Alli
The FDA's only over-the-counter diet pill.
BACKGROUND
The anticipation for a new diet pill is over as the FDA recently approved Alli (pronounced Al-eye). It's the weight loss newcomer that is quickly finding its place on drug store shelves. Alli is the first FDA-approved diet pill available without a prescription. Alli is actually a low-dose version of Xenical, a prescription drug that successfully assists obese individuals lose weight. Xenical is taken under a doctor's care while following a low-calorie, low-fat diet. Alli has the same active ingredient (orlistat), but in a much lower dosage, and is available without the prescription. Alli can help you lose a few pounds more than just dieting and exercise alone. It works by suppressing the body's ability to absorb fat in the intestines. By reducing fat, you reduce calories. When the body is unable to absorb these fats they become undigested waste.
PRO
- May help to jumpstart a weight-loss program
- Comprehensive website that offers support, food journals, calorie counters, meal plans and shopping lists
CON
- Some think it shouldn’t be sold without a prescription
- Not a long-term solution to weight loss
- Uncomfortable side effects
- Must be very careful to not exceed the maximum fat gram requirement with each meal
INGREDIENTS
Alli contains 60 mg of Orlistat.
ADMINISTRATION
Alli is a 60mg tablet taken three times a day with meals that should not exceed 15mg of fat.
DIET and EXERCISE
A low-fat and low calorie diet must be followed while taking Alli. In addition, for the best results, a regular exercise program should also be followed that includes 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. Since the success of Alli depends so largely on what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat, you should consult with your physician or a registered dietician about working out a well-laid out diet and exercise plan.
CONCLUSION
Many people have seen positive results with Alli. However, those considering taking Alli should note that side effects can include gas, and uncontrolled urination and bowel movements, especially when not following the guidelines prescribed by Alli. Alli is not a magic pill to lose weight. In fact, the effects of taking Alli in comparison to just dieting and exercising alone are just the difference of a few pounds. It is necessary that you consult with your medical practitioner before taking Alli.
Common Misspellings
Alle, AlliDiet, AlliPill, Alli Deit Pill, Allu, alli.com
Related Diets: Advantra-Z, Hydroxycut, Orlistat, Xenical
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I just ordered Alli this morning. I should get it some time next week. Reading all the reviews there seems to be more pros than cons so hopefully I will have great results. I will keep you all updated on my progress. For those of you who are losing weight, congratulations and keep up the good work.
I have been on Alli since November 1,2008, and not consuming more than 15 grams of fat per meal. After dieting most of my life, and gaining back every ounce of previously lost weight, I needed a boost to my next diet. Alli was the perfect choice, and it remains so.
I have been on low-carb diets, and Weight Watchers, and lost weight, but, of course, gained it back because they were hard to maintain.
With Alli, I have lost 20 pounds, and am working toward my goal of 40 pounds. I keep a daily "food journal," writing down every item I eat, and occasionally "cheating"; however, when I did cheat, as I did for the holidays, I still managed to lose a pound.
I have experienced no side effects, because I carefully count every fat gram I eat, and, through behavior modification, it is working.
Alli keeps my diet focused, and I am heartened by the weight loss, and my change in eating habits.
At first I was not too sure about the pill when my doctor told me about it as an aid in weight loss. She told me about the bad sides of the pill and I didn't believe her. In the end I found that seeing the bad stuff I was eating actually helped me eat better and with taking Alli and going on weight watchers at the same time the results were great! I went from 219 to 155 in six months where before I was unable to lose more than a few pounds before I quit.
I do have a few tips for people who want to take the drug that really helped me with the down sides of the drug.
1. Take a good vitamin every day. At first I didn't do this and I felt so bad, my doctor told me I was passing all of my vitamins with Alli and I needed to take a vitamin that would stay with me after the pill did its job.
2. This goes for men and women. Wear a panty liner it will take care of any orange spots. My step dad even wore a panty liner with the pill and it saved us from a mess.
3. Really stick to under 15g of fat each meal. A lot of fat is actually hidden in food so really look at labels. Before I took Alli I had no idea that there was so much fat in things like milk, cheese, meat, and other foods that I would eat everday.
4. Wear dark pants. At least until you get used to what you can and can't eat it will allow you a net.
The drug is a great kick in the butt to help you learn what you can and can't eat to lose weight. Now that I am off the pill I have found that keeping up the routine of not eating fatty foods is actually keeping the weight off without the pill! It really is like what my doctor said, "It is antabuse for people who like to eat."
I started taking Alli in July this year, I am very active, hiking, dancing and always moving but was unable to lose weight, I ate erratically in between my busy work schedule - when I started alli, I went on a strict 1200 calorie approx diet with 15g fat per meal or less, By Oct I had dropped from 167 to 150 thats 17lbs in 3 months also I went walking 30 min ever other day fast pase and then dropped to 147 and stopped taking alli for a while because I could not afford it and stopped excersing because the weather and I climbed back to 149/150 in Dec but thats after all the Holidays, I was able to pick up a 2 for 1 deal at Target right after Christmas and I am back on it. I think the treatment effects are great ways to show you what kind of food you are eating seeing the greasy fat pass through helped me watched what I was eating because I knew that if all that greasy fat would be stuck to me if I did not change my diet a bit and I would rather it pass through me than stick on me. It actually helped me become more regular as well, that was a problem I had before. I usually had no side effect unless I cheated which was rarley since I seen what food actually becomes when you eat the wrong kind. Like lets say any fried food... So so bad for you, Pick grilled or baked, it tatse way better anyways. I have never been able to stick to a real diet but I have to say Alli helps you do that because it reminds you what you should not be eating when you eat wrong. I have been on it 4 days and I am back to 147 and I am not even excersising right not but trust me, 30 min of your day is not a long time to dedicate to getting a new body and walking. Think about how much time you waste doing useless things like watching Tv. Ps: also you lose more calories by walking and swinging your arms dont just walk normal walk fast and swing your arms in punches, take a fast paced music on your ipod (you have to have music) this helps you achieve a faster rythm without being so much effort, beleive me it beats running and I have almost lost those back love handles now and when from a size 12 to a 8. Good Luck to you - I just have 12 more lbs to go...
I am doing weight watchers and alli, I was constantly going off and on weight watchers. I think alli will give me the extra boost I need to succeed. I have a touch of hope now to stick with the plans. Each week I learn something new about my eating behavior and what I should and shouldn't do(hopefully I remember these things) and have lost 5 and 1/2 pounds in 3 weeks
I purchased Alli yesterday and have not tried it yet, but am almost positive I will have great results. I just have to laugh at these reviews... Eating pizza and cheeseburgers? How can anyone expect to lose weight on a diet like that? It very clearly states in the welcome guide and all the little manuals that come with the Starter Pack that you MUST follow the guidelines, or you will have "treatment side effects." I just think that if you are having these oil problems, maybe YOU are the problem and not the product. :)
Hi Jane,
I am not considered overweight as well. I'm right on the border or was this past Monday anyways. I can't stress enough to eat very healthy while on this diet. It's clear from everyone else's reviews that this is a must. I started taking Alli this past Monday and haven't had a single side effect. I also made sure to start to the low fat diet they prescribe a week before taking Alli. I feel everyone's body handles things in a certain way. I myself haven't had any of the side effects everyone else has talked about but there are others that claim to stick closely to the low fat diet and STILL get side effects. I know if I had the side effects that everyone else has had, I would have stopped taking Alli. Luckily I'm not one of those people and have already lost 5.8lbs this past week. I'm sure a good portion of it is water weight but I do workout a lot and notice a huge difference in my body. If you're really determined to lose weight, please don't eat pizza like others have. Obviously that's NOT going to help you lose weight and your going to experience the side effects. Eat salads, beans, skinless chicken, tuna ect. Take it from someone who's already lost 55lbs. Alli has pushed me over my plateau and has given me fantastic results. I hope if you do decide to take it, that it does the same for you. Remember a pill is not going to solve everything, it's also going to take a lot of hard work from you. Good luck Jane!!
So I am here trying to find out if I can take Alli. I just bought the product so I can lose the 30 pounds I gained and read the back label which says that you cannot take this product unless you are overweight. I am not overweight. . . . yet but I am right under the cusp and close to it. Does anyone know the side affect of taking this pill if you are not overweight?
Alli helped me lose weight but the side effects were so disgusting that I had to quit. I obliged and ate less than 15 g of fat per meal (often only taking in that much per day), and I don'thave IBS or anything, but my stool would be disgustingly oily and I would wake up and find orange spots on my underwear and mattress... very very disgusting and inconvenient. Once I ate Pizza and the results were disastrous... plus Alli gives you this strange, depleted, fatigued feeling that nobody with a busy lifestyle can afford.. and I even took multivitamins like Alli reccomends as well as eating a healthy diet.
Oh my God, this pill is not worth it. Please save your $50.00. I have irritable bowel syndrome anyway, and this about set me over the edge. I went off the plan on Thanksgiving, but did not take any pills that day - even at breakfast which was very low-fat. Two days later I had the worst, explosive diarrhea ever. My stomach was bloated and I had "urgent episodes" throughout the next three days - even though I went off the pills. If you do go on the plan but decide to go off like I did, stay very low fat for at least one week after you stop. The pill must stay in your system and you will suffer terrible stomach/colon pain. I am still on a bland diet trying to recover from this stuff.
I have exercised regularly for more than half of my life and usually eat a fairly healthy diet. However, after having two children and turning 39 I found that I had gained 20 pounds and could not lose it with my normal exercise routine. I guess my metabolism has slowed down with age. I decided to cut my calories significantly (to the minimum of 1200 a day with occasional higher calorie days) and continue exercising, assuming that would do it. Unfortunately, after two months of that I still hadn't dropped a single pound. I was unwilling to take anything that worked in the blood or brain, so I've always avoided diet pills. I was incredibly frustrated so I went to my doctor to get my thyroid tested (hypothyroidism runs in my family). Results came back normal so my doctor recommended Alli. I have lost 8 pounds now in the 5 weeks I've been taking Alli, while continuing my low fat diet and exercise 3 - 5 times a week. I am absolutely thrilled. I haven't experienced a single incident of the "treatment effects" mentioned, probably because I eat mostly vegetables, fruit and starches. I also don't take the pill 3 times a day - only when I eat a "real" meal. For example, I don't take it before I eat oatmeal with Splenda, but I will take it before eating a baked potato with cheese. Since I had already been doing the low-fat, low-calorie and exercise combination without success, I know I can credit Alli with helping me lose this weight. It's expensive, but it's worth it to have something that works well.
I have exercised regularly for more than half of my life and usually eat a fairly healthy diet. However, after having two children and turning 39 I found that I had gained 20 pounds and could not lose it with my normal exercise routine. I guess my metabolism has slowed down with age. I decided to cut my calories significantly (to the minimum of 1200 a day with occasional higher calorie days) and continue exercising, assuming that would do it. Unfortunately, after two months of that I still hadn't dropped a single pound. I was unwilling to take anything that worked in the blood or brain, so I've always avoided diet pills. I was incredibly frustrated so I went to my doctor to get my thyroid tested (hypothyroidism runs in my family). Results came back normal so my doctor recommended Alli. I have lost 8 pounds now in the 5 weeks I've been taking Alli, while continuing my low fat diet and exercise 3 - 5 times a week. I am absolutely thrilled. I haven't experienced a single incident of the "treatment effects" mentioned, probably because I eat mostly vegetables, fruit and starches. I also don't take the pill 3 times a day - only when I eat a "real" meal. For example, I don't take it before I eat oatmeal with Splenda, but I will take it before eating a baked potato with cheese. Since I had already been doing the low-fat, low-calorie and exercise combination without success, I know I can credit Alli with helping me lose this weight. It's expensive, but it's worth it to have something that works well.
I am 22 years old. I have been taking Alli for a week and a half now and have already lost 6lbs. Haven't had any problems yet!
The pill is helpful in that it keeps you honest on your diet, but the website and interaction with others struggling with the same thing are wonderful! I feel much more supported on the site than I ever did in WW and I have lost more weight - so far over 16% of my total BMI! I have 68 lbs to go and looking forward to it!
I tried Alli a couple months ago. I was scared to use it at first because of the leaking and oily bowelmovements. I tried it for about a month and changed my eating habits, I lost about 10 pounds. It's a good product the only thing is that you have to have tremendous self control something that I lacked the last week of that month I took it and I gained the weigth right back really quick. Over all I like Alli but commitment is the keyword here! I started it again today, wish me luck! :]
I have been taking Alli for a week and have lost 2lbs. I have been counting calories and my fat intake as to avoid any treatment effects. I do get gassy and feel bloated after taking a pill but i do see results so i'll stick with it for another week. Dont want to waste my money. I don't think i'll buy another bottle after i finish this one.
I have to say that I recommend this to anyone trying to lose weight. You WILL LOSE it!!!! But the downfall of this is you definately can't eat alot of fat because you will have alot of this orange oil. So take into consideration if you can diet because if you don't BAD mistake!!!
I have been taking Alli for two weeks. For the first week I went to the gym once and the second week twice. From last Thursday to this Thursday I have lost 3 lbs. The side effects are true. You will have orange oilly stuff in the toliet when you go to the bathroom. You will feel the urge to go to the bathroom alot. I only had one accident when I farted and a little oil came out. The best thing is this will encourage you to eat less fat. The less fat you eat the less oil occurs. Now I stay clear of those things because I know what will happen to me. I think it's totally worth the money. You don't get headaches and your heart doesn't race from it.
HUM I USE ALLI THEY DONT WORK NOTHING JUST THE ORANGE STUFF WHEN I GO TO THE BATH , BUT I NEVER LOSE NOTHING I WAS USING 4 A MONTH HUM I DONT APPROVE ALLI hum i was doing exercise everyday and i was doing diet to so i dont know why i was bledding that orange stuff
p.s.- i am nearly 53, so weight loss is a little more difficult; i just saw Jenn's review and agree- WW and Alli are perfect together. i do Core on WW, so low/nonfat isn't a problem, and no leaks so far! that really sounds ghastly, so i am being extremely selective about what i put in my mouth !!!
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