7-Day Orlistat Diet Plan

How Orlistat Works and Why Diet Matters

No weight loss journey is truly complete without the right diet plan. Even alongside medications, long-term success depends on sustainable lifestyle changes.

One such treatment is Orlistat, which works by blocking about a third of dietary fat absorption. Taken three times daily with meals, Orlistat requires a low-fat diet, not exceeding 15g of fat per meal to minimise side effects and work effectively. This is a clear example where diet can directly affect treatment outcomes.

Read on for a sample diet plan which can help get the most out of your Orlistat treatment.

The Golden Rule: 15g of Fat Per Meal

Health experts advise when taking Orlistat, fat intake should not exceed 15g per meal. Lets break that down:

• Daily fat intake of approximately 40 to 50g - split into 15g per meal - roughly one tablespoon of olive oil

• The 30% rule - no more than 30% of the day's calories should come from fat. Based on a 1,400 to 1,500 calorie diet - this aligns with 40-50g fat daily.

• Check the labels - foods showing no more than 5g fat per 100mg are generally defined as ‘low-fat’

7-Day Orlistat Meal Plan

The following Orlistat meal plan provides 7 days of low-fat meals. Each meal contains under 15g fat with a daily calorie target of approximately 1,400 to 1,500 kcal. On average:

• 1 gram of fat provides 9 calories
• 1 gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories
• 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories

Using this information along with nutritional information on food packets can help formulate a diet plan such as the sample plan below:

Day 1

Meal	Food Choice	Fat (g)	Calories
Breakfast	40g porridge with 200ml skimmed milk and a handful of blueberries	3g	280 kcal
Lunch	Tuna salad wholemeal wrap (tuna in brine) with 1 tsp light mayo and spinach	5g	320 kcal
Dinner	Grilled skinless chicken breast with 150g boiled new potatoes and steamed broccoli	4g	410 kcal
Snack	1 apple and a low-fat probiotic yoghurt	1g	140 kcal
TOTAL		13g	1,150 kcal

Day 2

Meal	Food Choice	Fat (g)	Calories
Breakfast	2 slices wholemeal toast with 2 tbsp low-fat cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes	4g	290 kcal
Lunch	Roasted tomato and basil soup with a small wholemeal roll	5g	310 kcal
Dinner	Turkey mince bolognese (lean) with 60g wholewheat spaghetti	7g	480 kcal
Snack	2 large rice cakes with a thin layer of honey	1g	120 kcal
TOTAL		17g	1,200 kcal

Day 3

Meal	Food Choice	Fat (g)	Calories
Breakfast	1 poached egg on 1 slice of unbuttered sourdough toast	6g	240 kcal
Lunch	Prawn stir-fry with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and 150g rice noodles	3g	340 kcal
Dinner	Baked cod fillet with lemon & parsley, served with mashed peas and carrots	4g	390 kcal
Snack	100g fat-free Greek yoghurt with honey	0g	110 kcal
TOTAL		13g	1,080 kcal

Day 4

Meal	Food Choice	Fat (g)	Calories
Breakfast	45g Bran flakes with semi-skimmed milk and a sliced banana	4g	310 kcal
Lunch	Sliced turkey breast in pitta bread with grated carrot, cucumber and 1tsp mustard	3g	300 kcal
Dinner	Sweet potato and chickpea curry with 50g brown rice	6g	450 kcal
Snack	Small bag of plain popcorn	2g	90 kcal
TOTAL		15g	1,150 kcal

Day 5

Meal	Food Choice	Fat (g)	Calories
Breakfast	Smoothie: 1 scoop whey protein, 100g frozen berries with water or skimmed milk	2g	250 kcal
Lunch	Jacket potato with baked beans and large salad (no dressing)	1g	380 kcal
Dinner	Grilled lean beef steak, with a baked sweet potato and asparagus	9g	420 kcal
Snack	4 wholegrain crackers with low-fat light soft cheese	4g	180 kcal
TOTAL		16g	1,230 kcal

Day 6

Meal	Food Choice	Fat (g)	Calories
Breakfast	Mushroom (2-egg) omelette cooked with low-fat cooking spray	10g	260 kcal
Lunch	Couscous salad with grilled peppers, chickpeas, parsley and lemon juice	4g	350 kcal
Dinner	100g grilled Salmon fillet with steamed kale and 2-3 new potatoes	13g	440 kcal
Snack	2 satsumas or a peach	0g	60 kcal
TOTAL		27g	1,110 kcal

Day 7

Meal	Food Choice	Fat (g)	Calories
Breakfast	Low sugar granola with fat-free natural yoghurt	6g	320 kcal
Lunch	Lean ham and mustard sandwich on wholemeal bread	5g	290 kcal
Dinner	Vegetable and lentil stew with a small plain chapatti or wholemeal pitta	7g	460 kcal
Snack	1 small square of 70% cocoa dark chocolate	4g	80 kcal
TOTAL		22g	1,150 kcal

Foods to Avoid on Orlistat

Orlistat users should avoid consuming high-fat foods as these can affect weight loss and cause GI side effects, such as oily stools, flatulence with discharge and liquid stools.

As a guideline, whilst on treatment, it's best to stick to foods containing less than 5g of fat per 100g. These foods are considered low-fat and are less likely to cause side effects.

Common foods high in fat can be swapped for a low-fat alternative, as outlined below:

Type	Food	Low-fat alternative
Meat	Visible fat on meat, skin on, fatty meat (sausages, black pudding)	Lean meats or pulses(lentils & beans)
Fish	Oily fish, fish canned in oil, fried or battered fish	White fish (cod, plaice)
Eggs	Fried eggs, scotch eggs	Egg whites, boiled/poached egg
Dairy	Whole milk, cream, ice cream, evaporated milk	Skimmed milk, semi-skimmed milk, low fat oat/soya/coconut milk
Cheese	Full fat cheese, cream cheese	Cottage cheese, low fat cheese spreads
Fat	Lard, dripping, vegetable oils, butter/margarine, all fried foods	Spray oils, low fat spread
Cereals	Pastries, biscuits/cakes, dumplings, fried bread	Wholemeal bread, brown rice, low-fat /sugar breakfast cereals
Beverages	Full fat milk drinks, instant malt drinks	Tea/coffee, fruit juices, low fat milk drinks (made with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk)

Vitamins and Supplements on Orlistat

Orlistat reduces the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K. These vitamins need fat to be transported through the body. To avoid a deficiency, patients should take a daily multivitamin containing these vitamins, leaving a 2 hour gap between these and Orlistat

Some medicines also rely on fat to be absorbed. These should also be spaced 2 hours apart from orlistat to avoid absorption issues.

Orlistat Shopping List

To ensure your kitchen is ‘Orlistat-friendly’, save the below Orlistat shopping list which includes low-fat UK supermarket staples:

Fruit and vegetables

• Leafy greens - spinach, kale and rocket

• Berries - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries

• Crunchy vegetables - carrots, peppers, cucumber, broccoli

• Potatoes - new potatoes and sweet potatoes

• Fruits - bananas, apples

Proteins & Dairy

• Skinless chicken breast and extra-lean turkey mince

• White fish - cod, haddock, plaice

• Tinned tuna - in brine (not oil)

• Eggs

• Low fat cottage cheese

• Skimmed or semi-skilled milk

• Fat-free greek or natural yoghurt

Carbohydrates

• Wholemeal bread, wraps or pitta bread

• Oats and bran flakes

• Wholewheat pasta and brown rice

• Low-fat cooking spray

• Tinned tomatoes

• Tinned chickpeas/lentils

• Light mayo

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