i've lost a lot on my current plan, but i figured that i could use alli as a tool to help my weight loss. have any of you guys used it? i picked some up at costco -- 150 pills for $67, and plan on starting it during my second cycle of my current plan..
if you guys have used it, what kind of results have you had?
I haven't personally used it. I was listening to a radio station one morning that got on the topic of it and had some users call in.
Needless to say, the majority of the people who used it had a VERY hard time holding their BMs. As in, they'd stand up to go do something or to use the bathroom and "omg i can't move because I just **** on myself."
The idea of oily....ummm.... you know, leaking from my arse is just too gross to think about. I would never do that to myself intentionally. Can you imagine being out somewhere and having that happen? Shudder.
A healthy diet and exercise work just fine for me, with no unpleasant side-effects.
I used the prescription version called xenical. It's twice as strong as Alli I believe. I dropped about 5lbs initially and gained it back plus a little extra once I stopped even though my diet never changed. However, I did not have most of the nasty side effects they suggested could happen since I ate very cleanly already (close to the recommended 30% fat). Sometimes oily stool, but no incontinence or diarrhea or anything of that nature. If a meal was as little higher in fat I felt gassy or bloated too. I just really didn't like how I gained extra weight back as soon as I went off it. It was like it screwed up my digestion or something. I tried it for 3 months. Not a fan.
I'm scared of diet pills (any type) because of my bout with them in high school; back in the good ole' days of ephedrine and uppers. I got very sick and a friend of mine, for all intents and purposes, OD'ed on Hydroxycut and needed her stomach pumped. It was enough to turn me off "diet supplements" for all time. They're safe when they first come out and then more research may turn up things that were not known about at first. I'm wary of them and personally won't recommend them to anyone.
Last edited by Thousandsunny; 04-24-2008 at 08:15 PM.
I am scared of alli *wow at the fact the commercial JUST came one when I typed alli* I have heard a lot of people who had 'accidents' on themselves and needed to wear some sort of protection. There is a lady at my job who was taking it and was always in the bathroom, once she left (I always wondered if she had an accident)
I haven't taken Alli but reading the potential side effects I can tell you I will never take it or recomend it to anyone either!! I just recently suffered from gall bladder stones and gall bladder attacks! whew i'll tell ya alli sounds JUST like a gall bladder problem just without the excruitiating pain episodes/attacks! Anything I ate-- straight through me... I would never wish a gall bladder problem on my worst enemy!! So I wouldn't wish anyone to take alli!! I wonder to this day if that's where they got the idea for alli... I suffered from the gall bladder thing for 4 months before getting it out and whew... painful, annoying, sick all the time, but I lost 30 pounds in about 4 months ish... Not very healthy way to lose weight and I much rather diet to lose it than go through that horrible time again!!
I just wanted to add that the reason I tried the xenical was because I was "doing everything right" and still not dropping a pound. I have PCOS, and there were a few studies published (I can't remember in which journal,) saying that xenical had been linked to helping insulin resistant patients both lose weight and assisted in hormone regulation. Basically, I felt like I was at the end of my ropes and convinced my endo to let me try it for a few months. Normally I'm not a "diet pill" kind of girl either. I'd never tried anything prior to that and this was also under doctor supervision because the xenical requires a prescription due to the strength of the dosage. Had I not read the studies about how it aided in PCOS I doubt I would've ever tried it.
That being said, yes the side effects sound horrendous (I was nervous to start taking it) and if you don't eat a healthy, balanced diet you'll have them. I didn't feel fantastic on it, but I had nothing nearly as bad as what they suggested I might.
Last edited by rockstar87; 04-24-2008 at 09:28 PM.
Jayohwhy - WOW, try not to let what everyone above me has already said about Alli scare you. I AM using Alli and have been for about 5 weeks now and I LOVE it! I admit, I was totally nervous and skeptical before I started because of what I had heard about it. But I did my research and decided it was something I was definitely interested in trying. I have never once experienced one of the "treatment effects" they warn you of. And very few of the people I know who are using it have. Alli specifically warns you what will happen when you eat a meal high in fat. But if you are watching what you eat and making sure not to eat high-fat foods, then you should be fine (I say "should" only because, of course, your body could decide it doesn't like Alli, even if you DO eat within your fat range). Like I've said in a previous post, I am a HUGE Emotional Eater. I used to go thru the drive-thru or call up Mr. Pizza Man whenever I was having a bad day. Now I'm not even tempted to actually cheat and have those foods because it's not worth the possible side effects. And to ME, that is worth the $50/month (or whatever) - heck, I used to easily spend that much on eating out every month!
Good Luck!! And if you're interested in any more info, feel free to PM me!
One thing to consider is that if you are already eating a low fat diet, alli probably won't work well for you. alli causes some of the fat you are eating to pass right through your intestines and not be absorbed. (Which is why if you eat a ton of fatty food, you will have oily anal leakage.) If you already aren't eating much fat, but are getting most of your calories through carbs and protein, it won't do much for you.
So, while you are taking alli, be sure to monitor your fat intake! The side effects are mostly avoidable. I think most people think it's a miracle pill and that they can eat whatever they want while taking it. Unfortunately for them, that's not true...and they learn the hard way.
i used alli last year for about a month, to kick off my weight loss. I never had any "anal leakage" or "alli oops" as many in the alli forums called them (I know it sounds scary).
many people who are using alli (and who are following directions) will never experience these side effects. Basically, if you stay within your fat intake range (i think it was at least 15 grams of fat per meal and no more than 20) you shouldnt have any problems. I lost weight on it, but it was a tad bit expensive for me to keep. i definitely did not have uncontrolled bowel movements, and people who did probably had them bc they ate too much fat. again, may be its not the best idea for people who are going to cheat, or for people who are on a low fat diet to begin with. alli really keeps you in check, and if I had the money I would still be using it.
I thought about taking it also but then I had some questions: If your only eating 30% fat or less anyway and take alli how does that effect the healthy fat's/ cholesterol? I try to get a serving of Omega-3's everyday but alli would keep that from absorbing wouldn't it? I thought you needed fat's to absorb some vitamins, and for healthy brain function too. Any thoughts on this?
wow guys, i really appreciate your concern, but i was hoping more to hear from people who are actually or have actually used the product. it seemed to come off a little bit judgemental towards people who use "diet pills". i mentioned up top that i was considering using alli as a tool with my current weight loss plan.
i am currently on a very structured plan where i go in for weigh in every day and have a strict menu to adhere to and work out five days a week, twice a day on mon, tues and wed, so it's not like i am eating whatever i want and doing nothing and hoping alli would do the rest. the alli material suggests that you are on a low fat diet before using it, so i am still going to try it. i asked the nurse today at my weigh in what she thought and she told me that other people in our program use alli to supplement their current weight loss regiment and that it has had positive effects both in weight loss and as a diuretic, which might be helpful for me.
rockstar87- thanks for sharing your experienced with the prescription version. was it really expensive/more expensive than alli is? [or maybe it was covered in your health plan ]
sunback- i totally agree about the equivalence between eating out and alli! i'll be sure to pm you if i have more questions about using alli. thanks!
jayohwhy^^ i also thought some posters here were a bit judgemental. ive used alli (as stated above) and wanna just say that I thought it worked for me, then again maybe it was the low fat diet. without alli I was losing about 1 pound a week if anything, and with alli it was sometimes 2 pounds a week or more. so i think it helped--then again it really is hard to say, especially since i only took it for about a month. hope thathelps
are any of you guys using alli?
