Tips for losing weight on birth control pills

misskarne

It's a total myth that the pill makes you gain. I lost 10kg when I got on the pill. The only reason I gained since was eating badly and not exercising enough. I'm still on the pill and now I'm losing again.

Kittyface722

A few months ago I ran out of BC and so I stopped taking it. Up until that point I had been on a great weight loss track, losing 40lbs, all while being on the pill. I don't know if it was related, but when I stopped the pill I started gaining weight. (It very well could also be me "falling off the wagon" with my eating, although I was exercising more). I just got a refill (FINALLY!) and I'm hoping to see a decrease in my weight. I know it usually goes the other way around but with this pill (Ortho cept) I never had an issue losing weight. Good luck!

Kittyface722

Also to the people saying the pill doesn't affect your weight: everyone is different. But adding hormones to your body will have some affect, it just depends on how it manifests. People with PCOS who have hormones issues have a VERY difficult time losing weight, and BC is supposed to help with that. So don't flat out say "gaining weight on the pill is a myth".

Chezzie84

Up until last month I was on the pill. I had no problem losing whilst on it, my blip started when I came off it.

dlkingsbury

I've been on cyclessa for close to 10 years and have never felt that it lead me to gain or lose weight at all.

dlkingsbury

When I first started the pill, I was ravenously hungry all the time. The first month, all I wanted to do was eat and sleep. That feeling went away though!

The pill hasn't made me gain any weight. What I have noticed though, is that it seems a lot easier to lose weight when I'm on the withdrawal week. I usually lose a couple of pounds pretty easily during that week. Because it seems easier to lose, I'll work out a little bit harder on the off week to reap the benefits! I think I might look a bit more bloated as well while on the pill. But it's just water!

Anyone else find that it's easier to lose weight on the pill-free week?

i don't think i've found that is easier to lose on the pill-free week, but I do have less of an appetite that week. I've always thought it was due to cramping and a general "I feel gross" feeling though.

Glitter_princessx

I noticed every body reacts differently to birth control , and you'll never know how it will react with you . My doctor room the same birth control as me , never gained weight and could lose weight , however I gained 25 pounds from it without changing my lifestyle. And can't lose weight for the life of me

myrtille87

Try it, whilst maintaining your diet and exercise as they are currently, and if you gain a significant amount of weight after a couple of months, go back to your doctor and see what they suggest.

I've been on Loestrin 20 since I was 18 (nearly 8 years now) and don't think it's had any impact on my weight. My weight has fluctuated over those years but that's been down to lifestyle changes - I have both gained and lost weight without trying at times on the pill, and have now just started trying to lose weight again and it seems to be working OK.

The only other side effects I've had are on my periods - I get very light periods that only last a couple of days, no cramps, no bloated feeling or mood swings, but I also get breakthrough bleeding.

Hormonal contraception seems to affect everyone differently, but there are lots of different products so if the first one you try doesn't suit you, go back and ask your doctor to change it.

runner359

I think it's a myth, and I think people use it as an excuse. I am on Tri-cyclen and I haven't had an issue losing weight.

This. From WebMD " a review of 44 studies showed no evidence that birth control pills caused weight gain in most users."

Bc4lifer

Hormones - either synthetic or real- have everything to do with regulating your weight, metabolism and health. Insulin is a hormone, just like estrogen and progesterone. By inducing a change in your hormone production with a BCP to trick your body into not getting pregnant, you could be simulating similar side effects that your body would do if pregnant.

So, everyone's bodies react with the different side effects, just like some women have easy periods and/or pregnancies, others have very difficult of either as well. And the same simulations can happen to your body as well with your breasts increase and hips changes because again, you're prepping your body into a fake sense of pregnancy when altering the core make up of your hormonal balance.

I have been dealing with hormone irregularities for over 20 years and have tried most on the market just to find balance. I've experienced a wide array of side effects and even when not on a BCP, have had natural imbalances like weight gain, insulin resistance and overall health issues.

What I can say, is learn your body and get to know what is you and what is the hormones you're taking effecting you. It can be a wide variety of side effects. While it takes time to to regulate hormones once you make a change by taking a BCP, trust your body and know when it doesn't feel right. You're altering everything about yourself when you start taking a pill because you are a woman and you are made up of complex hormonal balances that can change daily anyway.