Birth Control and Weight Loss

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Blueseraphchaos
Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My story and details: i take birth control pills year-round to avoid getting my period at all. I count my calories diligently and weigh my food daily. I've seen decent weight loss from this. My real question is, if i take birth control year-round, would my hormone levels stay the same or could i still get water weight occasionally? I've been under my calorie goal for quite awhile now, but i have gained a pound in the last few days. I would guess water weight, but i was always under the impression that continual birth control kept hormones on a level and prevented water weight gain?

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  • Blueseraphchaos
    Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
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    No, my food diary isn't open to the public, and I'd rather not because i don't feel it's up for debate. I figure I'm bound to get the ppl saying "I'm going over my calorie limit, I'm not doing it right, I'm not weighing things right, etc" but that's not my question because i know that, at least in that regard, i am doing this stuff properly. Just want to know if continual birth control can still cause water weight at what would be "my time of the month" if i actually got a period..
  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
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    I guess it depends on the pills - my wife has had different reactions to different pills. One of them had varying doses of hormones, so she actually retained water periodically, especially in combination with some foods (e.g. Chinese). Are you sure yours have a consistent dose?

    She's now nursing and taking a different pill, but still has varying doses through a cycle. However, it's a "mini" pill and the effects are much less pronounced.

    Why not hold your own " experiment" and see how your body responds?
  • silencioesoro
    silencioesoro Posts: 318 Member
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    It's most likely water weight, I get the same issues - I've been on BC for about three years now, and I still get that little weight gain once a month. It's only if it's continually rising that you should worry and/or talk to your doctor - that's what I did. I explained I had lost a significant amount of weight and didn't want it to return, so she made sure to give me one without that particular side effect.
  • Blueseraphchaos
    Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
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    Each pill is the same dose, but i have only been on this pill for about 5 months now. I was on depo before and i had horrible side effects after 3 years on it. I haven't been on continual bc pills before, so i wasn't sure if they had the water-weight effect or not. Thanks for your answers!
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
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    Your hormone levels stay the same when you take them year round. But, you can still have water weight gain from other things, such as sodium.
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
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    It is probably water weight due to foods you've eaten recently with increased sodium or carbohydrates. I am on continuous BC also, and it is a constant level (Nuvaring). I no longer experience the water weight gain I used to during PMS of 3-5 lbs.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    Probably from the food you've eaten.
  • MuddyEquestrian
    MuddyEquestrian Posts: 366 Member
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    Even if you take a pill continuously you can still have water weight gain in cycles, it just happens! I take a progesterone only pill continuously and still get some days out of the month when I bloat. Just because you take a pill continuously does not always mean you're free from some of the oh so wonderful side affects of being a woman :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    You're going to get water retention regardless. Don't worry about it, as if it IS true retention, it will only last 3-5 days usually.

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