Alli, any thoughts

From what I've heard (haven't tried it personally) - it DOES work by not allowing your body to absorb all the fat you eat, however, it has some major downsides. If you eat too much fat at one time (in one meal), it will just pass through your body and cause some embarrassing and unpleasant side effects (stay close to a bathroom!)

My problem with alli is that it assumes that FAT consumption is the problem. In reality, someone can eat a low-fat diet that will still cause them to be overweight. It's total calories that's the biggest driver in weight-loss, and healthy fat is an important part of a well-balanced diet.

I suppose Alli might help be the "push" that some people need to get/stay on track, but It seems like given the high liklihood of unpleasant side effects, if you can do it without this, it would be better...

Here's some info I found from a good source: ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000175 )

What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Follow the diet program your doctor has given you. You should evenly divide the amount of daily fat, carbohydrates, and protein you eat over three main meals. If you take orlistat with a diet high in fat (a diet with more than 30% of the total daily calories from fat), or with one meal very high in fat, you are more likely to experience side effects from the medication.

While you are taking orlistat, you should avoid foods that have more than 30% fat. Read the labels on all the foods you buy. When eating meat, poultry (chicken) or fish, eat only 2 or 3 ounces (55 or 85 grams) (about the size of a deck of cards) for a serving. Choose lean cuts of meat and remove the skin from poultry. Fill up your meal plate with more grains, fruits, and vegetables. Replace whole-milk products with nonfat or 1% milk and reduced- or low-fat dairy items. Cook with less fat. Use vegetable oil spray when cooking. Salad dressings; many baked items; and prepackaged, processed, and fast foods are usually high in fat. Use the low- or nonfat versions of these foods and/or cut back on serving sizes. When dining out, ask how foods are prepared and request that they be prepared with little or no added fat.

Orlistat blocks your body's absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins and beta carotene. Therefore, when you use orlistat you should take a daily multivitamin that contains vitamins A, D, E, K, and beta-carotene. Read the label to find a multivitamin product that contains these vitamins. Take the multivitamin once a day, 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking orlistat, or take the multivitamin at bedtime. Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you might have about taking a multivitamin while you are taking orlistat.

What side effects can this medication cause?
Orlistat may cause side effects. The most common side effect of orlistat is changes in bowel movement (BM) habits. This generally occurs during the first weeks of treatment; however, it may continue throughout your use of orlistat. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

oily spotting on underwear or on clothing

gas with oily spotting

urgent need to have a bowel movement

loose stools

oily or fatty stools

increased number of bowel movements

difficulty controlling bowel movements

pain or discomfort in the rectum (bottom)

stomach pain

irregular menstrual periods

headache

anxiety

From what I've heard (haven't tried it personally) - it DOES work by not allowing your body to absorb all the fat you eat, however, it has some major downsides. If you eat too much fat at one time (in one meal), it will just pass through your body and cause some embarrassing and unpleasant side effects (stay close to a bathroom!)

My problem with alli is that it assumes that FAT consumption is the problem. In reality, someone can eat a low-fat diet that will still cause them to be overweight. It's total calories that's the biggest driver in weight-loss, and healthy fat is an important part of a well-balanced diet.

I supposed Alli might help be the "push" that some people need to get/stay on track, but It seems like given the high liklihood of unpleasant side effects, if you can do it without this, it would be better...

Here's some info I found from a good source: ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000175 )

What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Follow the diet program your doctor has given you. You should evenly divide the amount of daily fat, carbohydrates, and protein you eat over three main meals. If you take orlistat with a diet high in fat (a diet with more than 30% of the total daily calories from fat), or with one meal very high in fat, you are more likely to experience side effects from the medication.

While you are taking orlistat, you should avoid foods that have more than 30% fat. Read the labels on all the foods you buy. When eating meat, poultry (chicken) or fish, eat only 2 or 3 ounces (55 or 85 grams) (about the size of a deck of cards) for a serving. Choose lean cuts of meat and remove the skin from poultry. Fill up your meal plate with more grains, fruits, and vegetables. Replace whole-milk products with nonfat or 1% milk and reduced- or low-fat dairy items. Cook with less fat. Use vegetable oil spray when cooking. Salad dressings; many baked items; and prepackaged, processed, and fast foods are usually high in fat. Use the low- or nonfat versions of these foods and/or cut back on serving sizes. When dining out, ask how foods are prepared and request that they be prepared with little or no added fat.

Orlistat blocks your body's absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins and beta carotene. Therefore, when you use orlistat you should take a daily multivitamin that contains vitamins A, D, E, K, and beta-carotene. Read the label to find a multivitamin product that contains these vitamins. Take the multivitamin once a day, 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking orlistat, or take the multivitamin at bedtime. Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you might have about taking a multivitamin while you are taking orlistat.

What side effects can this medication cause?
Orlistat may cause side effects. The most common side effect of orlistat is changes in bowel movement (BM) habits. This generally occurs during the first weeks of treatment; however, it may continue throughout your use of orlistat. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

oily spotting on underwear or on clothing

gas with oily spotting

urgent need to have a bowel movement

loose stools

oily or fatty stools

increased number of bowel movements

difficulty controlling bowel movements

pain or discomfort in the rectum (bottom)

stomach pain

irregular menstrual periods

headache

anxiety

i think you covered it

Here's what cracked.com has to say:

http://www.cracked.com/article_15815_the-6-most-unsettling-medication-side-effects.html

Stay away from it.

I won't ever take anything that recommends I carry around an extra pair of underwear, lol.

You can be as careful as you want to be and STILL have the embarrassing side effects. I took it for a few days and was BRUTAL about reading labels and making sure I didn't go over on fat and did still have the effects. I stopped and have never looked at the stuff again.

AVOID!

my endo suggested the Rx version of it. I said no.
Cut out the bad fats - SAY NO to FRIES, CHEESE FRIES, CHICKEN WINGS...
eat more veggies
eat lean proteins.

oh, and no more beer for you! :devil:

I dunno, my feeling is if you have to watch what you eat while on it, wouldn't you lose weight anyway... I think the embarrassing side effects act in a way to make people actually think about what they are putting into their body... tricking them to learn how to eat properly.
Anyway, fat has gotten such a bad rap over the years, it's not fat that is bad, but the type of fat you are eating and what you are mixing your fats with...
egg with avocado = good!
crazy KFC double down chicken burger = bad!

I tried it a few years back and did not like the SIDE EFFECTS that is for sure. Maybe cause I don't have my gallbladder had something to do with it I don't know, but I had several of those side effects that were listed above. I agree with XFitMojoMom. I have learned that moderation is the big key when eating and what you eat of course. My advice don't do it.