It Takes More Than a Pill or a Patch

Who wouldn’t want to take a pill or wear a patch to lose or maintain their weight? I can think of some, but most people secretly hope a breakthrough will occur so that it is that simple. Millions would pay almost anything to finally feel in control of their weight, and the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline is counting on that. They just released the first FDA approved non-prescription diet drug they call Alli, and they are heavily promoting it. You probably read or heard about it recently. The selling point is that the drug blocks 25% of the fat that you eat.

But there is some fine print that comes along with the drug. Not only does it have some potentially unpleasant side affects that could be embarrassing, few people will succeed in losing a lot of weight without combining the drug with a healthier diet, some exercise and plenty of water. That may seem reasonable, but I know from experience that this caveat could impact the drug’s success.

I endorsed and then sold a fat loss patch about a year ago that has virtually no side affects and helps release fat you already have. I did my homework to understand why it worked and that it was safe. It was something I could offer my clients as a complement to their healthy lifestyles that could enhance their results. I didn’t pitch it to those that didn’t need it, but instead waited to see which of my clients had the hardest time losing fat before mentioning it. I wanted them focused on changing their lifestyle behaviors first, which was necessary for the patch to work and gave them tools for long term success.

Many of my clients didn’t really need the patch. They were making good progress, happy with their new perspective, eating habits and lifestyle changes, and they weren’t looking anymore for a faster way to lose weight. Amongst the clients I did discuss it with; half opted not to try it even though I encouraged them to give it a try for a few months. They didn’t like the idea or expense of a diet supplement.

For the other half that tried it, they had mixed results. Many of them found it hard to consistently wear the patch and didn’t get consistent results. It can be challenging for many people to consistently take pills too. In addition some of my clients ended up going through phases where they weren’t able to exercise consistently due to illnesses, an injury or an accident, so they didn’t see the results they hoped for. The rest got good results, but it required them to wear the patch every day and few wanted to keep that up for the long term. Those that did keep wearing it liked how it maintained their success, and I still sell patches to them.

What is interesting is the people that primarily bought the patch from me were the ones that wanted a quick fix. They didn’t want to have to change their way of doing things. I initially didn’t want to sell it to anyone that wasn’t a client or who didn’t already have healthy habits, but I finally gave in and sold it to those that weren’t active or eating well. I would explain to them that the patch wouldn’t work without eating healthier, being active and drinking enough water, with hopes they would start making some changes. The same is required to succeed with Alli. I also told them it would take about three months to see results, because it took time for the body to change the way it released fat in a healthy and natural way. This slower approach reduces the likelihood of side affects and is gentler on the body. They would all say they understood, would make some changes and wouldn’t set unrealistic expectations.

Within a month or so I would hear from these people that the product didn’t work; they weren’t seeing results. I told them that was to be expected particularly since they weren’t changing their behaviors and they hadn’t given it enough time. They wanted to double the dosage, get their money back or get another supplement that would make the patch work better. They weren’t able to hear that the patch wasn’t designed to work on its own, no more than Alli will work by itself or no more than the medications for Type II diabetes work without lifestyle changes.

If you are considering Alli, or any diet supplement, also consider how you will make changes in your lifestyle behaviors to reach your goals and maintain the success, and then be patient. There really isn’t an overnight quick fix that will last; not yet anyway.

Alice Greene is president of Feel Your Personal Best, a healthy lifestyle coaching company located in Newburyport, MA. For her Free The 9 Life Changing Secrets Every Woman (and Man) Must Knowvisit www.feelyourpersonalbest.com. Contact her at agreene@feelyourpersonalbest.com or 978-465-3555×5.