The Diet Logs

About six months ago I decided to try and lose some weight. Easier said than done, right? I heard of the new diet pill Alli and thought I’d give it a try. I bought Alli at a nearby Wal-Mart. It came in a starter pack which was more than I wanted to spend, but thought if the results were what they claimed to be, I was good to go.

Alli is an over-the-counter weight loss pill. It’s a reduced dose of orlistat, a drug used to treat obesity. Orlistat (also known as Xenical) decreases the amount of fat your body absorbs. Less fat equals less calories, less calories results in a healthier you.

The suggest amount of Alli exceeds no more than three doses a day (one dose before each meal containing fat). Users are also forewarned about unwanted side-affects such as diarrhea, gas and oily discharge. Was my weight-loss goal worth the risk and expense? I would say not.

The worst side-affect of Alli is the orange colored discharge I experienced while using it. Although I was prepared for a lot of things, I wasn’t prepared for constant gas, trips to the bathroom because of loose bowl movements, and having to double check my pants to see if the orange oil had made a leak. I felt as though I was taking an unhealthy diuretic, not a health-promoting pill. Alli itself is not sure how much weight the consumer is expected to lose. Diet and an exercise regimen still remains the key to losing weight.

A few months after beginning to take Alli, I stopped. The side-affects weren’t worth the supposed weight I was going to lose. Are all weight-loss pills a scam? In my experience, they are. But if you want to try Alli (or similar diet pill) remember to consult a doctor before hand, and proceed with caution.

Elizabeth Woodward wrote this on July 30th, 2008 and filed it under Diet Logs, Dieting, Fad Diets, Weight Loss |