Newbie with some questions

Dee-Em

New Member
Hi,

I was prescribed Orlistat/Xenical by my doctor a couple of days ago as I've been struggling to lose any weight after 6 months of dieting. However, he was a bit vague about the details and I'm worried about the dreaded side effects and how it will affect my day to day life.

Firstly, I understand that the side effects are mainly linked to the fat in the food I eat, but am I likely to have any initial side effects? I am in a lot of meetings each day and can't run out to the bathroom every few minutes! Would I be better starting the medication over a weekend to gauge my body's reaction?

Secondly, I tend to eat a fairly low fat diet anyway, but is it better to follow a specific diet programme or class in conjunction with the medication? If so, can anyone recommend one?

Finally, I've read a few forums where people mention not taking the pills with certain meals if they know that the fat content may be high. In particular, I wouldn't want any embarrassing incidents while I'm out with friends, so would it be OK to skip the tablet on these rare occasions? Or would the previous doses still cause the side effects? I know it is cheating slightly, but I also wouldn't want to be confined to my home at all times!

Sorry this is so long and thanks in advance for any responses!
 
Hi there and welcome to Minimins :)
It is recommended that you follow a 5% fat diet ( that is 5g of fat for every 100g of food product), and that you have no more than 15g of fat per meal. You should have no side effects if you follow a low fat diet. Of course sometimes we eat things that are higher in fat than we realise and so sometimes there will be side effects. This does not happen to everyone though, and if you do have a side effect, again everyone is different, and the side effect can happen either pretty quickly, or up to 48 hours later.
As for skipping a tablet because you are going to knowingly eat something that is higher in fat, not everyone will agree with me on this, bit I strongly recommend that you don't do it. For me, the point of Xenical is yep to help us in our quest to lose weight, but also to force us to address our diets, our bad eating habits and help us make new choices, and new eating habits. I'm not saying you can never go out and indulge yourself again, but I am saying that if you go out, make a good food choice, and take your tablet.
x
 
Hi there & Welcome,

I agree with Ali, I wouldn`t cheat x
 
Hiya and welcome, i don't like to cheat as i am trying to make the right food choices, however i went to a wedding on saturday that had a sit down meal which i ordered ages ago before xenical so i didnt take tablet as didnt want any accidents there.
If i eat out which i do alot, i go for salad or anything else that seems low fat not smoothered in cheese or sauce or breadcrumbs!!
 
yeah Ali usually knows her stuff when it comes to Xenical , and i agree if you skip tablets its cheating yourself noone else , yes side effects are not nice BUT they are doing it for a reason ... if you just skip tablets you disrupt the medication cycle which may cause bigger isssues while readjusting and when you dont see results you like it brings you down..

if you try and stick to under 5 percent fact which is very doable im surprised how easy it is to eat healthy , yup im hungryish but its doable LOL..but if you work it out theres nothing stopping you from doing what you want at work and not worrying.

xxx
 
Thank you so much for all the advice, especially about skipping the tablets! I definitely don't want to cheat, I've dieted enough in the past to know that I'm only cheating myself and it's a sippery slope from there on in. However, I'm often in situations where I have no or little control over the menu and this really worries me. For example, I have a few weddings coming up in the next few months where there is no meal choice and I certainly don't want any accidents!

I think I'm just a bit too freaked out about the side effects and maybe need to do some more research before i make a decision.
 
I think that's wise Dee, no one is saying don't stake them, but I also think when we decide to go down this route we have to weigh up the pros and cons. Things like our working lifestyle can have an influence on what we decide.
What ever you decide, we're here for you :)
xx
 
Just eat everything you are sure is low fat...

If its roast chicken dinner, just eat the veg and the chicken so you are safe.

I doubt the desert will be edible for you maybe just sniff it LOL...

If the starter is soup then it probably wont be terrible for you.

Wedding food is normally traditional and you should be able to work your way through it without too much trouble.

Have a look at the meal plans on here, it should give you aa good idea of the everyday food we are eating, it may help.

If you can find out whats on offer before the day you can check the fat content on line perhaps? or we can try to help!

I'm going for a curry tomorrow night, I will let you know how I get on!

Julie x
 
Hi Dee, I also took a little thinking time before I made the step to taking Xenical.
Then after reading up on the pros and cons I got myself in to the right frame of mind to make the decision that if I was going to do it I would give it 100%, meaning I will not eat anything containing over 5% fat.

I only started 5 days ago but already I can see how it's making me stop and think before I eat.

Good luck to you with whatever you decide :)
 
Thanks for all the support! I've decided to give it a try over the weekend to give myself a few days to adjust to it before I brave the office on Tuesday.

I'm sure I'll be on here loads looking for tips and food ideas!
 
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