A lot of us would like to find that magic pill we can take once a day and loose weight without much effort on our part. Unfortunately is does not exist and I'm sure if it did there would be a lot of harsh side effects. The only tested and proved way to loose weight and keep it off requires work and discipline on our part.
I work as a pharmacy tech in a chain store. We have many people every day come to the counter with a couple of products claiming weight loss and ask which is best. The answer is the same, try them at your own risk. There is not sufficient evidence to prove one over another. The FDA does not regulate dietary supplements in the same way as medication. Dietary supplements can be sold with limited or no research on how well it works. Some can even make you gain weight if not used properly. Out of a desire to better serve our patients, I researched one of the more popular weight loss products, Alli. Following is what I learned.
Alli is the reduced strength prescription drug orlistat (Xenacal). It is used to treat obesity in patients 18 yrs and older. Those taking over the counter Alli can conceivably lose 3 more pounds a year than with diet and exercise alone. It is recommended to be used in conjunction with a diet low in fat to limit/avoid some of it's unsavory side effects. Some of those side effects being gas with oily discharge, loose stools or diarrhea, more frequent bowel movements and hard to control bowel movements. So stay close to a bathroom and bring a change of pants!
You should not take Alli if you are at a healthy weight (healthy doesn't mean skinny, that isn't always healthy), if you are taking cyclosporines (anti rejection drugs), have had an organ transplant, or are having problems absorbing food. It also may pose a risk for anyone with diabetes, thyroid disease or anyone on blood-thinning medications. Alli may decrease the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. You will need to take a supplement at a different time than when you take Alli, to prevent potential nutrient deficiencies.
Keep in mind that if you lose weight on a supplement you will most likely gain it all back when you stop taking it. You may have to continue taking the supplement along with diet and exercise in order to keep it off.
As with any weight loss or diet, check with your doctor before starting Alli to see if it is right for you and to make sure it will not interfere adversely with any medications you may be on.
Most of the research came from Mayo Clinic. Click the link to read more!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
I think therefore I can!
I enjoy being a mom more than I thought I would. It has it's moments of frustration and fatigue but the moments of joy that my child brings to my day, seem to melt away those feelings!
I would like to share a few tips that have helped me put things in perspective throughout the day!
When my daughter was a new born, I couldn't wait for the night she would sleep through! I loved going to bed and being able to get a good nights rest. As most know that stops when you have kids. But those twelve, three and six am feedings were kicking my butt! I knew that if I didn't get some consistent sleep I would be more impatient, less loving and grouchy with her and my husband! Thanks to a good friend my daughter started sleeping through the night at 2 1/2 months! Oh what joy! My friend suggested I read a book called On Becoming Baby Wise, by Gary Ezzo and Dr Robert Bucknam. I bought a used copy and started to read. Being a new mom I had no idea what people meant when they told me I should get her on a schedule. I didn't understand how to time feedings. I would get frustrated when I would feed her and a few minutes later she would be crying again! Could she really be hungry again!? On Becoming Baby Wise helped me understand those things that people don't seem to tell you or explain very well. So I took what I thought was important from the book and through trial and error, we found what worked for us! She is now 13 months and goes to bed around 8:30p, her choice and sleeps till 7:30 or 8 am! Me, on the other hand it has been hit and miss, but at least it's more consistent and I feel so much better and I have more patience throughout the day. Every baby is different and so is every family. There are good ideas out there and what one must keep in mind is their own family and what works for them! You don't need to follow people's advice word for word. I like to think of it as taking the best of what they know and putting it together with what you know and making it work!
Take time to enjoy the little things. Being a working mom and trying to be a good wife, I often get frustrated when the hours seem short and the laundry and dishes seem to multiply like rabbits! I'm in the middle of finishing a task and my daughter starts to cry or gets into a cupboard and makes it her hiding place by pulling everything out! I clench my teeth (which isn't good for your jaw and makes your teeth hurt over time) and pull her away, angrily putting the cupboard back together while she's off on a new exploration! I feel exhausted and overwhelmed! My temper is short and my blood pressure is rising! It's then that I realize, I don't have to do it all! It's okay to load the dishwasher and walk away. It's okay to do a couple of loads instead of the whole Mount Everest of laundry. I have noticed that this tiny little mess maker can only go so long before it's time for another nap! So clean a few dishes, play with her which might only mean sitting on the floor while she picks things up and shows them to me. Then at nap time I have oodles of time to do a few more things and possibly even take a short nap myself! There really are enough hours in the day. We just have to figure out how to use them!
Children grow up so fast. One day you will have all the dishes done and the laundry put away and you'll turn around to play with your kids and they won't be there. They're in school or have a family of their own and live a couple hundred miles away. Don't waste the days of motherhood.
I have lots more to say but for now this will suffice!
Thanks and remember you're doing okay!
I would like to share a few tips that have helped me put things in perspective throughout the day!
When my daughter was a new born, I couldn't wait for the night she would sleep through! I loved going to bed and being able to get a good nights rest. As most know that stops when you have kids. But those twelve, three and six am feedings were kicking my butt! I knew that if I didn't get some consistent sleep I would be more impatient, less loving and grouchy with her and my husband! Thanks to a good friend my daughter started sleeping through the night at 2 1/2 months! Oh what joy! My friend suggested I read a book called On Becoming Baby Wise, by Gary Ezzo and Dr Robert Bucknam. I bought a used copy and started to read. Being a new mom I had no idea what people meant when they told me I should get her on a schedule. I didn't understand how to time feedings. I would get frustrated when I would feed her and a few minutes later she would be crying again! Could she really be hungry again!? On Becoming Baby Wise helped me understand those things that people don't seem to tell you or explain very well. So I took what I thought was important from the book and through trial and error, we found what worked for us! She is now 13 months and goes to bed around 8:30p, her choice and sleeps till 7:30 or 8 am! Me, on the other hand it has been hit and miss, but at least it's more consistent and I feel so much better and I have more patience throughout the day. Every baby is different and so is every family. There are good ideas out there and what one must keep in mind is their own family and what works for them! You don't need to follow people's advice word for word. I like to think of it as taking the best of what they know and putting it together with what you know and making it work!
Take time to enjoy the little things. Being a working mom and trying to be a good wife, I often get frustrated when the hours seem short and the laundry and dishes seem to multiply like rabbits! I'm in the middle of finishing a task and my daughter starts to cry or gets into a cupboard and makes it her hiding place by pulling everything out! I clench my teeth (which isn't good for your jaw and makes your teeth hurt over time) and pull her away, angrily putting the cupboard back together while she's off on a new exploration! I feel exhausted and overwhelmed! My temper is short and my blood pressure is rising! It's then that I realize, I don't have to do it all! It's okay to load the dishwasher and walk away. It's okay to do a couple of loads instead of the whole Mount Everest of laundry. I have noticed that this tiny little mess maker can only go so long before it's time for another nap! So clean a few dishes, play with her which might only mean sitting on the floor while she picks things up and shows them to me. Then at nap time I have oodles of time to do a few more things and possibly even take a short nap myself! There really are enough hours in the day. We just have to figure out how to use them!
Children grow up so fast. One day you will have all the dishes done and the laundry put away and you'll turn around to play with your kids and they won't be there. They're in school or have a family of their own and live a couple hundred miles away. Don't waste the days of motherhood.
I have lots more to say but for now this will suffice!
Thanks and remember you're doing okay!
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