… has lovely side effects, like “oily discharge”. :eek: Details are here under “What are the most common side effects of Xenical?”
Well, basically what I assumed would happen is twofold, in that (1) the fiber taken before a meal would bulk up and take up space. Being more solid than water, it would remain a bit longer, helping to give a ‘full’ feeling. After the meal, which should be smaller than normal, it would encourage rapid passage through the digestive system, thus preventing the absorption of some calories. (2) The fiber taken after the meal would mix with the stomach contents through the natural churning action, then also encourage rapid passage through the digestive system.
The main concern that I had/have is wondering if a person can become dependent on using a fiber laxative and eventually have to wean oneself off of it?
There are a number of dangers in using any concentrated laxative to lose weight. The most immediate is fluid loss, which has been discussed previously. Over the long term, speeding up the passage of food through the digestive tract reduces nutrient intake, gradually causing malnutrition. In addition, I’m not sure but I think you would damage bowel tissues and lose probiotic bacteria. The latter would exacerbate nutrient loss.
As for using laxatives to reduce hunger, in my experience, after reducing the amount of food I eat for about a week, it seems as though my stomach shrinks, or somehow otherwise becomes accustomed to the reduced food intake.
Dear friend of FarTreker-
Do you really want to lose weight? From FarTreker’s description, it doesn’t sound like you do. There is no pill that’s going to help you if you eat bad food and don’t exercise.
You need to stop “trying diets,” and adopt better eating habits.
Well, don’t we all. You can still eat meals, and you can still eat fatty things. You have to eat smaller portions and eat the fatty things less often. There is no getting around this.
Maybe you would like a small salad. You can work up to bigger salads. And what “tough tubers” are there in a salad? Carrots? If you don’t like something, you can leave it out.
2 lbs per week is reasonable for a 300 pounder. You can do this without laxatives.
This is fine, but you would get better and more reliable results by taking a walk. Do you know a dog who doesn’t get out enough? See if you can take him for a daily walk. It’ll be good for the both of you.
Trying to lose weight by eating food that you don’t like is futile. There must be some healthy foods that you like. You need to eat more of those foods.
Remember–it is extremely hard to lose weight. Hang in there, and good luck.
One should eat to be healthy, not to lose weight.
porcupine: yes, xenical has some side effects, and not very “nice” ones, but they are all medically “Safe”. A high fiber diet, including adding fiber supplements is also “safe”. Note, you might lose too many vitamins, or flora, and need a few otc supplements. But, in general, it is a safe way to lose a few lbs. Most Americans do not get enuf fiber in their diets, which causes them to unnaturally gain wieght, this just brings you back to normal.
However, reducing calories, and adding exercise, is healthier.
Thanks for such a funny title! That was my laugh for the evening!
Patty