I know I'm probably grasping at straws here, but I have a question about nutritional supplements. A little background about me is that I'm 55, I've been taking Alli for a little over a year, and have lost 47 pounds, so I know the plan, I follow the plan, I take my pills and I exercise regularly. My weight loss had slowed down after the first few months, but I still have about 35 more pounds to loose and even though I've had a few plateaus, I was still loosing. A month ago, with the blessings of my doctor, I stopped taking some of the medications I'd been on and replaced them with nutritional supplements... Red Yeast Rice for cholesterol, Glucosimine for arthritis, Melatonin for sleep problems, and while I was trying to get and stay healthier, I added daily ecchinecea and B-Complex. I've been on a plateau now for 4 weeks, and I've really been doing well with the eating plan, am taking Alli regularly, and exercising more than I had in the past (for example I've power-walked over 14 miles in the past 3 days). I wonder if you know if my body adjusting to the new supplements could have stalled my weight loss, and either way, do you have any suggestions to get the scale moving again? Thank You.

Sharon

 Hi Sharon,

Congratulations on your weight loss!  Your commitment is remarkable!

Many factors can attribute a weight plateau - Menstrual cycles, high sodium intake, medications,  supplements, etc.  I will recommend you consult with your doctor and also post your question to the pharmacist in this message board.  They will be able to provide more details.  Sometimes, even if you follow a diet plan perfectly well there are moments when your body plateaus and that is OK.  Even when the scale does not show progress, you should not feel discouraged.  Chances are that you are making progress in many other ways. 

• You are eating healthy and that is positive
• Maybe you are feeling more energetic
• Maybe your clothes are fitting better
• Maybe your cholesterol level is lowering

If you stay the course you will continue to drop pounds.  You can also help move from plateau if you add resistance exercise to your routine or cut a snack or about 100 to 200 calories from your meal plan (as long as you are not going to be very hungry in between meals).  Most importantly, stay on track.  Keep up the good work!

Let us know if we can be of further help,

Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, MS, RD, LDN, CPT - registered dietitian