Hi- 

Betty hopefully you can answer this question, but if anyone else ant to comment, please do!

I have been taking alli for since 6/29/07.  I started getting on track 1 week before taking alli and lost 6lbs (probably water weight!) Since I began alli I have lost an additinal 6lbs but at a much slower rate.  I have been at the same weight (196) since last Saturday (no....one day I dropped to 195 and went right back to 196 the next day) and have had a week of no weight loss.  Hence a lot of frustration on my part.  As far as  I know I am following the plan correctly, It seems a little early to hit a plateau so I am not sure what the problem is.  I work out 6x week (moderate to high intensity cardio and weight training) and eat a healthy diet that consist of lean protein, fruits and veggies.  My calorie intake is below the recommended 1800 and I follow the 30% rule.  I have had no treatment effects.  So why the sudden plateau?   What is a realistic expectation for weight loss?  I know I am making progress and losing some inches but should the scale be stuck so soon?  How often will this occur?    Thanks for any feedback!

Hi Jennel315,

I would be happy to help you figure out what is happening. It sounds like you have had a lot of success with following your plan. If I am right, you have lost 6 lbs in the 2 weeks that you have been taking alli. The less weight that you have to lose, the slower you lose it. The guidelines are to lose 1 to 2 lbs per week so you are ahead of that. If you plateau for one week that does not mean that it's not working. I would give it a couple of weeks to see if you need to cut back on your calories. You can go to http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm to calculate your needs.

Keep me posted on how it's going,

Betty Kovacs, MS, RD

Thanks for the feedback. Is it possible that consuming too few calroes will set me back?  I stopped adding my calories  up b/c I thought I was okay with choosing healthy choices, but when I looked back over the numbers I was way below what I had expected, I had been averaging 1000 a day- and fat was under 25grams per day most days (again not intentional- eating fruits, veggies and mainly grilled chicken items).  I do not want to cut back but could increase if I need to.  Thanks for taking the time to respond. 

Hi Jennel315,

There is a chance that you can slow things down by going too low in calories. It's also much more difficult to eat a well balanced diet when your calories are that low. You really do want to restrict your calories by 500 to 1000 per day from your maintenance needs. If you cut out 1000 calories per day and that brings you to down to 1000 total this may be okay. Just do not go below 1000 total. You also want to get 30% of your calories from fat so add some of the healthy fats to your diet; flaxseeds, walnuts, almonds, olive oil, soy beans, tofu, and fatty fish.

Good luck,

Betty Kovacs, MS, RD

Hi Jennel315,

 I just wanted to add to keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat so just because you aren't losing pounds doesn't mean it's not working!  My husband has to keep reminding me of that as well!  :)  Hope this helps and keep up the awesome work!

I have had this happen to me with other diets and I would get so frustrated... but what i also forgot to remember that muscle weighs more than fat. maybe that is what is happening. As you get in shape lose weight and excersice keep in mind you will gain muscle hence maybe the stuck scale. Just a thought

Janelles1