Alli
 

Hello! Is anyone (still) taking Alli? I started last weekend and so far so good. I've had treatment effects once, and while they were unpleasant it could have been worse. I don't take it with every meal, as it turns out most of the time I don't eat too much fat, but I have taken it at least once a day since I started. I find that knowing it's in my system helps keep me honest.

I'm more interested in sort of being forced to make healthy choices until that becomes habit, rather than the extra 50% boost in weight loss. Not that I'm opposed to the boost, it's just that I didn't take Alli thinking it was a magic pill or anything.

As for the cost, it's about the same as WW, which I was a member of last year. At that time I was looking for accountability more than anything, and Alli is keeping me accountable for sure!

Anyway, just wanted to get a new thread started to see if there's anyone else out there.

I just received my starter kit today, I also think that being on Alli will help me make healthier decisions and will help me break the munching habit that I have. And since I am a college student, that is a very hard habit to break. Its great to see there are other people out there doing the same thing that I am, helps make it easier for some reason. Like with you I too was on weight watchers last year and though it helped me start to look at how I was eating, I am hoping alli will be a little more helpful.

I've been using it for about three weeks now. I honestly don't know what to think. I have yet to have any treatment effects. That hasn't been too surprising because my diet is pretty low fat. But, two days, I was traveling and succumbed (for the first time in two months!) to fast food. I thought it would be a good chance to see whether Alli really works. I had a Double Stacker and a small order of fries. That's a LOT of fat grams--39 in the burger alone. So I should have had some treatment effects, right? Nada. Not a thing. I'm beginning to wonder whether this stuff actually works.

I've been on a very healthy low-fat diet that focuses on vegies, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein. Until my Burger King sin the other day, I haven't eaten one thing I shouldn't have. I've only lost three pounds in the last month and a half, and only one pound since starting Alli. I think I wasted my money.

I've had two knee surgeries in the past two months, so my activity levels have dropped off, but two weeks ago, before my second surgery, I was back to (slow) jogging on the treadmill and I'm already back to walking 45 minutes a day on the treadmill, so it's not as if I've been lying around on my big butt the whole time. I'm very discouraged. :-(

That does seem odd! I believe it does block fat because I did have treatment effects. Maybe your body had adjusted to Alli and did dispose of the additional fat without treatment effects? Especially since you say the rest of your diet is pretty low-fat.

I'm personally not on Alli right now but I think I'll start back up tomorrow. It started with traveling to a wedding over the weekend, then I had to travel for work the last couple of days, and eating/bathroom use were pretty much out of my control. I was happy to find when I was on it last week that I was generally altering my behavior. I would scrape off extra mayo, cheese if I was eating a sandwich, for example just to be sure to avoid those effects.

Hello!
I am back on Alli . I tried it once before and didn't have much success.
I have been on about a week.No teatment effects at all.
I ,too, need extra "help"being accountable for what I eat.
Wishing everyone GOOD LUCK !

I was looking at Alli, it seems kind of expensive. How does it work? What are treatment effects?

Hi Amber!

Alli works in two ways. One, it blocks some of the fat you eat from being absorbed, so you save calories. Two, it is a behavior modification plan. If you eat more fat than recommended, you experience the unpleasant treatment effects. These include oily spots in your undies and unpleasant poops. (Sorry, I don't know how else to put it). I experienced them one time and it was unpleasant but I don't have any horror stories to share, nothing that anyone else would have been able to notice.

Alli is kind of expensive, but I figure the price is the same as a month in WW. I've also found that I don't use a pill at each meal, because some of my meals are just so low in fat to start with. (I guess I'm not really following the Alli plan as recommended).

I was in a Dollar Tree the other day looking for stocking stuffers, and I found the Alli Diet Plan book there! I remember reading about the book here, it was recommended even if you didn't take the pills. So I picked it up for myself! I still haven't looked through it too closely, but it's in my kitchen waiting to be used. If you have a Dollar Tree near you, you might pop in and see if they have this book there!

Wow Thanks a lot Amy! I feel kind of stupid for asking what the treatment effect where...I should have gotten that :). Thanks for explaining it though. I am having a really hard time trying to figure out how to do all of this.

I think I need to start a journal or something to get a focus.

Amber - Try one of the calorie websites. I'm newly addicted to fitday.com.

My advice, personally, stay away from the pills. You can't take them forever and I don't think they are worth it.

Thanks Jamie Jo for the advice. Just out of curiousity...Why do you think diet pills are bad? I know doctors subscribe them sometimes to people. I do think the "treatment effect" (thanks Amy for explaining) seems kind of weird. :)

Hi ladies. I have been taking Alli since June. I have taken the Rx strength before but have switched OTC Alli this time. I am weaning myself from the pills now. Typically my breakfast and lunch have very little fat--like under 3 or 4 grams total so I only take one at dinner time. I feel they have helped me achieve my weight loss. They do not leave my digestive tract and don't make me shaky or anything. I have had side effects before (red, oily thing) but only when I have eaten things that weren't on plan! In some ways, I am glad to see they do their job. Pills are not the answer but for me they have been part of success and if I have trouble maintaining once I hit goal I am sure I will go full force with them again (3x's a day). I wish all of you luck. If you will follow Alli advice you will have success. By the way, I pay $70 for 120 pills. At the rate I am going now that one bottle lasts me 3-4 months.

Oh, one other thought I wanted to share--

A year or so ago I started Alli half/heartedly for a few weeks and made no other changes. I did not exercise and ate as usual. I lost zero weight. The key here is to change your habits in addition to Alli. It will not MAKE you lose weight--but it will help if you are doing your part.

The treatment effects are real - trust me. I went to an Italian restaraunt a while back and had a few too many pieces of sourdough bread and butter. It told on me the next morning.

I don't know if they work alone, but I could see them being used as a form of "aversion therapy" - by holding you accountable if you eat too much fat.

well I do kinda like the fact it has some "adverse" effects. Makes you think before you order those fries.
I am currently having a binge I guess so at least I know if I am real bad ,bad things will happen.
Aversion therapy is not a bad idea for me.
I am a food addict

After Jamie Jo's comment I decided to look up about Alli. It seems kind of dangerous from what I have read. I don't really think it is the route I am going to go.

Uhh geez I wouldn't feel right if I didn't leave a link to what I found. Maybe I am too skeptical.

I don't know if these are ok or not but they seem reliable to me (though I don't know how much that is worth haha)

Anyway sorry for the ramble and I guess good luck to anyone that uses it :)

http://fatloss.newsvine.com/_news/20...oved-diet-pill

http://www.blogher.com/alli-diarrhea-diet

This thread is in the general diet SUPPORT forum. If you can't be supportive about the whole reason this thread exists, then please skip the thread. Thanks.

It seems like you've done all the research you need. Thanks for joining us, and good luck in your quest to find a plan that works for you.

I have been on the Alli pills and diet since Dec 1st and it is working for me. I have lost 16 pounds in 12 days. Since I am just starting out I don't know if most of that is water weight or not but I have been following the adice in the little books that come with it and I have found the little calorie counter book very useful as I am eating low fat and counting calories.

I think the trick in the Alli diet is you have to exercise and eat low fat and you will be OK. I have not had a treatment effect yet (knock on wood! LOL)

My little sister had almost a whole bottle to give me because she tried it and didn't change her diet much and let us just say she had an especially embaressing meeting at work one day. So she quit after 3 days on Alli. Now I have her pills along with the month supply I bought.

Now some may say why take the pill when you can just follow the diet and exercise. Well I could if I had the will power. The fear of the treatment effects keep me honest and also eliminating the fat from whatever I eat I think boosts my weight loss.

I take 3 a day and I'm going to keep taking them until my 120 day supply runs out. I need every bit of help I can get and I believe the Alli is giving me a boost.

:carrot:

Flatiron

Well done. I'm glad you're making the pills work for you - that really is the trick. Its like any tool, you just need to know how to use it correctly for it to do the job.

Kitty

Yes, good post Flatiron! :carrot: Thank you for sharing and providing me with motivation.

I keep forgetting to take my pill. I'll usually remember half way throught the meal. A couple of times I was out with friends and I completely forgot even though I had the little blue container in my pocket (I carry it everywhere now!) full of pills.

The book says take the pill BEFORE each meal. I wonder if you take it during the meal or worse after you don't block all the fat out that you could have?

According to what I have read the Alli has an accumulative effect in that you build up a level I think and it takes a day or two to get out of your system if you stop taking it.

I have only been on it for two weeks and it is working for me and I am going to TRY and remember to take it BEFORE each meal but I think I lost too many brain cells partying in the 70's because I am a complete space case now! :D

Any opinions on how important it is to take the pill at the required time? I guess it depends on how fast the drug works? Anybody know???

Wake up..don't let the thread die.
 

:carrot: Wake up people, you are needed for help guidance, persistence, two cents and anything else you can spare.

In an effort to lose weight and use up my Healthcare Spending Account, I'm about to purchase Alli. Once upon a time (many years ago), I used Zenical which did work for me until I became distracted by other things. By the way I have tried WW more than once (still have all of the materials) and believe that it is an excellent program but not for me at this time. I'm 202lbs and desiring to lose 20lbs. I realize that I need to lose more, but 20 is my mini goal.

I'm going to purchase Alli this week and plan on starting it over the weekend just in case of oozing. I decided on Alli because I'm like a child who needs to be reprimanded for slip ups. Everyone would probably agree that the reprimands of Alli are memorable. Anyway, my thoughts are that I will take the pills to train myself on a low fat diet which is something that I need to plan on for life. I do intend begin journaling, not sure if it will be online or paper.

Anyway, I hope this thread doesn't die because the insight and camaraderie of actual users of the product is invaluable.:hug:

Me Again
 

I'm trying to figure out which package to buy. The starter pack is $50 with 60 pills and appears to come with some booklets on getting started, a journal of some sort and a calorie counter. The 120 capsule bottle is $70. My question, should I just purchase the 120 capsule bottle or do I need the items in the starter pack?

I am considering Alli too...right now there is a special at Walgreens where you get a 2 month supply (180 tablets) for $50 and I think it is also the starter kit.

The question I have has to do with sugary things...like soda. I am trying (and sometimes failing) to really limit my soda consumption...but since it has no fat in it, I don't think Alli will help with that. It will help with forming other good, lower fat habits, so I still think it could help me.

I am just not sure, and $50 is a lot of money for me. Any thoughts? Thanks so much. :)

Hello! Thanks for bumping this thread up! I'm currently off the wagon, but I will work to finish off my bottle in the New Year and re-assess my progress and motivation.

To answer some of your questions (not that I'm an expert!) but let's see...Should you buy the starter pack or the 120 pill bottle? Well, first, I think you can find the starter pack cheaper than that. I think I got mine for $40. That's probably true for the 120 pill bottle but I haven't looked into that. I did get the starter pack at first, although I can't say I've gotten a lot out of all the booklets and stuff. I think I just like kits!

But here's what I think: if you KNOW what to do to lose weight, but are just having trouble DOING it, then I think you can get by without getting the starter kit. I was on WW for a few months last year and part of the reason I stopped going was because I felt I could have taught the classes better than the leaders. So if you feel like that, then you might want to skip the starter pack. :) Another reason you MAY consider the starter pack is if you don't know how long you'll want to be on Alli, if you just want to try it out. Obviously, in that case the starter pack would be a better deal. Just a few things to consider. (Also, the Alli website has a lot of information for you, for free!).

As far as the $50 question, I think that has to be up to you. I have found I don't take Alli with every meal because I eat a lot of low-fat stuff (as it turns out), so it can stretch out more than they recommend. But I do like to make the comparison to the cost of other programs, like WW, which cost me $40 per month. When you look at it that way, that helps to put it into perspective.

Best of luck!

Honestly for me it was the same as what my dieting had done.. no difference at all.

Walgreens
 

I'm going to Walgreens. I was in Walmart yesterday and they had a similar special but I think it was $60. I'm also going to find a Dollar Tree, because someone on here said they carry the Alli book.

thanks for the good info

I am still on the Alli plan since Dec 1 and so far it is working for me and I have not had one bad treatment effect so far but then again I have followed the recommended diet plan pretty closely.

I have even messed up a few times and still lost weight and I'm pretty sure the Alli helped me out during those times too.

Alli works two ways for me, #1 it eleminates 25% of the fat from a meal and it makes me afraid to lose control and pig out on a pizza or WORSE a buffet or something.

And I'll tell you my secret for getting FREE pills! LOL! Ask all your friends have they ever heard of Alli. Say nothing else just ask that and sooner or later you'll run into someone (I have 2 times so far, one was my sister) who will say "Heck yeah thats stuff is awful it made me %$$% in my pants!

And then you get their remaining pills! I got my sisters and she only ate 3 pills out of 60! LOL!

It seems that many people go on this diet and do not read the little books that come with it. You have to eat low fat when you go on the diet. My sister took the pills and then went to a place at work for lunch and got a Grilled Chicken breast on a kaiser roll w/ cheese, grilled onions and sauce with pasta salad and a diet coke thinking it was a low fat healthy meal!

Why take the pills if you have to eat low fat you may ask? Well #1 it helps you lose more weight than without it and #2 it stands over you like a security guard and makes you think about what you are putting in my mouth! LOL!

I know it doesn't work for everyone but it is working for me and I am sticking with it. I think the secret to success is READING those books that come with it and using the info in it and following it. If you read them and follow them it works.

And also it is true the Dollar Store does have the Alli book for sale but I skimmed through it and basically it is just an in depth (with more recipes) view of what is already covered in the little books that come with it.

That little pocket calorie counter that comes with the starter pack is invaluable to me, I use it every day. It is dog eared and worn I use it so much!

Good luck to everybody I hope everyone finds a way to get healthier and slimmer!

2009 is our year to look good! :carrot:

Thank you for the information. I have pretty much decided to give it a try. I even thought about asking/telling friends who might have tried it and stopped (great minds think alike? lol).

I am thinking I will get the 2 month supply and then figure it out from there. I would think that after the two months I would have much better habits, and so I'll have to decide then if I continue with the pills or just the meal plans.

Again, thank you for the input - much appreciated! :)

I'm so glad I found this thread. I am planning to start Alli tomorrow (I know, it's cliche, but it is what it is). My MIL tried it and didn't think it helped (her metabolism is shot from years of ephedria), so she gave me hers and also picked up the book at the Dollar Store for me. Anyway, the book says to start with 15% of calories from fat and work up to 30%. Does anyone eat that much fat? I've been on Weight Watchers before, so when I "go on a diet" (I hate to think about it that way), I eat low fat, and found it tough today (while trying to do 15%) to eat enough fat. Is it important to eat more fat? Does that help? Thanks for all your input. It's so hard to find people who don't just say "Yuck! Alli is gross."

MJ

Nova,

I have taken Alli in the past and only suffered the side effects when I went over 20-25% fat.

Alli will increase your success and your results IF you are moving more and eating less calories. If you change nothing, it will help 0.

By the way, great deal on ALLI this week at WALGREEEN'S. It is in the paper for 180 pills for 60 dollars.

Nova, I'm sort of like you. Many of my meals are not that high in fat, so I just skip the Alli for that. Why waste a pill? But I'm not sure it's intended for such casual use.

From my research and what I have read Alli stays in your system a few days. So if you skip a pill and then eat high fat you may still find yourself in the bathroom a lot the next day.

It basically says this in the little books that come with it. If you eat extremely low fat and don't exercise Alli won't do you much good BUT... if you eat a well balanced meal (protein, carbs and a little fat) and you exercise moderately you will lose 50% more weight than if you didn't take Alli.

So if you lose 10 pounds with Alli you will lose 15lbs.

Thanks for the advice! I actually did go to Walgreens today - with the coupon in their ad this week, you can get 180 pills for $50! Great deal! So I'm set for a while.

I've been looking over the materials and am actually kind of excited. I mentioned before that I eat really low fat when I'm dieting, but looking at the menus, I realized that I also eat too little in general. I'm not sure why this has never occured to me before, as I know eating too little can really hinder your weight loss efforts. I guess I always thought that was a problem OTHER people had, not me. So, after I get my little ones to bed, I'm planning my meals for tomorrow.

Happy New Year everyone!

Alli
 

I bought some Alli a few months back, however, I never started using it. I was always afraid of the "treatment effects". Since, that time I talked with my doctor about the possibility of having WLS. However, it has taken time for me to get scheduled for the "Pathway" classes that are required prior to surgery. I will pull out the starter pack of "Alli" tomorrow and start using it until I can start the "Pathway" classes for the WLS.

I started alli about a week ago and I love it so far. I know that my mom got treatment effects but she did not diet or exercise when she was taking alli. Its definitely doing its job of boosting my weight loss.

If you're going to take it for the first time make sure you do not eat more than 15 grams of fat on meals that you take the pill on. You can take the pill up to an hour before or after and even during the meal to have it work effectively.

I bought an alli set a few months ago but stopped taking it because I figured if I wasn't excersing or eating right then what was the point?

But since I am making the effort I plan on going back on the diet,

and F.Y.I wal-mart is having a sale. 180 pack for on 50 bucks!