Can anyone give any advice on ALLI?

I have not tried it, but I believe it helps a portion of your fat you eat go right through your system without being absorbed. If you eat too much fat then you have "an accident". This is from my memory of it a few years ago,maybe someone else knows more.

Yes, I have advice: Don't take it (unless you enjoy "sharting"). I took it for about a month, and had to wear a pad every day. I only lost 2 or 3 lbs, and it was just not worth the grossness of it all. The accidents happen even if you stay within the allotted fat grams, just because of the way your body breaks it down. Just.....gross. Sorry about being kind of graphic, but that is the reality of it. :embarassed:

It's kind of a mixed bag. I am being treated for Hep-C and need to lose some weight for treatment options and/or possible liver transplant. That said, I see a lot of Gastroenterologists. One gave me a prescription for the same drug that is in Alli but it was so expensive the pharmacist recommended I take 2 Alli over-the-counter instead before each meal. Same side affects that you eluded to, but more extreme. GI agreed and I was prepared to move forward with it when I saw a Kaiser Gastroenterologist who said it can be quite toxic and doesn't recommend it at all, but if used should be under close medical supervision.

Much as I love the "magic pill" idea...I've opted for less calories and more exercise. I hate it, but don't want to become svelt again only to lose my health.

Good luck with your decision! I hope this helps.

You could always use Depends......

I was told by two different doctors that if you eat anything remotely bad for you while on Alli, it will cause anal leakage as your body will no longer want to hold the excess fat you have consumed.

due to this fact, as i cannot really budget Alli + Depends or liners + extra underwear - my dignity.

Be very careful with using Alli and any sort of diet pill. The Food and Drug Administration has investigated Alli numerous times due to it's ability to cause severe liver damage.

I originally thought about trying it and possibly recommending it to my mom but after investigating it, I decided strongly against it.

Not only that, but it strips all the fat out of the meals you are eating, which is extremely unhealthy.

Our bodies don't need low fat diets. We need to be eating WHOLE foods.

We need fatty acids for our bodies to function properly and a certain % of fat intake every day. Low fat diets don't give us that percentage, which can be damaging to your health.

It works if you eat a diet high in fats,because thats what is does it blocks some of the fats from being asorbed,but if your a dieter you r probably like me you dont eat alot of fats,I did try it when it first came out years ago and it didnt work for me , it did give me a lot of gas and i felt bloated a lot, the only way is to cut back on food intake and move more,We all wish ther was a magic pill but i dont think so

I looked into Alli and did quite a bit of research on it.
Ultimately, the trend I saw with the reviews was that it helps, but minimally. I think at best it helps you lose an extra 5 lbs over a YEAR.
With the side effects described by everyone else, I think it's probably not really worth having to buy pads, new undies, or diapers!
If you try it, update us on how it's going.

Good advise similair to what i said,no magic,

I used Alli a couple of years ago & it helped tremendously! I lost 15lbs in 12 weeks & I've never been able to lose more than a couple of pounds no matter how hard I'd try. I never had an "accident" but if you eat too much fat & Alli starts to "work" lol, you'd better go soon! I mean, it won't leak out - at least, I never had that problem but I've read that other people have - but when you feel the pressure to go, you might want to or else you'll end up with stomach pains! I ended up gaining the weight back because I didn't stick with the changes I made - eating better, exercising, etc.

I'm also using Alli this time around as well & it does help. I make a conscious effort NOT to eat more fat than needed but if I do, I'm aware of the consequences. Since I've started MFP & Alli, I've only lost about 5lbs BUT I wasn't as committed at first & I started to get discouraged. Lately, I've adjusted my eating pattern to accommodate the higher metabolism that's come from burning the extra calories, I exercise diligently & take the Alli faithfully, along with other changes I found my inspiration & so far, everything is going great!

I hope everyone does well with whatever you decide to do!