Can birth control KEEP you from LOSING weight?

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  • mead
    mead Posts: 68 Member
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    i was on the deptpo shot and it made me gain weight
  • angiejo666
    angiejo666 Posts: 11
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    I'm on Loestrin and I'm losing weight. Only problem is the cravings on my off days from the pill. They are a pain!


    OMG....I'm on the same pill and totally agree with you! The cravings in the 4th week are crazy!!!! Nom nom nom
  • skonly
    skonly Posts: 371
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    I think it depends on the person and why you are taking them. If you are on them for birth control only and not using them as hormone therapy it usually doesn't affect your weight. This is what I was told while complaining about becoming so fat while on them as therapy. I did not use estrogen though.

    The last time I was switching the dr did tell me I probably wouldn't have the increased hunger so much. She said a lot of women say they feel hungry all the time. I did on some doses.

    Don't compare yourself to other people. We are all different. Some lose easier than others. Same goes for gaining.
  • emmeylou
    emmeylou Posts: 175 Member
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    I understand how frustrating it can be to be a "slow loser" but six pounds in five weeks is perfect! It is a healthy number, and chances are you have lost more fat then you realize and your muscles have bulked up (which is keeping the number from changing drastically).

    When I first starting losing and I'd see 1lbs lost, 2lbs lost... it was very discouraging. But eventually it turned into 10lbs, 15lbs, 20lbs, etc and I started to be really happy with each pound.

    My tip, is to make sure you are drinking plenty of WATER!! When I don't drink enough, I don't lose. When I stall out, if I think about my water almost every time i've been low.

    Keep going as you are! Great job!
  • MissShancey
    MissShancey Posts: 464
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    My health nurse told me that the pill can increase your appetite, which is why a lot of people gain weight, but then she said, "the only thing that will make you gain weight is what you put in that mouth of yours." :)

    if you put it in your mouth then you dont need the pill at all ...
  • ChristineFredrick1
    ChristineFredrick1 Posts: 9
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    You don't have sex? Do you realize the workout your missing out on?:wink:
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
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    6 lbs in five weeks is bad progress? Damn, I must be doing something wrong because that's how much I lost in the last five weeks :/
  • Slimmasaurus
    Slimmasaurus Posts: 141 Member
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    My health nurse told me that the pill can increase your appetite, which is why a lot of people gain weight, but then she said, "the only thing that will make you gain weight is what you put in that mouth of yours." :)

    if you put it in your mouth then you dont need the pill at all ...

    Hahaha!!
  • notyouraveragetalia
    notyouraveragetalia Posts: 223 Member
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    I switched from a low hormone dose BC to a higher hormone dose BC about a little over a year ago due to medical issues. I went directly online to read reviews, and almost every single one stated weight gain as a side effect. I was completely expecting to gain weight, but have not gained a single pound due to Birth Control. IMHO it's a very over stated excuse.
  • Irish_eyes75
    Irish_eyes75 Posts: 475
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    I had the Mirena IUD a few years back and it made me incredibly bloated. So bloated it looked like I swallowed a basketball whole. I was taking 3 spin classes a week, kickboxing once a week and walking every day. I was also logging my food in the daily plate. So what was being put in my mouth was definitely not the cause! My doctor looked me in the face and said it couldn't possibly be from the Mirena without even taking the time to talk to me and really listen. Take my advice and research the birth control you're on. I found a forum of women who weren't crazy, weren't all fat a$$es and had the same exact experience I had. I was so upset I almost tore the IUD out myself. I printed out pages and pages of other women's experiences and brought it to my doctor then asked her for my records, and never saw her again. I was back to normal a few days after the IUD was taken out.

    So all the research, studies and papers written are all well and good but real women with real experiences are just as relevant.
    If you've ruled out everything else, you're honest with yourself about what you're eating and how much you're exercising, then re-evaluating your bc is definitely something you should do.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    In my entirely uneducated based only on friends, family and my own experiences: it depends on the person & the pill. I have a friend who is extremely sensitive to hormonal changes and being on the pill caused her to gain about 5 lbs. she ditched the pills an dropped the 5. For myself and many other friends and family members however it doesn't effect weight at all. I've gone on and off several times in the last few years due to blood pressure issues and have had no difference in loss or gain rates (as a matter of fact I've been on them for the last 4 months and during that time I've lost over 20lbs and dropped from a size 16 to a 12).

    As others have said: 6lbs in 5weeks is very normal and I'll bet you've lost more than that in fat% but your muscle gains are making the scale move slower. People lose at different rates for a variety of reasons, does she have more to lose? Is she eating cleaner or less than you? Is she younger? All of this plus genetics will effect weight loss.

    If you're really concerned get off the pill for awhile and see if it helps! Just make sure to use something else so you don't wind up gaining from a baby!!!
  • Muddy_Yogi
    Muddy_Yogi Posts: 1,459 Member
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    Everyone is different....Yaz made it very hard to lose....I lost but it was slow....but I have heard other that lose like crazy on bc. I asked my doctor about it and He said it has everything to do with your body and your hormones.....
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Your losing a pound a week roughly... which is perfectly healthy and fine.

    I take Loestrin 24 FE and thats the rate I lost at.. about a pound a week.

    I had no issues whatsoever losing weight while on birth control.
  • amandammmq
    amandammmq Posts: 394 Member
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    Considering how much you would gain if you became pregnant, no lol.

    Actually, some birth control works by tricking your body into thinking you already are pregnant, so that you don't release another egg. So...
  • blair_bear
    blair_bear Posts: 165
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    No.
    It can hinder weight loss and make it more difficult, but not impossible. Few medications can actually make it impossible to lose weight, but they do exist.

    Uh yeah :noway: , like the countless steroids perscribed everyday, anti-psychotics, meds for seizure disorders, the list goes on... Trust me there are PLENTY of meds that can cause weight gain and make it next to impossible to lose weight.
  • alipink
    alipink Posts: 3
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    it can definitely hinder weight loss. Can someone tell me how to post my own topic? Thanks!
  • Tryin2LiveFree
    Tryin2LiveFree Posts: 9 Member
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    I was on the depo shot for about 3 years and didn't change any of my eating habits but, continued to gain weight. I wasn't until I got completely off birth control did I begin to lose weight. It wasn't a lot of weight at once but, it kinda crept up on me. I opted for an IUD (something without hormones) and finally was able to manage my weight. All in all you have to do what is best for you. Good luck.

    Now I'm just overweight from eating.... LOL..
  • Tryin2LiveFree
    Tryin2LiveFree Posts: 9 Member
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    My health nurse told me that the pill can increase your appetite, which is why a lot of people gain weight, but then she said, "the only thing that will make you gain weight is what you put in that mouth of yours." :)

    if you put it in your mouth then you dont need the pill at all ...

    OK. I had to read that twice. I'm glad I wasn't the only one taken back a bit... was kinda funny.
  • Fluttershy91
    Fluttershy91 Posts: 2
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    Hahaha, true, but that's more hard work.
  • Boobookittyfq
    Boobookittyfq Posts: 454 Member
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    I would have to say its most probably the type of contraceptive.. Ive been on and off birth control for years i use Ortro-Tri Cyclen Low. The worst are the shots or the actual sticks in your arms ive seen major weight gain on those on other women. I think it just works different with everyone's body personally.

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