Anyone else taking Alli during lockdown?

[lockdownalli]

So the first eight weeks of lockdown I ate cake and drank

Then I weighed myself and realised I was 12 stone 13 and 5 foot five, putting me in the obese category

I decided to try Alli. The only thing that had put me off it before was the unfortunate side effects if you eat too much fat in a meal. Allegedly there is a risk you can shit your pants.

I figured as I currently leave the house once or twice a week, this would be the IDEAL time to try this particular tool out. I do see it as a tool, rather than some kind of Miracle Cure for Gluttony.

So I started taking it, only with meals that contain fat, and after just one week I am 12 stone 5!!! Bloody delighted.

I haven't had any accidents, but have had to scoot upstairs or out of bed a couple of times as you get far less time between thinking you need to go, and the , erm, event.

Also, apologies if TMI, I am having more frequent BMs and there is sometimes a sort of orange globuley film on the bowl which I believe is the fat.

Is anyone else using lockdown as a reason to try Alli? I couldn't possibly use it in my "normal" life which involves lots of packed commuter trains and long drives.

How's it going @Startoftheyear2020?

Hi guys, glad I found this thread. Started slimming world, and trying alli alongside to see if it gives a boost.
SW 13.1, CW 12.8
I’m on day 2 of alli.
Would you continue to use them if your BMI drops below 28?

Edit: I started slimming world 7 weeks ago and I lose an average of 1lb a week! I’m 7 weeks into Sw and day 2 of alli + Sw

Hey @lockdownalli so far so good. I'd welcome advice about whether to stop taking a pill if you know you're having a high fat (or even medium fat) meal. It's easy to keep low fat most meals but on Sunday evening I'm planning a BBQ and I'm not sure if avoiding that evening's pill will avoid 'problems' or just to stay low for the whole day.

Well done @yas212 that's a steady but positive loss!

@Startoftheyear2020 I've played around with this a bit. I had quite a high fat meal a couple of weeks ago (but healthy, the fat was from salmon fillets) and I had no bad side effects just the usual orange film in the loo with normal toilet habits.

I had a Thai red curry last weekend, made with low fat coconut milk, brown rice and chicken so as 'healthy' as I could make it. Much higher fat that I have been eating with the curry paste and coconut milk. It wasn't terrible, not painful or anything but I was sat on the loo quite early the next morning and it was quite obvious that a much larger amount of fat was leaving my system!

At no point though have I had an concerns about continence!

Also, it kind of defeats the point of taking it if you're not going to take it if you have a high fat meal. That's how it works, it won't work if have high fat meals with no pill.

If I have a high fat meal and it gives me a bad tummy, I'll know it's best to avoid that meal while trying to lose weight and taking the pills.

Hmmm. Yes I can see both sides of this. Part of the effectiveness of Alli is that it deters you from eating too much fat.

So I think Start you need to decide whether to have a high fat meal but don't take Alli. This will set your diet back and you won't be happy with yourself in the morning.

Or you take the tablet and eat a small amount of fat.

Or you take the tablet and eat lots of fat and the aftermath will put you off doing that again probably

Yep, good advice, thanks. I had quite a high fat meal last night (sausages) and just held back. I haven't seen any orange film yet but I'm happy with the weight loss and feel motivated. Hope everyone else is losing too!

Hi all,
Partly due to medication and partly due to chocolate and lack of walking in lockdown (shielding) I've gained.
If I just eat as normal - snacks are unhealthy I admit, but the meals aren't especially, though don't do low fat anything, am I likely to lose weight.
Or am in more likely to have the nasty side effects described due to not actually limiting the fat per se?

If you don't limit your fat, you will probably have tummy troubles @SoloMummy. The more fat you consume, the more will leave your body and the more likely it is that you'll have the grim side effects listed.

I've swapped crisps for Walkers Baked or Quavers (not great, but better) for example if I want something snacky.

I've not yet had any, erm accidents, at all and generally I just get the orange film in the loo, but as I said in my last post I had a Thai curry made with low fat coconut milk, brown rice and chicken last weekend so as low fat as I could make it and my god did I know about it the next day. You just need to play around with how your tummy reacts. I imagine if you were to eat something greasy like a Chinese or Pizza then you'd likely have a rotten tummy the next day.

@princesshollysmagicalwand

If you don't limit your fat, you will probably have tummy troubles *@SoloMummy*. The more fat you consume, the more will leave your body and the more likely it is that you'll have the grim side effects listed.

I've swapped crisps for Walkers Baked or Quavers (not great, but better) for example if I want something snacky.

I've not yet had any, erm accidents, at all and generally I just get the orange film in the loo, but as I said in my last post I had a Thai curry made with low fat coconut milk, brown rice and chicken last weekend so as low fat as I could make it and my god did I know about it the next day. You just need to play around with how your tummy reacts. I imagine if you were to eat something greasy like a Chinese or Pizza then you'd likely have a rotten tummy the next day.

Thank you.

I suppose its the lazy way to have some impact, whilst not as active and before the new medication regime starts!

Thank you @princesshollysmagicalwand!
Day 3 of alli, skipped it at lunch as had a picnic in the park and though I’ve not had any of those side effects yet... I didn’t want the first one to happen in a park with no access to a loo 😂.
The only side effects I’ve had so far is my tummy feels like it’s rumbling after a meal, not with hunger I can just feel the digestion a lot more. And a bit more gassy but that is it!

Weigh in day for me today and I have lost three pounds this week so am now 11:8.

So in six weeks I have lost 19 lbs. I am so happy about this.

Off to breakfast with a mate now and will have a pastry and then a walk on the beach, so I won't have a tablet until much later. Our beach loos are open but don't really want to take any chances

Keep going everyone.

Well done everyone. I'm definitely noticing having a grumbling tummy and more frequent toilet visits, but I'm losing weight and feeling great.
I guess we have to see eating lower fat as the way ahead, with or without Alli. I'm glad I read this thread! The Lumiere hair removal gadget is also amazing and I bought one as a result of reading a MN thread (in case anyone has ever wondered) 😂

This all sounds too good to be true. How long do you take it for and what happens when you stop? It's very tempting but doesn't seem like a solution to long term weight loss. What happens to the healthy fats we eat? Do they not get absorbed either? So many questions, sorry!

I've been too scared to take it as I have a weak tummy at the best of times.. but after getting on the scales this morning and having eaten quite healthy for the past two weeks I've taken the plunge! Going to log all my food in MFP and weigh / measure weekly

Well done @lockdownalli! It's still coming off isn't it. I'm at a stone now, weigh in day tomorrow which will be four weeks. Just ordered my second pot, where is everyone getting it? I paid £50 in Boots as I was in a rush but would be useful for next time if I can get it elsewhere cheaper!

How long are you supposed to take it for,btw? (Yes I know I could read the leaflet, just wondered if anyone knew offhand)

@DtPeabodysLoosePants It's not a magic solution. It works because 1) you have to commit yourself to eating healthier overall 2) if you eat loads of fat you get seriously unwanted and unpleasant side effects and 3) it is actually a prescription medication (the stuff we buy is a lower dose but it's the safe stuff) that strips the fat from your food and you expel it.

You can see the fat in the toilet, so you know it's working. It's pretty gross, tbf!

I'm doing it whilst calorie counting on MFP. I have never lost this much so quickly before.

Hi all, can I ask if any of you track your macros etc- what sort of grammage of fat is considered high, or too low to bother taking a tablet?

Weldricks came quite quickly

I don't know about macros etc. I don't take it if I am eating something with less than a gram of fat.

I intend to carry on until I reach the "normal" weight range/BMI which for me will be 10 stone 10. So around another 12 lbs to go.

I wonder if the weight will stay off. But I think it will as long as we don't revert to bad eating habits. Easier said than done though.

Weigh in day today, same as yesterday 13st 12lbs. So exactly a stone in four weeks. I'll take that! It seems to be coming off steadily now.

@Startoftheyear2020 A lot of my trouble is portion sizes. I'm a greedy pig. I'm actually not eating that differently, I've swapped some things for lower fat options (like going into skimmed milk etc) - my diet isn't awful I was just eating far far too much of it. I've halved the size of my dinners by weighing and they're now appropriate sized plates of food for me and I'm satisfied by them. A month ago I'd have cleared a plate double the size and I actually don't think I could now.

Hopefully that sort of retraining my brain to eat normally rather than stuffing myself will help keep it off. No tablet can do that unfortunately that's all on me!