Losing Weight and Feeling Great

‘Weight Loss – Other’

Does Alli work for losing weight? I don’t know about you, but recently I’ve seen a lot of commercials for Alli, the weight loss diet aid. Alli works by reducing the amount of fat (and fat calories) that’s can be absorbed by the intestines. Fewer calories = weight loss.

But does Alli really work — does it really help people lose 50% more weight than a person would normally lose on a weight loss diet? It’s a valid question, given Alli’s side effects, which can be quite embarrassing.

Today, I have Ann Huz, who has put together some information about the question, “Does Alli work for losing weight?”. It’s information you need to know beforehand, if you are considering using Alli.

Does Alli Work for Losing Weight?

Alli is the OTC (over-the-counter) generic name for Orlistat which can also be obtained as a prescription in the form of Xenical.  You may remember some years ago it was the weight loss rage.  It works by means of a fat blocker that prevents your body from absorbing all or most of the fat contained in the foods you eat.  Alli claims in aiding weight loss has FDA backing, the only OTC diet pill approved by the FDA.

But one thing that the advertisements don’t point out well is that you can’t continue to eat fatty foods, or otherwise suffer some very unpleasant side effects.  Alli needs to be used with a low fat diet.

How Much Weight Can You Lose With Alli?

The actual amount of weight lost by using Alli really does vary.  For example, one study revealed that between 36% and 55% of participants experienced a 5% or more decrease in their body mass.  However, it wasn’t clear if that loss was fat (good) or muscle (bad).  Between 16% and 25%  of the participants achieved a 10% or greater decrease in body mass.  Well, so far so good, right?  Maybe.  Maybe not.

When the participants stopped using Alli, they regained an average of almost 1/3 of the weight that they lost.  However, that isn’t exactly news; far too many of us gain back some weight after going off a diet.

Alli Side Effects

The Alli side effects are very much worth noting.  And here’s the basic rule:  if you eat food with high fat content, undigested fat is going to be expelled from your body.  This can lead to loose stools and smelly flatulence.  Not to mention uncontrollable bowel movements!

It’s worth mentioning that these side effects are especially true in the earlier stages, when the body is not yet accustomed to Alli’s effects.  Even the manufacturer asks you to consider wearing dark pants, as well as bring extra clothes to work.  I’m also thinking that Depends wouldn’t be a bad idea in the beginning.  The good news is that the side effects can be minimized by eating meals that are low fat.

Sure, Alli does help to accelerate weight loss.  Still, there are no diet pills that will magically make you lose fat without any effort on your part.  You have to follow a sensible diet in order to lose weight.

Alli diet pills have been documented to work.  But only you can decide if it’s the right supplement for you.

About the Author:
For data on Weight Watchers Point Calculator, Free Weight Watchers Point Calculator, and tons more, see AmazingWeightLossDiet.com

Alli, Weight Loss and You

OK, the FDA even agrees that Alli works.  But as Ann points out, it’s not a magic bullet.  And it’s not for everyone.  If you can’t control your fat intake (and I think the manufacturer says no more than 15 grams at any one meal), you will suffer the consequences.

You folks know that I don’t advocate using diet pills, but not because they don’t work (many in fact do).  I’m just leary of using diet supplements as a crutch for weight loss.  Now if you want to use a supplement that helps you when you are already following a sensible diet, that’s one thing.  That’s the way supplements are supposed to work.

What diet pills don’t do is let you continue to eat the way you normally do and still lose weight.  I don’t care what the commercials say.  As Ann pointed out, there are no magic bullets.  Just supplements that help when you already follow a sensible diet.

So, is Alli right for you?  It’s possible, especially if you already follow a low-fat diet.  Alli will help you lose extra in that case.  But it’s not for someone who doesn’t want to control the amount of fat they eat.

Just what do vanilla aromatherapy candles have to do with dieting?  Actually a fair amount!

I like aromatherapy, so I look for more ideas on using it from time to time.  I came across an article the other day which linked using vanilla aromatherapy with dieting success.  Naturally intrigued, I had to read more!

The gist of the study (performed by St. George’s Hospital in London) was this:  the vanilla scent (used as skin patches)  soothed and relaxed and made the test subjects less likely to snack on sweet foods.  Fewer sweet foods caused fewer blood sugar swings.  Fewer blood sugar swings reduced cravings.

See where I’m going with this?  By not giving into cravings, the subjects ate less and took in fewer calories.  And with the fewer calories came weight loss!

OK, so in the study they used true vanilla aromatherapy (i.e. with essential oils).  I love the scent of vanilla (yum!) but most essential oils don’t have a really good scent life once they are out of the bottle.  And vanilla isn’t exactly inexpensive as essential oils go.

So, my idea of using vanilla aromatherapy candles! 

The only catch — you need candles that come with an authentic scent, and not mixed with other flower or fruit aromas.  I know, they are hard to find, but they are out there!  (I found a good source, so leave a comment if you want more info.)

So, will you try vanilla-scented aromatherapy candles?  I sure am — I’ll take any help I can get, when it comes to dieting and weight loss!