Happy Tuesday ladies. I hope that you're both having a wonderful day and enjoying the last full month of summer, especially now that we're having some summer type weather. I am having an excellent day to be honest. It's sunny outside (not that I can see it from the basement) but the sun will be waiting for me when I get outside and I've had a very productive morning. I love the feeling of accomplishment, really I do! Anyway, onto the blogging.
So, I read up on Alli and here are my very biased thoughts (as someone who doesn't like the concept of pills for weight loss). First, the fact that is FDA approved gives the Alli pill an advantage. If someone decides to lose weight with the assistance of a pill, at least you know that there has been some research conducted regarding how efficacious the pill actually is. You know when you buy Alli pills that they contain Orlistat (a fat binding enzyme), not crushed dung beetles and sweet tarts. You also have some assurance of the safety of the pill because the FDA conducts safety screening before approving a drug. However, these results must be taken with a grain of salt. Let us all remember how amazing and "SAFE" the weight loss ingredient Fen-phen was before it started causing pulmonary hypertension and valvar heart disease (which can lead to death) in many women who took it.
Another positive that I believe that Alli has going for it, is that the manufacturers know that the pill alone won't safely or effectively help you lose weight. They stress the whole MyAlli plan which includes a reduced fat diet and regular exercise. In fact, one of the questions says that if you're not going to commit to the reduced fat diet and regular exercise, then the pill becomes less effective. Hmmm...ponder, ponder, ponder. Let's face it ladies, eating right and getting regular exercise is an area that we all struggle with. If we are unable to commit to the life style changes while taking Alli, then I guess I can't really see a point, at this juncture at least. Now, because of the way the pill works (fat blocking as opposed to speeding up the CNS) I feel like it could at some point be beneficial to any of us, however, the caveat is thus: we would have to have over come our trials with eating poorly and being sedentary. Until we become habitually active and eat well it doesn't make sense to spend that kind of money on something that we are keeping from working. I guess to recap, it could be helpful if you were really able to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the process.
Alright, speaking of healthy lifestyles I am trying to get back on track. I haven't been on track in a while and I really want to get serious about it again. I've been cooking at home a lot more, partially because I want to get serious again about weight loss and partially because I'm too poor to eat out. While I like to cook I find certain aspects of cooking at home to be frustrating, especially where home-cooked meals and weight loss intersect. I have a very hard time keeping track of the calories that are in my food. I never consciously count calories because it's so much work and it's impossible as far as I'm concerned but I like to have a rough estimate. I've had an epiphany lately and I thought I'd share it with you. I've come to the conclusion that unless I'm making something outrageously unhealthy and huge in proportion, there is a good chance that whatever I'm making and eating at home is going to be healthier for me than anything I'd get if I were eating out. I figure at home, my evening meal will be 500-600 calories max. If I stopped by McDonalds and grabbed a normal sized value meal, I would be consuming a considerably higher number of calories and probably a lot more fat and sodium that I realize. Consider this, a 2 cheeseburger value meal, if get the normal size Whit a 21 oz dt. coke contains:
980 calories
43 grams of fat (67%DV)
14.5 g saturated fat (69%DV)
1600 mg of salt (74%DV) that doesn't include if you add extra salt or any condiments on the fries...eep!
Mind you, this is just a starting point. Some of their meals can get outrageous, and mind you it's not just the McD's, Hardees, Taco Johns and KFC's of the world. Even places like Subway which we often think of as healthier alternatives have sandwiches with over 1000 calories. Now imagine adding on some chips or a cookie...those points can add up in a hurry! Now, I'm not trying to frighten or shock anybody. We all know how bad eating out can be. My point is that I really need to not freak out about what I'm making at home as much. I tend to cook with fresh ingredients and I tend to eat very reasonably when I cook. I was reading an article (nothing scholarly just an editorial or something) where someone made the comment that we don't have to eat super healthy to lose weight (i.e. we can eat more than sprouted mung beans and tofu), we just need to eat less ridiculously. Honestly, I feel like there is some real merit to that thought.
So, I could keep going on for a while but I should really eat lunch before my test gets here...PB and J and green beans, yum! Have a great day ladies and keep up the good work!
2 comments:
Fantastic blog! I love your insight on the Alli drug. I agree...the pill falls into many weight loss aids. You need to be exercising regularly and watching your diet in order for it to significantly help. The same comes into play when I use Weight Watchers. Why keep going back week after week if my habits have not changed? That was one of the main reasons I haven't returned to the program this summer....I'm not consistent with my lifestyle changes.
My next blog entry will contain goals for next week with much emphasis on cooking at home. In a way I wish I was staying in Ames this weekend so I could get more organized in my kitchen and cook some meals ahead of time for the week but alas I must attend Czech Days and get my yearly fill of Bingo, polka music, and Stika family time.
I second Jenny's comments. It was informative and editorial-like as well. I think Alli would work best if we were doing very well with our diets and exercise and wanted a boost in the fat/weight loss. We (no offense) are still novices and lazy at the weight loss stuff because honestly it is hard - mentally and physically. So in my opinion I wouldn't start Alli unless I had healthy eating and an exercise routine down pat. I also totally agree with you, Nicole, that for us ladies we don't have problems eating healthy food but the amount we eat is of concern and how often. Plus, our busy schedules makes eating out less stressful which we know is bad but sometimes we can't help. I'm afraid Subway will receive a lot of my business during student teaching. Yikes. Personal note to Jenny: you should be excited about Czech Days and not unhappy that you are missing out on time with your kitchen. Shame on you!
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