FitSugar

Wynonna Judd Uses Alli Diet Pills - Should You?

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:30:00 PST

Wynonna Judd has been struggling with her weight both in and out of the public eye. In 2003, she opened up to Oprah about how her cholesterol levels were putting her at risk for a heart attack, and three years later, she checked into a treatment center for food addiction. Wynonna will be turning 45 in May, and she recently opened up to People magazine about the changes she's making to become more healthy.

Wynonna is planning ahead for meals, cooking more at home, and taking walks with her children. She is also taking Alli over-the-counter diet pills to lose weight, and is even a spokesperson for the diet aid. These pills act as a fat blocker, preventing your body from absorbing a quarter of the fat you consume. To find out more about Alli and see if it's effective at losing weight,

read more. Let me begin with the cautions found directly on the Alli website. It says that Alli can cause:

gas with oily spotting
loose stools
more frequent stools that may be hard to control

It also says that "You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work." Yikes! The website also says that if by dieting alone, you lose 10 pounds, you could lose up to 15 pounds if you diet and take Alli. Is five more pounds really worth it if it puts you at risk for repeatedly soiling your pants? I'd say no on that one. Not only that, but what happens when people use Alli, lose weight, and then go off those pills? They probably gain all the weight back. If you're trying to lose weight for good, I'd avoid the diet pills. Eat a healthy diet with appropriate portion sizes, and exercise regularly. Not only will you melt away pounds and strengthen your body, but you'll become healthier, reduce your risk for heart problems and cancer, and will no doubt improve your quality and length of life. In case you were curious, here's a commercial for Alli featuring Wynonna. Source

Most Memorable New Products of 2007 Are Ironic

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:00:00 PST

Five out of 10 products in the Sixth Annual Most Memorable New Products Launch Survey are related to food and health. Most notably:

#4 Domino's Oreo Dessert Pizza (1/8 Pizza has 120 calories)
#5 alli Weight Loss Capsules
#6 Oreo Cakesters (250 calories for 2 cakes)
#7 Diet Coke Plus
#8 Subway FreshFit Meals

Does anyone else see the irony in this? As Americans we literally want to have our cake and eat it too. The combination of high calorie desserts with low-calorie quick fixes and a diet pill seems to summarize our issues with getting healthy. What do you guys think about this? I know you have a lot to say so share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Source

Have You Ever Tried Diet Pills?

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 03:00:00 PDT

Source

I was perusing through a magazine last night and saw a huge ad for Alli, the first FDA-approved over the counter diet pills, and that got me thinking. As women feeling the pressures of having the perfect Barbie-body, I'm sure we've all had thoughts about how to get a quick fix. So I want to know...

Over the Counter Alli: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 04:00:00 PDT

Do you guys remember me telling you about Alli the first OTC Diet pill approved by the FDA? The one that causes anal leakage? Remember?

Personally, I was hoping it would never really happen, but it has been announced the pills will go on sale on June 15th, 2007 at drugstores nationwide. I am curious if I am the only one that thinks the FDA should focus a little more on tainted foods hitting shelves in grocery stores than giving us another reason not to exercise and eat healthy. Oh wait; Alli claims that it’s only for you if you can commit to eating more sensibly and getting more physically active. Why can't we commit to doing that without anal leakage? Maybe I am a cynic, but what do you guys think about it?

First Over the Counter Diet Pill Approved by FDA

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:00:00 PST

I have a pretty bad opinion of weight loss pills, I am not convinced there is a magic bullet. Nor am I convinced that diet pills are the answer to losing weight.

The FDA doesn't agree with me and has recently said the fat-blocking weight-loss pill Orlistat (aka Xenical), which has been available by prescription, can be sold in a reduced-strength version over the counter. The new version will be sold as alli (pronounced AL-eye by GlaxoSmithKline) and is the first nonprescription diet pill to be approved by the FDA. Alli is intended for people 18 and older to use along with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet and exercise.

Alli will contain half the dose of Xenical prescription capsules and is expected to run $1-$2 a day. The company estimated 5 million to 6 million Americans a year would buy the drug over the counter. The important safety information directly from Myalli.com are as follows:

When using this product:

Take a multivitamin once a day, at bedtime. alli can reduce the absorption of some vitamins.

Follow a well-balanced, reduced-calorie, low-fat diet. Try starting this diet before taking alli capsules.

Alli capsules work by preventing the absorption of some of the fat you eat. The fat passes out of your body so you may have bowel changes.

You may get:
-gas with oily spotting
-loose stools
-more frequent stools that may be hard to control.

In studies, most people lost 5-10 pounds over 6 months.

To these points I say: Scary. Duh. Weird. Gross. That's it?!?!

The FDA also said that people who have had organ transplants should not take OTC Orlistat because of possible drug interactions. In addition, anyone taking blood-thinning medicines or being treated for diabetes or thyroid disease should consult a physician before using Orlistat.

I am seriously outraged that the FDA will approve something that causes anal leakage yet Stevia, the non-caloric herb has yet to gain the FDA's approval.

This is a backwards world we're living in.

Video: Our 30 Most Memorable Movie Kisses!

TresSugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:13:00 PST

We're celebrating Valentine's Day with 30 amazing movie kisses! From Jack and Rose's embrace on the edge of the Titanic, to Bella and Edward's forbidden kiss in Twilight, to Allie and Noah's rain-soaked kiss in The Notebook, we put together the most romantic big-screen make-out moments. So grab a box of tissues, because these sweet and steamy scenes might make you tear up. Happy Valentine's Day!

Link Time: H&M's Hush-Hush New Collection, Sh*t Girls Say in the Fashion Week Bathrooms, and More

FabSugar — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:52:27 PST

H&M debuts a plus-size line in the US and tells no one about it - The Budget Fashionista
See Mary Katrantzou's third range for Topshop - Fashionista
Sh*t girls say in the Fashion Week bathroom - The Cut
Simon Doonan thinks fashion has no place in politics - Styleite
19 nonnauseating Valentine's Day gifts - Stylelist
The girls of Cushnie et Ochs share their Fashion Week diary - Style.com
Cute, stylish plus-size clothes for the office - Real Simple
10 ways to pamper yourself this Valentine's Day - The Fashion Spot
Is men's shopping the new economic indicator? - HuffPost Style
Like, tote-ally! The top five tote bags for Summer - Bag Snob
Was this Dutch Next Top Model winner fired for being fat? - The Daily Beast

6 Strategies to Save More This Year

Kiplinger — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:27:21 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Saving doesn't come easily for us young adults. Entry-level salaries don't give you a lot to work with. And, well, we also tend to spend what we make - and then some - on the latest gadgets and flashiest fashions.

But don’t worry. We’re not doomed to frivolity and the wreckage it can make of our finances. Here's how you can start saving smart throughout 2012:

Periodically calculate how much you spend. What better time to review your budget than at the start of a New Year? “It’s really hard to [track your spending] each month, so aim for just once or twice a year,” says Jill Boynton, a certified financial planner in Newington, New Hampshire.

Just be sure when you do it that you track everything. Boynton recommends filling out a spreadsheet with a month’s worth of spending. Or you can try an online budgeting tool such as Mint.com (See our slide show: Which Budgeting Site is Best for You?). But note: Mint works best for those who deal mostly in plastic as opposed to cash. When you make an ATM withdrawal, the site labels the transaction as “Cash & ATM.” Unless you diligently manage your cash transactions (you can manually edit Mint’s labels), you can easily lose track of where the money goes.

The drudgery of tracking spending can pay off when you find surprising expenses you could easily cut. At the end of 2011, I crunched my own numbers and found that I shelled out about $200 a month at Starbucks and other restaurants. I’m sure I could cut that by at least half. That’s like finding a $100 bill every month in my back pocket.

Read on for more strategies.

14 Geeky Languages to Learn With Your Love

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:15:00 PST

Love may be a universal language, but we're not sure that phrase includes the sci-fi alien races and fantastical creatures that rule the far depths of the galaxy, who express love in words beyond our human comprehension. When you're thinking of a unique way to woo your valentine this year, plan a tutorial to learn together one of these 14 geeky languages. While several of these Trekkie, Tolkien, or computer gaming-inspired languages have enough depth to warrant a university level class, many are not fully realized, so have fun discovering select words and phrases to bring to future geeky date outings.

Wookie - Made up of three dialects, the main Wookie language is Shyriiwook. As you'd expect it consists of lots of barks and grunts, but don't you dare say that to Chewbacca. The Star Wars Christmas Special has detailed examples of this mystifying tongue.
Klingon - The language of Klingons, the sometimes ally of the Federation, is arguably the best known of the imagined star languages. Described by its Hollywood creators as gutteral in tone, dedicated Trekkies maintain the Klingon Language Institue, preserving the galaxy's "fastest growing language."
Vulcan - Known as the language of Spock, one version of Vulcan looks like musical notes. Much of the language is available online today as Gene Roddenberry was insistent when making Star Trek: The Motion Picture that the Vulcans receive their own linguistic treatment.
Romulan - As biological cousins of the Vulcans, the Romulan language is difficult to differentiate from Vulcan to the untrained ear. The Central Institute of the Romulan Language ensures you get the right training to one day know the difference.
Cardassian - Residents of the Alpha Quadrant, Cardassians are a fearsome foe of the Federation. Little is known of their language, maybe because of its rectangular-shaped letters and script.
Andorian - The blue-skinned moon species from Andora appeared throughout the Star Trek series and would of course show up in the directory of a PADD.
Elvish - With a background in linguistics study from Oxford, Tolkien did not take the creation of the Lord of the Rings languages lightly. Based on Welsh and English, you can study Liv Tyler's Arwen in the film trilogy for pronunciation and read the many online Elvish resources, including an English to Elvish dictionary.
Dwarvish - Also called Khuzdul, Tolkien is said to have drawn inspiration for the secret language of the Dwarves from Hebrew, reflecting many of the same sounds and structure. As many Lord of the Rings languages, it's been almost fully realized and you can study up with the Dwarvish dictionary.

Check out even more languages to geek out over after the jump.

A Reader Recipe: Baked Eggs in Ham Cups

Fit Community — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:06:08 PST

Need an easy brunch to whip up on Super Bowl Sunday? Try this egg recipe from AllieNic. She posted it in the Healthy Recipes community group.

Ingredients:

12 slices of ham (free of preservatives)
12 eggs
Salt, pepper, and paprika
Line a muffin tin with slices of ham. Crack an egg into each muffin spot, and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes!

Check out AllieNic's blog Frisky Lemon for the full recipe and don't forget to share your own recipe ideas in our Healthy Recipe group in the Fit Community!