Doctor has given me Orlistat lifeline - now I'm nervous!!

thehumanyoyo

New Member
Hi
*
I come on here not without a little trepidation.* I discovered Minimins and have been reading with interest this forum.
*
Basically, I weigh 25 stone (my heaviest ever), and as per the name I have yoyo-ed between that weight and as low as 14 stone from the age of 21 to 33 (what I am now), but it never stays off despite trying numerous diets – Slimming World, Atkins, Paleo, Weightwatchers.
*
I am recently married and my wife is expecting our first child in March, so recently I have really been feeling the importance of getting fit and healthy to run after the wee one.*
*
Recently I have barely even been able to get started in terms of dieting, exercise, and weight loss, and a big cloud of despair has been engulfing me.* My reasons for wanting to lose weight are many, so this isn’t an exhaustive list:
*
·******** Fit in to normal size clothes, including the football shirt for my favourite team.
·******** Really be able to enjoy exercise again, like going to the gym and playing tennis and football.
·******** Not have to worry about the embarrassing situations that come about from being very heavy – struggling to get seatbelts on on planes, being too scared to go on amusement rides/rollercoasters because the thing won’t lock and having to get off, humiliated.
·******** Being nice and active to run after my wee one when he/she comes in March.
·******** Obviously I want to be a good weight for health reasons, including alleviating bouts of gout.
*
That’s why I decided to bite the bullet and ask my doc for help.
*
So he has thrown me a lifeline in the form of Orlistat.
*
I am nervous about starting it, I have read the stickied thread and have a fair idea of what I need to do (and what not to do).
*
But if possible could I lean on some you more experienced with this medication for some moral support?
*
Is it effective?* Has it worked for you?
*
I also have a couple of questions in terms of the practicalities.
*
Obviously I know it’s a low fat diet I need to adopt.* But I was wondering, what about those special occasions, like birthdays, when we get a Chinese in and there’s birthday cake.* Is this a complete no no?* Or can I stop taking the pills for a big special meal like that and not get any bad consequences?
*
The other question I have is in relation to alcohol, what about on a Saturday night if I fancy a few beers or a couple of glasses of wine?
*
Many thanks in advance for your help!
 
thehumanyoyo said:
Hi
*
I come on here not without a little trepidation.* I discovered Minimins and have been reading with interest this forum.
*
Basically, I weigh 25 stone (my heaviest ever), and as per the name I have yoyo-ed between that weight and as low as 14 stone from the age of 21 to 33 (what I am now), but it never stays off despite trying numerous diets – Slimming World, Atkins, Paleo, Weightwatchers.
*
I am recently married and my wife is expecting our first child in March, so recently I have really been feeling the importance of getting fit and healthy to run after the wee one.*
*
Recently I have barely even been able to get started in terms of dieting, exercise, and weight loss, and a big cloud of despair has been engulfing me.* My reasons for wanting to lose weight are many, so this isn’t an exhaustive list:
*
·******** Fit in to normal size clothes, including the football shirt for my favourite team.
·******** Really be able to enjoy exercise again, like going to the gym and playing tennis and football.
·******** Not have to worry about the embarrassing situations that come about from being very heavy – struggling to get seatbelts on on planes, being too scared to go on amusement rides/rollercoasters because the thing won’t lock and having to get off, humiliated.
·******** Being nice and active to run after my wee one when he/she comes in March.
·******** Obviously I want to be a good weight for health reasons, including alleviating bouts of gout.
*
That’s why I decided to bite the bullet and ask my doc for help.
*
So he has thrown me a lifeline in the form of Orlistat.
*
I am nervous about starting it, I have read the stickied thread and have a fair idea of what I need to do (and what not to do).
*
But if possible could I lean on some you more experienced with this medication for some moral support?
*
Is it effective?* Has it worked for you?
*
I also have a couple of questions in terms of the practicalities.
*
Obviously I know it’s a low fat diet I need to adopt.* But I was wondering, what about those special occasions, like birthdays, when we get a Chinese in and there’s birthday cake.* Is this a complete no no?* Or can I stop taking the pills for a big special meal like that and not get any bad consequences?
*
The other question I have is in relation to alcohol, what about on a Saturday night if I fancy a few beers or a couple of glasses of wine?
*
Many thanks in advance for your help!

Hello and welcome! No need for trepidation, we won't bite (well, most of us!). This is a great place to come for motivation and support. Maybe think about starting a diary in the Xenical Diaries section? I can also recommend popping into the WEMITTS sub-forum, which is under Slimming Clubs - that's where people with a lot of weight to lose congregate, irrespective of what plan they're following. :)

To answers your questions, I took Orlistat for two years and have lost 9 stone so far. I'm not convinced I've lost any more than I would have just calorie counting, maybe a little. What a lot of people like the tablets for is that deterrent effect, because believe me you don't want to experience what happens if you eat high fat when you're taking them, lol. Which sort of answers your second question too - if you want to eat "naughty" stuff or a special occasion, you need to stop taking the tablets 2-3 days before you do it, as it stays in your system for some time. Finally, no problem with booze ad far as the Orlistat is concerned, but of course it's crammed full of empty, hidden calories, so best avoided for the most part, in my opinion, lol.

All the best. :) xx
 
Hi

Sorry, thanks for your reply.

Haven't started them yet, start on Sunday, been busy decorating the house, about to paint nursery right this minute!

(lengthier reply on its way!)
 
If you want to loose weight have you considered something like Lipotrim or Slim & Save? I had Orlistat a few years ago and found all I was doing was eating everything as normal because I was convinced the tablets were blocking the fat so therefore I didn't need to change my diet. Obviously it didn't work and all that I ended up with was really awful oily fat in my bowel movements that stained the toilet bowl.
I've adopted a VLC diet now and am shifting my weight, so I know you said you've tried other things but there's also hypnotherapy for gastric bands if you fancy a different approach and you can do there alongside your low fat diet.
 
Kuromi Jenkins said:
If you want to loose weight have you considered something like Lipotrim or Slim & Save? I had Orlistat a few years ago and found all I was doing was eating everything as normal because I was convinced the tablets were blocking the fat so therefore I didn't need to change my diet. Obviously it didn't work and all that I ended up with was really awful oily fat in my bowel movements that stained the toilet bowl.
I've adopted a VLC diet now and am shifting my weight, so I know you said you've tried other things but there's also hypnotherapy for gastric bands if you fancy a different approach and you can do there alongside your low fat diet.

Or to offer a balancing opinion, I've been on Orlistat for two years, lost over 9 stone, and didn't have to give up food!!!! Sorry it didn't work for you, but clearly no diet will if you completely ignore the eating regime that's meant to accompany it, and you certainly shouldn't be trying to put someone off it when they've just started it, that isn't what this forum's about. There are lots of Orlistat success stories on here.
 
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Far from it - I'm not trying to put him off, but pointing out where I failed so he doesn't follow in my footsteps. I was also offering another idea incase this one was not suitable.
I am now older and realise that nothing will change if you don't change something. I'm glad that this diet has worked for you, as it has for many others, but at the same time I just wanted to give the advice that it is not a miracle diet pill that many people seem to think it is. I heard some people talking about it recently saying they could eat high fat foods cause Orilstat would just block the fat out, but as we we'll know that's not the case and just leads to other problems.

If someone wants to do something about their current situation then that's great and I will offer my support, but I'm not the kind of person to lie and sugar coat things, so would rather be honest being as he's asking for our opinions. That was my experience and I'm hoping that this gentleman will be smarter than me and approach this in a whole better way than I did and see the results I missed.

As with any diet, if you are 100% committed the it will work and if this gentleman is serious about doing something then I will give him (and others alike) my support.
 
Ok, sorry if I ranted a bit, it's not usually my style, but when you started off with "have you considered trying a VLCD" I was a bit cross, because that wasn't really the advice he was looking for, as he seems to have committed to Orlistat having seen his doctor. Also, with the amount to lose that he has, a VLCD may not be the best option for him because of the loose skin consequence that's more prevalent on that sort of rapid weight loss, same as with bariatric surgery. As I said to him, what the drug does, rather than actually make you lose weight, is to make you more aware of what you eat and change your habits - as you know yourself, you don't want the dreaded Tango! :)
 
The reason I suggested the VLCD is because he mentioned he struggled with diets such as WW & SW, which I too have found difficult because I find when I'm eating I forget to count calories and become lazy and start guesstimating which inevitably leads to more calories than I assumed I'd eaten.

With the restricted diet I'm on now, I haven't got that option so therefore as long as I don't crack and start eating, then I know I'm not having "hidden" calories, so hence was merely offering this up as an option. Ive only just found out about Lipotrim and am finding it so much easier than any other diet I've tried as it's laid out for me what I have each day, and I believe the Slim & Save diet is similar only with food instead of shakes. I cannot see profiles yet so have no idea how much he has to loose, but rather this trying to be off putting I'm trying to let him know there are now lots of new ways out there if you find one is not suitable, so rather than being nervous incase it doesn't work and thinking this is his last resort there are other things to try if needs be.

Either way, the fact we are both talking about it shows we are united in our want to offer support and advice and we can both give our good and bad experiences as to what to expect and how to make the best of it.
 
Kuromi Jenkins said:
The reason I suggested the VLCD is because he mentioned he struggled with diets such as WW & SW, which I too have found difficult because I find when I'm eating I forget to count calories and become lazy and start guesstimating which inevitably leads to more calories than I assumed I'd eaten.

With the restricted diet I'm on now, I haven't got that option so therefore as long as I don't crack and start eating, then I know I'm not having "hidden" calories, so hence was merely offering this up as an option. Ive only just found out about Lipotrim and am finding it so much easier than any other diet I've tried as it's laid out for me what I have each day, and I believe the Slim & Save diet is similar only with food instead of shakes. I cannot see profiles yet so have no idea how much he has to loose, but rather this trying to be off putting I'm trying to let him know there are now lots of new ways out there if you find one is not suitable, so rather than being nervous incase it doesn't work and thinking this is his last resort there are other things to try if needs be.

Either way, the fact we are both talking about it shows we are united in our want to offer support and advice and we can both give our good and bad experiences as to what to expect and how to make the best of it.

Fair enough. :) He said he was 25 stone, which would ring alarms with me in terms of rapid weight loss, because of the skin issue, so I'd personally recommend a steady loss over the course of a couple of years. :) xx
 
Yes agreed, unless his doctor has told him he needs to loose a lot ASAP for surgery or something then yes slower over time is the best approach as well as adopting a healthier approach to food. By all means fast weight loss is great if you are planning on having tucks after as it doesn't matter if you reach your goal weight this year or 3 years time if that's something you want (eg if you started at 45 stone and were now 25 and having surgery anyway).
 
Kuromi Jenkins said:
Yes agreed, unless his doctor has told him he needs to loose a lot ASAP for surgery or something then yes slower over time is the best approach as well as adopting a healthier approach to food. By all means fast weight loss is great if you are planning on having tucks after as it doesn't matter if you reach your goal weight this year or 3 years time if that's something you want (eg if you started at 45 stone and were now 25 and having surgery anyway).

Yes, it's supposed to be best to lose 1-2lbs a week, though men do naturally tend to lose a bit quicker, I think. :) xx
 
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