Birth control and weight loss (females only, please)

missjaiy

I'm been on Loestrin 24Fe...I actually maintained my weight and lost weight on this particlar BC. I know this for a fact because I stopped a week before my wedding and this I gained 7lbs in my dress Anyways, this BC had worst side effects than weight gain...Inbox me for more details.

fudgebudget

I actually think my BC might be the reason I'm having such a hard time losing weight. I was on the generic version of ortho tri cyclen and that stopped working as well for me (breakthrough bleeding halfway through my cycle). I've been since been "upgraded" to ortho cyclen (no tri - so it's the same dosage all month) and I feel like it's worse. I have horrible cravings for junk and the pounds seem stuck. Also, the only time I ever notice weight loss is "period week" and I'm hypothesizing that this is because I'm not taking my BC hormones that week. I'm going to stick with it a few more months and see if I "get used to it" and if I'm still having trouble, I'm going to see if I can get switched.

I have seriously tried everything with my diet and I cannot break this plateau. This is basically the only thing I have left to change. I hope you don't have this same problem!!

For what it's worth, I had more issues with the generic pills than I did with name-brand ones, and I've had more than one gynecologist agree with me. My last one said that generics sometimes only have to have 80% of the bioavailability of the active ingredients to be considered equivalent, and if your issues were anything like mine (I bleed so much I get anemic if I don't have some kind of hormonal supplement) then the variance from pack to pack was a huge issue.

Like I said above, I ended up with an IUD (Mirena), and I love it.

shreddin_mama

i'm on the depro shot and lost 60 lbs with eating right and exercise

MFPfriend

Like someone mentioned before, there's no scientific proof that BIRTH CONTROL makes you gain weight. It's listed as a side effect, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's because of the birth control.

I did read one study (if I find it, I'll post it) that said the majority of people in the study gained weight on birth control- because they had found a new partner (hence the birth control) and got comfortable with the partner (i.e. going out to eat, not exercising as much), then consequently gained weight.

And I've been on the pill for 3 years and I've lost weight normally with it, haha. I was on Yaz for awhile, switched to Femcon for two months (absolutely hated it... I bled the whole first 1.5 months), then switched back to Yaz since they came out with a generic version that was affordable.

tayteetots

I gained a lot of weight when I was on DEPO (but it may have also been linked to another drug i was taking at the time) but I'm on a low estrogen pill now (marvelon). I don't think it's caused any problems with weight for me now, I've been on this pill for quite a few years.

craft338

i gained a LOT of weight when i was on the shot, but now i'm on the nuva ring, and i've been losing the same as i was before. it's probably better because i don't gain as much before and during my period.

good luck!!

dbrow93

I've been on the pill (Portia) for 4 years and I haven't gained weight from it.

i_love_vinegar

i am on the pill ( i it)! I a still losing weight. I hope this helps.

A_New_Horizon

I just read the reviews for Loestrin 24 (they are all good with no weight gain). I am hoping it limits my "weight gain during TOM", minimizes or eliminates TOM, and reduces the cramps (which I get in my back). I think my body just needs time to adjust, and it hasn't been long enough. Thanks again for all the comments, I appreciate it!!!

dee_sea_tea

Every persons body reacts differently to hormones but I have been on various types of BC over the last 12 years and have never gained weight from any of them.

MinnieInMaine

I switched to a Progesterone only BC pill about the same time I started my weight loss journey a year and a half ago and I don't think it's effected my weight loss at all. The only reason it's taken me this long to lose 67 pounds is because I stalled out a couple times around the holidays - but honestly, I'm good with the slow and steady progress.

Not sure if it's my overall change in mindset or the lack of extra estrogen but I feel like PMS is more bearable - less cravings, less bloat (about the same emotionally though - watch out! LOL!). In fact, I never thought about it before but that might be why i don't gain those 2-10 pounds during TOM that other women do...who knows.

musica814

I just came off of birth control this week. I no longer wanted those artificial hormones coursing through my body... but I had been using Mononessa (generic for Sprintec) for a little over a year, and I managed to go from 155 to currently 139 through proper diet and some exercise here and there. I'm not sure if Mononessa was supposed to cause weight gain or not, it did mention it in the package insert, but like I said I didn't have a problem with it. Good luck!

fudgebudget

Not sure if it's my overall change in mindset or the lack of extra estrogen but I feel like PMS is more bearable - less cravings, less bloat (about the same emotionally though - watch out! LOL!). In fact, I never thought about it before but that might be why i don't gain those 2-10 pounds during TOM that other women do...who knows.

My boyfriend claims that I'm like a different (better, less-irritable) person with my IUD, ha.

rankailie

I'm on depo and currently having no issues with losing weight.

That said I had issues many years ago with Ortho Tri-Cyclen, it made me kinda crazy and I gained a ton of weight (which is probably also attributed to the fact that prior to that point I had been basically homeless and at a very unhealthy weight for my size. So the crazy irrational behavior from the pills combined with my body coming off malnutrition was pretty bad.

What my nurse told me about depo is that it can for some women increase food cravings and that it does decrease calcium in the body. So being aware of that I haven't had issues, I tend to try and recognize if I'm having a craving and I try to satisfy it in a healthy manner.

A_New_Horizon

Not sure if it's my overall change in mindset or the lack of extra estrogen but I feel like PMS is more bearable - less cravings, less bloat (about the same emotionally though - watch out! LOL!). In fact, I never thought about it before but that might be why i don't gain those 2-10 pounds during TOM that other women do...who knows.

My boyfriend claims that I'm like a different (better, less-irritable) person with my IUD, ha.

My cousin also had the Mirana and really liked it, but the problem is my insurance doesn't cover it (only BC pills).

wanttogetskinny

There is no scientific proof that birthcontrol causes people to gain weight. Just eat smart, stay on track, and keep doing what your doing. Alot of peopel use birthcontrol as the scapegoat for weight gain.

Um then explain to me why it's specifically listed as one of the first major side effects in my prescription information, both on the packaging from Walgreens, and in my pill pack itself? I don't think they can list it as a side effect if it hasn't been proven it's a side effect.

I never changed my eating habits, exercise habits...nothing. And within 3-4 months of starting the pill I had gained 15lbs. I've never had weight problems before in my entire life.

I get really offended by people like you who assume that it's always the person's fault if they gain weight, not the medication. Oftentimes, it can be the medication. In my case I have no doubt....calling it a coincidence would be ridiculous.

fudgebudget

[My cousin also had the Mirana and really liked it, but the problem is my insurance doesn't cover it (only BC pills).

I had a hell of a time getting mine covered - my insurance was supposed to cover it without question, but the doctor I was originally seeing didn't carry them in the office, so I was going to have to order the IUD through the pharmacy - when it was going through the pharmacy, my insurance company was claiming that it was "durable medical supplies" and wanted to charge me $600+ for it. I switched to a doctor that carried the devices in-office and my problem was solved, so you might want to check with your insurance to see how they classify it.

Also, you can sometimes get Planned Parenthood to cover a good bit of the cost of the actual device and insertion, and you can always go to your preferred doctor for consult/follow-up.

I figured out that even if I'd had to pay for mine out of pocket, I'd still be saving money. 5 years of birth control (60 months) at $700 was still less than $12/month, and I was paying $50/mo for brand name pills.

fujax2005

When I first started birth control (around age 23), I was at my lowest adult weight ever (pretty much the loses since I was 15). I did not gain weight during that year at all. I can't remember what I was on, but it was something generic (so not one of the new fancy ones). I then changed BC 1st to the ring, then to implanon. I have gained weight since being on implanon, but I don't think that has to do with the implanon.

My younger sister did gain weight after starting birth control that I can fairly confidently say was due to the birth control. But she is one of those people that tends to be on the thinner side and her weight is very stable. She was on it about 2 months, gained about 7 lbs, went off it and lost the weight. It might be that the weight issue is only relevant to people who are on the thinner side because the estrogen may attempt to make these girls/women a little more "womanly" (with more weight on the hips)... of course, this is just a theory. I have not scientific evidence to back this up.

_angua_

I got on Mirena the same week I started to make an effort and lose weight. So far I have lost 15lbs easily.

maura1110

I was on a different pill for 2 years and never had any problems with weight gain, except for the fact that it made my chest grow by 2 cup sizes! Then, I switched to Loestrin because of the side effects I was having, and I gained 20 pounds in a year. I wasn't actively trying to lose weight but at the same time I wasn't doing anything differently with my eating habits than I had been before that. As a side note, it also made me extremely moody. So, this past January, after my gyno telling me it was unhealthy to gain 20 lbs in a year, I went off the pill completely, started watching what I ate and started running. Then a couple months later I started using MFP and in total I have lost those 20 lbs since January and hope to keep losing more!

So, I don't know for sure whether going off the pill helped me lose the weight or if it was really the diet and exercise, or a combination of all 3. But I did notice a huge weight gain when I went on it, so I personally believe there was a connection. But I guess different pills also affect people differently.

I hope this helps!