LADIES: Birth control and weight loss HELP!

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Snikkee
Snikkee Posts: 295 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My husband and I have been trying to have another child for 6 months. Recently I decided to go back on birth control because of the amount of weight I want to lose. I am concerned that it will mess with my hormones and hinder my weight loss. Have any of you gone on or off birth control during your weight loss journeys? had it made any difference at all? I am just taking a low estrogen pill.

Thank You

Replies

  • Snikkee
    Snikkee Posts: 295 Member
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    anyone? :D
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    I have been on both the pill and the Nuvaring during my weight loss, and neither one has hindered my loss.

    I discussed the concern with my doctor before starting on birth control, and she said that the reason birth control can contribute to weight gain is because it makes you crave carbohydrates and ultimately can lead to overeating. As long as you are tracking your food and eating your calorie goal, you shouldn't have any problems.
  • amydee714
    amydee714 Posts: 232 Member
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    I started on the pill for the first time in my life 3 months ago (-1 week).

    In the last 3 months I have lost 30 pounds.

    Just stay on track and dont use your hormones or TOM as an excuse to eat whatever you want and I'm sure you will be fine.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    I started on the pill for the first time in my life 3 months ago (-1 week).

    In the last 3 months I have lost 30 pounds.

    Just stay on track and dont use your hormones or TOM as an excuse to eat whatever you want and I'm sure you will be fine.

    LOVE this answer... Don't use it as an excuse. Actually the only time it should hurt is if you wanted to get as lean as a fitness competitor on stage. When you take the hormones in the pills it will make it hard to lose that last bit of fat required for the extreme level of leanness to compete. If you are not looking to get that extremely lean (like under 10-15% or so) then you really don't have anything to worry about.
  • daggs95
    daggs95 Posts: 51 Member
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    I will never go on the pill again. Did 2 different types, Triphasil, and Orthotryclian. Both yeilded a 20lb gain out of nowwhere (no additional eating, no decrease in activity) I would work my *kitten* off literally to lose the weight, calorie tracked (for months) ect. Should have lost the weight multiple times mathmatically. Did not until I went off the pill, about 3 months later the weight started to come off as it was suppose to. (this was before I was pregnant) After pregnancy I had the same problems until I got my hormones balanced. (I take chasteberry/Vitex) Crazy. I don't know if you had any issues before, if you didn't then you may be aok. But i am telling you from a person who took the time to document everything for years, has a healthy-active life and that is what happened to me. I stand by condom use :)
  • Josie_lifting_cats
    Josie_lifting_cats Posts: 949 Member
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    I agree. Don't use it as an excuse. Low hormone methods only resulted in weight gain in 0.1% of patients in clinical studies - so it's unlikely. The depo shot is notoriously evil for it, but even that was something like 6% of those in clinical trials. It's like a big fish story - the ones it happened to tell everyone, and no one else mentions their lack of weight gain.

    Keep tracking, you'll do great!
  • Xarina
    Xarina Posts: 25 Member
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    I'm on birth-control right now, I'm not having any problems at all. As has been said, don't use it as an excuse and you should be fine.
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
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    When I used the oral pills, I was hungrier. Now, I use the Nuvaring. it doesn't make me any hungrier.
  • CornellGirl
    CornellGirl Posts: 30 Member
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    Keep exercising. Do not slack off and eat a ton of carbohydrates or known foods that can interfere with estrogen and progesterone. I.e. stay away from soy, soy milk, tofu, hummus, etc.
  • aligatah
    aligatah Posts: 24 Member
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    I'd been off the pill (Loestrin) for about 5-6 months. I went back on and didn't change a thing about my food or exercise, (I have a lot to lose, so I shoot for a 1000 calorie deficit per day), and I gained 7 lbs in 10 days with a 7600 calorie deficit across those 10 days (it would've been a larger deficit, but I did a planned cheat day to see if that would help, but it didn't). I went back off and it took me 9 days to get back to where I was when I started the pill (9700 calorie deficit across those days). I guess it really depends on how your body responds.
  • Snikkee
    Snikkee Posts: 295 Member
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    Thank you all! nope, not using it as an excuse, just going to do what I have been doing, just was not too sure if it would cause me to retain water, or if the hormones may affect me someway. but its day 2 on the pill and no cravings and I dont feel like I am retaining water. :) thanks all!!
  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
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    I have been on various types of birth control over the last ten or so years. None of the types I took caused me to gain weight that wasn't my own doing in the long run. At the start some did make me gain a few pounds but that was only due to water weight from the hormone changes. That weight went away once my body got used to the pill. You need to give your body 3 to 6 months to get used to the change in hormones.

    Personally I think blaming birth control for weight loss is an excuse. Hormone changes affect our weight however it is normally water weight if you haven't changed anything about your day to day life (exercise, diet, etc).

    Some pills may cause you to feel hungrier however it all depends on how you handle it. Changes in hormones will make you feel hungrier or not as hungry. That is only a temporary thing as once your body gets used to the changes things will go back to normal.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    For me the only ones that seriously hinder my weight loss are the progesterone only formulations... like the mini-pill and the depo shot... being on the patch hasn't hindered weight loss but it hasn't helped either. I have to really work at losing weight (but then who doesn't) compared to when I first lost weight and had time to exercise 4 hours a day... but I don't gain weight on it either.


    When I was pregnant, I only gained 11 pounds (effectively losing weight, albeit a small amount comparatively).... I gained all of that back while on the mini-pill... while breastfeeding... I gained more weight on progesterone only birth control, at a faster rate than I would have otherwise.... but that is just my personal experience.
  • jbug5j
    jbug5j Posts: 277 Member
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    for two and a half years i had Implanon, an insert in your arm. during that time i gained 45 pounds.... i dont know if it was because of that or being stressed and in college and struggling fininacially. all i knew was that it was impossible to loose weight on it. so i got off. since then i have been able to lose some. i got back on the pill, stronyx, and it was once again hard for me to lose weight. so i got off after the year and it was even easier to lose. i know ive only lost 13 pounds but it came off fairly easy and im not gaining crazy fast. this was just my experience but my personal belief, for me, is that birth control hinders weight loss.

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