I have been wanting to try Alli for some time now but I am in Canada and it has not been approved for use here :( . I was hoping someone may know if there is any plan to bring Alli, or something similar that is over the counter to Canada? Do any Canadians know if there is a legitimate way to order it here?
Thanks for the help :)

Hello all! Love reading the experiences on this forum, but rarely post. I have been using Alli during lunch & dinner for 5 days now with no prob. I usually eat low fat & have not "tested" the side effects until last night.

I ate so much buttery cheese pizza last night that I felt drugged & sluggish! Bad, bad, bad. So I was expecting a volcanic intestinal reaction as a result, but nothing happened. I had a regular BM & a little gas, but nothing else.

Makes me wonder if Alli is working with my body. Has anyone else had this experience?

Alli 100 percent works. For me the side effects didn't kick in until about 24 hours after eating the "bad" food.

I no longer take it because I found for me I wasn't very healthy on it, eating a lot of processed foods just because they were labeled "low fat" and I could eat them on the diet. But I lost 38 pounds in 2 months on Alli!

Hi Sweetnlow28. There is something similar in Canada. I can not remember the name of it and I have not tried it yet but I saw it in the GNC store. When I asked about it they said that it was the same thing.

Sorry I can not remember the name but I am sure they will know what you are talking about if you go in and ask them.

Good Luck
Diane

Thanx Kellygrrl for the input. It's Sunday & I ate all this pizza Fri with no treatment effects. Regular BMs (maybe a little more frequently).

Sorry for the TMI, but I just want to make sure it's working. I'm desperate for an additional boost to my calorie counting. It's most frustrating when u sacrifice & count & are a "good girl" yet the scale doesn't move....or worse...goes up! That's usually when I cheat, out of pure frustration.

I PIGGED out again today. I need to get on track. I've done fairly well losing 20-16 lbs (I keep going up & down those last 4 lbs!) since December.

I'm hoping Alli is that boost I need to get over the slump & stop binging out of frustration!

Those of ya'll who have lost weight w/ the help of Alli while NOT experiencing treatment effects....your input is needed. I don't plan on continuing w/ the binging. But now I'm concerned that because the 2 times I did binge, I didn't find orange splashes in the "john", then maybe Alli isn't working for me.

I was hoping this would be my saving grace since it works with digestion & not mind, hormones or heart. SlimQuick worked for me but caused a massive panic attack out of the blue after 2 1/2 weeks of use. Don't need that kind of crap since I'm all ready prone to panic & anxiety!

postscript: sorry for the long post!

About Alli....
 

Well, I think I've been on Alli for about 3 weeks now. My period set me back a bit... I gained right before it and lost after. I have lost approximately 15lbs or so. I lost 5 lbs before I started Alli. As for treatment affects... I had absolutely none my first week-week and a half. I did pig out once or twice too. I did however gas up the place...but also I had been taking calcium supplements (the multi thing never said about calcium but I figured logically it has to block it) well, calcium by itself actually binds you up... so that might have been it. Sometimes I do eat bad, sometimes I get mild/moderate affects...sometimes none. It still seems to work regardless, unless I binge at an extreme level (one time I ate 5 tacos, some fried chicken, potato, etc - 3,000 cals) I still lose or stay the same.

Most days I stick to my diet (1,200-1,500) and fat. Being an emotional binge eater, its a tough habit to break. You will probably see the grease eventually after a bit taking the meds... if not maybe it means you aren't eating too many crappy foods.. and congrats!! Anyway, for the record I love this, I've been able to stick to it better than anything I've ever done, and it really seems to assist my work!

Thanx NightAngel. I'm an emotional eater too! Makes it so hard to take this weight off. I was cleaning my closet & found old food diaries from 2000!

It was sad! I've had some progress with Alli today, finally. Saw a greasy film in the toilet bowl water. Something must be working! Yay! Gross, I know but I feel like we're all family here so I don't mind sharing TMI if ya'll don't mind hearing it!

Well, here's to less of me in the next few weeks!

I ruined 3 chairs at work because of this product. never again!!! :sorry:

yeah...
 

Yeah Alli may not be ok for everyone, either physically, or some people aren't ok with the affects. Sorry it didn't work for you. I have found lately that it seems like my body has gotten used to it, so I'm trying out alternating it every other week. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet, or if that's enough time. I may just go back to using it regularly, there was still progress just not as much.

Alli worked well for me for the time I took it. The side effects were not bad and it forced me to pay close attention to meal planning. After my second month, I was tired of taking pills and decided to do things on my own without assistance. Without the little blue capsules, I kind of fell apart. To me that was a sign that I needed to learn to manage my food intake without assistance. Still, I'd recommend Alli to anyone who is willing to stick with it and follow the guidelines closely.

Alli!
 

i'm brand new to this site, but obviously i'm not new to dieting. so, hey!

as for alli, i take it. i took it for about 4 months the last time i was on a diet, and lost about 45 pounds or so. (then gained it all back through a rough spell-you know how that goes.) I've been back on alli again for about 2 weeks. i like it. ill always recommend it to bigger women. i will not recommend it to my skinny friends who want to lose 3 pounds though. (isnt that annoying?)

its so easy. you just drink a ton of water (something youre already doing) and pop a pill before you eat. also, take a multivitamin before bed. who knows what kind of nutrients might be swept out of your system along with the fat.

the unpleasant side effects: yea. they're pretty unpleasant. but as soon as you stray from low fat food, you'll know why. your poop, in general, is going to be a bit more oily. but if you grab a taquito from the gas station because you were running late this morning, havent eaten all day, have a pounding headache, and are running late yet again, you are going to regret it in a few hours, i promise. its like pooping a cut of pizza grease.

but, if you follow your diet, its a great aid. good luck ladies!

Well I've been taking Alli for almost three weeks. The first few days I had a very low but constant headache. I noticed it more after each pill. By the third or fourth day I didn't have anymore headaches. I had previously been doing the extreme fat smash diet on and off for a while so I pretty much am okay with eating a low fat diet. I have not had any of the treatment affects at all. Maybe three times I had to skip a pill because I was out and knew that my meal was over the allowable fat limit. I won't be weighing myself until later on this week. From what I can tell from my last weigh in. I've lost around 5 pounds. I do exercise though. I mainly workout at home using my Wii fit games. I have My fitness coach, EA sports active, walk it out and wii fit plus. I mix it up a bit so I don't get bored.

Alli check in...
 

well I haven't been on plan, or taking the pill well. I just wanted to update and say that Alli was proven to be linked with liver damage in rare cases. They will be putting it on the label and researching further. The way I see it, regular pain meds have the same warning... but it's a heads up for people concerned.

Our bodies NEED fat. Just like they need carbs and protein, and all the other nutrients IN FOOD. Not in vitamins or pills, but in food. I just don't get why taking a pill that will screw with your system like this would be worth it. All it's doing is making you stick to your diet or poop fat. GROSS! I was wondering when the obvious "linked with liver damage" or whatever other FDA doomsday story would come out. Eat a healthy diet of real, whole foods, and get off the nutritionist scams that are only out to make the pharmaceutical, medical, and health insurance industries money and you'll be fine!

End of soap box. (sorry, I don't mean to offend anyone; I just think all these things are dangerous and unhealthy).

Alli is great for a boost. I was against it initially, I feel so sorry that I was actually angry at my mother and a total 'health snob' towards her when she started taking it :( I'm someone who loves to work out and eat healthy, and I saw that as though she were giving up. However, her life is not as flexible as mine, I work from home. She works like 12 hours a day, and she took it for about 4 months and lost 20 pounds, you're not supposed to take it for longer than 6 months.

Anyway, so because of some issues it became impossible for me to work out and eat healthy all the time (short stint living in the middle of the jungle in PR where there is no public transportation and fresh food is impossible to find or too expensive, and where most definitely I can't go for a walk or run without getting insults from 'men', I don't drive and depended on someone taking me to the gym, this person was abusive), so because of all that I decided to take it for a while. I took it for about 3 days but was feeling too nauseous and stopped. Thinking back, I was eating TOO healthy and TOO low fat and was exercising strenuously at home. A few months later I decided to try it again, and I am currently on it. I am using it as a 'solution' to my current situation. I hate this place, I did not want to come and live here, and I am thankfully moving to the UK in September, I will be using the alli until then. I think it's good as a temporary relief for people who need a boost or are in a desperate situation, but definitely in the long run this will deplete you of your health. Like I said, I'm someone who actually loves the gym, I can't wait to move to the UK, I will be buying a bike :D but where I am now I just don't have the tools, I tired and tried and tried, and you can see that reflected in the people here, the majority is fat including my family.

Wanted to add, I was working out at home but the abusive person (my brother) would get angry and start yelling and throwing things if he saw me on the treadmill happily working out. He was the one who months before would take me to the gym and began demanding more and more money to do this favor, it got impossible, I suspect he is mentally ill. About a week ago I had to stop talking to him altogether for my sanity and self-respect, anyway I feel I'm more in the UK than here atm, less than two months left for this nightmare to be over.

?
 

Really? You're not supposed to take it more than 6 months? Is this a new thing because of the warning? I've been off and on this since January. I became concerned about bowel trouble because of a sharp pain in the left side. Yes, you'd think I'd stop but it's a pure motivator for me to keep going. The doc doesn't seem concerned about my use of the product and with the possible warnings back when I started I had them check out my organs and again a couple months ago just to be safe. We certainly had to up my intake of bulk :barf: fiber though to fix this other problem...and most certainly before Alli I never had any problems with these things.

I'm sorry your brother made things really difficult for you. He sounds rather like he might have a personality disorder of some type, and dangerous. Good for you for getting away from him.

I'm not a gym-goer, I'm uncomfortable being looked at exercising most of the time so I exercise mostly at home. I do have a bunch of equipment though, but my wii fit and other programs are getting the most work put in lately (new toys). I love to swim as well and find that really burns some cals...soon swimming season will be over though :(

hey...
 

Hey LouisaH... how ya doin? Well, I know that there are risks in this product, as I hope all are aware of who use it. Some of us here have tried pretty much everything out there and so might turn to Alli...and by pretty much everything I mean fad diets, weight watchers, Atkins, straight veggies, straight fruit...etc...etc. Just cutting calories, just cutting fat...just not eating...eh. The list is long. So it's understandable that they like something like this. It really works, it's the Only FDA approved product of it's kind. That's why I tried it. Can it be a problem? yes. Thank you for putting it out there. Also, it won't take all of the fat out of foods, just up to half....the reason it targets fat beyond the obvious is that fat calories are much more than other calories and so it cuts down on how many are absorbed overall. I do think that it takes away more than fat though, that it drains of other nutrients, so yes it can be risky there as well.

I guess after my long drawn out drawl....basically it does have it's risks, we're (the majority) are not taking it so we don't have to exercise or change our eating.....it's just a helper. I have seen people use it badly though, even the maker probably expected this. No offense, just felt the need to reply in some way.

About the 6 month thing, I think my mom told me that, and also I read it in one article, so yes I have no idea if this is in the official directions.

In my opinion, if I needed to take it for long (for example lot of weight to lose, not my case) I would go on and off it, as in give the body a break here and there to restore itself.


The gym-going for me is recent, at the beginning I started working out at home because I had a terrible self-image and wanted to lose weight before joining a gym. I got to the point where I felt like I didn't look too bad in exercise clothes, and now I love the gym hehe.

Hi all I used to use this product when it was prescription Xenical and it was aweful...I was afraid to try the otc version. I've been using a product that works in the stomach and not the colon with no side effects and works really well...there are products out there that are better.
Has anyone had the oil leakage with this stuff? Not fun...

Originally Posted by Annn:
Alli is scam. It almost ruined my friend's life... :(:(:(

Don't you love drive-by posts like this with no explanation? Really makes me question the poster's validity. Like perhaps they have no experience with Alli and just want to stir things up?

I tried Alli a couple of years ago but was not committed to it. I re-joined Weight Watchers a year ago and I've done pretty well, but I've been on a plateau for a few months. This is despite joining a gym and actually going! So I decided to re-try Alli. I bought the 60-pill supply just for a boost for a few weeks to finally get me over the plateau. And you know what? I think it's working! I'm not doing anything different than I have been.

Let me repeat that. I am not doing anything different than I have been doing. I've been counting my Weight Watchers points, working my butt off at the gym 5 times a week for months. Now I have added Alli, and I am seeing the scale move.

So yes, I think Alli works but it's not just a magic pill. No, I have not ruined any chairs or experienced anal leakage. Once I am done with this bottle, I will be done with Alli (at least for some period of time). I made the conscious decision to buy Alli to get me over the plateau I've been in, and it's been very motivating to see the scale move again. You really need that when you're following a weight-loss plan for a long time! It's easy to get discouraged!

So if you're interested in Alli, and you are really committed to the lifestyle change prescribed by all the Alli material, I think it can be a major blessing.

I dont even 'use' Alli for the fat absorption disruption features. I take one each morning. It helps me grab an apple instead of a candy bar, or a serving of peanut butter on bread, b/c I am afraid of side effects. It is a reminder to me to be aware of the tiny portion/large calorie nature of fat-intensive foods. I do eat certain fat-rich foods, such as avacado pieces, etc....plus water and fat soluble vitamins, but I dont 'grab' these while at work....I plan them....just my two cents....=}

oh, btw i am a 45 year old female, and I run 12- 15 miles per week, with no health issues to date. I have appreciated Alli's contribution to my weight-control arsenal....I am at the border between obese and overweight per the
BMI charts....ugh...middle aged and still fighting.....((((sigh)))))))

I've been using Alli since August 15, and I've lost 2.5 pounds. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but I'm pretty happy with it. I usually eat 35-40 grams of fat per day, and I haven't had any disgusting side effects yet.

I started using Alli in July because I could not keep myself away from the fatty foods that I loved to indulge in. I saw Alli as a means to modify my eating habits, because I was just not able to say "I need to stay away from these foods because they make me fat and unhealthy." Alli makes me say "I need to stay away from these foods because if I don't, there is going to be some icky-ness occuring in my back end region!" I see this purely as a behavior modifier, but one that has really been beneficial to me. I have never had any of the side effects, mostly because I stay far away from high fat food. I feel that I am now in control of my eating and that I have the ability to say no to bad foods because I've been doing it for so long now. When this bottle is done, I'm done. And I believe the 6 month time period that people are referring to is just based on effectiveness, it generally doesn't have any effect on weight loss after the 6 month period.

alli update..
 

so let's see... I've been on Alli since some time in January. What I can see is that it does work, that there has to be a good bout of exercise and eating control or it won't work and there will likely be side effects. I've taken to taking it irregularly because after a few months it appears to stop doing anything. I think the body gets used to it. I have to say though that going off of it seems to allow for weight gain of 5-10 lbs afterward, probably because he body has to get used to regulating it's own processes again. This of course is speculation, but I've been on and off of it and the effects remain the same for me.

for those who feel that exercise is the reason for the loss.... I've exercised alone in the same manner as I have taking Alli, and it makes a lot less of a difference...dieting also has about the same effect...I'd say they're right...Alli makes for 50% of the deal or so. Hope this helps. :cool:

oh and a little TMI for you...
 

just for a heads up..... I had been having side pains in my left side just at or under the bottom of my rib cage. They were sharp at first. I went in to my doc because I was worried about the possible side effects I've heard of and she said it was bowels, that on that side in that spot that's all there is really. So even though I was going to the bathroom...and a bit more frequently on Alli, apparently it doesn't necessarily clean everything out and you can imagine what happens then. So, they expressed my need for that fiber stuff you mix into drinks :barf: which I dutifully worked on. I'd say after that and some laxative it was much better. The reason I expressed this here is that never... NEVER in my life have I had a bowel issue, so I'm connecting it to the Alli. I can see why it might happen, after all it sort of makes our body double up on waste. Just a little info for anyone who might be in the same boat. :^:

So after reading almost all of these post, old and new, I have ordered the starter pack, it isn't here yet but should be soon. My only hesitations are what and were I am eating at work! Because of where I work and limited options of bringing my own, we eat fast food 4 or 5 days a week :( I have recently started ordering salads each day except 1 day, and I'm not missing the hamburger and French fries all that much. However with the TE I am already scared to eat lunch and I don't usually eat breakfast.
Any suggestions to eating fast food while taking Alli?
Thanks,

hey...
 

hey, so you're worried about fast food with Alli? Well, I hate to be a downer but it will probably affect you. Everyone is different though...but I'll tell you how it works for me....yes I do give in to the fast food sometimes...and sometimes more than I should. I find that small servings of it aren't too bad but when you go med and large it tends to get messy, especially with fried foods like french fries. I find pizza to be one of the worst as well but one piece seems to be mostly ok. If you eat 3-4 pieces in one sitting you can expect issues anywhere from before you even finish the meal to the next day in the afternoon. :devil:

oh, and yes I'm still taking it but I think my body adjusts to it so I'm trying a two week on, one week off method...the leveling out seemed to start after about three months for me...just no result, even if I ate junk nothing happened....quite strange. The two on one off seems to reset it for the most part.

ALLI and I are best friends!!!!
 

I have read reviews on 'alli' and I have had a great laugh by some who just did not 'do' or 'go' by or one who took an 'alli' pill with slimfast, then could not understand why they excess bowel movements! lol on a good note, since you KNOW the effects of 'alli', I eat a banana every morning, (which does help with 'loose stools') with a cup of coffee and maybe have a slice of toast. For lunch, I eat maybe 2 ounces of cheese or cheddar with fruit, grapes, an apple, now for dinner, it is free game. I have lost 23 pounds in three months and have gone from a size 22 to a size 16-18 pants. I do not go hungry, I plan what I have for dinner, bar b que chicken, pork ribs, with mashed potatoes, lasagne, spaghetti w/ meatballs. as long as you eat between 1000 to 1200 calories aday, and with small grandkids around all of the time, I know I do pass these calories. I usually take one pill a day. On weekends maybe two. It is slow weight loss, but the weight will come off. Bottom line, I am losing, not only weight, but inches. I have finally found something, that actually works and no hype. I do want to thank 'alli' for all the help it is giving me. ;-)

hey...
 

aaop2011- hey thanks for writing about your experience. It's been a while since snyone posted on here. My use of Alli is sporadic as I find that it slows terribly over time and I have to stop and restart to get any change....either way certainly it's a useful tool in the battle of the bulge.

Honest
 

So reading this forum gave me the confidence I needed in alli to order it. I started running every other day and taking alli on the 1st of January. I'm down 3lbs! Its a big enough loss that I feel accomplished without feeling like its totally unhealthy. Mostly it works as aversion therapy for me. I avoid fatty foods as much as possible b/c I fear the dreaded treatment side effects. For the first time in my life, when I eat out I'm bringing half of my food home for later! I've never been able to do this before! Fat grams aren't everything to a healthy diet but it keeps me honest. Also the myalli program (which can be used through the code in the starter pack) is really excellent for meal planning. It was a unexpected and wonderful surprise! I'll write back in a month after I finsh my small starter pack with the results. I'm hopeful!

nice...
 

Hey Asherah, that's cool you decided to check it out. I myself had trouble with the site, mostly with the forums....they just didn't change much...but it's been soem time since my starter pack so they hopefully fixed the bug.

I'm back on my Alli, I was off for a while because there's no point in taking it if you eat really badly...which I did and gained the entire 35lbs back I lost while on it at the beginning of last year. :o

I'll tell ya, it gives me headaches..started after the first few months I think.. and a lot of fat generally means the yucks....also some belly cramps at times...but I think it really helps. It does slow down though and a little exercise at least is key.

Let us know how it goes, love to see progress reports! :carrot:

Has anybody had any numbness of toes/fingers/whatever that you can associate with taking Alli?.. I decided to try Alli to maybe bust me out of this plateau I've been on for a few weeks... I was on it for only a day & started noticing some of my toes were tingling... by the end of the second day (yesterday), almost all my toes, on both feet, were numb & white... this morning, they were still numb, so I'm discontinuing Alli for the time being to see if the feeling comes back... I really wanted to give Alli an honest try, but that side effect, if it really is from Alli, is more than I can take...

BTW, I googled "Alli numbness" & got a few hits...

Best wishes & congrats to all who are successful with this product... wish I could join you...

hugs :hug:

Updates:

2/12/2011 - After being off Alli almost 2 days, the feeling in my toes is coming back... right foot almost all the way back, left foot much less numb than yesterday...
2/14/2011 - Right foot back to normal, left foot only a couple of toes with numbness on the tips...

hmmm...
 

That's an interesting side effect...I don't recall anything like that, but I get numb and tingly hands and fingers anyway from what I guess is carpal tunnel... but not all the time...just when there's a lot of wrist/hand activity like typing and definitely writing. keep us posted...it's good to know what's out there.....maybe it has a link to poor circulation? Not sure.

I want to try Alli really bad but after reading this forum, I'm still debating if it's worth it. I've managed to lose 10.8lbs in a month on my own. It's just a tad bit scary having to worry about anal leakage...lol

Hello...
 

Hey, it's cool that you're considering it... definitely a personal thing of course. You're doing very well on your own. Remember that if you're just starting out it's going to slow down, it's supposed to. This would happen with or without Alli.... either way it can be a little expensive to keep buying, I'm still using it off and on but having trouble with keeping a good diet to make it useful.

I am a user of ALLI. What I can say is that it's a help. Do you need to be careful what you are eating? YES. Do you need to read the enclosed materials before you start taking it? YES. Do you need to follow the plan they lay out (that includes nutrition within boudaries and moderate exercise)? YES.

Alli does work.

I posted this in the calorie counters forum and thought I should post here as well:

Studies have show that when combined with diet and exercise, people seem to lose 6 pounds more annually (and that's if taking the higher dose prescription drug Xenixal) when compared with controls who diet and exercise without alli.

Does it work? Yes. It's mechanism of action is to inhibit pancreatic lipase in the gut and therefore inhibit breakdown of fatty acids so that you excrete them without digestion.

Is it worth it? Probably not. For a few extra pounds yearly, you are exposing yourself to a possible risk (there has not been enough long term studies on potential risk factors), dealing with the awful side effects (flatulence, oily stool), and paying a decent amount for the pills. Very few physicians would recommend it but few would discourage you from it if you really insist.

Personally I cannot believe that the FDA would approve a medicine for weight loss if 6 pounds a year is the benefit.
The expense to your wallet and your health just doesn't seem worth it. Let's spend $600 to be 6 pounds lighter in a year...oh, and by the way-don't forget to factor in the cost of a couple new pairs of underwear lol.

Yet another to add to my list of many reasons that I don't have trust in what they say.

I have taken some risks experimenting with diet pills over the last 15 years or more that in hindsight were pretty stupid. Something about getting older and still being fat in spite of it all that makes me be alot more wary and skeptical.

Originally Posted by dragonlady1978:
Personally I cannot believe that the FDA would approve a medicine for weight loss if 6 pounds a year is the benefit.
The expense to your wallet and your health just doesn't seem worth it. Let's spend $600 to be 6 pounds lighter in a year...oh, and by the way-don't forget to factor in the cost of a couple new pairs of underwear lol.

Yet another to add to my list of many reasons that I don't have trust in what they say.

I have taken some risks experimenting with diet pills over the last 15 years or more that in hindsight were pretty stupid. Something about getting older and still being fat in spite of it all that makes me be alot more wary and skeptical.

Absolutely agreed. The FDA is led by pharmaceutical companies and politicians. They really don't give a crap about what's healthy or good for consumer's wallets. I never put anything in my body that hasn't been approved by the FDA...because I believe they have really low standards for what they'd accept and if it's not a popular enough product to warrant investigation or receive approval by the FDA, I don't want that anywhere near me. Now for the things the FDA approves, I do my own research and make a decision. pubmed is an amazing resource...Everyone should just look at the clinical studies done on the products. If it hasn't been tested, it's sketchy!

No effective diet pill is healthy!!! Everything will cause long term complications and eventually cause you to gain weight! (try exercising with heart problems, which is what most of these drugs cause) They're still trying to find a pill solution to this obesity crisis (arguably one of the most researched fields in medicine today) and not a single thing out there has worked. So pills are not the answer...at least not yet.