Sorry for the delay!  Betty is now on Personal Experiences only.  Sylvia and I, both RD's, answer this board.

In a case like this I recommend that people take a look at the Sample Menus.  Though they don't have to be followed exactly -- it's important to eat similar types and amounts of foods.  That gives the flexibility to use you're own recipes, favorite foods etc. WITHIN the context of the Alli Menu Plan.

The menus are designed to meet the calorie and fat amounts of the particular level + provide good nutrition.  And part of the goal of the Alli Menus is to help people make healthier food choices so they lose weight and maintain it after goal weight is reached.

Remember, Alli is about Change.  So though you can enjoy your favorite foods, some changes are needed.

I hope this helps.

Pat Baird, MA, RD, registered dietitian 

The book takes a slightly different approach as it's geared toward a broader base of people.  The Personal Calculator takes into account your specific information that your provided.  I think you're best going with those levels.

Certainly, it's not wrong to do the method in the book...just a slight variation.

I hope this helps.

Pat Baird, MA, RD, registered dietitian 

 Please go to the top of this post and you'll see several explanations of why it's important to eat the correct amount of fat in order to loose weight.  It sounds like you need to purchase some regular or LF foods instead of the FF items you currently buy.

Pat Baird, MA, RD, registered dietitian 

 

I am confused! I am used to not consuming much fat, i.e. drink ff milk and ff/lf everything else. I'll splurge every now and then on mexican food or pizza. So, on Alli I have to start having more daily intake of fat? Such, as 1% milk and such? I eat my sandwiches w/ out mayo or dressing, just a slice of cheese(colby jack). Does that mean I should use mayo or dressings now? I guess what I dont understand is if I am used to keeping Fat out of my daily diet, I now have to learn to put it in?

WOW! I read the instructions wrong and thought I was doing REAL good because I was going well under my 1800 cal, 60 fat grams per day! After 5 days of dieting, my average is 1445 cal and only 31.8 fat grams per day. Now in reading this, I realize I gotta take in more fat, a good deal more, as well as some calories! I'll have to take the time to go thru all the menu items but my problem is that I have picky tastes. I do not like mayo, creamy sauces, cheese (save for pizza, and what I call the "funky veggies" like broccoli, cauliflower, etc (funny how the 'funky veggies' are the ones that are hard to spell, LOL!).

 I have noticed when reading nutritional labels that there is usually a trade off... lower in fat, higher in carbs, lower in carbs, higher in fat. So if I am not close to reaching minimum calories or fat recommendations, I should look for higher fat content, lower carbs?

Would it be fair to say that since 30% of our calories need to come from fat, we should pay less attention to "Total Fat Grams" and more attention to "Calories From Fat"? I just had two servings of Oatmeal Crisp (General Mills) w/1% milk for breakfast. 535 calories, and 11.25 fat grams. However, that's only 65 calories from fat, FAR from the 160.5 calories to make 30%.

It seems far beyond counterintuitive to say I need to more than double my calories from fat, in order to loose 25%, but then again, if I did double it, I'd be doubling the grams of fat, going above my 19 grams per meal. Plus, it seems like this supposed "low fat" diet is rapidly becoming a "high fat" diet since it is far more fat than I normally consume!

What is it I'm missing from this equation?! (by the way, understanding the math of all this is important to me since I am such a picky eater. Much of the suggested menu items I do not find tasteful so I'm trying to create my own menu based on the mathematics of Alli.)

You can use these meals as a framework for your meal but you'll need to add something like a salad with LF or oil & vinegar, or a whole grain roll with peanut butter; or some cashews; or MW sweet potato with a little butter, etc.  

There are lots of food to use to bring your calories and fat to the recommended level.

I hope this helps.

Pat Baird, MA, RD, registered dietitian 

The book uses a slightly different approach, but you'll get to the same place as MyAlli.  This website starts with people taking the capsule with the full amount of fat right from the beginning.

Either approach is correct.  However, if you've purchased the product and entered your information into the Personal Calculator, I'd recommend that you use those numbers.

I hope this helps.

Pat Baird, MA, RD, registered dietitian
 

 If you use the Sample Menus as a guide and plan your meals around similar types and amounts of food you'll come pretty close to where you should be.

Every food package lists the amount of calories, and the number of fat grams per serving somewhere on the side, back or bottom.  If you are eating two servings of a particular food, multiply those numbers by 2.  There is also a Fat & Calorie Counter included in the Starter Kit that makes if easy to look up a number of different foods and beverages.

I hope this helps.

Pat Baird, MA, RD, registered dietitian 

There is lots of information at the top of this thread about why fat is so important -- and that's why you're not losing weight.

One way to handle that is to buy more LF and regular fat products (like salad dressing) rather than all FF items.

I hope that helps.

Pat Baird, MA, RD, registered dietitian 

Alli is about counting calories and fat, not counting carbs.  The Sample Menus are specifically designed to provide the proper amount of calories and fat -- as well as other nutrients necessary for good health.  

You don't have to follow the menus exactly, but if yu substitute similar types and amounts of food, you'll come in close to where you should be at the recommended level.

I hope this helps.

Pat Baird, MA, RD, registered dietitian 

i have not made up my mind to start yet but i do have q's about the grams in meals. i generaly do not eat prepackaged foods likeweight watchers ect, i make my own food. how do i could grams of fat in things i cooked? i am reading the posts here and in calores and thinking about what i eat most days, cereal with whole milk for breakfast, lunch sandwicht meat (one serving worth and bead sometimes), dinner is usuly something like broilded or baked meat that has been merinated in lowfat merinade made by me. it dose not seem like alot of calereas or fat but how would i could it? the cearal and milk are not hard they come in packages but the mearinated meat, chicken or pork mostly , with no skin and the majority of the fat trimmed off. sea food in creamy sauses, how do you count  sea food by it self? if nothing else our dinners have varity if all the others lack it... at lest for me. LOL i don't know who much i eat in grams or fat but i realy don't think i should have a problem filling the requirments.

GloriaSoFlorida:

Hi Betty,

I started the plan on Sept. 8th and in the pre-plan and during that week lost 3 lbs.,YAY!  During that time I had a hard time reaching the 1600 calories per day and the 17 grams of fat per meal.  This week met the 1600 calories but I am still having a hard time reaching the fat required per meal.

Didn't loose this week so I will cut back on the calories by 200 to 300 as suggested but how do I reach my fat intake per meal? 

The easiest way to get the recommended amount of calories AND fat is to follow the Sample Menus.  You don't have to eat the exact items -- just substitute similar types and amounts of foods.  The menus are designed by registered dietitians to have the right mix of all the nutrients you need -- and there's less struggling with numbers.

Pat

silversong:

i have not made up my mind to start yet but i do have q's about the grams in meals. i generaly do not eat prepackaged foods likeweight watchers ect, i make my own food. how do i could grams of fat in things i cooked? i am reading the posts here and in calores and thinking about what i eat most days, cereal with whole milk for breakfast, lunch sandwicht meat (one serving worth and bead sometimes), dinner is usuly something like broilded or baked meat that has been merinated in lowfat merinade made by me. it dose not seem like alot of calereas or fat but how would i could it? the cearal and milk are not hard they come in packages but the mearinated meat, chicken or pork mostly , with no skin and the majority of the fat trimmed off. sea food in creamy sauses, how do you count  sea food by it self? if nothing else our dinners have varity if all the others lack it... at lest for me. LOL i don't know who much i eat in grams or fat but i realy don't think i should have a problem filling the requirments.

You'll need to count the calories and fat for whatever recipe - your's, ours, other - for each of the ingredients.  Some of the things you mention are not too complicated so you should be able to do it without a problem.  Soon you'll get to know the calories on your own.

Use the Fat & Calorie Counter included in the Starter Kit, or websites like www.calorieking.com are quite helpful.

Pat

I have a friend that just started Alli this past weekend. She has actually put on 3.5 pounds in 5 days and don't understand why. She has been eating healthy for a while now. She don't go over 20 grams of fat a day. Any idea why she is putting weight on??