There are numerous articles that link exercise to a disease risk reduction.  Yet, it's been stated that 50 percent of Americans don't get enough exercise. 

Exercise is an important element of any weight loss program, but as the alli Companion Guide states, "you don't have to hit the gym or hire a personal trainer to make a real difference in your health."

To help with your exercise effort, videos from exercise physiologist, Garrett Roberts, have been added to myalli.com. 

Garrett's videos include in-home daily routines as well as cardio workouts for the gym. He also emphasizes that starting slow is sometimes best. "You have to start developing a fitness foundation. Once a foundation is built you can start setting other goals," he said.

Or, for those of you who find the Olympics to be a motivating time to strengthen your fitness routine, you can also join some alli users who have started their own Olympics challenge. 

Losing weight tops almost everyone's New Year's resolution list. And this year, for the first time, an FDA-approved weight loss product is available to help.

The alli team thought very carefully about how to structure a theme for this time of year while being consistent with the alli approach. To help guide our thinking, we commissioned a survey that asked 2,000 people their opinions about weight loss options and their past New Year's resolutions.

We found that three quarters (73 percent) of adults who plan to make a serious attempt to lose weight in 2008 agreed that receiving outside help from a dietitian, pharmacist or other healthcare professional would help them achieve their weight-loss goals. However, only a fraction (17 percent) of these adults said they would actually seek this level of support.

This was the foundation for our idea: a free, four-day program to give people the opportunity to engage with health care professionals who can help with weight loss.

Mark your calendar for Jan. 4 - 7, 2008 between 10 AM and 6 PM Eastern daily

You may hear about Make This Year Different in our TV ads. Visit the site to find out more on how you can engage with a healthcare professional, even if you are not taking alli.

Here's what you can do as part of the event:

• Chat live with a registered dietitian or pharmacist January 4th - 7th from 10am-6pm


• Watch videos by weight loss experts


• Call 1-866-551-DIFFERENT for tips from weight loss experts


• Learn about GSK's partnerships with the American Dietetic Association and the American Pharmacists Association


• Lastly, learn how alli can help you lose more weight

Hope you'll tune in if you are overweight.  This can be your opportunity to make this year different and to seek expert advice from a registered dietitian or pharmacist.

Note: you do have to register for the chat sessions but it only takes a minute.

I had a great time at the alli booth at Team Prevention Walk it! Philadelphia with Pat Baird, RD, one of the myalli.com experts. Pat was representing alli as a sponsor of the event. She was providing healthy eating and weight loss tips, as well as education about alli, to those who stopped by. I wanted to share a story from the event:

An alli user approached Pat at the alli booth. She said she had lost 38 pounds thus far which gave her the confidence to complete her first race, an 8K, that weekend. She told Pat she was excited about approaching Thanksgiving and the holidays with a new outlook, as she now knows she can cook and eat healthy, watch portions and not cheat.

As she put it: "Let's face it, the first two mouthfuls are the best anyway, and who needs more after that?"

Holidays, food and eating are a part of all of our lives as the year ends. I can point you to holiday tips on the alli Web site where it guides you to eat until you're satisfied, not full. But I also wanted to share this weight loss journey story and the "two bites" tip with you. Whether it's chocolate chip cookies or stuffing, I think it's one that really resonates.

And again, in the interest of full disclosure, this user's weight loss results and experiences may not be typical of all alli users.