[Mresta]

Age: 24

Height: 4' 11.5"

Current weight: 159lbs BMI: 31.6

Previous weight: 181lbs BMI: 36

Goal weight: short term: 145lbs BMI: 29, long term: 110lbs BMI: 22, Would settle for: 125lbs BMI: 25

Bit of Background:

My doctor gave me a telling off and told me to lose the weight or I'd be put on Reductil (I'm in a very high risk category for Type 2 Diabetes and was diagnosed as pre-diabetic). Ive lost 22 lbs since, but was given the option of Reductil again last time I saw her and was given a few months to think it over. It was a very heavy hearted decision I made - I really wanted to lose weight without any medication (it does feel like cheating to me) but I've decided to give the go ahead on the Reductil, since I've admited I need a helping hand. The part that scares the bejeesus out of me is the side affects though. I'm starting this medication on Thursday, when I go see her next for a weigh in.


Brief explanation of current diet/exercise regimine:

Since September I've cut out fatty foods and eat more steamed vegetables, fruits, etc. My diet isn't bad - it's healthier than most, but at 4' 11.5" (151 cm), I eat far too much for my height. I go to the gym about 3-4 times a week doing medium-high intensity cardio for half an hour a session. Want to do more, but I've been ill the last month and so hit a plateu where I'm just maintaining the weight, but not shifting it - I believe this is because I eat too much for my height and the gym is just staving off the weight going up.


Has anyone here put weight back on after stopping Reductil? And, on average, how much do most of you lose in a week?

Thanks!


Mary x

[Anahita]

Good luck with it. I have been on Reductil before. If you have an eating disorder or if you are a compulsive overeater, you will gain the weight back or you'll never lose the weight in the first place.

Reductil takes that monkey on your back that thinks about food, plans what you'll eat, makes you eat every last bite on your plate (and my children's plates!) even though you're past full.

I lost about 6/7lbs this week, which has been my first week. I was on Reductil in 2003 and lost about 4.5st. I lost most of it off Reductil, like you, by exercise and eating right. Then I put the whole lot (bar 5lbs) back on after having my son.

Once the initial water weight came off and I was well into it, I lost between 2-4lbs per week. As my BMI got within the healthy range, I found it harder to shift the weight. Exercise would've helped but I thought I was a 'naturally skinny' person by then and didn't do it. This time, I must make a serious committement to exercise and I'm sure this will help to keep the weight off.

BTW...
I'm 5'7 and start weight was 14st7lbs or roughly 205lbs.
I'm now down to 199lbs and today is my 7th day on Reductil 10mg.

You should definately visit the doctor to check your blood pressure etc but other than a touch of alertness and dry mouth (good though as it makes you drink lots) I didn't have any side effects like anxiety or panic attacks.

If you don't lose about 5lbs in the first month, your problems are not related to eating when you're hungry. This happened to a friend of mine who ate through the lack-of-hunger and it didn't work for her. She tried two times and though her appetite (she admits) was suppressed, she still piled in loads of food and junk then complained that the pills "didn't work."
Heh.

It does take some willpower. You will be less tempted. I would also suggest considering taking the tablets mid-morning.

I used to take them first thing with breakfast (I eat early, about 7am) but by 9pm the effects slightly wore off and I would've been tempted had something good been offered to me.

Make some rules, i.e. no eating after 6pm (except on special occasions), you will drink 2L of water, you will walk X times a week, etc.

Good luck! Let us know how you get on.

This is a quiet board and we need some more feedback.

[Mresta]

Certainly no eating disorder of any type. I eat healthily, I do exercise, I just have a large appetite that's proving to be the problem.

I'm going to get a home blood pressure monitor as well, so I keep track on it between doctors visits, so I can chart anything she may need. She said she'll start me on 10 mgs, and increase, or decrease the dosage if need be. But I don't want to lose more than about 1 and a half pounds a week - so if the weight loss is high at first and then tapers off to a much slower progression - I'll be happier about it, since it'll mean any excess skin will have time to shrink back instead of hang.

I have no intention of stopping the exercise - infact I'm getting a little impatient as I've been told I can't lift weights until I lose more body fat (i really want to get into boxing and kick boxing, so I'll need to lift weights as part of the training). Stuck doing cardio for now.

I've been overweight or obese for more than 15 years, there's no way I could ever think of myself as naturally skinny. Especially with all the health warnings my doctor has given me.

[Jenny74]

Hi I started Reductil 1 week ago and have the dry mouth, had a couple of dizzy spells first couple of days but seem ok now. Ive only lost 1lb up to now, does anyone know how long it takes to start working?

I have noticed that I can say no to Binge eating at night like pkt crisps chocolate bar now where as before i was like yes i will eat no I won't eat the crisps and in the end i'd eat them. Last nite I just had an apple yeahh, so maybe it will take some time to lose the weight.

I have tried xenical and had a few bouts of oily discharge if you know what i mean!!

Jennyxx

[Mresta]

Everyone seems to say they have a dry mouth - which I can deal with, I really should drink more water anyway. It would be nice to know if there were any long term complications, but it seems that any side effects stop, once the medication intake has stopped.

1lb a week is a very healthy way to lose weight - that's all I want. It means there's a much lower risk of puting all the weight back on. The slower the better. Also means your skin will have the chance to stretch back into shape, instead of hanging loosely.

The easiest thing I found for not binge eating? Don't buy it in the first place. I don't remember the last time I bought crisps or a chocolate bar. The human body was not designed to consume such high amounts of fat.

That said I'm not impartial to the occasional piece of handmade chocolate, because 1. they're really rich, so you can't really eat more than 2 pieces, and 2. they're expensive, so it's best to limit the amount. I'm very picky about the quality of food and the ingredients that goes into it. I won't touch cadbury's, Nestle, etc. And weekends are usually spent at Farmer's Markets buying fresh produce.

So, it costs a little more than the supermarket - but if it's going into my body, the last thing I want is crap. It's why my doctor said Xenical would be wasted on me, I have a fairly low-fat diet - but I love my food and everything about it, from buying it, to preparing it, to eating it (and have other people eat it). So she keeps recomending Reductil to me.

And I've put off going on it for 9 months now and my weight loss has well and truly hit a plateau after losing 22 pounds, so I'm going to give in and let her prescibe it to me.