pattilc:

 This is a good point. In the past I did Nutri System and I experienced hair loss, I am thinking that when you loose weight your body reacts. I am not a doctor but I have tried every diet and Alli is working for me. I am having a small amount of hair loss but not dramatic. I am taking extra biotene and collagen because of other meds I take. At night I take a packet of Dr Taub's vitamins, I don't think that Centrum is the best you can do.

            Good Luck to everyone!

 Programs like NS, WW and alli are all good, healthy and well-balanced diets.  The addition of a multivitamin/mineral (be sure it has minerals) ensures good nutrition.  My experience is that many people only partially follow the menu plans.

Often people will have fewer fruits and vegetables - excellent sources of minerals - and substitute bread, chocolate, sugary FF-desserts.  Then they have problems like dry skin, brittle nails, and hairloss that's blamed on the diet when it's really the substitutions that only susbtitute in caloric value and not nutritional value.

Pat

 Pat - I don't follow the menu plans. I have a lot of picky people to cook for, and most of what is on the menu they won't eat. With a husband and 5 kids to care for, I really don't have time to cook 2 separate meals each day. For the most part, I take my regular recipes and make them healthier.   I'm really trying to include lean meats, whole grains, and fresh veggies and fruit.  I'm doing really well in the fresh veggie area, but I don't like a lot of fresh fruits--bananas, grapes, melons, and oranges are about it. Are canned fruits ok? I love canned pineapple and mandarine oranges. I usually try to have some fresh and some canned each week. Is that ok? Also, I've discovered a yummy little treat called yam patties (obviously made from yams). They have 70 calories and 0 fat per patty. I usually have 2. If I'm making it part of a meal, I add some Splenda brown sugar and 1/2 tsp of butter per yam patty so that it will have some fat.  Are yams a good source of nutrition? Does that count as eating a vegetable? They're so good that I have a hard time thinking of them as a vegetable.

You don't have to follow the menu plans precisely - at least with alli and WW - but the general composition of the diet is important.  That is to have the recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, etc. at each of the calorie levels.

Yams are actually under the starchy vegetable category and so it can be part of the vegetables servings.  Another way to look at menu planning is the Exchange System.  That uses groups of foods that have approximately the same nutritional value per serving.

Take a look at section 5 of the Healthy Eating Guide included in the Starter Kit for a listing of the Exchanges so you see what I mean.  Then look at p. 20 of the guide for a chart of how many servings to have from each group -- for each of the alli calorie levels.

Let me know if you need more on this when you look at it.

Pat

JUST THIS MORNING I TOO CALLED ABOUT HAIR LOST, I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE LOSING HAIR.  I 'M RELIEVED THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS SIDE AFFECT.  DON'T GET ME WRONG -I STILL THINK ALLI IS THE BEST, CAUSE IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT HAS HELPED ME LOSE WEIGHT!! I  TOO WILL CONTINUE THE FOOD PLANS AND CHECK IN.

dollyphyl46:

JUST THIS MORNING I TOO CALLED ABOUT HAIR LOST, I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE LOSING HAIR.  I 'M RELIEVED THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS SIDE AFFECT.  DON'T GET ME WRONG -I STILL THINK ALLI IS THE BEST, CAUSE IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT HAS HELPED ME LOSE WEIGHT!! I  TOO WILL CONTINUE THE FOOD PLANS AND CHECK IN.

 

Im glad you called and feel better.  However, I want to emphasize the importance of taking the multivitamin - at bedtime - as diercted.  And, if there is any hesitation for anyone it's always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider.

Pat

I posted on another thread about this too...but glad I found this one.  I'm a 29 year old who started taking Alli three weeks ago and am no having massive hair loss.  I didn't change my routine one bit from the last 6 months, as I've lost 40 pounds without Alli.  So Now I'm concerned that there IS a relation to the product.  I'm afraid I'll have to stop using Alli and continue on the slower path to weight loss. 

I suggest you do several things.  First, start at the top of this thread and read each post.  You'll see that some people acknowledge eating less than a balanced diet and/or not taking the multivitamin every night at bedtime. 

Somewhere in the middle I mentioned that there are many reasons for hair loss that can include hormone changes, thyroid problems and poor diet.  So check your logs while you were on alli,  and try to re-capture what you were eating while you lost the 40 pounds.  Hair loss often occurs because of slow gradual changes over time so there may have been some nutrients that were lacking while you were on the other weight loss program.

Please do call the 800-number and let them know about the hair loss you're experiencing.  And you can also stop the capsules for a few days and see what happens; then resume taking them and see what happens then.  But I do recommend you call the 800-number in any event.

I hope this helps.

Pat Baird, MA, RD, registered dietitian