I moved to the Philippines 8 years ago. When I moved here I weighed 430 pounds (yes, 430, that’s not a typo).
Six and a half years ago I had a stroke. I nearly died.
After having the stroke, I maintained a weight of around 340 pounds, plus or minus. So, my normal weight, post-stroke, was about 90 pounds less than when I first moved here. About 3 years ago, I had gotten my weight down to around 310 pounds, and I was really striving to get under 300 pounds, but I just could not make it. I was exercising and eating a fairly good diet, but I had hit a plateau, and had trouble getting under 310. Six months later, I stopped my exercising, and I let my diet go. My weight rose to between 330 and 340 pounds again.
Back in December 2007, just after Christmas, I started taking Lesofat, which is a generic form of Orlistat or Xenical. This drug keeps your body from digesting about 30% of the fats in the food that you eat. Taking Orlistat is not an easy thing, it has some side effects that are quite restrictive. However, it has worked well for me too, and the hassles are worth it in my case.
About 2 weeks after I started on the medication, I also started regular exercise. Every weekday, I walked one kilometer to a health club near my house. At the health club, I went swimming for an hour. I do this 5 days per week, and have been doing it for about 3 1/2 months now.
Last week, I got some news that really made me feel good. It represented a milestone for me. You see, an American friend of mine who has also been living in the Philippines moved back to the USA. He had a lot of stuff that was not practical to move back with him. I bought some stuff from him, but on some other stuff that he could not sell, he just gave it to me, since we have been close friends. One of the things that he gave me was a bathroom scale.
In my adult life, I have never owned a bathroom scale. One of the main reasons for that is because during my adult life, I have never really weighed little enough that I could use a bathroom scale. When you weigh in at 400+ pounds, most regular bathroom scales do not go high enough to weigh you. Because of this, I just never bought a scale. When my friend gave me the scale, though, I was kind of excited to try it out.
I stepped on the scale, and I got a surprise.
My exercise, modified diet, and the medication that I’ve been taking has been effective.
The scale said…… 289 pounds!
The last time that I weighed under 300 pounds was 28 years ago. 28 years. That means that I was under 300 when I graduated from high school. Yesterday, I weighed again, and I was at 287.
Even just being able to use a bathroom scale is a milestone for me. To be under 300 pounds goes way beyond even a milestone. It makes me feel good about my life. It also motivates me to go lower.
For my friend who gave me the scale – Thank You! You don’t know how much it means to me.
About MindanaoBob
is lesofat effective?
Hi chot – It has certainly worked well for me. It is not easy to take because of the side effects, but it is well worth it in my opinion.
Good luck with that…I use to weigh almost 300 lbs myself…but when I moved to West Palm Beach, and started working for a Walmart here in the Palm Beaches. Things changed rapidly, working almost 60 hours a week with them…not eating regularly. Usually only having one day off a week, I was just not eating that much, but I was constantly on my feet. Now I don’t suggest people starve them selves..but since I wasn’t home eating all the “crap” I use to, I mainly drank a lot of water, and had small meals. In less than a year..I lost almost 100lbs that way. I went from a size 40-42″ waist…to now and still wearing a 34″ size pants. Is very hard…especially the older we get, to keep it off. But I have always said, that just “walking” is some of the best excercise you can get, and working for Walmart on the management team there in a SuperCenter that does over $140 million dollars a year, and is understaffed, was actually a very easy way to lose weight…my co-workers called it “The Walmart Diet”.
Take care,
Danny
Hi Danny – I used to work as a retail manager back in the 80′s, at a company called “T.G. & Y.” Actually, Sam Walton worked for our company many years before I came on board, so I know all about those killer schedules that retailers work, and always on your feet! It is a good weight loss method, though!
Thanks for stopping by!
Your story is inspirational. I’m not obese but I know there is much to be desired. I went to the gym, hired a personal trainor even availed the services of a nutritionist. After several months of snail phase of losing weight, I hit plateu. What’s worst than gaining body fat is i overheard my trainer and my nutritionist after getting my body composition index is its “joke time again”. I let got, I stopped my personal trainer, my consultation sessions with the Nutritionist and just joined group exercise, ate what I wanted with discipline. No i didn’t gain weight but I didn’t lose either.
I gave up on plateu but after reading your story, I guess it’s time to try an alternative and maybe I can beat plateu this time around.
Hi Lani – I have hit a bit of a plateau myself, but it’s OK. I am about 280 now, 9 pounds less than when i wrote this article, but I’ve been that weight for months now. The way I look at it, if you can maintain the weight, you are a step ahead of the game, and you can start pushing a little extra to loose again anytime. At least you don’t have to re-lose any gained weight.
Good luck to you.
what are the side effects?
Hi bratinella – Well, for me there was only one side effect. It is nothing terrible, but it is restrictive. Because the medicine makes you pass 1/3 of the oil in the food that you eat, there are times when you need to stay close to the bathroom, because when the oil starts coming, there is no stopping it. This can be a major inconvenience if you are away from the bathroom.
For me, this inconvenience was worth it to lose a significant amount of weight. It is something that you have to consider for your own situation, though.
HI Bob. I’m on my own Journey of weight loss and health improvement. Luckily in my 38 years I have enjoyed good health and no cronic illness. I have been warned by my doctors if I want to keep it that way I need to get to a more normal weight. Sometime in 2007 I almost hit 300lbs which is a lot for my 5’6″ body. I really comitted to weight loss in January of 2007. At that time I was at 276lbs. The last time I weighed myself was Jan 28th of this year and I weighed 246lbs. My time in the philippines has definitely contributed to my weight loss. Lots of walking and sweating in the heat. I think the biggest factor in my weight loss has been a commitment to eat clean. In other words to avoid as much as possible any processed or unnatural foods. I am of course not perfect in this regard, it is a gradual change and difficult in todays society of processed and convienience foods. I do find though that when I am following my commitment to eating only natural non processed foods is when the weight just naturally falls off. When I “fall off the wagon” is when it climbs back up or stays the same. Keep up the good work. Anytime if you want company on a walk or swim while I’m still here just let me know I would be happy to join you.
hi i am going to start to take lesofat is it really effective?
Hi ria – my experience is that it works great.
Wow Bob! I am happy for your success. Like most Americans it would not hurt for me to lose a few pounds. I had the misfortune of damaging one of my feet over six months ago. I was forced to keep walking and standing on it because I am self employed. I gained about thirty pounds due to my restricted activity. Since the pain has subsided I have become more active and some of the weight has been coming off. With the weight gain I had; I saw my blood pressure rise, some asthma symptoms, and just a tired feeling. While I haven’t walked a kilometer in your shoes; I can say bravo for working hard to improve your health. Taking care of yourself is the most thoughtful gift that you can give to your family.
both works great. and take note it is not a supplement. as long as it have its chemical generic name, its already a medicine or drug. as i have heard from users of these two, they are greatly true. they managed to loss 30% of their weight in 2 months time. although there are extremely bad side effects, i advice to take it only if you have a really sedentary lifestyle.
don’t go out too much while in medication. it has a very undesirable effects. 
Hi David Blanks – Thanks for stopping by! I’m glad to have you here. I understand what you are saying about health and weight loss. I think that you are on the right path, and keep doing it as long as you can! I had a stroke at age 39, and you don’t want to experience that, believe me! But, you are already on the right path, and you are doing it earlier than I did. Congratulations on that!
Hi Tom – Thanks for stopping by here. I’m glad to hear that you aren’t having the pain in your foot anymore. Thanks for your kind thoughts.