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June 20, 2007
Alli - A Friend or Foe?
Last week, the first FDA-approved weight-loss drug, Alli ( pronounced al-eye), once sold by prescription as Xenical (orlistat), hit store shelves. Until then, the options for dieters looking for that over-the-counter quick fix were limited to dietary supplements like CortiSlim and Trimspa, which aren't required by the government to prove they're either safe or effective.
Enter Alli — a drug that acts on the gut, not the brain, binding an enzyme called lipase to block about 25 percent of fat eaten in a meal. For every 10 pounds you could lose with diet and exercise, you can lose an additional 5 pounds using this drug.
But here's the catch: As the manufacturer of the drug clearly states, "Alli is not for everyone. It's for the consumer who can follow a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet for weight loss."
The key to using this drug successfully is to keep your intake of fat grams to no more than 15 to 20 per meal. Go over that limit, and you could find yourself having to heed nature's call at the most inopportune moments. Another side effect is decreased absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients, so Alli users should take a multivitamin-mineral supplement before bedtime.
One more tip: Remember that calories still count. The focus of the meal plan is on counting fat grams, but we don't want a repeat of the last low-fat dieting craze when dieters loaded up on fat-free snacks that were loaded with sugar and calories.
Whether this drug is right for you is a decision you should make with your physician. (For more information on the drug and the weight-loss plan, visit www.myalli.com.)
Here's a suggestion: Before you try the drug, why not first see if you can follow the dietary recommendations that go with it?
Stick to it and chances are good you won't need a magic pill to reach your weight-loss goal after all.
Sample Menu:
8 ounces low-fat Stonyfield Farm vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup Back to Nature Classic Granola
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
(Total = 5 grams of fat)
Subway 6-inch turkey breast sub (lettuce, tomato, mustard
and peppers)
1 cup Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
Small bag baked potato chips (1 ounce)
Bottled water
(Total = 12 grams of fat)
3 ounces chicken breast strips
and 1 cup snow peas stir-fried
with 1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 cup whole-grain instant brown rice
1 cup won-ton soup
Calorie-free sparkling flavored water
(Total = 14 grams of fat)
Sample Menu:
1 hard-cooked egg
1 slice whole-wheat toast
1 teaspoon
soft tub margarine
1 teaspoon strawberry jam
6 ounces orange juice
Coffee with 2 teaspoons
half-and-half
(Total = 12 grams of fat)
1 cup Progresso chicken noodle soup
4 RyKrisp crackers
4 wedges Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb cheese
Fresh pear
(Total = 12 grams of fat)
3 ounces farmed Atlantic salmon
Medium baked potato with fat-free sour cream
Steamed broccoli and cauliflower
2 Fig Newtons
Iced tea
(Total = 15 grams of fat)
Posted by Lisa at June 20, 2007 08:44 AM
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