Tuesday, I will have been on alli for 4 weeks.  The first week, I gained 4 lbs, the second week, I lost 5, the third, I gained 2.  I know I'm not due for a weigh-in until tuesday, but my weight has increased from the third week a couple of pounds. 

I ate very, very poorly before alli, and know I have been making better choices.  I've been staying under my fat grams and haven't had any TE's until today.  I kept up with the caloric intake for the first couple of weeks, but ran out of pages in the journal and was discouraged anyway, and stopped writing everything down. 

I switched from regular Dr. Peppers to Diet, and suppose I should stop sodas altogether, but other than that, I don't know what I'm doing wrong. 

hi macarter1981,

i can completely understand your feelings. i don't know anyone who has tried to drop weight who, at one point or another, hasn't wanted to throw their hands up and say "forget it!". but, DON'T. it seems like you're not making progress right....just remember, by not giving up...you are making progress.

buy a notebook...a small one you can carry in your purse..and start your food journal again. be sure you're staying in your fat and calorie targets, make sure you're drinking water and try to get some exercise everyday. even if the scale doesn't move, you know you're making healthy choices for your body. that should make you feel good, right?!

by the way, as far as i know, diet sodas are fine. drink them in moderation, of course. getting the right amount of water in everyday is important.

today is a new day!!!!!

:0)

Macarter1981,

I agree with stillworking 06, take the time to write EVERYTHING down sometimes there are hidden calories and fat that you do not realize add up really fast.  I also agree, and I know easier said than done, just try and focus on your improvements regardless of what the scale says.  No matter how you look at it eating healthier is better for you!

One more thing, I have read several reports that claim that caffine and/or artificial sweetners like those in diet sodas can actually slow down weight loss.  Maybe try a week with no diet pop and see if the scale moves. 

Good luck,

Bonnie

I know exactly how you feel I have been at 201 lbs for three weeks in a row now.  I have my foot in the door.  I just am at a stand still.  The main thing is I feel so much better.  I am very proud of the 15 lbs I lost in 5 weeks.  I ran out of the Alli pills and it was like a week before I started back on them.  I do not know if that has anything to do with being at a stand still. 

So, this week I am going to change up the menu.  Add some more exercise and drink more water and see if that helps. 

So good luck to both of us.

Kimberley

macarter1981:

I've been staying under my fat grams

Actually ... this flashed at me like a neon sign.  This could be your problem - not getting ENOUGH fat grams on your program.  That's how this is all set up to work - to meet your calorie AND fat gram content per day.  If you haven't already - take some time to read Betty Kovacs post on the first page regarding the importance of meeting your calorie & your fat gram content.

You may find a BIG difference in your weight loss :)  :)

 Definately, buy a notebook and start writing everything down again and stick to the plan. Drop the sodas and hit the water, lots of it!!! And exercise, even if you're only going out for a 30 minute walk, it will really help you out. Good luck and I really hope that you continue to stick with the program, because it really does work!

I thought I wrote a reply, but I don't see it here...

Anyway, thank you all for the advice and encouragement.  I saw my doctor yesterday for a routine follow-up regarding other issues, and told her about my alli progress (or lack of it).  She prescribed Meridia for me to take as well, which is supposed to be some sort of non-stimulant appetite supressant.  From what I've read, it seems to work like many of the antidepressants, and one of the pill books said its prototype was prozac....which upset me because I had some ol' prozac in the cupboard, and this med was around $4/pill.  Oh, well.  I'm going to start fresh  with the alli/meridia/water and minimal pops... starting.... now!  I also saw an ad for a Nintendo Wii Fit system, which is like an exercise nintendo.  I have a 9 month old baby, so it's hard for me to get out of the house for very long. 

On a lighter note, I weighed in at 0.3 pounds under what I started alli at a month ago, so for now, I can officially claim that I've lost weight.  I'm reading other posts about people getting upset about "only" losing 3 or 4 pounds their first week... gee, I'd happily switch shoes. 

Why don't you use the Nutrition Log on the Alli site instead of writing what you eat in a journal?  I think it is so much easier to do it online, and it automatically adds up your calories, fats, etc. for you.  You can tell at a glance whether you're getting enough protein, etc. in your diet as well as whether you're reaching your calorie and fat goals daily. It is impossible to guess at whether we're reaching our nutritional goals or not, so if you're not keeping any kind of log you can't really know how well you're doing.   Did you know that even diet soda can bloat you?  There is absolutely nothing nutritional in soda at all.  Water is a far better way to hydrate your body.  If you can't tolerate drinking large amounts of plain water, try the flavored water; but be careful cuz a lot of them have sugar added.  Make sure you buy the calorie free brands, or at least those with few calories. 

You didn't mention exercise.  If you're not exercising you definitely should start.  You should also measure yourself to see if you're losing inches.  You need to become more familiar with how Alli works by reading some of the info found on the Alli site to help you better understand what you need to do and why.  Many people have had tremendous success with Alli, but they first became committed to making a lifestyle change.  Don't become discouraged...become committed.  Let us know how you're doing.

Liz

Pls don't give up...i know its hard at 1st...but its all about controlling the intake. I started about 2.5 weeks ago and so far I have dropped 10lbs. I was soo skeptical about this program at 1st but it really works. I work 2 jobs and I really do not have the time to actually fix healthy meals, so I just reduced my intake. I know if I lets say get a bag of chips..i'm afraid of the possibility of the treatment effects so instead of the whole bag I eat a couple.I'm sure I could have lost more but I'm on a good path the numbers on the scale are finally moving the other way so I'm happy.Just dont give up...hit me up when u wanna chat   

Caffeine slows down weight loss? That's bad news - I'm a coffee junkie, although I don't put sugar or dairy in it. By the way, aren't most of the diet pills that advertise they raise your metabolism loaded with caffeine? (Sigh) I'm confused.

It's hard for me to get online every single time I eat something.... the computer takes forever to load up, and my baby is constantly tugging at my leg, hitting the keys, etc.  She never naps. 

I know water is better than diet soda, but I've got to have my carbonated beverages... I'd be miserable without them, and am focusing on making do-able changes right now. 

I'm not yet cleared for exercise due to heart issues...wearing a holter right now, and will be seeing my cardiologist next month (possibly for an ablation procedure).  I do a lot of shopping though, so I figure pushing the cart around the store every few days should count for something.  :)

Oh, and I've lost an entire pound since I started the meridia/alli two days ago! So now my net weight loss is 1.3 lbs.  I'm below the 180 mark now!  :-D   I also got a free starter box of alli!  I didn't notice it until I came home and looked at my receipt, but when the clerk scanned my $15 coupon, it asked for a "price prompt," and she typed in the price of the alli (not the coupon)...the receipt shows a coupon of $47. 

i was thinking the same thing Mrs. i was dieting on my own before getting on the alli program. the first thing i noticed was that the alli program had me eating more fat and calories than i was doing on my own. my husband even commented to me that i was probably not getting enough fat in my diet and my body was storing it up to use when i needed it. your body needs fat to lose fat.

don't get discouraged. get all your support ready (notebook, recipe cards, etc) and start over. i have found for me that if i write out all my meals on cards and put them in order for the day and week, you just pull the card and you know what you are going to eat. no surprises. it also makes grocery shopping real easy.

hang in there!!