Hi everyone. I have been following the LAWL plan since November 2005. I lost 35 lbs and many inches during the weight loss stage of the plan and have been on maintence ever since. Overall, the plan worked for me and I never felt "pressured" to buy the products although I can see how some counselors would be more pushy than others. I LOVE the LA Lites (particularly the chocolate ones) as they would help my cravings for chocolate. I also liked the Fast Forward juice which I used on occasion (not every 2 weeks!!!) to help get myself refocused and to jump start my body when I hit a plateau. I have used some of the supplements (particularly the Carb Cravers) and find that - again - some seemed to make a difference and some didn't.

I believe the basis of the plan is good. Like WW, it helps you learn to eat better - having a balanced diet. It is stricter in that some foods are not allowed on the plan - these of course are foods that at the end of the day aren't the best for you anyway. The plan worked for me because it was structured (I had my best success when I kept my diary and went to the center multiple times a week), allowed me to use my own food and provided one-on-one support (vs the group support at WW). Is it expensive? Yes. But for me - at the end of the day - I was FINALLY able to lose the weight and yes - keep it off. The supplements were not required - I made the decision to use them and in many cases they did speed up the results. I would use them for a period of time and then stop using them depending on what I was hoping to achieve.

In terms of the 20/20 show...I did not see it, but read the article on-line. I think you just need to put it into perspective - the counselors are not "trained nutrition counselors" and yes, part of their job is to sell product - it is a business after all! From my perspective - net, net - the plan works if you follow it. If you ignore the "hype" of the counselors and just follow the plan, you will lose weight. In terms of all the products - use what works for you (both financially and personally) and ditch the rest!!