LA Weight Loss

Home | Site Map | Low Carb Facts | Low Fat - High Carb Diets

Dieting For Weddings | What Are Net Carbs? | Weight Loss For Men

The LA Weight Loss Center Program

The Company

Other than NutriSystem, LA Weight Loss Centers seems to be the fastest growing commercial weight loss chain in the U.S. in recent years. Actress Whoopi Goldberg is the company's celebrity spokesperson.

The firm began franchising in 1997 and based on information from the company’s website and management, the company operates about 400 company-owned centers and 450 franchised centers, located in the United States, Puerto Rico, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This comes to a total of 850 centers--760 in the United States. By contrast, in the year 2000, the firm operated only 133 weight loss centers.

The Plan

The LA Weight Loss Plan is based on using regular grocery store food, combined with the use of the company’s vitamins, nutrition bars, supplements, and counseling. Safe weight loss of 2 lbs. per week is the goal. Counseling is one-to-one and the purchase of supplements is optional. The company claims to offer more than 40 different kinds of programs, custom tailored to a dieter's needs. But, unless you visit their weight loss centers in person (free consultation) they won’t give you specifics about these plans over the phone.

The LA Weight Loss program consists of various nutritional guidance plans that allow a client to eat food purchased at the grocery store and restaurants (incl. fast food chains), combined with one-on-one behavior education and special nutritional supplements, vitamins and herbal products. Previously, clients had to purchase the supplements, vitamins, and herbal products offered as a part of the program, but no longer. Customers are expected to come to the weight loss centers 2-3 times a week, and no appointments are required.

This diet plan is really based on a full year—consisting of a weight loss phase, a stabilization phase, and a maintenance phase. You pay for ALL of these phases up front, although the company says that different payment plans (i.e. monthly payments) can be arranged.

The up-front sign-up fee for one year can be anywhere from $350 to $800, depending on how many LA Lites or Nu Lites nutrition bars you purchase. Basically, since many centers are franchised, each center is free to cut its own deal on pricing.

LA Weight Loss Centers can be compared to Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and Diet Center, in that you visit retail weight loss centers and see a counselor in person. One good aspect is that you don't need to make an appointment--you can just drop by any time you want. The potential downside to that is that you may not see the same counselor every time, and th's a key factor for many dieters who need the rapport and support and to build a relationship with a counselor.

New Developments

LA At Home... With the new LA at Home program all necessary products and materials can be shipped directly to your home. Company counselors and dietitians design a weight loss program specifically for you that fits your lifestyle and helps you reach your goals. Online Tools: You have access to everything you will need, such as meal planners, interactive food diaries, and restaurant guides. The online support team is there to guide you, and you will also receive support you need in the firm's online community forums.

This plan costs $199 and includes a 4-week supply of nutrition bars, a few desserts, a shake packet, a bottle of multivitamins, a professional food scale, complete menu kit, monthly diary, access to the LA Chef service that allows you to customize recipes to fit your plan, and access to a dieter's hotline for weight loss questions and support.

LA Weight Loss, with its new At Home program and its new Man Plan, appears to be copying some of the things that has made NutriSystem so successful. However, the At Home program, we have to admit, is a significant improvement over the old website, which didn't offer any online tools or vehicles for communicating with the counselors. So, on balance, this is a plus for the customer and it makes the plan more flexible.

The information on this web site is intended for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Before starting any weight loss program, it is recommended that you consult your physician or other health care professional.