counselor who is very interestedin my success. We went through my journal and I remained happy over the 5lb in one week weight loss. Than it happened!!!!!BAM $1000+ dollars for bars with a sugar content that will keep you hoppin for days. I thought you have to be kidding me. My initial response was NO! I have read all of these letters to late and should have known how the employees are trained to sell. The counselor went to get the "manager" for the deal sealer. I was talked into 400 dollars up front for bars that are exactly the same as Luna bars. As a registered nurse I should have known better. They work and prey on your desperation and tell you all the great things about these sugar laden bars. I went home, knew I made a mistake, called the center and told them not to process my Visa..I also called Visa to deny payment which they will attempt to do. Bottom line: Limited diet..you will lose on any diet that is well rounded with limited calories...rememember JUST SAY NO!

I worked as a manager at LA Weight Loss for over a year. I know all the tricks. I will tell you anything you want to know. However, I am so sick of all the women on here bitching about the cost. What price do you put on your health? How much is your self-esteem worth. If you get a coffee from Starbucks every day that's over a THOUSAND dollars you piss out every year. What a waste. And you are going to complain about spending a few hundred dollars to change your life? What a cop-out. Everyone out there who uses the "it's too expensive" excuse is simply not committed nor ready to change their bad habits and make the lifestyle change. And speaking from experience, the people who don't use the bars never lose weight.

Especially the ones who think they will get revenge on the counselors by purchasing the LA LITES on ebay! You think you are slick but you are just less committed and that much more certain to quit and not lose weight. You only have yourself to blame in that case. Plus, on ebay you may be buying a box of bars that's 2 years old. YUM.

Bottom line, if you are not ready to change your habits for good and make a large dollar commitment up front, LA weight loss isn't for you. The program works, but you have to do it their way. Why not just do what they tell you to do (isnt that what you are paying them for?) and lose weight, instead of trying to manipulate the system or make excuses? if you need to lose weight, obviously you aren't the weight loss expert.

The reason you pay up front for everything is to keep you committed. Fat people are fickle. It's not always fun to eat healthy. But are you more likely to stick it out if you spent 11 dollars or eleven hundred?

Don't get me wrong, there is a whole lot wrong with LA weight Loss, as a corporation. Mixing commission-based sales and an emotional thing like weight loss is a tricky combination. But you can't blame a girl for making a living. After all, it is a business. How else could Vaughn Karian (president of the company)become a millionaire?

Suzanne, I appreciate your comments and agree that if you make the money commitment it should help you commit to your weight loss. I made the commitment, but I am worried that my weight is not coming off as fast as they said that it would. I need to know if I'm going to be asked to make another financial commitment. I'm losing slower, but I AM losing and I want to continue (it just may take me longer). Will they keep me on without more money? And will I lose my "rebates" by taking longer than expected? Oh, and I am eating the LA lites and I'm on the red program.

I also need clarification on the Take Off. I have heard 2 different versions now and would really like to know! I had one person tell me that I could eat all the protein and raw veggies that I wanted on those 2 days and another scolded me for that and told me that I was only allowed 6 oz of protein for the entire day! Please help me out with this.

Robyn-

You say you have been on the program 3 months and lost almost 8 lbs. First thing I would ask is do you have any medical conditions that can hinder weight loss (e.g. Thyroid disease, diabetes)? Are you taking any medications that cause weight gain (steroids, anti-depressants)? If not, then you may just need to make some adjustments to you food choices and the times that you choose to eat. I can help you out more with that if you want to email me @ suzyq1981@comcast.net. As far as having to pay more money, this is how it works. If you "fail" to lose the amount of weight you are supposed to in the allotted time (20 weeks in your case), either you will be given additional weeks at no charge (if you have diabetes or a special circumstance, like you are following plan 100% correctly and still not losing) OR you will just have to purchase additional weeks. This cost is minimal though. Say you only lose 30 lbs. in 20 weeks. You still have 10 more lbs. to go, right? Well, you would simply have to purchase 5 more weeks of weight loss to get you to your weight loss goal. Weeks only cost $5-$9 per week, depending on if they have a sale that week (they have sales CONSTANTLY, because everything is MAD OVER PRICED!). And then of course if you run out of La Lites, you would need to purchase any of those you still need to get to your goal.

But for now, don't even worry about that. Just work on getting the most out of your once-per-week counseling. I am a firm believer that the clients who visit 3x per week are more successful because the counselors are able to check up on them and make sure they are following the program correctly and staying accountable. So if you only go once per week, really talk to the counselor about your concerns with slow loss, and do some planning & troubleshooting.

As for "Take-Off," (they change the name of it about 3 times a year!) there are 2 different versions. One is really called "Fast Forward." When you just enroll in the program, you do "Fast Forward" featuring the Take Off drink. Fast Forward allows you to eat unlimited proteins and raw greens. Fast Forward is only done at the very begining of the program, or if you fall off the program for a few months. Take Off is a weight loss aid you can do every 14 days on the program. It helps boost metabolism and detox the body. YOU DO NOT EAT UNLIMITED AMOUNTS OF FOOD ON TAKE OFF. You only eat 6 oz. of protein, 2 servings of vegetables, and 2 La Lite bars. It's not a lot of food, but believe me it works! You can only do Take Off if you are medically eligible!!

Feel free to email me if you want.

I just wanted to add that I joined LAWL in December and I have lost 13lbs in 6 weeks! This counting the two weeks that I was off the plan. It's been hard adjusting to the Red plan(I still feel like it's too food, but that's my mind playing tricks on me). The sales staff at my center has always been 100% up front with me. Of course they want me to buy the bars and the supplements, but they have never uttered a cross or negative word when I have said no. I did buy some bars and I am using them..I just have to do it when it's affordable for me. I've looked into things and LAWL is not as expensive as some other options for me. My philiosophy is if it costs me $5000.00 (which I know it won't) it's still about $15, 000 cheaper than weight loss surgery! So onward! and next time I post, I hope to have less of me!

I re-joined LAWL on January 2 &, as of yesterday, have lost 10 pounds in less than 3 weeks. My goal is to lose 20 pounds, so I am half way there. For people who are losing slowly, I would suggest that you make sure you are following all of the plan details. For example, not all "diet margarine" is the same. Therefore, if you are allowed 1 tab. of diet margarine or 1 tsp. of regular margarine & you are using 1 tab. of what you think is diet margarine but it's really regular margarine, then that can be part of the problem. Even some of the foods you are allowed are somewhat "marginal." The counselors in my center frown on carrots because "they are fruit-like" and celery "because they have natural sodium." So, I have been sticking with lettuce, broccoli and tomatoes. Also, you are not supposed to mix dairies unless you go "50-50." For example, if 1 dairy is either 8 oz. of fat free yogurt or 8 oz. of skim milk, you cannot combine a 6 oz. container of yougurt with 2 ounces of milk in your coffee & call it one dairy. It has to be 4 oz. & 4 oz. So, there are many "rules within the rules." It sounds complicated but it does make sense after a while.

I find all of these posts interesting and hopeful. I came here out of curiosity--looking for a list of ingredients for the Lites b/c I like my samples but I want to do some comparison shopping just in case I change my mind and decide to use them in the plan. As of now I don't want to have to rely on them. I just need food counseling.

I find it interesting that the ingredients are not listed. Okay-- I'll say it is just plain obvious why the ingredients are not listed. They'd rather you NOT comparison shop. But that being said, I really couldn't care less. I will still ask them tomorrow when I go in. I know they will show me the list. Big deal. I already know I will not be purchasing the bars from them.

I do not react with emotion to their sales pitch as many people here seem to be doing. Of course they are a business, of course they make their money selling "extras", such as supplements and LA Lites. How else would they stay profitable? When we see the commercials and call them up we already know it is going to cost us. Let's get real. So, the thing to do is simply go and listen to their sales pitch and see what they have to offer. No one twists your arm to sign up. I have no problem simply smiling and saying "no".

The most important thing for me to do was for me to choose a "paid-for-diet" that did not require I purchase weekly meals. The catch is: I HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO EAT THE FOODS I SHOP FOR AT THE GROCERY STORE. Period.

If a person signs up and pays, and then doesn't lose the weight it is their own fault. They've simply strayed from the plan. But, geez, they have 11 different plans. A trained counselor should put a person on the right plan for them so they don't get hungry. They do recognize different eating styles. Furthermore, I was issued a gaurantee that if I don't lose the weight they will continue to counsel me for free until I do, and WITHOUT the Lites and supplements. The "money-back" gaurantee is only for a specific plan, but if you don't choose that plan, you still get the counseling part until you lose the weight.

Here is my deal. I am 38 years old. Other than early childhood I had never been a thin girl. I developed into a size 14 adolescent and stayed that way until I was 20 years old. I was perpetually 20 pounds overweight up until that point. So I decided to start puking. Wow. I lost 30 pounds in two months and turned into very thin, very popular girl. I was also a psychopath. I was in a tailspin. I didn't want to live that way. It took me two years to break the cycle--but I had no help in that department. I kept it a secret.

Eventually I just put the 20 pounds back on and dealt with it. I always thought I knew how to eat "right", but the truth is that I haven't known. I'd eat health food, vegetarian food, I was vegan for awhile, I did Atkins (all steak and cheese) for awhile. The occasional junk food got consumed, too. But mostly? Mostly it was just eating basically good food, but in the wrong portions.

Which brings us up to date. Now that I am approaching 40 and the sprawl is not exactly going away on it's own, I have decided to learn how to eat right once and for all. I really want to lose 30 pounds for LIFE. But I also know that I will NEVER allow myself to go back to what I refer to as the "dark place" of bulimia. So I cannot diet on my own. Not a good idea for me.

I know deep down that losing weight is about healthy foods in moderation. I haven't been able to do it by myself because I always come up with tons of excuses for myself, one of them being that I really don't know what I'm doing, which makes it easy to give up on my diet and eat that ice cream. And truthfully, I don't know what I'm doing.

For someone like myself, I need a structured eating plan that allows me to do two things: 1.) Eat food (ie. not starve myself or puke), and 2.) Eat a low enough number of BALANCED calories that will enable me to lose weight without worrying that I am entering into a danger zone of either not getting enough nutrition, or eating too many calories that will stifle my weightloss.

Sort of a tightrope act, huh?

And I know not everyone is like me. Other people might be able to be disciplined without going over the edge and getting that "high" of thinning down quickly, which can, in turn, make someone like me do horrible, stupid things to myself to make the weight drop off faster. When you're out there without a safety net, that's the kind of thing that can happen. When no one holds you accountable you're allowed to keep all your dirty little binge secrets all to yourself. You also believe it is okay to drink all that Starbucks, too. (By the way, it is NOT okay. Not unlimited amounts, anyway.).

The reason I chose LA Weight Loss is because I needed outside help. I needed structure and I needed to be held accountable. I get that accountability be paying good money that I don't wish to see wasted, and by visiting a counselor one on one. That's really it.

I called them and asked up front about the money and they told me. When I went into the offices they explained two different options. I chose the one where I don't get back 50%. I didn't want to put up all that money at once. I don't care about getting money back. I just want to get rid of weight safely.

So far I am down 6 pounds in five days. I am sticking to this plan like glue. It is an anchor for me. There is nothing wrong with getting obsessed about eating the right way. The best part, though, is that I am not feeling obsessed at all.

There was an adjustment after the first day, though. I found that I was not at all hungry in the A.M. and yet I made myself eat the food I was supposed to eat mid-morning and at lunch---only to find out that I was a LOT hungrier by dinner time and right before bed.

Big deal? So what? So I adjusted my food intake so that I can eat more during the evening when I am most hungry. Now I am fine. I didn't know if I would be able to manage it, but I did.

So that is my story. Oh--and I paid $360 for all of my weeks of weight loss, stabilization and maintenance. Then I paid $140 for a one-month supply of the entire line of supplements. I'll admit--I wanted to try them.

I did it b/c I guess, in my mind, I had already psyched myself up to part with $500 anyway. I knew these programs cost a lot of money. I went in knowing what I was willing to spend. Also---now I have those supplements and I can get them as I see fit from WalMart. I know they aren't necessary for the plan.

I won't be buying their supplement package, nor will I be buying any Lites in bulk. Like I said---"I done spent my 500 bucks, ladies!!"

But I do have the food plan, and I do have the counseling and it is all paid for. I am going to ask my counselor tomorrow to give me the eating chart/plan that does NOT include the bars, in order that I get enough nutrition every day. I believe this is going to mean I need a new pamplet to fill out? Does anyone know?

My counselor is quite the sales lady, but she is nice, too. I will keep on smilin' every time I see her, even if she gets pissy if I don't buy things form her in bulk!! Kill her with kindness, I say!! She knows I am a former bulimic. I know she knows I need to learn how to eat---not diet with these "Lites" continuously. Right?!

We'll see....

So, all in all I have to say this: Is is worth $500 to finally (SAFELY) get rid of the weight that has been piling on for 18 years after all of my other dieting attempts have failed? The answer is "you bet!"

I probably sound like a LAWL poster child, but for those of you considering going in, let this be a warning----decide in advance what it is worth in dollars to you BEFORE you go in. And then DON'T STRAY from that number. Listen---you already know losing weight is unpleasant b/c as the saying goes:

"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.......except food."

I, too, am a former client of LA Weight Loss, I lost 30 lbs, used my credit card for about $700 of the LA Lite bars. I had tried to get them to refund about $500 of this money because I no longer wanted these bars. I kept trying through the counselor, manager, etc. to no avail. I then told them I was going to get all the bars ($500 worth, stand outside of the business) and sell them to their clients, they said they would have to call the police, I then said I would call the press. I finally received a $440 check in the mail.

All the comments in this blog written by other people are true. It is expensive, BUT the amount of food and the type do work. If you compare the food program with a diabetic program it is about the same. Sooo, if you weight and measure your food intake, exercise, drink your 8 glasses of water faithfully, you will loose the weight and become much healthier.

I lost weight on the Jenny Craig program, BUT it does cost lots of money per pound and when you can no longer afford it, you have to figure out how to eat.