So how is Alli? I saw something very interesting...

Last night while in Wal*Mart, I spotted this Alli stand, the price was $54.95, and the stand was WIPED clean!!! But on the back of the stand was more shelves with the Alli Dieting books, so I'm assuming that Alli is really working?

Anyone with personal experience?

Here is something I read that you should probably consider:

Alli weight-loss pill: Does it work?
by Donald Hensrud, M.D. a preventive medicine and nutrition specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Another drug is available soon to aid your weight-loss efforts, but this time you don't need a prescription. Alli (pronounced AL-eye) is meant for overweight adults who are struggling to shed excess pounds. With its easy access and weight-loss promises, is Alli your answer to losing weight permanently?

What is Alli?
Alli is the reduced-strength version of orlistat (Xenical), a prescription drug to treat obesity. It's approved for over-the-counter sale to overweight adults 18 years and older. Alli is meant to be used in conjunction with a low-calorie, low-fat diet and regular exercise.

How does Alli work?
Alli promotes weight loss by decreasing absorption of fat by the intestines, which reduces the number of calories you absorb.

Lipase, an enzyme found in the digestive tract, helps break down dietary fat into smaller components, so it can be used or stored for energy. Alli works by disabling lipase, which prevents the enzyme from breaking down the fat while it's in your digestive tract. The undigested fat continues through the intestines and is eliminated through bowel movements.

Alli is taken with fat-containing meals, up to three times a day. Because of how Alli works, it's recommended that you eat no more than 15 grams of fat with each meal. Eating higher amounts of fat can cause unwanted effects, such as urgent bowel movements, diarrhea and gas with oily spotting.

How much weight could I lose using Alli?
Alli can help you lose weight, but the weight loss likely won't be great ? perhaps just a few pounds more than you would lose with diet and exercise alone. Only a small number of studies have evaluated the effectiveness of Alli. And many of the weight-loss estimates are based on studies conducted on its prescription-strength counterpart, Xenical.

The average weight loss for prescription-strength Xenical is modest ? about 6 pounds greater than diet and exercise alone after one year. So at half the strength, Alli could conceivably result in an average of 3 pounds lost in a year in addition to the approximately 8 pounds you could expect to lose from diet and exercise alone.

What are the side effects?
You may experience bowel changes when taking Alli. Ads and marketing materials refer to these changes as "treatment effects." These side effects can include:

Gas with an oily anal discharge
Loose stools or diarrhea
More frequent bowel movements
Hard-to-control bowel movements
These bowel changes result from the undigested fat going through your digestive system. You can limit the side effects by eating a low-fat diet.

When shouldn't I take Alli?
You shouldn't take Alli if you:

Are at a healthy weight
Are taking cyclosporine
Have had an organ transplant
Have problems absorbing food
The drug also may pose risks for anyone who takes blood-thinning medication or has diabetes or thyroid disease.

Orlistat decreases the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins ? for example, vitamins A, D and E. If you're taking Alli, you need to take a daily vitamin supplement (at a time different from when you take Alli) to prevent potential nutrient deficiencies.

How long do I need to take Alli?
According to the manufacturer, most weight loss occurs within the first six months. Many people who take medications to lose weight regain the weight they lost when they stop taking the medication. Therefore, to keep the weight off, many people continue taking medications indefinitely along with eating a low-calorie diet and exercising regularly.

How much does Alli cost?
A starter pack, which includes reference guides, a daily journal and one month's supply of medication, is about $60. A refill pack with a 40-day supply of capsules is about $75.

How does Alli fit into a healthy weight-loss plan?
As you consider Alli as a weight-loss aid, make sure that you make every effort to exercise, change your eating habits and adjust any other lifestyle factors that have contributed to your excess weight. Alli isn't the easy answer to weight loss and is meant only to supplement ? not replace ? a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Work with your doctor to evaluate the potential benefits and risks of Alli or any other weight-loss drugs. As a team, you can create the most effective weight-loss plan for you.

By Mayo Clinic Staff
Jun 11, 2007

eww those side-effects sound positively nasty. and only to lose a few extra pounds a year??

I'm guessing that a lot of people out there will ignore the instructions/not bother to read the literature and just think they can now eat Big Macs and lose weight...boy will they be in for a NASTY shock.

I'd rather get all sweaty by a good workout than to pop a pill myself.

By working out and dieting right, you have ALOT to tell and brag about when it comes to weight lost, instead of saying "Oh yeah..I lost 50 lbs by using....A pill."

I'm guessing that a lot of people out there will ignore the instructions/not bother to read the literature and just think they can now eat Big Macs and lose weight...boy will they be in for a NASTY shock. -- laylamommy

I agree with you 100%! These aids are meant to be used in conjunction with healthy eating and exercise, and as we read, you don't lose that much more, so why bother? Stick that money in the bank or something. I'm sure SOMEBODY with dollar signs in their eyes had a hand in this getting relased over-the-counter. They KNEW people would go ga ga over it. What a shame.

I'd rather get all sweaty by a good workout than to pop a pill myself.  -- aeromancer

Right! You're doing yourself a service really!

I can totally remember a time romancing weight loss pills...but the power of actually doing this on you own is INCREDIBLE!

I feel totally invincible and now I feel sad for those who won't at least give it a 100% try of doing it the good old fashioned way. This way teaches behavior modification...and that is truly the ONLY way the weight will ever stay gone!

I'm so happy to see all of you wanting to do it the right way too!

Way to go gang!

Chubby

If you're determined to try it, try Costco.  They seem to have a good price.  It's on Costco.com too, btw.

I thought about it back and forth because i've been dieting so long now & even with a good amount of exercise my weight loss has been considerably less than stellar, but I decided against it.  My reasons were that no one knows better than me how any medication you choose to take should be TRULY necessary.  Like life sustaining or saving.  It's insane I could forget that for one moment, with my history.  Pills may have done this to me in the first place, but a pill isn't going to fix it.  But the biggest why nots for me are....  the hope of a teeny tiny barely there extra weight loss AND it's liable to disappear the second I stop taking it, even if I am still on my diet.  No thanks.  That's a lot of money.  A huge amount per pound loss (if any) in fact.  Plus there's the possibility of some super unpleasant side effects, and even if you behave yourself 100% you can still have them.  You just are more likely to if yu go overboard on fat.  I'm glad I thought hard before just buying it, lik I nearly did.  Anyway, for me my final decision was that slow as it is, I'm just going to have to keep at this. 

i've tried xenical before (once) and the effects of it the next day were so horrible i vowed to never take that crap again. But...i took it right before i had 2 slices of pizza..so maybe thats why i had such a bad experience. But with any weight loss pill/supplement, once you stop u gain the weight back eventually or you end up like me with a messed up metabolism. And i dont feel like paying 60 bucks a month for the rest of my life.

Very good points, Robinsue! I had a professor once who was also a medical doctor. He even said "try to avoid taking pills (medications) AT ALL costs." First doctor I ever knew to say that (I think most are brainwashed/$$$), but I couldn't agree more!!!

I think I'll save the money now and buy something FABULOUS when I reach a goal instead!

That is impressive alayney.  Very few docs will ever say that.  Most are all too happy to hand out anti-biotics to people who have the flu (and no that isn't the right thing) because they just want to shut people up or write scripts for things that people don't really have to have.  Like all these damn ADD drugs.  It's a mess.  

I talked to my MD brother about it tonight.  I am considering trying it.  I've lost 86 lbs on my own, but it's going slowly now.  He didn't really try to tell me not to, but told me that most people have side effects and you have to eat lowfat, which I generally do now.  Honestly, the main way it works IMO is to keep you from eating high fat/calorie stuff in order to avoid the side effects.

i am taking the alli pill three times a day with bkfst, lunch, and dinner.  i get 30-45 minutes of cardio 4-5 days a week.  i am also doing weight watchers.  i was only losing 1 lb a week on weight watchers and then i started alli.  the first week on alli i lost three lbs.  i cheated and strayed from weight watchers three days out of seven and still lost weight.   over the weekend i cheated and had the side effects twice, but it doesnt bother me.  now i know i can not eat so much at one time.  i am curious to see how much i lose this week!!!

Ive been taking alli since June 15.  I have had no side effects what so ever.  I follow the plan.  You have to be committed to take it as the pamphlet states. 

After I started taking it I notcied a few more pounds gone. 

Alli isnt THAT scary, you just have to follow the rules and not eat too much fat

Thanks so much for posting your stories!  I ended up returning the Alli to Krogers because it is much cheaper at Costco, but I chickened out in buying it at Costco.  Now I'm going to give it a go.  I cheated too much this week and I really think that Alli will help a lot with that.