Newbie Prescribed Orlistat......but sceptical!

[kittyface]

Hi All

On Monday I went to see my GP regarding pains I have been having with my joints. I am being tested for rheumatoid Arthritis and have just had blood tests back saying I have borderline hypothyroid, but to help my poorly knees and hips I REALLY need to get some weight off. My GP prescribed me Orlistat there and then, which I wasn't expecting at all but he didn't tell me ANYTHING about it apart from take one after a meal with water and for every pound I loose, it can help me to lose another. I thought......Yeh right!

So I have done quite a bit of research on what % of fat I should eat and diet etc, but I am still very skeptical about it. I am 5'4" and currently weight 14.10 (UK size 18) and have struggled with my weight all my life and real yoyo dieter/serial fad dieter. In 2011 I lost 4.5 stone on Cambridge diet and managed to get to a healthy and happy 11 stone, but since then I have PILED it back on and have tried countless diets (Slimming World, Atkins, Cambridge......Atkins, JuicePlus, Cambridge, Exante.....Slimming World.....you get the picture )

I started taking them yesterday and loosely following Slimming World (without the high syns, avoiding fatty treats and naughty stuff about 5%)

I would just like to be told I am wrong about my conclusion of Orlistat is that is it is just a preventative 'medicine' with the well known side effects just to make sure you don't eat fats.......

I would love any feedback on it or any advice how to manage taking it effectively.

Sorry for the long ramble, I do come up for air sometimes hehe

Katie xxx

 

[TracyGWill]

Hi All

On Monday I went to see my GP regarding pains I have been having with my joints. I am being tested for rheumatoid Arthritis and have just had blood tests back saying I have borderline hypothyroid, but to help my poorly knees and hips I REALLY need to get some weight off. My GP prescribed me Orlistat there and then, which I wasn't expecting at all but he didn't tell me ANYTHING about it apart from take one after a meal with water and for every pound I loose, it can help me to lose another. I thought......Yeh right!

So I have done quite a bit of research on what % of fat I should eat and diet etc, but I am still very skeptical about it. I am 5'4" and currently weight 14.10 (UK size 18) and have struggled with my weight all my life and real yoyo dieter/serial fad dieter. In 2011 I lost 4.5 stone on Cambridge diet and managed to get to a healthy and happy 11 stone, but since then I have PILED it back on and have tried countless diets (Slimming World, Atkins, Cambridge......Atkins, JuicePlus, Cambridge, Exante.....Slimming World.....you get the picture )

I started taking them yesterday and loosely following Slimming World (without the high syns, avoiding fatty treats and naughty stuff about 5%)

I would just like to be told I am wrong about my conclusion of Orlistat is that is it is just a preventative 'medicine' with the well known side effects just to make sure you don't eat fats.......

I would love any feedback on it or any advice how to manage taking it effectively.

Sorry for the long ramble, I do come up for air sometimes hehe

Katie xxx

Hiya! Ok, honest review - yes, you're right in your suspicions; the main benefit of Orlistat is to encourage you to eat better because of what happens if you don't! You may lose a few pounds extra over the course of a year, but its main effectiveness is definitely psychological, in my experience and that of other users on here. It definitely doesn't double your losses, I don't know where your GP got that idea from, but it undoubtedly helped set me off on the road to major weight loss - although I could have lost as much just by doing calorie counting, based on the rate at which I lost. I think the biggest benefit to me of taking it was the regular visits to my GP, which helped keep me motivated and accountable. The combination of that, this forum, and My Fitness Pal are what made the biggest differences to me, rather than the little blue pill, lol. Good luck! xx

 

[kittyface]

Thank you loads for your reply I thought as much.....I was very unsure of it because of how it was kind of 'pushed' onto me!

What does confuse me is.....once it is in your system, I presume that even if you 'miss' a tablet and have something fatty, you will have the ikky side effects? but I have also read you don't need to take one if you have something with no fat or low fat ........so surely if you are having something fatty, why would you take them?!!

Also seeing as you only take them with 3 meals, what if you eat something over 5% per 100g in between

They do sound similar to something prescribed to alcoholics to make them sick if they consume alcohol, except I think I would probably prefer to be sick than 'THAT' haha

I'm confuzzled hahah

 

[TracyGWill]

Lol, I understand the confusion, doctors don't seem to know much about these things when they prescribe them! The drug stays in your system for a while, so if you decide you want to have a high fat day, you need to stop taking the pills a couple of days beforehand. And for the same reason you can't eat something higher fat in between meals because the Tango will still get you!! The first time you get the effect, you'll understand why people call it Tango - believe me, it's not good! :O xx

 

[kittyface]

Haha well lets hope I don't meet the Tango I shall make sure I carry spare pants lol

Thank you loads for your invaluable advice Tracy! Maybe it is just the deterant I need as my biggest problem is on a weekend......I ummm relax a little too much with my eating, even on Slimming World.

Today I had/am having:

Breakfast - Plain Oats So Simple with a bit of sweetener and fresh blueberries, made with unsweetened almond milk
Lunch - Salad and little WW tuna tin, 1% mugshot and a coke zero
Dinner - Quorn Meatballs, home made fat free chunky veg tomato sauce, a tiny bit of grated cheese and a spoon of quark
Snacks - nibble on Blueberries, a Plum and an alpen light bar.

This is a kind of going to be a typical food day for me.......does that sound about ok?

 

[TracyGWill]

That looks good to me! I'm not exactly an advert for healthy eating, as I mainly concentrate on calories, especially now I'm not on Orlistat any more! But it's the approach that enabled me
to get to my goal, and now beyond, so it's what works for me, lol. I hope you get great results! xx

 

[kittyface]

You have done fantastically well and are an inspiration

All I need is a little 3 stone 10 off by June next year.....I don't want to be fat and 40 :cry:haha

K x

 

[TracyGWill]

Aah, thank you very much!

You can definitely do that, no problem. My initial motivation, to try to kick the weight into touch once and for all, was actually my 50th birthday, in 2012, so I know where you're coming from! xx