Orlistat Journey

BlatentBunny

Full Member
Since there doesn't seem to be a lot out there about people like me on the Orlistat Journey I thought I'd start a little diary, hopefully it'll highlight the good and the bad points, help people with the what to avoid question and be a reference for me to keep me on track (or direct me back to the track should I stray!) BE WARNED as Orlistat is a fat inhibitor this diary will tell of my bowel movements and any problems I have in that area, I won't be graphic, but I will be detailed. (Old nurses don't die, we just talk pooh!)

Well I'm 24 hours in, I'm pretty strict about my fat and calorie intake each day, I tend to write down what I've eaten and the two totals so I can look back and decide if I can have a treat at the weekend. (My treats are generally material rather than food based.)

I haven't noticed any physical side effects, my bowels have opened and nothing seemed unusual. I have been kind of dreading each gurgle in my tummy, wondering if 'this' is 'it', I've made provision, spare pants and micro light trousers as well as baby wipes and deodorant in a small tote on my daughters pram, her changing bag and mine side by side :) as well as knowing every public toilet on my daily route, so I'm set.

I've restricting my fat intake to between 15g and 25g a day and basing each meal on the Scottish Slimmers diet. I'm not a snack attack fanatic, but I do like evening munchies, I've replaced most things in the cupboard with low, or lower fat than previously and have signed up to the local gym and aqua aerobics.

So here I sit. Waiting and wondering, I've never been and yo-yo dieter, while I've been over weight for over 20 years I've only ever seriously dieted once in 1998 and lost 4st 7lb in a year with Scottish Slimmers, but babies and work took over and the weight came back, as fit as I was it didn't bother me until last year when I tore my cruciate ligament, realising my weight would mean surgery was dangerous shocked me, I knew I was fat, but I thought fit balanced it out. Wrong! So since then I've gained more weight (you see the logic of the vicious circle right?) and have developed plantar fasciitis, so the weight must go!

We're off on holiday to Switzerland in September so hopefully they'll see less of me on the side of a mountain!

Bunny x
 
Good luck with Orlistat. I tried them last year and they didnt work at all, was really disappointing. Glad youre following a diet at the same time :)
 
I took orlistat, I lost 3 stone with it. I used it to stop me eating fatty foods because of the icky side effects. It is nasty when you have fatty food so its a rather good deterrent. I still have some left but I changed Drs due to moving and my new one wants to do a new weight assessment thing before she renews my prescription. I haven't actually taken them for a few months I got out of the habit. Will start again! Best of luck with them.
 
purely with the tablets, I just watched my fat intake. I started slimming world recently and keep forgetting to take the tablets but I'm going to start again as of now.
 
Hi lisa, how long did it take you to get the 3 stone off, what diet did you use and how much fat did you allow per day?

Bunny
 
Hiya Bunny
I went on it a few years ago, tried them for a month and lost 2 pounds. For me they didnt work, the only thing that is working is Slimming World.
I did follow a low fat diet but still had unpleasent side effects.
Hope all is well with you and the diets going good, keep us informed xx
 
Hi lisa, how long did it take you to get the 3 stone off, what diet did you use and how much fat did you allow per day?

Bunny
about 9 months I think. I wasn't exact with the fat allowance, I kinda practised I guess to find what foods caused no side effects and stuck with them. Sometimes if I felt things werent moving quick enough with the weight loss I'd have something fatty to deliberately cause a bad tummy and that kinda boosted me along a bit, perhaps not the best way to do it.

I guess somethings work for some people and not others. Try them and see how it works for you. Maybe join a slimming club too and use them as an extra booster? thats what I'm trying now.
 
Well I sneaked off and weighed myself this morning and I've dropped another 2lb, still no sign of any side effects, so I'm a happy Bunny! I did dare to go further afield today and ventured to the local High Street, I even went food shopping!

I bought fish and had that for dinner this evening, I had salad the others had wedges, I've estimated the fat content to be about 10g which is the highest I've allowed myself since starting so we'll wait and see.

I also went to the local chemist and bought vitamins to replace any I might be missing out on, he was fantastic and it turns out his Mother was on Orlistat last year and lost a whopping 10 stone!

Lisx, sorry I got the name wrong last time :), I'm sticking to the Scottish Slimmers diet, unfortunately I'm in London and they don't have a class near me :), but it's a diet I know and trust so not to worry! I've also suggested to the Parent Liaison at my sons school that they might look into having a weight management contact with the local PCT as many of the other Mums have asked me where I go, here's hoping!

I'll keep you posted.

Bunny x
 
Your pharmacists mother did great losing 10 stone but she must have been following a diet as well as taking Orlistat. Orlistat is supposed to be used in conjunction with another diet. Even the makers of the pills recommend this and talk about following a diet when taking them. Id imagine taking the tablets helped her weight loss but I cant imagine they themselves were responsible in her losing all that.
 
Thanks Starlight, I should have pointed that out, she did indeed follow a diet as laid out by her dietitian. I've decided, or 'we've' decided that the best diet for me is the one I feel most comfortable with, that being SS.

Further still I think he actually said today that when using Orlistat properly you can expect to lose about 1/2 again on any weight lost via dieting. :)

Bunny x
 
Well here's hoping, but to be honest I'm using them to boost the diet results more than anything. The only REAL change is the fact I'm now ultra aware of the side effects if I don't count my fat intake each day so it's a whole new learning experience!

As to things NOT working for you 'I'm not worthy!' you're bloody amazing! I read all about you BEFORE I joined and you're perhaps one of the main reasons I did! :)

Bunny x
 
I hope they work for you, I found the being ultra aware of the fat intake part to be the reason I lost weight because I kept a tight reign on what I was eating, thus reducing my calorie intake. Plus any fat I did consume was part removed from my body with the tablets anyways so a double bonus. I shall make sure I always read your diary :D
 
Well here I am again... I had to go to my local chemist this afternoon (It's bug busting weekend and I had to stock up before the mad rush :-S) and took the opportunity to weigh-in. They have a set of those scales you log into that tracks your weight and tells you how much you weighed at the previous weigh-in, anyway, I digress, I've now dropped a stunning 13lb!

I still feel amazing, I've not changed the eating habits much, I've always been aware of good and bad foods and have policed them, but not me!, so the family haven't really noticed the swap, it's been subtle things that have allowed me to continue to eat with them, low fat yogurt in the sauces instead of cream, or wholemeal instead of seeded breads. My youngest son even told me today that he really liked the brown pitta pockets at lunch better than the white he gets at school! (Why are they feeding him white bread at school???) And my eldest dropped by and did that thing they do when they 'just popped round', he opened the freezer and took out a batch of vegetable chilli I'd made earlier in the week and defrosted it for himself (scamp!) he really liked it and asked if I'd be making more this week!

I'm still nil on the side effects and to be honest I feel robbed! I'd heard so many horror stories! Well one, but it involved a pair of white trousers and a long train journey! :(

I've noticed people have mini goals as an incentive in their signature block, I love that idea and think I'll have to look and set a few realistic ones for myself. I'm obviously aware that the weight lose I'm experiencing at the moment is that initial early burn we have at the start of a diet so it'll settle down soon, Ill be factoring that into the goals, but I'd be happy for any guidance anyone has on how to decide on a goal and how to focus in on them.

Right I'm off to wash the pipes in the bathroom down (long story, don't ask!)

Bunny x
 
Im so glad your doing well on the tablets. Your so lucky youve had no side effects, I had too many to want to remember lol. I dont even want to think about the story you know re white trousers and a long train ride, I feel awful for that person.
Good luck and keep us posted.
 
Hiya Bunny, you are doing great so far. My friend took Xenical for a while and she said they worked more by the fear of what would happen if she ate the wrong thing! They didn't work for her though. I don't think they work for everyone so it's great that they have worked for you. As for the small goals, Kitteh does a monthly challenge for anyone on any dies so join in with that. Good luck for your continued success x
 
Im so glad your doing well on the tablets. Your so lucky youve had no side effects, I had too many to want to remember lol. I dont even want to think about the story you know re white trousers and a long train ride, I feel awful for that person.
Good luck and keep us posted.
That would be the main reason I couldn't try these, tempting as they are. I work on the trains and it would be mighty embarrassing if I got caught short!
 
Hi Taz, thanks, I'm in on the monthly challenge, fantastic idea! I put myself down for 5lb and that's gone already! A few long term goals are now needed. :)

The lady on the train story freaked me out as well, and all I can hope :)eek:) is that it was down to a high fat intake, but people are right, if you know the side effects can be so humiliating you tend to be ultra careful and if you're frightened enough avoid the offer!

Well I'm to big for white trousers anyway ;) maybe next summer. :D

I think my first goal will be to have a BMI of below 40 for the end of May.

Bunny x
 
I'm too big for white trousers too! You will reach your BMI goal, you don't have far to go. Good luck x
 
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