All Out of Alli
A little over a month ago, I started taking Alli as part of my effort to lose weight. Here it is, 33 days later and my 30-day supply is out. By that you can probably figure out that I didn’t take it every single meal on every single day: I skipped taking the pill when I knew I’d be eating something high in fat.
As a result, I didn’t experience the “unwanted treatment effects” that frighten so many folks from trying the pill. (Well, with the exception of one night when I turned over cooking duties to my husband, who’s ignorant of what constitutes “dietary fat.”)
That’s the key — and I can’t emphasize the point strongly enough: if you want to avoid the ick factor while taking that pill, don’t eat more than 15-17 grams of fat per meal. Period.
And the weight loss? Oh, it was wonderful at first: seven pounds lost in two weeks. Who wouldn’t like that? The last time I lost weght this fast I was taking Miracle burn, but I’m a bit too cautious with my health these days to dabble with thermogenic supplements now.
Since that seven pound loss… nothing. Not one more pound. Not. One.
Even so, I don’t feel like Alli failed me. In fact, I give it credit for doing something I hadn’t been able to do myself prior to taking it: I’ve learned to eat low fat simply out of fear of those “treatment effects”. After a month of eating that way, I feel physically better than I have in years.
I have more energy, my skin is clearer, I sleep better at night and I’m not sluggish and tired by 4 p.m. anymore. Yes, some of that may also be due to exercising a bit more regularly these days, but I have no doubt the dietary change has also helped.
Now, although I’d love to have lost a bit more weight by this point, I know seven pounds in a month is a respectable loss. I’m happy with it. I really am, although I’d secretly hoped for a “miracle” in that little pill… some magical alchemy that peeled off 20 pounds with no real effort from me. Some near-instantaneous fix.
But perhaps I did get one, at least in part: I’ve made a switch to a far more healthy way of eating, and I’ve had a chance to realize how much good that does my body. I doubt I’ll buy any more Alli — though I won’t rule it out — but now I know how to eat right for my own sake, and not merely to avoid the “ick factor.”
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9 Comments »
Comment by Tsoniki
July 25, 2007 @ 5:24 pm #
I would be happy with the clear skin! When I was doing LA Weight Loss I was eating better and did feel better but my skin stayed the same - and it’s never been perfectly clear.
Comment by Chubby Mommy
July 25, 2007 @ 5:32 pm #
I’ve got pores you could swim in. Always have. Unfortunately, the diet change didn’t affect them.
Comment by Big Loser
July 25, 2007 @ 8:17 pm #
I’ve been taking Alli for a couple of weeks now. Like you…for fear of having those bad treatment effects, I make sure I monitor my fat grams very closely. Something I learned the HARD way (because of those really bad treatment effects) lol!
Congrats on your weightloss!
Comment by Chubby Mommy
July 25, 2007 @ 8:29 pm #
Thanks! It really does have the “Pavlovian effect” they mentioned, doesn’t it?
Comment by Veronika
July 25, 2007 @ 11:41 pm #
I’m using ALLI for a while now and am on my second pill bottle. I have so far never experienced the “ick factor”, I guess since the pill absorbs the fat it can only hold a certain amount of it after that it “leaks”. 7 pounds is great and changing your eating habits will get you even further. Good Luck
Comment by Chubby Mommy
July 26, 2007 @ 8:13 am #
You nailed the cause of the “ick factor” exactly, Veronika. Which is why I find myself chuckling over people who don’t take it but then focus on that one aspect. It’s kind of an admission on their part that they couldn’t stay within the limits, but rather than admit it they just make fun of people taking Alli.
Good luck to you on your progress, too!
Comment by jae
July 26, 2007 @ 12:18 pm #
I said when I read the pamphlet that it’s a psychological thing. It provides the only real negative reinforcement a person who struggles to change their diet can grasp - embarrassment. The fact that it accomplishes that through blocking the fat absorption is just an added byproduct if you ask me.
People who don’t take it for fear of the side effects (myself included, but that’s because I have other health issues that are already an issue there)… well, they’re just not ready yet. And that, ultimately, is the success factor in all long term weight loss and lifestyle change - the willingness and mental readiness to change.
Hubby’s only lost about 7 so far as well in close to a month, but like you — his eating habits have vastly changed. So I think the success is in that alone.
Comment by sarahk
July 27, 2007 @ 9:26 pm #
congratulations!
Comment by Yvette Stoddart
July 28, 2007 @ 3:24 am #
Hi Kate!
I’m Matt’s wife and he turned me on to your blog…love it! His stepmom has been on Alli and it’s worked with mixed results kind of like you mentioned. But hey, if a pill can even possibly make you lose weight, it’s probably worth a treatment effect.
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