Hi DinaDawg, Thanks for writing and congrats on your awesome success on the alli plan. Becoming more educated re: health, fitness and nutrition will greatly increase the possibility of your long-term weight loss success! Alli not only promotes exercise and a healthy diet, but provides their customers with every tool necessary to reach their weight loss goals! In regards to your question, I know that you won't be able to be active post surgery, which means that your body will not be burning as many calories per day. Your age, weight, height and current fitness level do play a significant part in your metabolic rate. It is a very good thing that you've already lost a significant amount of weight and are much stronger and healthier going into the surgery! This will greatly effect your ability to stay at a healthy weight and recover more quickly. I would encourage you to just keep your caloric intake right in the same vicinity, and/or right between the 1200 and 1800 plan. In my opinion, you don't need to drastically decrease your caloric intake b/c your body is going to need to sustain the new lean muscle mass you've created, keep your metabolism running and to help aid you in recovery. Just be very mindful of where the calories are coming from and make sure that they are nutrient-dense and that your diet is very balance. Be sure to eat plenty of lean proteins to provide your body with what it needs to maintain your muscle mass! It would be fine for you to lower your caloric intake by a couple of hundred calories and fat grams by a couple of grams while you're recovering. Again just not by any extreme measure, as you will need enough of good nutritious energy to spur a fast, healthy recovery! I would also encourage you to post a message to the on-line dietician for her expertise on this subject! Best of luck to you and with the surgery! Stay well, Kelli

Kelli,

Thank you so much for your input.  I will stay between 1600 and 1800 calories until I am fully recovered.  Once I can resume my pre-surgery exercise routine I'll go back to my 1800 program.

Cheers,
Patti

Hi DinaDawg, I am glad to help in any way that I can! I hope your surgery is very successful and that you have a speedy recovery. Keep me posted with your progress and please feel free to ask me any other questions or concerns that you may have! Be strong, Kelli

 I am going to have surgery this Friday and picked up my prescriptions today.  Should I continue to take ALLI even if I am taking some pretty strong pain pills, pills for nausea, and antibiotic pills?

 Hi Gazebigirl,

I wish you the best with your surgery. 

In answer to your question, and to provide you with the most tailored and accurate information, you should post this question to the online pharmacist.  Give her the exact prescriptions and she'll be able to guide you on any interference alli may or may not have with them.

Concentrate on getting well and recovering.  Keep me posted.

Good Luck,

Paul

 i just started can you tell me anything I should know. I want to do it right.

 Hi prima111,

Congratulations and welcome to alli.  The alli plan is designed to work because it incorporates all of the main components of long-term, healthy weight loss: diet, exercise and of course, a boost from the pills. 

In terms of exercise, you want to combine cardio exercise (elliptical, walking, spinning, jogging, aerobics, etc.) that gets your heart rate up and sustained (in the 65-80 percent of your max) zone for 30-60 minutes, with strength training exercise to build lean muscle mass.

Building lean muscle mass is critical to your overall weight (and fat) loss and to keeping it off.  The more muscle a person has, the more metabolically active they are, burning calories and fat, even at rest. 

Adding strength training to your progam will help a great deal.  It will help you burn calories at a faster rate and promote the production of new lean muscle mass. I recommend you begin a program for your total body, twice per week.  Follow the recommended strength training exercises on this site under "mystrengthtraininglog" for some great exercises as well as demos.  The exercises on the site are all great basics that will help you reach your goal.

Continue this with at least three days per week of cardio exercise, 30-60 minutes each, and you will start to see results.

Be sure to closely follow your diet and your recommended caloric intake.  Also be sure to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated. 

Let me know if you have any questions as you get going and keep me posted.

Good Luck,

Paul

 If you are not allowed to take alli (only because your dr told you not to) just be sure to becareful of what you eat.

 

Hi prima111, 

Thanks for the input. You are right that it is going to be crucial that in certain instances, (such as surgery and a doctor's instruction) that you cannot take alli for a period of time, that you follow a healthy, low-fat diet very carefully!  Without the ability to continue an exercise program, your diet is the only area of weight loss that you can control!  

The alli program tries very hard to equip their customers with all of the tools necessary to be successful in their weight loss journey, including the message boards!  I strongly encourage all to keep plugged in and connected with the alli community to share your successes, struggles, and every day thoughts and feeling with each other.  Be sure and post any and all of your questions to the specialists to further assist you!

Best of luck, 

Kelli