Anyone else hear about Alli - a fat blocker that'll be out mid June. It's the first FDA-approved over the counter diet pill.

I'm not interested in taking diet pills, they scare me and I don't think any of them work but I was curious about your thoughts on this....

There has been some discussion on this site about it. Alli is a low dose of Xenical which has been FDA approved prescription for quite a while.

Personally, I believe the cost of Alli is pretty expensive for the amount of effectiveness that it provides. It also has some nasty side effects.

I have been taking Alli since the middle of April. I was picked to be on a team of people who got to try it before it was available to the general public.

It works in your digestive system and does not effect your heart giving you that feeling that it is racing all the time. It does not work on your nervous system, it does not make you feel dizzy.

The side effects can be yucky, but to take Alli, you need to make a committment to stick to a lowfat diet. I have not had any bad treatment effects, I think the thought of it helps me stick to my lowfat diet. When I have an event to go to I usually stop taking Alli 48 hours ahead of time so it will be out of my system. I am much more conscious of what I am eating now.

Alli is not a miracle pill, but it has helped me in my weight loss journey. With it I have lost about 15 lbs, and it probably would have been more, but I stopped taking it for Memorial Day week-end, and am now just getting back on track.

If you are considering taking Alli please read all the information that comes with the starter pack. I think it is recommended that you start your lowfat diet 3 days before starting Alli, to get yourself used to a new way of eating.

Good luck to any who try it, let me know how it goes.

Thanks for the information from someone who has actually used it. It probably is expensive to some, but when I add up all the Weight Watchers meeting, Nutrisystem food that is still sitting in the spare bedroom and other things I have spend $$$ on that didn't work they were expensive too. The side effects remind me of the side effects my friend had when he had gastric bypass surgery. Eat too much, especially fat and it will come back to haunt you. I think knowing that you could have a case of the runs would keep me honest in what I would eat. Thanks for the tip about going off it before a big party or holiday.

Glad to be of help. Let me know if you decide to get it and how you do. To be on the safe side I usually try to give myself 48 hours off of Alli before I splurge.

Good luck!!

Well there are a lot of people who have used Xenical since its been on the market for years but you needed a prescription. Only difference between Xenical and Alli is that Alli is a lower dosage and available without a prescription.

Gastric bypass, like xenical, is also partially a behavioral tool. Eat too much, eat too much of the wrong things and you will suffer.

If you look as Alli as a behavioral tool, then it may help train you to eat a low fat diet. If you are looking for it to just absorb fat in the foods you eat on a low fat diet, then it really isn't worth it. Someone calculated it out on another Alli thread and I calculated it out as well. For every lb you lose with Alli as a direct result of fat absorption, it costs somewhere around $70 per lb. You will lose weight by following their recommended diet as long as you don't load up on sugary foods as a replacement but you'd lose weight on the diet no matter what.

Thanks, it will be interesting to read the posts months from now and see who is using it and if it works. Like all things, it will work for some and not others.

I am considering taking the new weight loss pill. In the past, I was not an advocate of pills. Totally did it the "old-fashioned" way. Weight has gone up and down. But as I get older, boy does it get harder!!! And I get so discouraged when 2 weeks go by and NOTHING! Truly the best and safest way to lose is counting calories and exercising. Lifestyle changes as well. However, a little boost can't hurt if you are cautious and have realistic expectations. I don't think the cost is that bad either. I think it says a 90 day supply is around $60 on one website. Wish me luck!

suz71 - That is 90 pills for $62 which is a 30 day supply. If you go for the refill pack, it is $75 for a 40 day supply. That is a cost of $1.88 per day for the cheaper price.

One thing to look at is the cost of the pill versus the effectiveness. If you assume that you follow their diet of no more than 15g of fat per meal for 3 meals taking 1 Alli pill with every meal, it would take 34.5 days to absorb enough fat to equal 1 lb. So it would cost you nearly $65 for that 1 lb. Over the course of a year, you could absorb 10.5 lbs of fat at the cost of $677.25.

If you decide to cut your fat lower than 15g per meal, then the amount of fat absorbed is significantly decreased. If you increase your fat over 15g well you get the negative side effects.

For me, I had calculated it out initially at 10grams of fat per meal so I got a much higher cost and much less effectiveness.

Also, over the course of using Alli, you have to ensure that you are cutting your calories overall or else you won't lose.

I would rather spend $1000.00 on Alli than on new clothes in a LARGER size. Then I could HAPPILY spend another $1000.00 on new clothes in a SMALLER size.

My point really is that the weight loss as a direct result of Alli is pretty minimal and is pretty high versus the cost. So for your example, if you spent $1000 on Alli, that would buy you an 18 month supply and in 18 months you have the potential to lose 15 lbs total as a direct result of Alli. I only say potential because you can easily eat those extra absorbed calories in items that don't contain fat.

For some people, the cost is worth it for the little extra that Alli provides. For others, it isn't but I think someone should at least know the effectiveness vs time vs cost is before they invest in it.

nelie - you have to have the most level-headed, unbiased approach/answers to alli questions I have seen yet on different boards. How do you do it?

Please dont take offense to this if anyone is taking alli.... my husband made this comment and it true.

Ever here this joke: A man who couldnt stop sneezing went to all the doctors in the land... no one could cure him. Finally one day he came across an old man said to be the wisest. he gave him some " magic pills" and the man stopped sneezing.

Locals who knew the sneezing man was amazed how now he could sit under the tree in the center of town and enjoy other sounds rather than his sneezing. So the asked the wise man how he did it?

The old man replied... "Simple i gave him laxitives and now he is afraid to sneeze!"

So the FDA gave us something that will make us afraid to eat too much fat!