Birth Control Weight loss stall...

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nadz6012
nadz6012 Posts: 126 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Well I guess this question is really only for the ladies, unless any guys have experience with female hormones and what not...

Anyhow, I started Nortrel 7/7/7 on Feb 13th, and before that I was losing about 1 pound per week. As soon as I began the BC my weight loss has completely stalled. I did some research and apparently estrogen can act as a water retainer, while progesterone can act as a diuretic. With this BC, as the cycle goes on the ratio between estrogen and progesterone changes to mimic natural hormonal shifts. So I'm going to try to wait until then to see if my weight loss starts again.

I guess my question is, has anyone else experienced this, and if so, were you able to solve the problem? How? I'm so close to my goal weight and sitting idle for two weeks is very discouraging, even if it may only be water weight. Thanks!

Replies

  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    Hormones are funky things, but BC does not make you gain weight. A calorie surplus does.
  • nadz6012
    nadz6012 Posts: 126 Member
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    Not gaining, just not losing. I've kept a deficit the entire time, and just not seeing the fruits of my labor :(
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
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    I would guess that your problems have more to do with how you're getting closer to your goal weight, and your weight loss is slowing? But a small percentage of people do gain (or not-lose) weight because of birth control

    http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-pills-weight-gain

    http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2011/08/baby_fat.html

    The biggest thing, though, is that it's only been... what? Not even two weeks? If after a few months, it's still causing you problems, I would talk to your doc and consider taking a different pill.

    But really, having the occasional week/weeks where you don't lose is totally normal. No worries.
  • violinkeri
    violinkeri Posts: 212
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    Hormones are funky things, but BC does not make you gain weight. A calorie surplus does.

    tell that to my gyno, and that 40 lbs and 2 cup sizes i gained in a month on Yaz. gain that stopped IMMEDIATELY when i switched to nuvaring. no change in eating or exercise habits--in fact i was probably exercising less after i switched bc football aka marching band season was over. not to mention how CRAY i was.

    you were there nat LOL.
  • nadz6012
    nadz6012 Posts: 126 Member
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    I hear you woman! Thank god I'm not terribly emotional on this stuff. I was like clockwork with my loss before, and now, nothing. Keep losing and gaining the same 3-4 pounds over and over. Trying to be patient though. We'll see what happens when I start the pills of the other dosage.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    Hormones are funky things, but BC does not make you gain weight. A calorie surplus does.

    tell that to my gyno, and that 40 lbs and 2 cup sizes i gained in a month on Yaz. gain that stopped IMMEDIATELY when i switched to nuvaring. no change in eating or exercise habits--in fact i was probably exercising less after i switched bc football aka marching band season was over. not to mention how CRAY i was.

    you were there nat LOL.

    correlation =/= causation
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    Hormones are funky things, but BC does not make you gain weight. A calorie surplus does.

    This. A pill will not magically make you gain fat. The only way to do that is to consume more calories than your body burns in a day.

    The pill does mess with your hormones. So, this will either cause you to hold onto water hence masking any losses you do have or it will make you feel hungrier (causing you to eat more) or make you feel more tired (causing you to not exercise as you used to). It will not just put fat on your body.

    I have been on various types of BC over the years... Diane 35, Yaz, Alesse, Avaine, tri cyclin, etc. The only issue I had with any of them that was due to the pill itself was migraines on tri cyclin. The others I have lost weight and gained weight on but the losses and gains were not due to the pill, they were due to things I was doing.

    If you have recently started a new pill it can take a few months for your body to get used to it.

    Personally I see far too many women blaming gains on the BC pill. A pill, whether BC or some other pill will not magically make your body gain fat.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    I hear you woman! Thank god I'm not terribly emotional on this stuff. I was like clockwork with my loss before, and now, nothing. Keep losing and gaining the same 3-4 pounds over and over. Trying to be patient though. We'll see what happens when I start the pills of the other dosage.

    I would imagine gaining and losing the same few lbs would be due to either water retention issues or a normal stall/fluctuation in weight loss.
  • nadz6012
    nadz6012 Posts: 126 Member
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    I hear you woman! Thank god I'm not terribly emotional on this stuff. I was like clockwork with my loss before, and now, nothing. Keep losing and gaining the same 3-4 pounds over and over. Trying to be patient though. We'll see what happens when I start the pills of the other dosage.

    I would imagine gaining and losing the same few lbs would be due to either water retention issues or a normal stall/fluctuation in weight loss.

    I think so too. It's just frustrating and makes me want to blame the SO...I guess I just need to be patient. Didn't know if any other ladies were experiencing water retention. I'm bloated as hell...
  • samanthamiller2013
    samanthamiller2013 Posts: 1
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    thats my problem too!! I was running 5 miles every other day and didnt lose any weight. I ran like that for a month!! I had just changed my BC before I started.

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