Alli is promoted on TV and magazine ads as a powerful companion if you are trying to loose weight. I am a little curious if it will help the average Jane like me. The ads feature women who are not really obese, just a little overweight like me.

It is the lower dosed version of the prescription drug, Xenical. You take the capsule 3 times per day with your meal. However, you have to modify your diet to roughly contain roughly 15 grams of fat or less. The active ingredient, orlistat, blocks 25% of the fat you eat from being absorbed.

The research I do on Alli, the more I realized that the side effects are not something that I would want to deal with. If you eat a little more fat than the recommended amount, you will have to deal with diarrhea and leakage. The potential weight loss is only 5-10% of your body weight when use in conjunction with a low-fat diet and exercise.

I think I will have to pass on this one. It took me years to put on the weight. I think a slow, gradual lifestyle change will get me there without having to deal with “leakage.”