How Much Would You Endure to Lose More Weight?
So the other day I’m at the CVS pharmacy, also known as the store with the $50 cover charge because I always leave there with at least that much less in my checking account, and while I waited for a prescription I started looking at the Alli brochures.
Have you heard of Alli? It’s an over-the-counter FDA approved diet aid that’s selling out of stores everywhere.
Anyway, I was reading the brochure for this stuff that’s being advertised everywhere because I was curious. Like most women, I want to lose a few pounds. And hey! It’s FDA approved. It MUST work, right? *snort*
From what I gleaned, you lose weight with Alli because instead of absorbing fat, your body expels some of it when you um…take a poo.
Then I read the line in the “treatment effects” about how if you eat too much fat while taking it, you may suffer from gas with an oily discharge. Oh, and possibly some “loose stools” that may be difficult to control, too.
And then it hit me!!! That’s how it REALLY works!!!
It scares you into not eating as much fat because who, in their right mind, would take a chance on farting greasy discharge into their clothes and walking around all day with an ever-enlarging and presumably smelly oily spot on their ass, ESPECIALLY, when the average person passes gas EIGHTEEN times a day?
And the loose, uncontrollable stools? Uh yeah, those are definitely a dealbreaker because hello? Shitting in your pants? So NOT suave.
I also read that the makers of Alli suggest wearing dark clothes and carrying an extra pair of pants. AN EXTRA PAIR OF PANTS!!! Seriously?
Apparently there is an Alli Accident Support Group, too. For reals. Although a little weird, I guess that’s a good thing because it’s been ohhhh about 34 years since I’ve had one of those kinds of accidents and as an adult, I’m sure it would be a lot more traumatizing than it is when you’re six.
So tell me, folks, would the aforementioned side effects “treatment effects” scare you into eating less fat or would you just wear a big old pad or something and go about your business?
I mean, it probably does help eliminate some fat absorption (30% is the claim) but I do think the majority of weight loss, for me anyway, would come from avoiding too much fat so you don’t suffer those “treatment effects.”
They sound remarkably similar to the warning on those scary Olestra potato chips, which I have yet to try for fear of foul-smelling oily spots in my underwear and pants because you know…I’m average. I may very well fart eighteen times a day. That’s a LOT of greasy discharge..
Is anyone thinking of trying Alli?
Anyone out there that has tried Alli?
Would you tell us if you had greasy farts or leaked some brown in your pants?
Okay, okay. You don’t have to tell us that.
I’m mostly just curious to know if it’s effective and if it has made you consciously eat less fat.
Thanks in advance for sharing :)
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I would never try Alli, but I’d also never have weight loss surgery. That’s just me - and I’m overweight enough for both. As for the Olestra potato chips. I love them. I eat a portion size at a time (20 chips or whatever) if I have them in the house, but they allow me to not feel deprived when that’s what I’m in the mood for. It also blocks overeating them because of the side effects — and I’ve never had any side effects.
I’m now on a low-carb diet - I’ve been battling weight issues all of my adult life - and I do admit reading the info on alli. And you have a better chance of seeing GOD than for me to try that stuff. You got your info 100% correct - it’s all about pooping your pants. No thanks.
I’ve been working on my weight since January, but have not been able to loose a thing (I didn’t use any diet pills…I didn’t believe in them). I work out like a dog, eat 1200-1400 calories + low fat diet, and it wasn’t until I started taking the Alli pills last month that any weight started coming off. And the only side effects I’ve had happened when I had a weak moment involving some seriously delicious and buttery cinnamon sticks. So yes, if you blow it…you will have issues. But for me, a person who is already pretty disciplined with her diet, it was the thing I needed to finally get the ball rolling with my weight loss.
With that said, I was totally paranoid about leaving the house the first week. But desperation will make you try about anything once!;)
Thanks for writing this post and saving many of us in the free world the embarrassment. Extra pair of pants? Are they serious?!?!
that stuff TOTALLY scares me. An extra pair of pants? HELP!
This is a totally nosy question (feel free to tell me to piss off) but how much weight have you lost? And do you feel like you have to stay on Alli or you might gain it back?
OKay, my sister is a nurse and she totally pulled me out of the clothing section at Target to show me this product and to tell me exactly what you just said: medically it just makes you have really greasy and frequent ass explosions. Please, do not go and spend the 59.99+ tax to put yourself through that. :)
I used to take the prescription equivalent of this several years ago. I took it for about a few months. I lost NO WEIGHT (and this with cutting way back on fat intake and working out 30-45 minutes per session, five days per week), and the “side effects” were not pleasant. I never had an embarrassing moment, but I decided it wasn’t worth the expense (at the time, not covered by insurance), and it wasn’t working for me, so I gave it up.
ohhhhhh my god, I love that you glommed to this, because a girl at work tried it and I have been giving her endless shit about needing to get a tarp for her so she doens’t stain her chair….
So, it’s a laxative with a fancy name and a steep price tag? I’ll pass, thanks.
i can’t believe this is going to catch on…i would rather be fat or starve…i feel this is something that our kids will look back on someday like “duck and cover” or “skylab” a really lame idea…or someone makes a mint off of a kind of buttplug!
Um, it’s a GlaxoSmithKline product. How long do you think it will be before some more severe side effects are leaked out (pun intended? Need we mention Avandia?
Ummm, yeah. Diet and exercise are working just fine for me, and no oily discharge or ass stains. I didn’t fall for the phen-phen hype, and I won’t be jumping on the Alli bandwagon.
It’s tempting….I’ll give you that. Who doesn’t want the weigh to fall off? But geez….oily discharge? No thanks.
I also manage to spend a buttload every time I walk into a drugstore. Must be a girl thing.
I have heard of it, I had heard about the err poo issues, and I have no interest. I did all right with weight loss just using the practical and healthy Weight Watchers plan. Anyway, sort of leery of these things.
But of course we look! We’re human. Who couldn’t at least think about these things.
I’ve seen it, and there’s no way I’d ever try it. I’d rather be fat than deal with explosive poo.
You know how those olestra-laden chips warn of similar side effects? Well, according to a very reliable source, this “greasy discharge” and the like - assplosions - are real. If you should accidentally ingest a bag of olestra chips. KABOOM. There it is. When you least expect it. (oops!)
This stuff sounds like olestra in pill form. I’d sooner have a kidney removed.
I wouldn’t try Alli, but I did try Reductil (called Meridia in the states) a couple of years ago. It worked really well *for me* note I am not suggesting anyone else should try it - but it did not have any of these nasty side effects. The way it works is different, it basically makes you not hungry. And it *did* work like that for me, I had to remind myself to eat. But, it was not cheap and once you stop taking it the effect of not being hungry goes away, so unless you make some serious lifestyle changes, the weight will come back to you as a surprise. It did for me. And I’ve realised that this is the weight I’m going to be until I make some serious lifestyle changes, that’s the reality and I’m ok with it. There are no magic pills.
As we’ve all seen from those biggest loser shows and Oprah, weight loss is simple enough. Eat less, exercise more. But unless you commit to doing that all the time, the weight will come back.
I’m not sure I understand Kellyology’s comment - how did the pill kick you into losing weight? It sounds like you were doing everything right already.
Snoskred - has a new home at -
http://www.snoskred.org/
I am a bit puzzled as to how you came about the knowledge that the “average person” passes gas 18 times a day?
The “treatment effects” of this sound far too scary to me. It seems a big part of its “success” is scaring people into eating healthier (less fat) foods. Hell, that would work for anybody - without a pill!
Dr. Ahmet Oz told millions of people about the average person’s gas passing on Oprah.
Or so I’m told *cough*
Oh Izzy…
I am howling…
I have enough problems with the Keigals and ever so often am fearful to sneeze… that I can not imagine/fathom a pill such as Alli….
Oh Izzy…
I am howling…
I have enough problems with the Keigals and ever so often am fearful to sneeze… that I can not imagine/fathom a pill such as Alli….
There’s no extra weight on me that a little exercise wouldn’t fix, so I probably wouldn’t try it. I know, you can hate me if you want, but it’s just my metabolism. “Treatment effects”? Is that the less scary version of “side effects”?
Well, if I was a shut-in who never saw the light of day - sure thing!
I’ve used it for a month. Have had no side effects that would require changing my pants — or underpants, but did spend a LOT of time in the bathroom. I lost… NOTHING. Not an ounce.
I had read about this, too - it does work just the Olestra, causing your body to not digest the fat, thus passing it through.
Apparently the “accidents” are known in the support group as “alli-oops.” More like alli-ew.
From what I’ve read about it, this may in fact be the first real and not entirely unhealthy weight loss drug. But I think the notion of “magic in a pill” is in conflict with “wait, so I have to exercise and limit my food intake?” for most people. Thus, the accidents.
You can’t have it both ways.
Me, no thanks. I’m wary of anything besides diet and exercise unless you’re severely obese.
I’m growing fond of my muffin top. We’re becoming good buddies. I wouldn’t want to shit it away…
A support group, extra pants??? Yeah, I think I’ll pass. And I love Redneck Mommy’s reasoning!
I can just imagine the commentary now: “Wow, that chick is totally hot, but what’s with that big grease stain on her ass? Looks like she sat on a pizza.”
I think Alli needs to come up with a clothing line, too. All of the very colorful, bold print pants are made with plastic lining and come with a free sample bottle of Dawn dish detergent.
i am, erm, offended by its choice of name.
ah, yes, ali causes people to shit their pants…that’s a product i want my name ALL OVER.
No thanks.
I may be fat, but at least I smell nice. :)
Besides, the amount of weight loss seems so insignificant for the bother of shitting yourself randomly throughout the day.
I would rather be heavy thank-you
but I would like to see a reality show based on people who are taking it!!!
Too stinkin funny…. Literally. I like my ice cream and clean underwear too much to try that stuff! I guess I’ll stay a little “fluffy”!
Doesn’t this remind anyone of Starch Blocker from the early 1980’s? Remember, it blew-up in your stomach and left no room for food. The pres for Alli has been overwhelming, but sounds so nasty!
Two years from now there will be thousands of lawsuits over this miracle pill, just like there was with Phen-Phen and other such drugs. I don’t trust any of these miracle fat pills, and I certainly don’t want to endure their side-effects!
Jane, P&B Girls
I think it’s a great way of avoiding fat. But with the greasy discharge, I’m sure it’s not going to be a great experience for everyone. What if it suddenly happens even if you were avoiding fat?
I think it is a great way of avoiding fat. But with the greasy discharge, I’m sure it’s not going to be a great experience for everyone. What if it suddenly happens even if you were avoiding fat?
Loose stool is something I avoid at all costs.
I am silly that way.
Yeah, I had a roommate work on the FDA passage of Olestra. When I was asked to sign a waiver before I could taste the products I figured they couldn’t be that tasty.
The major warning? Anal leakage. I’m sorry, but in now way did that sound like a positive side-effect at all.
I have enough to carry around with a baby. The whole idea of needed to carry extra clothing and the uncontrollable body functions is enough for me to steer clear.
Some friends and I spent an evening reading the Alli handbook and laughing uncontrollably. (None of us actually take it, it was purchased by mistake.) The best part? The section that explained how you may recognize such “discharge” as something similar to “the oil on top of a pizza”. Yeah, because if you are taking Alli you must be intimately familiar with pizza. Thanks, but I’m going to stick to working out and clean pants.
I love that you love Dr. Oz…he is pretty informative!
I wouldn’t try these pills because I would be worried about future side effects that they may not know about yet. I would be afraid that someday I would have health problems caused by me wanting to be thinner. BUT, I have never been overweight, so I don’t know how frustrating that is. I can imagine, but I have never been there, so I would never presume to judge anyone for either using it or not using it. I simply don’t need it, and because of that fact, it is so much easier for me to say it is scary and I would never use it. Besides the yucky treatment efffects that would happen immediately, I would worry the most about future unknowns this may cause. I also just had cancer, so I may be a little more cautious than normal people about things like this. Basically my opinion sucks because I don’t need the pill, and am definitely more jumpy than normal about unnecessary drugs that could cause harmful effects later in life. Feel free to disregard anything I said because of that!
I totally think you hit the nail on the head. No, I would never try it personally. For one, because it is a drug and a healthy diet can mostly do the same thing. But, the side, er treatment, effects are too scary in and of themselves!
I agree with Mornish. What if we accidentally ate fat? It would mean serious trouble. I think no one will last with this kind of diet.
I agree with Mornish. What if we accidentally ate fat? It would mean serious trouble. I think no one will last with this kind of diet..
This is half strength of the original prescription drug that the FDA approved…I was on the full strength version for a time because of PCOS.
There are no words for the utter nastiness.
Being heavy was better than greasing my pants at any moment.
They should have NEVER released this. Too many dumb people won’t read the label properly and end up sick and dirty.
I have P.C.O.S. The only thing that will help me is a very strict diet and becoming a marathon runner. I know this from experience, the diet I have to follow (for health as well as weight) makes low-carb look like a picnic! Desperation is an understatement most days and still I would not use this product. So to answer your question from someone who has had severe depression related to weight… this is too much to endure!
I love how some of the people on their forum have started referring to “accidental discharge” as “Allie-Opps”
remember the fat free or low fat potato chips that had exactly the same effect?
This must be the same thing…but now it is really good for you!
Nope. Never. And it strikes me as more of a scare tactic than anything else, frankly.
I just looked up some info on Alli and then I remembered seeing it featured on the Daily Show. Namely the dark pants thing. Seriously? I have enough issue with spitup on my clothing, I don’t need to crap myself. I have two kids still doing that.
This used to be the prescription Xenical & I remember reading the warning years ago when I worked in the pharmacy & I thought NO WAY. I was going to tell you about that support group but I see that you already know. I have read a few articles too about tips on how to deal with the Alli Oops that you get. I could never take that, no way!
Dammit you beat me to it. I had the same thought as I looked in horror at the side effects of this product. I’d rather have a fat ass than a leaky one.
Have to tell you this one. I’m a man, bought some Alli. Didn’t know they were targeting women. Anyway, I’m always looking to lose 15 lbs. I’m training for a marathon, so losing some extra weight would be good. I’m not fat, but I’m not one of those 2-hour skinny marathon runners you see flying down the road. My marathons take me 4.5 hours. But anyway, I like to eat, so I look for any edge I can get. I did have oily stools as a result of taking Alli. One bad experience I had was at home, when I was walking around in my underwear and passed gas. Bad news was that it was an oil explosion. Had to toss out my underwear. Glad it didn’t happen in public. Also, I noticed that in the middle of two separate long runs on consecutive weekends, I suddenly had to go really bad. One time there was an outhouse, the other time I actually had to go and relieve myself in the woods, like a bear. So I’ve stopped taking Alli during my training program because I don’t want to poop my pants during a long run.
I really could have used this stuff a couple of months ago when I was REALLY constipated!!!
I think you should try it and then blog the results;)
Question 1: So far I’ve lost 8 pounds (in about 6 weeks). When I did WW eons ago after my 2nd pregnancy I averaged about .6 pounds a week. Now it’s what 1.3 or so a week? So I guess what they promise is right. You lose about double what you normally lose when you diet.
Question 2: I don’t feel like I have to stay on Alli or gain it back. I already know how not to gain weight. I have that part down. I just had some weird hormonal girly things happened that caused my latest gain. Once I got the hormone stuff under control, I couldn’t get off what I had gained. So as I said before, Alli got the ball rolling.
I did everything right, but nothing was coming off after 4 months of a strict regimen. I think I just needed an extra something and Alli was what it was for me.
I have a friend who’s sister is on this. Well, it’s called something different in Australia, but it is the same thing anyway. She has been on it for years. She does not use it properly - to stop yourself from eating more than 2g of fat a day or you will poop yourself with oily orange fat - she just eats whatever she likes now and says it doesn’t matter ‘cos it’ll pass right through. And yes, she has had accidents from it. I don’t understand it myself!
Please allow me to add something toy our excellent post about dieting:
Dieting is the practice of ingesting food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight. In many cases the goal is weight loss, but some athletes aspire to gain weight (usually in the form of muscle) and diets can also be used to maintain a stable body weight.