Slimming World does cater for vegetarians, there are no calories or points to count either you just eat eat eat.

I agree. My OH was on Orlistat (under Dr's orders). The side effects are pretty disgusting. Forgive my frankness.

If you eat fatty food, you will have bright orange, oily diarrhoea. Occasionally (and this happened a few times) you don't even realise that you need to go to the toilet. It literally leaks from your bottom into your clothes, and it's just bright orange oil. Gross, it stains, and it's pretty embarrassing as well. Once it's in the toilet, the oil often sticks around for a couple of flushes, and can discolour your toilet bowl (if it's white). Apparantly, baby wipes are required to clean yourself up, as normal toilet paper just won't do.

The diarrhoea can sometimes come on pretty quickly (imagine being in a restaurant and having to RUN to the loo because you're leaking orange oil and know that you're going to have explosive diarrhoea) but sometimes can be hours after eating (long car journey anyone??).

The less fat you eat, the less oily stuff and diarrhoea you get. But since you're eating a healthier diet anyway, you lose weight!

He wasn't losing that much weight compared to some on a diet without pills. The first week or so he lost about 4 or 5 pounds, but he quickly realised that the only way to not have the diarrhoea was to eat a low fat diet. He then lost about 1-2 pounds a week, which is consistent with what you should lose on a 'normal' diet, and is a healthy weight loss.

After paying £7+ for a months worth of tablets for a few months running, and not losing more than I was on a 'normal' low fat diet, plus being sick of the side effects, OH stopped the tablets.

He said that sitting in work praying you don't need the toilet was enough for him. He never felt 'safe' if he wasn't near a toilet (e.g. car journeys, trips away etc).

Once he came off the tablets, he carried on eating a low fat diet, and we've both managed to lose about 1.5 stone up to now.

I am now on a very healthy low fat diet..I either have wholemeal toast with low fat spread and a yoghurt for brekkie...or a bowl of cereal..beans on toast or a sandwich for dinner and then lots of vegetables for my main meal. I'm eating plenty of fruit and I can feel the effects already..and I haven't had any problems with my bowels at all.

But this is just a low-fat diet, so the tablets are superfluous! You don't need to take them if this is what you are eating every day.

As long as you are sensible about your treats, and don't stuff your face with chocolate then there is no reason you can't have some now and again (like a 2 finger kitkat etc)

my friend gave me some of the orlisat before my doctor prescibed reductil for me,

I have to say, often we think we are eating well when we are not, eg...I got an asda good for you lasagna {good for you my eye} I had the orange oil running from me it was a living hell.
So in one way its an eye opener as to what your really eating {pardon the pun}
but after that little episode, I made sure I stuck to things that couldnt have fat, so having taken the tab is a massive insentive not to eat rubbish if you know what I mean,
where as if you thought, oh well I may as well just stick to a low fat diet and not take the tab, well your likely to think oh one bit of choc aint gona kill me,

Yes, you're right! I suspect I never thought of it like that cos we don't eat a lot of processed foods (barring the Penguin biscuit I just ate!!)

OH can't tolerate a lot of the preservative etc they put in food, so we end up making 99% of stuff ourselves. At least we know what's gone into it!

I found even the low fat/good for you processed food was terrible, but If I made spag bol from scratch in the house with lean mince I had no nasty after shocks.

IMO you really are so much better off avoiding diet type low fat pre made meals,
cooking your own food is the way to go,.