Birth Control and losing weight???

Josie_lifting_cats

In clinical trials, weight gain only occured in 0-1% of those on the trail. I think birth control gets a bad rep for no real reason. Weight gain on bc is like a big fish story - it keeps growing and getting exaggerated.

^ This is very true. It was a big topic of discussion among the female classmates in my pharmaceutical class a few years ago.

I defiantly agree that is often times and most times does not cause weight gain, but In my opinion I think its defiantly possible to aid in slower weight loss. The way I was explained is that my IUD was gonna trick my body into thinking I was pregnant so I could not get pregnant... correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't that mean my body is going to want to hold onto the weight more so than normal?

Totally wrong.

Paragard and Mirena, while one is hormonal and one is not, do one thing the same - they thicken the cervical mucus, so it is harder for sperm to get through. That is one aspect, not the complete picture. This is essentially where their similarities end.

Mirena is a low dose hormone. It encourages you not to ovulate. And while you may hear the "tricking you into thinking you're pregnant" thing, you wouldn't shed your uterine lining (period) if you thought you were pregnant. Only 20% of Mirena users cease to have periods. So by that general rule, only 20% at the max should have weight gain because their body "thinks" they are pregnant - and on most other birth control methods, it would be virtually none.

Mirena does keep you from releasing eggs. You are more likely to see a shift in where you carry weight than overall weight gain (I do believe this - I seem to carry my weight on my hips a bit more than I used to, and my boobs aren't as huge as they used to be). But not necessarily weight gain.

The problem is watching what you're doing. At first the hormones will mess with you. Anytime you alter your hormones your body has to adjust. I think initially there is a hunger increase. Be mindful of it and manage it. And don't maintain the overeating that you are tempted to do in the beginning. I think that's the biggest key. This is what I've noticed over the years.

Also, I know people love the Paragard as it is non-hormonal, but I'm honestly slight weary of that. Other than thickening the mucus, they aren't quite certain why it prevents pregnancy. Apparently sperm do not like copper.... but they don't know why. They just know it works. Paragard also tends to lead to heavier periods while Mirena leads to lighter periods. Plus during clinical trials, the numbers of pregnancy on Paragard were higher than Mirena (but still lower than having your husband get a vasectomy, so you can't worry about it too much! I believe both were below 1% if I remember right). So that's why I opted for the hormonal option. Just a personal decision, but thought I'd share.

PinkKitty724

The main reason women complain of gaining weight while on BC is because many will make you more hungry. Thus, women may eat more if they give in to the additional cravings of hunger pangs.
Pair this with lack of exercise and many women gain weight. However, if you are gaining weight while on BC while eating right and exercising, it could be water retention or hormonal issues......?

beccabuckle

I've been on birth control since I was 14 years old; I had a cyst on my ovary and the pill actually helped to shrink it. When I was on it from 14 to about 18, I had no weight gain at all, but when I was taken off of it my body went into overdrive and I gained 30 pounds. I went back on BC about 3 years later and I didn't gain weight, but I haven't been able to lose it. At this point though I have gained some weight and I know it was because of my lifestyle choices. My best friend just got off of the pill and onto Paragard and she claims that she has finally started losing weight; I don't doubt her because I've seen the pictures.

I have been working out five days a week between 20 minutes to 50 minutes and changing my diet for the last four months... There has been no change in my weight. =( I see things tightening and toning, but no change in weight. I know BC affects all women differently, but I feel less alone knowing I'm not the only one who's having trouble losing weight while on it.

celtictechie

All of you individuals who are saying bc does not make you gain weight are false. However, a lot of times it is a temporary or minimal weight gain, because the hormonal changes cause your body to retain more water. 10 lbs is usually the top end (which is what I gained).

But it can also come down to like why gained weight on Lexapro-I gained not 10, not 20, but 40 lbs while I was on Lexapro. The doctor replied, "Oh it's not from the pill, honey, it's from the fact it makes you crave carbs." ... Yeah, okay. BC can cause you to have different sorts of binge cravings for food and such if your hormonal changes affect you to do so. That's what you really need to watch out for.

kimad

I haven't had an issue myself, and I even take mine continuous... I don't get many cycles. I do drink alot of water, not sure if that helps.