i have been on a religiously lowfat diet for over two years...cheeseburger? what is that? i have truly abstained from most cheese, all pizza, burgers, high fat, fries, grease, etc. for so long now my tummy would go into shock at the thought. most of the cubacks are due to my IBS which simply made life unliveable for a long time and i just got tired of it. my average day consists of whole grain waffles for brk, carrots or fruit for lunch, pasta or rice or canned chicken for dinner, and sugar free popsicles or rice cakes for snacks. no kidding. i take a handful of vitamins and supplements at night to get what i lack. my question is for one, WHY am i still 155lbs at 5'2"? and second, will this medicine even help me at all?

Sounds like you and me are in the same boat!!  Not many people seem to respond to our questions

With all due respect, I ran your posted diet through the nutrition tracker and it appears that you're not eating nearly enough calories a day plus you're not eating hardly any fat for the Alli to work on.  While I'm definitely not a dietician, I can tell you from years of dieting that eating too little is just as bad as eating too much in terms of weightloss as your metabolism shuts down because the body senses it's starving.  The metabolism slows to prevent the body from losing any more fat as a result.  You simply stop losing....a plateau if you will. 

The diet plan posted here is very specific in terms of guidelines/calories/fat intake for your height and weight.  I suggest you change your eating habits to following the menus posted or use the substitute option for a meal you don't like.  Eat more to boost your metabolism to a place where you can lose weight. 

Exercise is another way to increase your metabolism.  You didn't mention as to whether you were incorporating this into your plan.  I'd also suggest you address your question to the nutritionist on the boards here too.  I'm sure that they can help you with your concerns.  Good luck!

Me, too, same weight as you.  I'm exercizing more, drinking more water, taking Alli  for 2 weeks now, haven't had a single side effect, even when I felt like I had cheated, have lost 2 pounds.   I've added bread once or twice a week and some fruit, but I don't come close to the recommended calorie count they suggest based on my lifestyle.  No change.  I'm SO discouraged. 

 Seriously, I think there have been so many additives to our food supply, it has our bodies all out of whack.  Next time my Dr. hassles me about my weight (which has stayed at this level for at least 10 years give or take 5 pounds) I'm going to scream.  This has become a mental obsession.  So, if you get any breakthroughs, will you tell me?  I've posed the question to Alli with no response.

Have you had your thyroid checked?

I think that alli may not be for you.  It only works on fat and you're hardly taking any in.  How tall are you?  With the food you're eating, it sounds like you should be skinny.  Also how old are you.  The metabolism slows down big time after age 45 or 50.

I was wondering...if Alli works on fat, and you're on a low fat diet, how can alli work? 

I have 65 pounds to lose, so I'm envious of those 29 pounds, but I do understand we all get frustrated with weight no matter how much or little we have to lose.

Before Alli - When I got to a plateau, I cut back by about 250 calories and bust-a-move, like 20 minutes extra of walking to get beyond that place on the scale. Hold that pattern a few days, then resume.  It has helped me get over the plateau, and not regain pounds already lost when I go back. Now, if someone would explain how this works....would be great. Seems you would gain, but I guess your body adjusts. I do know that if you starve your body, it will go into conserve mode, and we gain weight when we start eating again. I guess the key is keeping your body with an energy supply (small meals/frequent healthy snacks) to keep it up and running/burning.

Hi Hollykdm,

Alli is not for everyone so it's important to see if it would work for you before you begin. Keep track of everything that you eat and drink for a week or two. You can do this at www.fitday.com. This will give you your intake of fat grams each day and what percent of your diet is coming from fat. Once you get the results let me know and I will tell you if alli is for you.

Betty Kovacs, MS, RD

I to am on a low fat diet have been for a few years. I normaly eat about 35 grams of fat a day mosty at lunch and diner. I just purchased Alli today because i need to lose about 25 lbs in 3 months and wanted to speed things up. When I found out I need to eat 19 grams of fat for breakfast alone I nearly had a heart attack, I may eat 10 grams at the most. So does this mean I need to eat more fat or just not take Alli with breakfast? A normal breakfast for me is a soy sauage pattie, toast with light butter, and fruit, 6 1/2 grams of fat. It seems to me, more fat would be taking a step foward and two backwards. So will  Alli not work if you dont eat enough fat? I have been following weight watchers, I am over 50, excise daily and I am a female. Would be thankful for any help.

Terry