LADIES: birth control and weight loss/gain

cailinlowe

I'm thinking about going back on the pill, but im nervous about how it will affect my weight. I was on it for 4 years and at the time i was not watching my weight, so i can't really say if it made me gain or lose or whatever.

What kind of experiences have you all had with the pill and your weight loss journey?

lyndall5311

I went back on it awhile ago and gained about 5kg in about 8wks.

My dr told me that there are other brands of the pill out there that you wont gain on, its just a matter of trial and error - he also said that the more expensive brands you are less likely to gain on.

anaboneana

I'm taking Sprintec and I like it. No weight gain and it doesn't make me feel nauseous like other pills I tried.

mrganrshort

I am on birth control and I have lost 15 pounds, no problem! I know everyone's different but I definitely haven't had any problems. Although every kind of bc is a little different too.

rburd12

I haven't experienced any gains or losses as a results of the pill. But I was concerned that it might be preventing me from losing weight so I flat out asked my doctor-- her answer was no.

I've also gone to another doctor for help losing weight after losing 35 lbs and hitting a wall. That doctor didn't seem to be concerned with me being on the pill either.


It probably just varies depending on your hormone levels?

Amanda82691

I am on birth control and I have lost 15 pounds, no problem! I know everyone's different but I definitely haven't had any problems. Although every kind of bc is a little different too.

I have started birth control when I was abour 12 years old because my periods were so sever and eventually I wanted to be on the pill for obvious reasons. I don't really feel like the pill (and I have been on quite a few different ones to find the one that kept my periods under control the best) has caused me to gain or to prevent me from losing weight. I have yo-yo'ed with my weight all the years I have been on the pill. I agree with mrganrshort, while all BC can be different and effect everyone different. I wouldn't hold it the culprit for everyones weight gain.

* also I had a friend who was on the shot and her weight wasn't an issue but her moodiness was. She would get more moody around the time she was due for her shot. Also my mother had a friend who's daughter tried the shot as well and it made her act out horribly as well. The same friend I mentioned first then tried Mirena (hoped I spelled that right) and she said she gained almost 25 pounds in just little over a month. She had it removed asap.

So I really think that its when we take ANYTHING that can mess with our normal rythem of hormons we can gain/lose weight. We just have to watch and adjust according.

shakarock

I was on birth control for about a year, and I gained 20 pounds without changing any of my daily routine. Some people don't gain weight from it, but most people do. I wouldn't go on the pill unless I really had to, if I were you.

rlmiller73190

I neither gained nor lost weight when I first went on the pill. In fact, when I went on the pill was when I realized that I needed to lose weight. I didn't realize how heavy I had gotten and during my research I found out that BC does not necessarily work as well when you are heavy. The Pill made my PMS SOO much better. I didn't have any issues losing weight either and now that I'm maintaining my weight, I found that my period is under control (it's wonderful) and that it hasn't been difficult to maintain my weight while on the Pill.

RhineDHP

I was on Loestrin 24Fe for about a year, suffered no weight gain. Guess it depends on the type of BCP you take.

kamanda85

I just started back on birth control and it's definitely something I'm worried about as well. I'm using NuvaRing and hoping that I won't gain any and will still continue to lose. I'm just going to make sure that I hit my cals for at least the next couple of weeks until Christmas and try to stay on target then as well.

ohheyy125

ortho tri cyclin or however you spell it works great for me. Reduced breakouts, regulates my ., and no weight gain. (lower sex drive though which sucks for my bf)

Depo shots made 2 of my friends gain weight, one gained A LOT. I'm talking from size 2 to plus size. Another friend gained a few lbs (maybe 10lbs) and stopped getting shots after the first one. She said she was constantly ravenous,

samantha1242

It personally made me hold on to weight and also made me go a little craaaazzzzyyyyyyyy. Once I went off the pill I dropped weight a bit easier for the next couple months and re-gained my sanity. At least I like to think so...haha.. This was a couple years ago btw. Also, I would pick a lower dosage pill if you can. I have heard from several girls to avoid the depo shot as I have had friends gain up to 30 pounds after getting it.

deanabailey

I just went on the pill 3 months again and had the same fears of weight gain. I explained this to my Dr and they put me on Lo Loestrin Fe and I have had NO weight gain and no other side effects. LOVE it!

felcandy

I skipped the pill for 3 months and I think I have gained about 8 lbs since I last checked (before I got off the pill).... So it could happen either way

matchbox_girl

Here's an experience I've seen happen:

My friend just got pregnant with her boyfriend of 3 months. When asked why she wasn't on birth control, we were told, "Because birth control makes you fat. I didn't want to get fat!"

Moral of the story:

Babies make you fat, too. 0_o

fatty_to_fitty

Ask about the coil.

panda007dammit

So, my experience has been with three different pills: Ortho-Tri-Cyclen, LoEstrin, and OrthoCyclen. I took the first pill in high school and college because I had some issues with my body maintaining any kind of menstrual schedule, and that pill most closely simulates the natural ebb and flow of your monthly hormones. I was already large at the time, so I didn't notice anything, but eventually went off the pill by accident (I'd forgotten to refill my prescription) and in the week it took me to get the pills again, I had lost 8 pounds. I decided to just stick it out and see how things went without the pill. My body actually maintained a schedule, so I went a few years without the pill. It was during this time that I lost the bulk of my weight.

A little over a year ago, I started LoEstrin. It's fairly low in hormonal influence, so I didn't experience any bloating or weight gain, but it threw off my body's schedule in a bad way. Things got bad enough that I went to the doctor to try a different pill, and she started me on OrthCyclen. That has fixed the schedule, but I gained 12 pounds within a month. I just kept with it and eventually that water weight disappeared. I've lost more weight while on OrthoCyclen (9 lbs overall since starting this pill, 6 lbs since I joined MFP), but I have noticed that my body is EXTREMELY sensitive to dietary changes. One overly salty meal or a little too much alcohol and I will be a balloon for at least three days. It's all water weight, but it's very frustrating. I do think this is a result of the pill, but I guess I'll take sporadic bloating over constantly having my period.

As far as I know, bloating is a common side effect with many pills. Genuine weight gain is probably more a factor of an increased appetite while on the pill than actual metabolic effects (the pill is probably not slowing your metabolism down). Bloating can be dealt with by actually examining the content of what you're eating instead of just monitoring calories. Eventually your body should adjust.

mosertheninja

I blamed my wight gain on my birth control. but the truth is, that's ALL UP TO YOU! I was on the shot, Depo Vera. Though there was some initial weight gain, I failed to see that my eating habits and lack of exercise were the main cause. i've been on the shot for 3 years now, and I lost over 30 lbs in three months as soon as I changed my diet and exercise. Stick to what you're doing, maybe bump the cardio a bit. Just remember that some of the hormones make you feel more hungry and less full. Count your calories and you should be fine! And again, I would go with the shot over the pill. Once every three months as opposed to every day! It's a lot harder to lose weight after having a child.

lc52820

I just started back on birth control and it's definitely something I'm worried about as well. I'm using NuvaRing and hoping that I won't gain any and will still continue to lose. I'm just going to make sure that I hit my cals for at least the next couple of weeks until Christmas and try to stay on target then as well.

I've been on Nuvaring for 5 years now and no complaints except I wish my insurance covered more of it I did start to put on weight around the time I started it but I think that was more a result of not enough exercise and poor eating habits. I like the convenience of not having to take a pill on a daily basis since I can tend to be forgetful.

taiyola

Everyone's different.

I've been on the pill and now the injection and it hasn't made any difference to me, yet one friend took the pill and it made her go a bit crazy and she got really depressed.

bzrpz727

I've been on two different pills FemconFe, or something like that, awhile back that made me go completely insane! I didn't notice it do much to my weight since I was in college, eating terribly and barely active so my weight was up anyways. But it did make me feel like everyone hated me and I would cry at the slightest things or for no reason at all. When I stopped them, everything went back to normal.

I've been on Yaz recently for about 9 months, and I've noticed a huge change in appetite. I crave sweets CONSTANTLY! Before the pill I had to be in a certain mood to even consider eating sweets, but afterward that's all I wanted. So I blame any weight gain on the change of appetite and lack of self control more than anything.

I did notice that when I started the pill this last time, I also wanted to start losing weight and tried, but I couldn't lose anything. Not sure if it was lack of willpower and motivation/time or if the pill may have had something to do with it. All I know for sure is that I'm 20 pounds heavier now than I was then.

sapf

I notice that when I'm on the placebos of my BC I crave sweets (and maybe all food) like crazy. I'm over halfway through my calories at 11 am. Ugh...

Juliane_

It depends on your body. I personally prefer not to risk it because I don't know how those hormones will affect me. Back in the day I tried the Depo shot and I completely stalled regardless of how much exercise diet I did the scale would not budge. I got frustrated and never again went back on hormone anything. I use the IUD copper paragard instead. Even the Mirena has hormones! I find no purpose in that.

You have to see what you're willing to put your body through...you will certaintly have to experiment a bit to find a birth control that is right for you and your body.

SARgirl

I've been on the pill for over 10 years and I have lost 35 pounds since starting MFP a year ago still on the pill. I don't think that my weight gain over the years had anything to do with being on the pill.

mrsdizzyd84

I take tri sprintec. I have lost nearly 40 pounds while on the pill. I don't know whether or not it makes you gain weight, but it doesn't stop you have losing weight.

firstsip

I didn't notice any weight gain on BC much (I had other hormonal issues that caused my weight gain, hence why I'm here), but my breasts DID get noticeably larger. And have stayed large even while losing weight on BC (Microgestin 1.5).

However, I've been off for five days now in a limbo period of being told I can go back on them, as I just had a mini-stroke (DON'T BE ALARMED, GIRLS).

So this will be something of an experiment to see if my weight changes at all... then again, I am gushing blood.

I MISS MY BC ALREADY

IvyWhispers

I have the depo shot and I haven't gained any weight yet...next ones due in 2 weeks so I'll have to see how it works long term but at the moment I haven't had any problems with it

cjh022

I just started back on birth control and it's definitely something I'm worried about as well. I'm using NuvaRing and hoping that I won't gain any and will still continue to lose. I'm just going to make sure that I hit my cals for at least the next couple of weeks until Christmas and try to stay on target then as well.

I've been on Nuvaring for 5 years now and no complaints except I wish my insurance covered more of it I did start to put on weight around the time I started it but I think that was more a result of not enough exercise and poor eating habits. I like the convenience of not having to take a pill on a daily basis since I can tend to be forgetful.

Same here, three years and I love NuvaRing! The pill made me psycho emotional and I hated taking it everyday.

edit: never had any issues with weight loss/ gain on the pill or ring. I really think we just need to pay extra attention to our own habits when we start a new bc as changing hormones have an affect on our habits more than just "gaining weight"

sapf

I didn't notice any weight gain on BC much (I had other hormonal issues that caused my weight gain, hence why I'm here), but my breasts DID get noticeably larger. And have stayed large even while losing weight on BC (Microgestin 1.5).

However, I've been off for five days now in a limbo period of being told I can go back on them, as I just had a mini-stroke (DON'T BE ALARMED, GIRLS).

So this will be something of an experiment to see if my weight changes at all... then again, I am gushing blood.

I MISS MY BC ALREADY

This mini stroke = super concerning. It is one of the reasons I'm a little afraid of birth control!

firstsip

I blamed my wight gain on my birth control. but the truth is, that's ALL UP TO YOU! I was on the shot, Depo Vera. Though there was some initial weight gain, I failed to see that my eating habits and lack of exercise were the main cause. i've been on the shot for 3 years now, and I lost over 30 lbs in three months as soon as I changed my diet and exercise. Stick to what you're doing, maybe bump the cardio a bit. Just remember that some of the hormones make you feel more hungry and less full. Count your calories and you should be fine! And again, I would go with the shot over the pill. Once every three months as opposed to every day! It's a lot harder to lose weight after having a child.

Unfortunately, anecdotal doesn't mean it's for everyone. It's good you recognized your habits and could change them, but many women have issues with various BCs because of water retention. Some women DO increase weight because of the increase in cravings, but many have issues with water retention, breast growth, etc. Some women are fine, and even lose weight (for instance, successful BC treatment of PCOS). And you're a striking example of how all women are different, because boy have I read and heard awful things about Depo! Glad it worked well for you!

neelia

I did not gain or lose weight while I was on the pill.