Weight loss - Getting the best results from Orlistat

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Orlistat is a well-known weight loss aid used when exercise and diet alone are not working. Orlistat capsules are currently only prescribed to individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or if they have weight-related health conditions such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure and have a BMI of 28 or higher.

Also available as the branded version, Xenical capsules, Orlistat is an anti-obesity medicine, which does not affect the appetite, if you are looking for a weight loss aid that makes you feel fuller for longer you can consider Wegovy injections, Mounjaro injections or Mysimba tablets, all of which are available to buy online from Oxford Online Pharmacy.

Orlistat blocks gastrointestinal lipases (enzymes that digest fat). When these enzymes are blocked, they cannot digest some fats in the diet, and this allows about 30% of the fat eaten in the meal to pass through bowel movements undigested. The body cannot use this dietary fat for energy or convert it into fat tissue. This helps with body weight loss.

How to get the best results from Orlistat

With all weight loss aids, you must do your part too. Orlistat alone won’t help you lose weight. You need to apply weight management techniques such as healthy eating habits and regular physical activity alongside your weight loss medications to help promote weight loss and achieve your weight loss goals.

If you simply follow the points below, you should see the best results from taking Orlistat:

Get plenty of exercise

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or not, adults should do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, according to the NHS. This may sound like a lot but if you break it down over the week it can be manageable, even, by taking a short walk each day you should start to feel the health benefits.

Don’t forget to take a dose

You must remember to take Orlistat at mealtimes as directed by your doctor or pharmacist. You can also find more information about dosage instructions on the Orlistat patient information leaflet.

If you forget to take a dose: Take a tablet as soon as you remember, but only if you've eaten in the previous hour. Skip that dose and take the following tablet as usual if you have not eaten in the past hour. Do not take two doses at once.

Eat a healthy balanced diet

Maintaining good health and feeling your best is achievable by eating a balanced diet. According to NHS UK here are some ways you can achieve a balanced diet:

Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day
Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein
Chose unsaturated oils
Drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day

For more information check out the NHS article on how to eat a balanced diet

Reduce your fat intake

Because Orlistat reduces the amount of fat your body absorbs from food, about one-third of the fat you consume will pass through your body in oily stools.

It is advised that you choose low-fat foods more frequently because eating foods high in fat can have unpleasant side effects such as diarrhoea, for a full list of side effects refer to the Orlistat patient information leaflet.

You should reduce your intake of foods and drinks high in saturated and trans fats and replace some with unsaturated fats as part of a balanced diet.

You may reduce saturated fat by reading the nutrition information on the front and back of the packaging. Keep an eye out for the words "saturates" or "sat fat" on the label.

High: 5g or more of saturated fat per 100g.

Medium: 1.5 to 5 grams of saturates per 100g.

Low: 1.5g or fewer of saturates per 100g.

Types of fat

The main types of fat found in food are unsaturated and saturated. Most fats and oils have varying amounts of saturated and unsaturated fats.

Saturated Fats

Many foods, both sweet and savoury, contain saturated fats.

Most saturated fats come from foods sourced from animals such as meat and dairy products, as well as a few plant-based foods like palm and coconut oils.

Unsaturated Fats

It is preferable to eat less overall fat and replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats if you wish to lower your risk of heart disease.

Strong evidence from studies showed that cutting back on saturated fats and increasing your intake of unsaturated fats can help lower your cholesterol.

Unsaturated fats can be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated and are mostly found in fish and plant oils.

Monounsaturated fats

Examples of monounsaturated fats are olive oil, rapeseed oil and spreads made from these oils, avocados, and some nuts, such as almonds, brazil nuts, and peanuts.

Polyunsaturated fats

There are 2 main types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 and omega-6. These can be found in vegetable oils, oily fish and some nuts such as almonds.

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What to eat when taking Xenical/Orlistat?

It is important to eat meals low in fat when taking Orlistat and Xenical while ensuring you are consuming a balanced diet. To aid in weight loss many choose to adopt a calorie-controlled diet and be in a calorie deficit.

To be in a calorie deficit, we should burn more calories than we consume. You can achieve this by either consuming fewer calories from food and drink or by exercising more. Better yet, both.

For more information on a calorie deficit and how to calculate yours, check out our article – How a calorie deficit can help with weight loss.

An adult’s daily calorie intake is 2000 for women and 2500 for men, you should consider this when choosing what to eat, if your breakfast is higher in calories, you can opt for a lighter lunch.

Here are some examples of low-fat meals to inspire you:

Breakfast

Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
Greek yoghurt with berries
Whole grain toast with avocado or tomato
Smoothie made with low-fat milk or yoghurt and fruit
Omelette with vegetables

Lunch

Salmon and vegetables
Vegetable soup
Low-fat hummus and carrots
Chickpea salad
Lean chicken breast and quinoa

Dinner

Prawn stir-fry
Salmon tray bake
Ratatouille
Spinach lentil soup
Sweet potato and cauliflower salad

What foods to avoid when taking Orlistat

Fatty Meats - One of the worst sources of saturated fats is fatty meat. 90%-lean ground beef has 5g of saturated fat per 4-ounce serving or 23% of the recommended daily intake. 1

Butter - It should come as no surprise that butter has a high saturated fat content because it is created from the fats in heavy cream. More than 7g of saturated fat is included in a serving of butter which is equivalent to one tablespoon (or 14g).

Crisps - In terms of nutrition, the salty and crunchy mix of fried potatoes contains around 10g of fat per ounce.

Ice Cream - Only a little scoop (1/2 cup) can have 300 calories and 19g of fat, 12 of which are saturated.

French Fries - A normal portion of fast-food fries could have 340 calories and roughly 17g of fat (3.5g of which are saturated).

Deep-Dish Cheese Pizza - One slice of deep-dish cheese pizza, whether it comes from your grocery store's freezer or a restaurant's menu, can include at least 20g of fat (10g of it saturated) and 350 calories.

Caesar Salad - Even if you make your salad at home, 2 tablespoons of regular-calorie Caesar dressing from a bottle has 170 calories and around 18g of fat (including 3g of saturated fat).

Low-fat meal ideas

Eating a low-fat diet does not mean you should completely cut out your favourite meals, choosing a lower-fat alternative will help. You can find a few alternative options below:

Pizza - Choose low-fat toppings such as vegetables or tuna. Use a wholemeal pitta for the pizza base instead.

Chilli – Choose a low-fat or plant-based alternative mince, Puy lentils.

Spaghetti Bolognese – Choose low-fat or plant-based alternative mince or whole-grain pasta.

Jacket Potato - Use sweet potato instead, choose a low-fat cheese and avoid using butter if you can.

Curry - Why don’t you try a homemade lentil dhal it is a tasty low-calorie option, use low-fat coconut milk, and avoid oil and butter.

Fajitas - You can use lean or plant-based chicken. Or you could even just use vegetables with chickpeas to replace the chicken. Choose low-fat or no cheese. You could even try lettuce wraps instead of the usual flour tortillas.

BBQ - Mix it up a bit, instead of burgers and sausages, why don’t you add some lean chicken and vegetables on skewers to your summer BBQ.

Salad - Salads don’t have to be boring, why don’t you add some low-fat feta, pomegranate, beetroot, seeds, tuna, boiled eggs and lean chicken or a plant-based alternative such as Tofu.

Does Orlistat burn existing fat?

You can lose weight with Orlistat, but you will not lose existing body fat. Orlistat helps to reduce the amount of fat that is absorbed from meals when taken with them. The fat that has already been stored in your body has no impact. To lower your body fat percentage, you'll need to follow an effective exercise plan and eat a healthy diet.

Orlistat is a medication that stops the body from absorbing fats by blocking the "lipase" enzyme, which breaks down fats in the intestines. As a result, fewer calories are consumed and fats from food pass through without being absorbed.

References

WebMD, Foods High in Saturated Fat, Reviewed by Mahammad Juber, MD on November 29, 2022