{"id":3719,"date":"2020-10-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/go.simpleonlinepharmacy.co.uk\/uncategorized\/how-to-get-the-best-results-from-orlistat\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T16:09:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T16:09:56","slug":"how-to-get-the-best-results-from-orlistat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.simpleonlinepharmacy.co.uk\/health-advice\/weight-loss\/orlistat\/how-to-get-the-best-results-from-orlistat\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Get The Best Results From Orlistat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last Updated: 24\/06\/2025<\/em>

Orlistat is a weight loss medication used to help reduce your BMI. It has been proven to be effective in treating obese and overweight patients and helping them to lose weight. In this article, we discuss what you can do to get the best results while taking it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orlistat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Orlistat<\/a> has been proven to be a safe and effective weight loss treatment. It is only used in people with a body mass index (BMI<\/a>) of 30 or more, or a BMI of 28 or more if they have weight-related risk factors like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also known by the brand name Xenical<\/a> and the over-the-counter version Alli. Alli is available as a brand of orlistat<\/a> in UK pharmacies. The active ingredient for both products is orlistat. The prescription-strength orlistat is 120mg, which is double the strength of Alli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orlistat works by blocking the fat you eat from being digested. The fat that isn\u2019t digested is not absorbed by your body and the body passes it out with your poo. This helps you avoid gaining weight. However, this does not guarantee losing weight. Therefore, exercising and following a healthy and balanced diet is important during orlistat treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Take Orlistat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The typical orlistat dose is to take one 120mg capsule with each of your three main meals a day. It can be taken before, during, or up to an hour after each meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It only works when a meal contains fat. This means if you miss a meal there is no need to take a dose of orlistat. If you eat a meal containing no fat, there is also no need to take a dose. If you have fat with all three meals, you would take orlistat three times a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Side Effects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most common side effects of orlistat are to do with your digestive system. This includes abdominal pains, liquid stools, and an increased need to go to the toilet. By causing your body to get rid of undigested fat with your poo, it can cause fatty or oily stools. If your diet is high in fat, or you have a particularly high-fat meal with orlistat, the likelihood of these side effects increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For women who take an oral contraceptive, additional contraceptive methods (e.g condoms) are advised if they suffer from severe diarrhoea during treatment with orlistat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further information can be found in the patient information leaflet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orlistat and Diet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your diet is very important when taking orlistat. The best way to maximise the effectiveness of orlistat is to make sure your diet is optimised for orlistat treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When taking orlistat, it is crucial that your diet is hypocaloric. This means that your calorie intake is less than the calories you burn. This is also called a calorie deficit. A good guideline is to try to consume around 500-600 calories less<\/a> than you normally would every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NHS has a handy calorie checker<\/a> which helps you look up the calorie content of over 150,000 different foods and drinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as being hypocaloric, your orlistat diet should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

  • Be well-balanced and rich in fruits and vegetables<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Have your daily intake of carbohydrate, protein and fat evenly shared over 3 main meals<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Contain approximately 30% of calories from fat<\/li>\n\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n

    This means that if your daily intake is 1800 calories, you should have 600 calories from fat every day. The NHS website has information on how to read food labels<\/a> to help you check how much fat a meal contains.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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    Tips to Reduce Fat Intake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Some people might find they have a high-fat diet containing more than 30% fat. Here are some tips to reduce fat consumption to get it in line with an orlistat diet:<\/p>\n\n\n