E.R.
Hi, B.!
I know the frustration of dieting and losing weight. I seem to always be needing to do more of it myself but I don't think I can warn enough people about this. I was in the test study for Orlistat which is now being sold as Alli. This is really disgusting! It is now over the counter but it seems that a lot of people are on the bandwagon. The pill blocks your intestines so the fat goes right through you without being absorbed. However, you can't always control WHEN it goes through you. They are now warning you by saying you should carry extra clothes. YOU ARE GOING TO NEED THEM!
The supplemental information also says that it wouldn't happen if you didn't eat any fat in the first place. If you cut out the fat, you would lose the weight without the pill. The loss rate and long-term losses are so minimal that it isn't worth the embarassment.
A friend of mine did try the prescription route since she was morbidly obese and she was so jittery, either from the caffeine or the thought of becoming addicted, she was too scared to keep trying. So that is all I can offer for that route.
Good luck. I know it is hard and I have to begin again. I lost 80 pounds in a year by counting calories and exercising every day. I had my kids and, while my diet isn't too bad, I haven't got the hour each day to devote to aerobics so I regained about half. I'll be watching, though, in case someone else comes up with a better response.
E.