Losing while on birth control

anie8989

Anyone have the same problem of trying to lose the weight but can't seem to budge a lb?

5 years ago my boyfriend and I started to date, so I went on the pill, and gradually my weight crept up and before i knew it I gained about 50 lbs in 5 years. I went to my gyno doctor and he said that it was the pill, but secretly I know it was. Last summer, I went off of it for a couple months because I couldn't afford it (thankfully I didn't get pregnant), but I was able to lose almost 10 lbs, but since I've been on it I just can't seem to lose the weight.

Any one have any suggestions or how they lost the weight while on the pill?

WDEvy

Don't have any problem losing weight on the pill. It does not cause anyone to retain weight...

BamsieEkhaya

yeah ...been where you are...stopped taking the pill...lost some weight but wasn't serious...got back on the pill and put it all back on and some.

currently losing weight whilst on the pill....I hit a mass plateau for nearly 5months and haven't lost nearly as much as I thought/wanted....but have noticed I am soooo much fitter...my 30minute walk into town now takes 20 (no sweating/huffing'-puffin')
I also went to see my gorgeous goddaughter and was told I'd lost weight (although the scale has been a bit of a b.i.t.ch!!)

just aiming to live a healthy lifestyle and let the weight come off....(sticking to the pill - can't be getting preggers for another 10years !!)

laylaness

I'm on the pill, and have been since I was 14. I was thin then, I was thin 10 years later when I was taking it and started antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds at the same time, and I was thin until my late-20s, when I gained my weight and got super-depressed at a very, very stressful time in my life.

It's only been in the last 7 months since I started tracking my food that I realized how badly I was eating, and how mechanical and mindless it became to eat 3500 calories a day to *try* make myself feel better.

I'm definitely not saying that it's impossible to gain weight as a side effect of taking birth control or certain medications; I'm sure many, many people do. I am saying, though, that it can be a convenient scapegoat, as it was for me.

For what it's worth, I'm losing weight slowly because I choose to, but I am still on all my meds, and I am losing weight.

tpfoodie

Anyone have the same problem of trying to lose the weight but can't seem to budge a lb?

5 years ago my boyfriend and I started to date, so I went on the pill, and gradually my weight crept up and before i knew it I gained about 50 lbs in 5 years. I went to my gyno doctor and he said that it was the pill, but secretly I know it was. Last summer, I went off of it for a couple months because I couldn't afford it (thankfully I didn't get pregnant), but I was able to lose almost 10 lbs, but since I've been on it I just can't seem to lose the weight.

Any one have any suggestions or how they lost the weight while on the pill?

Not to offend you, but I found that I used the pill as an excuse for a lot of years. In actuality, I had changed my diet and exercise habits. I tried for a few months to lose weight just dieting, but it definitely didn't work for me. Then, I started exercising, and the weight slipped off...

I recommend starting to work out, or doing more if you already do. That's been the most effective for me. Good luck!

anie8989

Anyone have the same problem of trying to lose the weight but can't seem to budge a lb?

5 years ago my boyfriend and I started to date, so I went on the pill, and gradually my weight crept up and before i knew it I gained about 50 lbs in 5 years. I went to my gyno doctor and he said that it was the pill, but secretly I know it was. Last summer, I went off of it for a couple months because I couldn't afford it (thankfully I didn't get pregnant), but I was able to lose almost 10 lbs, but since I've been on it I just can't seem to lose the weight.

Any one have any suggestions or how they lost the weight while on the pill?

Not to offend you, but I found that I used the pill as an excuse for a lot of years. In actuality, I had changed my diet and exercise habits. I tried for a few months to lose weight just dieting, but it definitely didn't work for me. Then, I started exercising, and the weight slipped off...

I recommend starting to work out, or doing more if you already do. That's been the most effective for me. Good luck!

I completely understand where your coming from, but it just makes sense to me and I realized this within the last few months. I always thought it might be a reason, just never thought it was the reason. I didn't gain any weight like I had until I went on the pill. I was always over weight, but never like this. In high school and up until my boyfriend I got together I maintained my with between 180-190 then after I had started the pill, before I knew it I gained over 50 lbs.

CoraGregoryCPA

Try a different birth control pill. There is no reason to have to gain.

polarlove

yeah, I definitely find it harder to lose weight while on the pill. apparently it can increase your appetite, and you end up eating more. I managed to lose 21lbs when I stopped taking the pill, but now that I'm back on it, I've gained 10lbs. I'm just going to have to try a lot harder to ignore the hunger and stick to my calorie goal, because the pill is the only thing that clears up my skin :ohwell:

bethany41h

Hmm... I haven't had any problems losing weight while on the pill. Perhaps you could discuss it with your doctor and she could consider prescribing a different one? I suppose different pills may have different side effects. Stay away from the shot though, I did that and packed on the pounds! Most people I know who tried it gained some serious weight as a result.

now_or_never13

The pill will not cause you to gain fat. It may cause you to retain water but it will not cause fat gain.

It messes with your hormones which can cause you to feel hungrier. Which in turn will make you eat more without really realizing it and therefore gaining weight.

The only way you will gain fat is by eating more than you burn... the BC pill will not change how much you burn.

I'm not directing this at you however a lot of people use the pill as an excuse as to why they gained weight. Sure, I gained weight and I've been on the pill for years but I gained the weight due to my own actions... not because of a pill. I have also lost a decent chunk of weight on the pill as well.

SRH7

I know that everyone is different but every time I go on the pill my weight goes up - and I strongly suspect it's because the hormones increase my appetite.

This is the first time I've really tried to lose weight so can't say whether being on the pill is making it any more difficult. All I can suggest is slow and steady weight loss by creating a calorie deficit. The easiest way is with the roadmap: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

If the weight gain is due to increased appetite while on the pill the Roadmap is a good choice as you will be eating enough calories to stop you from feeling hungry. Eating plenty of protein is also good for curbing appetite. The weight loss will be around 1lb a week but it is sustainable and more likely to stay off.

I've also started running (using C25K) and weight training. While these haven't had an impact on my weight loss they have helped to change the shape of my body and lose inches, which is a great incentive and confidence boost.

Emtabo01

I never gained weight because of the pill. I gained weight from eating too much and being lazy. I lost weight when I stopped overeating and started exercising.

SanteMulberry

The birth control pill CAN cause you to gain weight but it is somewhat indirect in this effect. Because it shuts down ovulation, you do not get the metabolism enhancement that comes with your own progesterone supply (no ovulation-> no natural progesterone). Progesterone makes your cells more sensitive to thyroid hormone. Estrogen is also a "fat hoarder" because it raises blood sugar levels and there is a whole cascade of things that fall out of that one. The drug companies are lying when they say that the birth control pill has no connection to weight gain. And doctors believe them.

Any individual woman may have no problem with gaining body fat more easily and being more resistant to losing it, but overall, anything that messes with your hormones is going to have an effect (and mostly the effect is bad). Condoms when correctly used and timed are just as effective at preventing pregnancy, without the risks of the birth control pill. I know several women who used condoms for many years and got pregnant immediately when they chose to. Not so the number of women who have used the pill for many years. I know several women in their 20s and early 30s who have used the pill since they were teenagers and have given up trying to get pregnant. They are now seeking to adopt children.

SRH7

I didn't gain any weight like I had until I went on the pill. I was always over weight, but never like this. In high school and up until my boyfriend I got together I maintained my with between 180-190 then after I had started the pill, before I knew it I gained over 50 lbs.

Just spotted this. My weight went up too after meeting my other half. Yes, it coincided with going on the pill but it also coincided with me getting happy, cooking lots of lovely food for him, serving myself the same size portions as him, eating out more, less partying and dancing with friends etc etc. In the last few weeks I've started cooking more healthily for both of us and make a point of giving myself a third less than I give him. 7lbs down in 7 weeks, so I must be doing something right

SanteMulberry

I didn't gain any weight like I had until I went on the pill. I was always over weight, but never like this. In high school and up until my boyfriend I got together I maintained my with between 180-190 then after I had started the pill, before I knew it I gained over 50 lbs.

Just spotted this. My weight went up too after meeting my other half. Yes, it coincided with going on the pill but it also coincided with me getting happy, cooking lots of lovely food for him, serving myself the same size portions as him, eating out more, less partying and dancing with friends etc etc. In the last few weeks I've started cooking more healthily for both of us and make a point of giving myself a third less than I give him. 7lbs down in 7 weeks, so I must be doing something right

Yes--the weight problems can be dealt with but the health problems that come with artificially jacking up your hormones are still there.

Hbazzell

I gained 20 lbs after taking the pill gradually but I have been on it since 16 so it may not have been the cause. I gained more weight on the nuva ring than the pill.

megemeese

I'm currently in nursing school , and the pill doesn't cause you to gain weight or unable you to lose weight ..however sometimes peoples bodies react differently to drugs. For me the pill makes me feel hungry so it causes me to eat more . I was on the depo birth control shot for 2 years and gained 40 pounds so be careful ! everyone is different . good luck !!

SoDamnHungry

I wouldn't blame it on the pill. Are you honestly tracking calories? I've been on the pill for 10 years and haven't put on any weight.

SRH7

I didn't gain any weight like I had until I went on the pill. I was always over weight, but never like this. In high school and up until my boyfriend I got together I maintained my with between 180-190 then after I had started the pill, before I knew it I gained over 50 lbs.

Just spotted this. My weight went up too after meeting my other half. Yes, it coincided with going on the pill but it also coincided with me getting happy, cooking lots of lovely food for him, serving myself the same size portions as him, eating out more, less partying and dancing with friends etc etc. In the last few weeks I've started cooking more healthily for both of us and make a point of giving myself a third less than I give him. 7lbs down in 7 weeks, so I must be doing something right

Yes--the weight problems can be dealt with but the health problems that come with artificially jacking up your hormones are still there.

It's not an option for me to come off the pill. I'm on it due to a hormonal imbalance (back-to-back Cerazette to stop my periods, otherwise I have them for three weeks out of every four - I've had every test under the sun, was prescribed it by a gynae and had the choice of the pill or a hysterectomy). I'll take the risks of being on the pill over constant anaemia, mood swings and ill health any day of the week. And the fact that I am completely in control of whether or not I get pregnant is a nice bonus!

ami5000psu

I have never had trouble losing weight while on the pill. Even your gyno said the pill wasn't to blame, but obviously you know better than him.

victoriavoodoo

Being in a happy relationship makes me gain weight, did you consider that as a possibility? People consider emotional eating to be about eating when you're sad but it can be the other way around too, also having someone to go out to eat with etc makes it easy to over-indulge.

Anyway I've been on four different pills and none have caused me to gain weight(kept switching because some irritated my skin and one made my hair thin out) or made it harder to lose weight.

ETA another cause is eating the same portions as boyfriend. Guys can eat more and not gain, and I have found often once I started paying attention that I was eating about the same as mine without realizing it, when I really could have been eating much less.

If these two things, the pill and relationship, happened at the same time, either could be the cause.

shovav91

The pill has not been conclusively proven to cause weight gain, so it shouldn't hinder weight loss.
I went on the pill when I was 16, partly in hopes it would make me fill out.
<<no such luck.

That being said, here's an interesting article:
www.livestrong.com/article/94581-lose-weight-pill/

squirrelzzrule22

I gained a ton of weight on Yaz. Some, but not all, of that weight just FELL off afterwards without me consciously changing anything. A few years later on Apri I was able to slowwwwwwllllyyyyy lose some weight (and I don't blame the pill for the slow loss.) Just switched to Aviane (due to other Apri side effects) and it remains to be seen how I will do on it. Now, my doctor told me that weightloss is one of the listed side effects of Aviane which I found very discouraging. However, when I gained tons of weight on Yaz it was indirectly from the pill- Yaz gave me intense anxiety and mild depression (shockingly common on this particular pill). Both of these conditions turned me from a routine jogger to a sedentary and miserable person. Additionally, it gave me an INTENSE appetite- I was SO hungry all the time and I just KEPT ON EATING! About a month after I'd been off it (and was on no pill) I had my normal, pretty average appetite. I hate to say it but the roughly 30 pounds I put on in 6 months on Yaz is the weight I am still trying to get off. For the rest of college I lived an unhealthy college lifestyle and slowly LOST from my maximum Yaz weight.

So to answer your question, the pill absolutely can effect weight, but I believe it is usually "indirectly" because messing with pregnancy hormones can really screw with your appetite.

And to those criticizing use of the pill, please don't. Its a very personal medical choice and you shouldn't judge why someone might choose to be on it.

jillwhite12

The pill doesn't cause weight gain... But it does increase your appetite which in turn can make you gain. If you keep your calories under your goal and exercise the weigh will come off. Just keep at it!

stephaniemejia1671

Oddly enough I made an appointment with a nutritionist because I have found myself in the same situation. I've gained 30lbs since starting taking the pills (over a period of 6 years). The pills aren't ENTIRELY to blame as my food intake was a bit much over the same amount of time. OR I wasn't eating enough and the fat was just stored..

SanteMulberry

I didn't gain any weight like I had until I went on the pill. I was always over weight, but never like this. In high school and up until my boyfriend I got together I maintained my with between 180-190 then after I had started the pill, before I knew it I gained over 50 lbs.

Just spotted this. My weight went up too after meeting my other half. Yes, it coincided with going on the pill but it also coincided with me getting happy, cooking lots of lovely food for him, serving myself the same size portions as him, eating out more, less partying and dancing with friends etc etc. In the last few weeks I've started cooking more healthily for both of us and make a point of giving myself a third less than I give him. 7lbs down in 7 weeks, so I must be doing something right

Yes--the weight problems can be dealt with but the health problems that come with artificially jacking up your hormones are still there.

It's not an option for me to come off the pill. I'm on it due to a hormonal imbalance (back-to-back Cerazette to stop my periods, otherwise I have them for three weeks out of every four - I've had every test under the sun, was prescribed it by a gynae and had the choice of the pill or a hysterectomy). I'll take the risks of being on the pill over constant anaemia, mood swings and ill health any day of the week. And the fact that I am completely in control of whether or not I get pregnant is a nice bonus!

Sorry if you took it personally, I think there are lots of reasons why someone might be on the pill. It is something that a woman needs to decide for herself, weighing the risks vs. the benefits. What bothers me is that I don't think the pharmaceutical companies are being entirely honest with women about the risks. It is well known that they suppress negative data from their clinical trials.

SRH7

I didn't gain any weight like I had until I went on the pill. I was always over weight, but never like this. In high school and up until my boyfriend I got together I maintained my with between 180-190 then after I had started the pill, before I knew it I gained over 50 lbs.

Just spotted this. My weight went up too after meeting my other half. Yes, it coincided with going on the pill but it also coincided with me getting happy, cooking lots of lovely food for him, serving myself the same size portions as him, eating out more, less partying and dancing with friends etc etc. In the last few weeks I've started cooking more healthily for both of us and make a point of giving myself a third less than I give him. 7lbs down in 7 weeks, so I must be doing something right

Yes--the weight problems can be dealt with but the health problems that come with artificially jacking up your hormones are still there.

It's not an option for me to come off the pill. I'm on it due to a hormonal imbalance (back-to-back Cerazette to stop my periods, otherwise I have them for three weeks out of every four - I've had every test under the sun, was prescribed it by a gynae and had the choice of the pill or a hysterectomy). I'll take the risks of being on the pill over constant anaemia, mood swings and ill health any day of the week. And the fact that I am completely in control of whether or not I get pregnant is a nice bonus!

Sorry if you took it personally, I think there are lots of reasons why someone might be on the pill. It is something that a woman needs to decide for herself, weighing the risks vs. the benefits. What bothers me is that I don't think the pharmaceutical companies are being entirely honest with women about the risks. It is well known that they suppress negative data from their clinical trials.

No worries

anie8989

I gained a ton of weight on Yaz. Some, but not all, of that weight just FELL off afterwards without me consciously changing anything. A few years later on Apri I was able to slowwwwwwllllyyyyy lose some weight (and I don't blame the pill for the slow loss.) Just switched to Aviane (due to other Apri side effects) and it remains to be seen how I will do on it. Now, my doctor told me that weightloss is one of the listed side effects of Aviane which I found very discouraging. However, when I gained tons of weight on Yaz it was indirectly from the pill- Yaz gave me intense anxiety and mild depression (shockingly common on this particular pill). Both of these conditions turned me from a routine jogger to a sedentary and miserable person. Additionally, it gave me an INTENSE appetite- I was SO hungry all the time and I just KEPT ON EATING! About a month after I'd been off it (and was on no pill) I had my normal, pretty average appetite. I hate to say it but the roughly 30 pounds I put on in 6 months on Yaz is the weight I am still trying to get off. For the rest of college I lived an unhealthy college lifestyle and slowly LOST from my maximum Yaz weight.

So to answer your question, the pill absolutely can effect weight, but I believe it is usually "indirectly" because messing with pregnancy hormones can really screw with your appetite.

And to those criticizing use of the pill, please don't. Its a very personal medical choice and you shouldn't judge why someone might choose to be on it.

Thanks for not letting my be the only one who feels like that. I've changed my pill a few times, but it's all the same.

zhvah18

I didn't gain any weight like I had until I went on the pill. I was always over weight, but never like this. In high school and up until my boyfriend I got together I maintained my with between 180-190 then after I had started the pill, before I knew it I gained over 50 lbs.

Just spotted this. My weight went up too after meeting my other half. Yes, it coincided with going on the pill but it also coincided with me getting happy, cooking lots of lovely food for him, serving myself the same size portions as him, eating out more, less partying and dancing with friends etc etc. In the last few weeks I've started cooking more healthily for both of us and make a point of giving myself a third less than I give him. 7lbs down in 7 weeks, so I must be doing something right

This^!
It is so easy to get "comfortable" while in a relationship.

KANGOOJUMPS

i had to get off it
and its the best dam thing i have ever done!

theCarlton

I've truly never had trouble losing weight while on the pill. I've had trouble with weight-gain when I was off for a few months though. Maybe time to change what pill you're on.