The Plateau and the Pill

kaliso

Hi gang, this is a question mostly for the ladies, but guys feel free to jump in and add your 2 cents.

I've had a pretty steady weight loss trend going since March, when I became serious about losing weight and changing the lifestyle. Hooray, I lost 25 pounds on my own, awesome. About 2 months ago I got back on the pill (a monophasic) and the scale and measurements haven't budged.

I know the side effects of being on the pill and that this is water retention, but it's still frustrating that in the last 2 months, I've really amped up my workouts, changed things up, played with the number of calories, etc. I think 2 months seems like an awfully long time to adjust to the pill. Could this be my body telling me I've lost enough and that it will go no further?

Alright.. Let me know what you guys think and if this has ever happened to any of you.

RuthieCass

When you get closer to your goal, weight loss does (as it should) slow down. Whether or not your body has decided it's lost enough generally depends on what your current body fat is, but I'm going to guess that you still can lose more. Right now, the water may be masking some weight loss.

As for the pill, the weight gain is just some initial water retention. I know some women blame the pill for making you fat, but this is not supported by an evidence. Most studies show no change in weight after birth control (with the exception of the Depo-Vera shot). There is not really any evidence that your "metabolism" (BMR) changes due to BC (almost all show no change in BMR, one study showed an INCREASE in BMR).

My experience: when I first started taking the pill, I was about halfway through the process of losing almost 50 pounds. I continued to lose at a similar rate after the initial water retention. I'm on the pill now and have lost steadily.

Just have patience, give your body time to adjust, and watch your calories carefully. Some women say the pill increases their appetite, which will surely result in weight gain if not accounted for. You can try eating more protein (and fiber) to help with hunger issues. One bright side of being on the pill (besides it's obvious advantage), is that your TOM will generally be more mild, making it easier to control cravings and exercise during that time.

Studies: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/impact-of-the-menstrual-cycle-on-determinants-of-energy-intake-reseach-review.html

kaliso

I used to be on the pill for about 10 years and then switched to a non-hormonal type. I guess after all this time I forgot what it was like in the beginning.

Thank you for your reply, RuthieCass, I'm trying to be patient and trying to not eat so many sweets... I have such a weakness for them.