Weight loss slowed a lot after starting the mini pill
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Seffell
Posts: 2,222 Member
I started the mini pill (progesterone only) about 50 days ago.
I've been losing weight since Feb 2016. I've been keeping a spreadsheet and taking lots of data and making all sorts of graphs and it has always worked perfectly - I've always lost exactly the accumulated deficit for, say, a given month.
But since I started the pill my loss slowed down. I even increased my deficit by another 100cals a day but with no effect. The loss is even coming to a halt now. I haven't had a new low since I started the pill 50 days ago. I have accumulated a deficit of about 3lbs but not according to the scale.
Stats:
I'm 36, female, 5'7, around 138lbs (according to the scale), for the past month I've eaten an average of 1500cals a day total (according to the spreadsheet).
My only exercise is walking - I've walked an average of 10 000 steps per day last month, burning me around 300cals a day.
I used to eat about 1600cals on a monthly average. For the past month, I've eaten 1500 on average. I don't eat the same calories every day. I eat according to my appetite or according to the occasion and keep an eye on the weekly average.
Using my spreadsheet I have found my current completely sedentary maintenance to be 1470cals.
(as in days where I spend all day on the couch plus some kitchen and bathroom trips; I used to have lots of these due to health conditions). These maintenance calories have been a bit higher in the past but they have been spot on always!
I use a digital scale for everything other than packed meals. I've been eating the same variety of items overall since I started using MFP, 18 months ago. They are all in my database so I use the same entries.
Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this? Can I be holding water, and an ever increasing amount of it for 50 days?
I've decided to go off the pill (for other reasons too, not just this, but this is playing a role too). I've just told my GP.
On the graph below the blue line shows my deficit rate. It starts on the day I started the pill. As you can see the previous month (and before that, which you can't see) I have been losing fine.
I'm just looking to see if anyone has experienced a similar thing. I've seen lots of studies and none show any relation to metabolism. So other than my evidence I have no reason to believe it affects it. Some show water retention - but if it is retention then the water I retain keeps increasing by the day.
Eating at a deficit, carefully, for 50 days and not seeing even one drop to a new low, be it 0.1lbs only, is beyond frustrating! I'm very motivated, determined and disciplined. But everything has its limits!
I've been losing weight since Feb 2016. I've been keeping a spreadsheet and taking lots of data and making all sorts of graphs and it has always worked perfectly - I've always lost exactly the accumulated deficit for, say, a given month.
But since I started the pill my loss slowed down. I even increased my deficit by another 100cals a day but with no effect. The loss is even coming to a halt now. I haven't had a new low since I started the pill 50 days ago. I have accumulated a deficit of about 3lbs but not according to the scale.
Stats:
I'm 36, female, 5'7, around 138lbs (according to the scale), for the past month I've eaten an average of 1500cals a day total (according to the spreadsheet).
My only exercise is walking - I've walked an average of 10 000 steps per day last month, burning me around 300cals a day.
I used to eat about 1600cals on a monthly average. For the past month, I've eaten 1500 on average. I don't eat the same calories every day. I eat according to my appetite or according to the occasion and keep an eye on the weekly average.
Using my spreadsheet I have found my current completely sedentary maintenance to be 1470cals.
(as in days where I spend all day on the couch plus some kitchen and bathroom trips; I used to have lots of these due to health conditions). These maintenance calories have been a bit higher in the past but they have been spot on always!
I use a digital scale for everything other than packed meals. I've been eating the same variety of items overall since I started using MFP, 18 months ago. They are all in my database so I use the same entries.
Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this? Can I be holding water, and an ever increasing amount of it for 50 days?
I've decided to go off the pill (for other reasons too, not just this, but this is playing a role too). I've just told my GP.
On the graph below the blue line shows my deficit rate. It starts on the day I started the pill. As you can see the previous month (and before that, which you can't see) I have been losing fine.
I'm just looking to see if anyone has experienced a similar thing. I've seen lots of studies and none show any relation to metabolism. So other than my evidence I have no reason to believe it affects it. Some show water retention - but if it is retention then the water I retain keeps increasing by the day.
Eating at a deficit, carefully, for 50 days and not seeing even one drop to a new low, be it 0.1lbs only, is beyond frustrating! I'm very motivated, determined and disciplined. But everything has its limits!
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Replies
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I'm no expert, but my understanding is hormones can result in water weight and the mini pill feeds your body a level dose of hormones.1
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I have endometriosis and take continuous hormonal BC (no placebo week, just a week of low dose hormones). When I started that pill my weight ballooned spectacularly. However, I'm still capable of losing weight, I just have to be that much more aware of calories and eat at a lower deficit. Currently I eat at 1200 calories a day (maybe a bit more if I exercise but not by much) and lose maybe 1 lb a week if that. Frustrating but in my case I'd rather have a total hysterectomy than go off of this BC.1
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When I was put on the mini pill it massively messed with my hormones creating an imbalance (to the point where I had to quit my job in the Middle East and move back home) so yes I guess it would be entirely possible for you to be experiencing water retention that might mask any loss. Do you feel bloated since taking it?1
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i just started the mini pill less than a week ago. my doctor warned me that there would be increased water retention, and from what i've read, that can last up to a few months. my scale weight jumped up 5 lbs and i can see the bloat in my feet and ankles even early in the morning (when it's usually down if it's normal sodium bloat which i'm super sensitive to).
estrogen is more associated with hormonal weight gain, but everyone will respond at least slightly different to hormone therapy. you may have increased water weight or appetite or even a slight adjustment to your bmr, but it's not going to affect the actual cico equation though. give it some more time or talk to your doctor about water retention and possibly trying another pill - most mini-pills use proprietary formulas for the progesterone which are not bio-identical to what you produce naturally (so they can make more $$). if you aren't doing well on one, you can try another.
unfortunately, i think it's just going to have to take more time and tweaking.
(edited for typo)3 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »When I was put on the mini pill it massively messed with my hormones creating an imbalance (to the point where I had to quit my job in the Middle East and move back home) so yes I guess it would be entirely possible for you to be experiencing water retention that might mask any loss. Do you feel bloated since taking it?
I was bloted around my period (which came as usual even though I'm taking the pill precosely not to have period, for endometriosis symptoms). But apart from that I don't feel particularly bloated.
I too am inclined to think it is water but why would it keep increasing every day? I was expecting to eventually get back to the same weight loss rate but offset up by the water retention. But my rate has gone to almost 0.0 -
gebeziseva wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »When I was put on the mini pill it massively messed with my hormones creating an imbalance (to the point where I had to quit my job in the Middle East and move back home) so yes I guess it would be entirely possible for you to be experiencing water retention that might mask any loss. Do you feel bloated since taking it?
I was bloted around my period (which came as usual even though I'm taking the pill precosely not to have period, for endometriosis symptoms). But apart from that I don't feel particularly bloated.
I too am inclined to think it is water but why would it keep increasing every day? I was expecting to eventually get back to the same weight loss rate but offset up by the water retention. But my rate has gone to almost 0.
Give it a couple more weeks, now that you've come off it, it will take a while to get out of your system, if you start losing again you will know the answer.0 -
@jessiferrrb Thanks for sharing. I will discuss it with the GP again. I'm inclined to go off though as it seems more trouble in than out regardless of weight loss.
I'd rather stick to the painkillers.0 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »When I was put on the mini pill it massively messed with my hormones creating an imbalance (to the point where I had to quit my job in the Middle East and move back home) so yes I guess it would be entirely possible for you to be experiencing water retention that might mask any loss. Do you feel bloated since taking it?
I was bloted around my period (which came as usual even though I'm taking the pill precosely not to have period, for endometriosis symptoms). But apart from that I don't feel particularly bloated.
I too am inclined to think it is water but why would it keep increasing every day? I was expecting to eventually get back to the same weight loss rate but offset up by the water retention. But my rate has gone to almost 0.
Give it a couple more weeks, now that you've come off it, it will take a while to get out of your system, if you start losing again you will know the answer.
Oh yes, I'm sure it will take time but eventually get back to normal if I stop it. I guess I had not completely made my mind about stopping it.0 -
gebeziseva wrote: »@jessiferrrb Thanks for sharing. I will discuss it with the GP again. I'm inclined to go off though as it seems more trouble in than out regardless of weight loss.
I'd rather stick to the painkillers.
Sounds like you are not taking it for birth control then? In that case, why not discuss Prometrium, a bio-identical progesterone, with your doctor? I have no weight gain issues or other adverse side effects with this.2 -
gebeziseva wrote: »@jessiferrrb Thanks for sharing. I will discuss it with the GP again. I'm inclined to go off though as it seems more trouble in than out regardless of weight loss.
I'd rather stick to the painkillers.
good luck with whatever you decide! i'm going to see if i can wait it out.1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »@jessiferrrb Thanks for sharing. I will discuss it with the GP again. I'm inclined to go off though as it seems more trouble in than out regardless of weight loss.
I'd rather stick to the painkillers.
Sounds like you are not taking it for birth control then? In that case, why not discuss Prometrium, a bio-identical progesterone, with your doctor? I have no weight gain issues or other adverse side effects with this.
Yes, I'm taking it for suspected endometriosis. Thanks, I had no idea there was an alternative route as it has never been offered to me. I'll ask my GP about it.
Oh, and @tinkerbellang83 I'm sorry you had such serious problems with the mini pill!1 -
gebeziseva wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »@jessiferrrb Thanks for sharing. I will discuss it with the GP again. I'm inclined to go off though as it seems more trouble in than out regardless of weight loss.
I'd rather stick to the painkillers.
Sounds like you are not taking it for birth control then? In that case, why not discuss Prometrium, a bio-identical progesterone, with your doctor? I have no weight gain issues or other adverse side effects with this.
Yes, I'm taking it for suspected endometriosis. Thanks, I had no idea there was an alternative route as it has never been offered to me. I'll ask my GP about it.
Oh, and @tinkerbellang83 I'm sorry you had such serious problems with the mini pill!
Thanks it was a long time ago now. Have the hormone-free coil now (settling in period wasn't great but all well now).1 -
The mini pill is EVIL! Lol.
I had to take it after the doc discovered I had an anticoagulation disorder, making the combo pill off limits because of the estrogen.
I wasn't tracking or specifically trying to lose at the time, but I felt like I was starving and was having to run five days a week just to keep from gaining.
There were lots of other awful things about it compared to the regular pill.
Once I finally quit the evil mini pill, I initially lost 5 pounds quickly and things normalized.
Unless you have a specific medical reason why take the mini pill over the regular pills? Talk to your doctor about the effects to see if you can come up with something that works better for u.1 -
I switched from combo BC to the mini pill last year when I turned 36 (for safety) and it only had minor side effects for me. Not weight related. But since I don't do well with hormones, I asked my doctor to add Spironolactone (Aldactone) in small doses to counter negative effects of the Progestin and I was happy with the results. I suggest giving it a shot if you're unsure because it's a cheap, safe medication (nothing to lose really).
Then I decided to get a Mirena IUD to lessen the Progestin in my body even more (best decision ever) but still take Spironolactone and it's an excellent combo that keeps me feeling totally normal. Bloat only happens at periods like it's supposed to and hormonal breakouts are vastly reduced.1 -
I've been taking yasmin for over 10 years now without side effects. Actually, I went off it 2 times to see if it makes a difference. It didn't for me apart from holding more onto water without it. I also only take a break from it maybe 3 times per year. It makes life so much more easy for me. This pill is snot available in Scotland on the NHS unfortunately, thus I'm buying it privately now. But everyone is different. This pill seems to be perfect for my body.1
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I was fine on the combined pill (Microgynon), but had a bit of a nightmare on the mini pill (can't remember brand) with things just all over the place including some weight gain and skin breakouts (part of the reason I went on the pill in the first place).
At the time, there was no massively compelling reason for me to be on progesterone only, although I do have a genetic predisposition to blood clotting (Factor V Leiden), so I went back to combined rather than trawl through multiple brands of mini pill to find one that my body tolerated better.
Like @WendyLeigh1119 I'm now on a Mirena and I LOVE it. Age (now 36) meant the blood clotting risk was higher, and the NHS did a push to get people onto LARCs (long acting reversible contraceptives) because they're cheaper and require fewer appointments than the pill. No bloat, no skin issues, barely any periods now. That's a win for me!
If you're set on the mini pill for other reasons, it may be worth trying various brands as they're all slightly different in their formulation, and it seems to make a massive difference when it comes to hormones! I remember discussing it with friends at uni, and what one of us loved was an absolute disaster for others...1 -
I began norethidrone (same med as mini pill but higher dose) 10mg for endometriosis a couple weeks ago. I am def having issues with water weight. Within a week I jumped 6lbs. Ive managed to get 4 off. But it seems like if I look at food wrong I am swollen. I cant stand the stuff honestly. I feel sick and foggy brained all the time. Its not in the pamphlet but I havent had a good nights sleep since I started it. Its like I inherited restless legs. Im almost at the point dealing with the horrible pain and horrendous amount of bleeding would be better.
I hope you get the hormone that works for you!1 -
The mini pill is EVIL! Lol.
I had to take it after the doc discovered I had an anticoagulation disorder, making the combo pill off limits because of the estrogen.
I wasn't tracking or specifically trying to lose at the time, but I felt like I was starving and was having to run five days a week just to keep from gaining.
There were lots of other awful things about it compared to the regular pill.
Once I finally quit the evil mini pill, I initially lost 5 pounds quickly and things normalized.
Unless you have a specific medical reason why take the mini pill over the regular pills? Talk to your doctor about the effects to see if you can come up with something that works better for u.
The same reason as you. Can't take the estrogen because of family hisory of trombosis.0 -
i can't do estrogen either, it affects my depression very badly. i'm worried about the mini pill to, tbh, and i'm sad about the immediate water weight gain and increased hunger, but i'm going to give it a month or two and see if it settles down. i figure cico has got to work even if i'm permanently holding more water, it's just a set back. but that's if i'm having an optimistic morning. lol1
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