Hi All,

Thought I would start a new thread and keep things hopping.

I am back from my weekend in Montreal...and I think I did GOOD..altho I did overindulge a teensy, weensy bit. That hot dog and fries sure were yummy!

Sunday was a bit of a challenge as we were having a family brunch BUFFET at a restaurant well known for it's food, but especially its PASTRIES, CAKES & DESSERTS (need I say more?).

I was actually still quite motivated, had toast & jam for breakfast...and at the buffet I had a SINGLE plate of cold foods (salads, grilled veggies, couscous, hummus, some cheese, cold asparagus and cold salmon) with a bagel & butter. All in all I am extremely pleased with myself, altho I'm pretty sure I reached my "fat gram" limit (I stayed away from the hot stuff...bacon, eggs, potatoes, pancakes, beef stew, lasagna - which I think was a good idea). For dessert I made myself a fabulous fruit platter (pineapple, honeydew & cantaloupe, strawberries & blueberries and watermelon)....it was fantastic and I really enjoyed it...poo poo on those cakes & stuff!

Dinner was a problem as on our way home we stopped at my MIL's for supper....what could be more fattening than homemade macaroni & cheese? (God it was good)...okay I tried to have only a 1.5 cup portion, and filled up on some bread and veggies (passed on the ice cream for dessert and just had tea).

I am happy to report my hard work has paid off as the scale is registering another 3 lb loss...I am thrilled and excited to continue on this plan!

VR: Sounds like you're doing well....I am inspired by your motivation to exercise as I have not yet started moving too much....something that I should improve on.

Let me know how you're managing, especially when you're hungry!

Where are all the other Xenical Xanies?

Frouf

Hi there,

To all new & potential Xenical users...found a UK site with some weight loss info as well as some interesting message boards..including one thread of Xenical users. Interesting to see how they're doing overseas: www.feelingfat.net

As for my personal update...so far doing great. Got my two week follow up phone call from the nurse-dietitian from Roche so I was able to ask questions and get more info (still have to watch the videotape they sent me!).

I am also happy to report an almost 10 lbs loss coming up to 3 weeks this Monday..even tho it's my TOM....very unusual. I am hoping to definitely hit that 10 lb mark by Monday morning, prior to leaving on holidays (I'm sure this will motivate me to stay on track while we're away).

Hope everyone is doing well....please update!

Froufy

Hi Frouf! Sounds like you are definitely "on fire" with this! I wish you lots of success. How much weight are you looking to lose? I don't remember if you said that in the beginning.

I'm still hanging in there. I definitely had a better week this past week, but as luck would have it, it's been very hot over here in NY and summer is a rotten time for me as I seem to retain water continuously. Yesterday I weighed in with a 1.5 lb gain, but I wasn't upset because my ankles are looking like footballs from all the water I'm holding. I'm drinking water like crazy (with lemon) to try and combat the problem, but it's not easing up yet. I'm sure when it does, I will see a decent loss.

So far I have gained back 3.5 of the 5.75 that I lost that first week on Xenical, but I remain the eternal optimist! I've been at this weight loss thing for almost 2 years now and I knew it was going to be a long haul for me. After losing 100 lbs, I couldn't expect to lose another 100 that easily right? It would be nice, but life doesn't work that way!

Anyway, I'm starting my 4th week on the Xenical. We'll see what happens!

Keep up the good work -- 10 lbs over 3 weeks is an awesome loss!

Vi

Froufy, I am not on Xenical but remember your moniker from live chat. Congratualations on fantastic loss but I have a question. Xenical was an option for me but I opted for Merida.

I was reading what you ate (love homemade macaroni and cheese and have not made it since I began this food journey). If you eat something that has almost all fat do you not then have to hmmmm let me put this delicately go to the ladies room quickly.

Not that I was starting on a food journey where I planned to eat a lot of fat but was concerned it I did have the urge for a fatty meal I would not enjoy the outcome.

Violet glad to read you are still at it. It must be hard after losing so much weight to keep on losing. I know eventually that my loss will slow down. Keep on going, you will get there

Hi Nikolas, Thanks for the words of encouragement! It's always appreciated.

I can answer that question about the Xenical too. I'm sure everyone differs, but as for myself, I've never had the urge to run to the bathroom after having a fatty meal. What I *do* however have afterwards, when I go to the bathroom, is what can only be delicately described as a lot of excess grease. It can be kind of gross, but nothing that hasn't been manageable.

Vi

I remember you! Missed you on chat a couple of nights ago (but that gave us ample opportunity to talk about you...ha ha )

As for the Xenical.....as long as you stay within your fat gram limit (30% of calories) you should be okay....however these should be spread out over the day and not "hoarded" for one super fat loaded meal...in which case..yes, you and the washroom will become close buddies!

Ideally I'm told I should have 10 fat grams for breakfast and 20 each for lunch & dinner...(50 fat grams for a 1500 cal diet). I'm actually finding this to be a lot..and try to hit at least 40 fat grams per day. First couple of weeks my tummy did feel a bit bloated/gassy but nothing really bad or that I couldn't deal with (as well I was also eating way more veggies/fruits than usual so this may have added to this effect).

Even on the mac & cheese day I did count my grams and barely went over my limit...did take my pill, and no nasty side effects to speak of. I think you do have to really go overboard to experience them (and I would assume one would want to skip the pill after such a meal just in case!).

I feel more comfortable taking Xenical as it does not enter the bloodstream, but merely acts as a fat blocker in the intestine eliminating approx 30% of fat in the diet.

So far the cal/fat gram counting is working really well for me (had popcorn at the theatre last night and even a small piece of dh's chocolate mousse cake - counted it all and was fine).

Anyhow...that's enuf for now! There's a ton of info on the Xenical sites (www.xenicare.com and www.rocheinobesity.net).

Hey VR...glad to see you're alive & well (even if you're a bit puffy around the ankles ) I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ice water with a slice of fresh lemon...so yummy! Very hot here too, altho my office/house/car are all airconditioned so I don't mind too much.

Had a few extra sweets the other day (TOM bad side effect), but hope that will pass (love those peach flavored marshmallows...cals but at least little fat). So I'm hanging in there..the other night I actually WANTED to go for a walk (not sure what has come over me! - I must be possessed by an alien force or something). I"m hoping to continue on this trend.

As for how much I will lose..remains to be seen I guess...immediate goal will be 10% weight loss and to get my BMI down...ultimately would like to lose around 70 lbs??? or so....

Keep at it...let me know how you both are doing!

Later,

Frouf

hi all,
I read your thread with much interest and can certainly relate to what has been said already.

I have to say that my worst side effect is the running to the bathroom one, when I am at home it is not such a problem but when I need to go out it is a major one...esp if there is no toilet around

This has meant I have had a stop start approach to using xenical, I start and go for a few days and then I have to go out somewhere or drive long distance and am worried about getting the side effects again.

How can I overcome this?

Hi Girl, If you just recently started taking the Xenical, I can tell you that it will subside within the first couple of weeks -- or at least it did for me. But if you've been taking it for a while, it might just be that you'll have to deal with it or drastically lower your fat intake.

After I had my youngest, I had major problems with bladder control so I used those "serenity" pads (like big feminine pads, but more absorbent) -- so when I go out now, I make sure to wear one "just in case". You might want to consider that in case you can't get to the bathroom quick enough.

It's definitely a gross side effect, but I guess it's a reminder to lower our fat intake?

How long have you been on Xenical and how have you been doing weight-wise? I lost 5.75lbs the first week, but over the past 2 weeks had gains totally 3.5 lbs so I haven't been making any huge strides, but then again, I'm sure if I had taken it at the beginning of my "weight loss journey" (almost 2 years ago) when I was much more diligent, I would have seen much better results. I'm still trying to get back the momentum that I had back then!

Good luck to you!

Welcome aboard.

I agree with VR, if the case is that you are a beginner as I understand most side effects will subside after the first few weeks.....unless of course you have overdone it with the fat grams (which I understand may result in some nasty surprises). You might just need to wait it out until your body adjusts.

I am actually having quite a high fat supper, something I don't normally do, but I will be at home so no problem getting to a washroom if required. I am not going over my fat grams (45 today), but really want to have a nice dinner with dh after kids in bed...so it's steak and boiled potatoes and corn on the cob, and even a glass of red wine. Because of the steak, and butter for corn I have calculated this meal to be around 28 fat grams (and trust mean we're talking teeny, tiny steak here!). I am still within my 50 gram daily limit, but I hope I can do this kind of stuff from time to time (usually stay away from beef due to the high fat content...better off with chicken, fish or pasta).

Anyhow I had quite a low fat lunch (only 5 grams of fat)...and I am looking forward to a yummy dinner...and a video after that!

I hope to survive this meal...and I will definitely enjoy it!

Scale still hovering around the 9-10 lb mark....but the trend is still downwards which is a good sign...and TOM about done!

Very proud of myself as yesterday took my daughter to DQ for a treat after her camp play....she had a chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard...and I enjoyed one of those sugar free vanilla orange creme bars (not too bad actually: 68 cals/0 fat). I would normally have had a pecan mudslide or something equally huge & fattening...

I'll let you know if anything "bad" happens after my dinner!

Bye for now!

Froufie

P.S. Just had my hair cut this morning...maybe that will get the scale down!

Thanks for the answer froufy and violetrose. Did you know that you could take Merida and Xenical together? I did not and then read it and asked doctor. I would not attempt it but guess there are many that do.

Perhaps they have altered Xenical a bit. I chose Merida because a woman in work began Xenical almost a year ago. She seemed to be careful of fat grams but spent a lot of time in ladies room. She finally gave it up but the good news is that it gave her the "jump start" she needed

50 grams of fat is quite a bit (I am allowed 30) so if you are not having a problem then Xenical seems like a good product. I too viewed Xenical as a safer choice than Merida. Doctor asked me whether I tended to eat high fat foods or just all food. I almost laughed and said both otherwise how would I have gained 100 lbs. But in reality, I was much more addicted to sweets than fat so that factored in my decision to take Merida.

Good luck---keep up the good fight. Hope to see you on chat again Froufy......and try to join us VR and Mygirl.

Hi all,
thanks for your responses! I am just starting out on Xenical and am allowed 40g of fat a day.
My problem has been that I can't stick to the diet consistently. I have good days and then days or even meals when I go right off track...esp when I eat out or at someone else's place.

Thanks for the tip VioletRose...I guess it all comes down to being prepared and a little planning in advance goes a long way.

So far I've lost almost 5 pounds and that has been over the last month (this includes my stopping and starting xenical) .

I have also taken up walking on my treadmill and have hit an all time high of 40 minutes! all this from someone who never exercised at all !

My biggest problem I guess is meal variety and keeping away from butter on toast...ugghh now that's a tough one.
I love to hear how you guys plan out meals for the day or week?

I'm so glad I found this group - that alone is encouraging! Thanks for the welcome froufy and nikolas.

Hope to see you guys in chat some time soon.

MyGirl

Girl, like you, I have trouble being consistent. I've been at this weight loss thing for about 2 years now and I seem to have lost my momemtum. Probably because I wanted it all gone yesterday! I lost 70 lbs in my first 7 months at TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) and although I knew that pace would never last, deep down I wanted it all to come off that quickly. When it stopped happening, I started getting very frustrated.

Hence I decided to try the Xenical now in the hopes that it would get me going in the right direction again.

I try to work my meals with the food exchange system. But I have to admit, I do go over on my fat a lot and obviously that's not helping me.

If you are good at following menus, try www.caloriecouncil.org -- they have some good meal suggestions, as does www.xenicare.com. I'm the type who likes to eat what I want and work that into my plan, rather than the other way around. I used to be very good at that, but now I go overboard too much!

The exercise is a big plus though. I do a lot better when I'm consistent with it.

Nikolas, I'm also addicted to the sweets!! I wish the meridia had worked for me -- it just gave me a headache though.

Hi Everyone,

Glad to see everyone is hanging in.....congrats to MyGirl on the exercising. That is my one downfall. We do have a treadmill in the basement and of course there is my video collection, but I rarely have the discipline or motivation to get it done. The best I have done so far is going for a walk in the park with dh and 3 yr old Sam, who I can pull in his wagon. We usually wait til sun is setting so it is cool enuf to walk without expiring!

I am off of work for the month of August..and going away for a few days starting tomorrow...so I'm hoping to devote more time to myself and get myself moving..there's a pool at the hotel so I'm hoping to do at least a few laps daily.

Last night's steak dinner postponed (steaks waiting in the fridge), due to last minute decision to get takeout chicken while at the video store (next door) picking out our movie. Not too bad: roast chicken breast, salad, dressing, roll & sauce, but I did manage to max out my cals & fat grams. And I think my body is finally adjusting to the Xenical, as bathroom stops are less frequent now!

Today also maxing out my fat grams & cals...so I'm dubious to get on the scale tomorrow a.m...as even tho I'm within my limit I feel like I'm overdoing it, and pushing my luck!

For a great calorie/fat gram counting site try: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl
I've been using it diligently and it's pretty awesome, let me know what you think...While on holidays I will be limited to using my "books" which will be very different then looking everything up on the computer!

Congrats to you on your loss MyGirl. Sounds like if you keep at it, you'll do great! I usually try and plan my menus for the day: I usually have breakfast at work: either instant oatmeal, toast w/lf cheese, or lf muffin & fruit. Lunch is either low fat sandwich or frozen diet stuff ..or soup or leftovers from dinner. As I cook for the family I make stuff that everyone can eat, I simply measure my portions out so I can "count" them properly: chicken, pasta, fish with veggies and rice or potatoes...pretty well balanced. My favorite dessert treat at the moment is 1 cup of fresh blueberries mixed with 6 oz of sugar free/fat free vanilla yogurt (150 cals/0 fat grams). I also keep low fat snacks on hand: baked chips, pretzels, fat free puddings, rice cakes, popcorn, tea biscuits....so I have no excuse to grab something I shouldn't!!!

Good luck on the Merida nickolas...I know they can be done in combination, but I'm hoping this works for me!...at least temporarily to get me on the right track...hope to see you later in chat.

Bye for now

Frouf

Thanks for the encouragement Froufy!

I am back on the xenical 3 x daily now and just have to perservere with it no matter what, I guess it also helps me to eat regularly, ie; planned meals rather than grazing all the time.

I am back on the treadmill after skipping a couple of days, I have to be careful beacuse the couple of days can turn into 3 and 4 and then before I know it my walking is non-existent.

I also loved the calorie/fat counting site very handy indeed!

Thanks again,

p.s - did I tell you all that I love the title of this thread
xenical xanies this is what it feels like some days...lol

MyGirl