It is really as simple as cals in minus cals out?

birth control ballooned me up like I was already pregnant. I hate that *kitten*.......

Yep--the reason why a LOT of women gain weight on the birth control pill is that it shuts down a woman's ovulatory cycle (which it was designed to do). Natural progesterone (which peaks at ovulation) is a metabolism enhancer. No ovulation, no natural progesterone and the metabolism enhancing effects are gone. The synthetic progestins contained in the birth control pill, do not perform the same in a woman's bio-chemistry. :frown: Synthetic progestins are highly suspected of causing cancer. I personally believe it is behind the virtual (and unmentioned) epidemic of breast cancer among women in their 20s and 30s (many of whom have been on the birth control pill since they were young teenagers). It used to be extremely rare among women in that age grouping. I am acquainted with five women (or their relatives) who are (or were) in their late 20s or early 30s who have breast cancer or who have died of it (breast cancer is particularly lethal in such young women). Some experts believe that the longer a woman is on birth control medication, the higher her risk of developing breast and reproductive cancers. The pharmaceutical houses COULD have used bio-identical progesterone in their birth control formulations, but since natural substances are not patentable, they decided to use $ynthetic proge$tin$ instead.

Here is a link to a woman's health website that discusses natural bio-identical progesterone vs. synthetic progestins and it cites the many research papers which are pertinent to the issue. http://www.natural-progesterone-advisory-network.com/research-bioidentical-natural-progesterone-vs-synthetic-progestins/

I've worked out consistently for a long time, but I didn't drop that extra 20 pounds until I put my diet in check.

^^^^^^^REALITY!!!!
Lose fat in the kitchen, gain muscle in the gym.

The "return on investment" for cardio is not worth it. The amount of time it takes to really burn off calories is a lot. Running is one of the quickest ways: 100 cals per mile, plus or minus. If you do a 12 minute mile, and ran for an hour, you would have burned around 500 calories...only FIVE HUNDRED for all that work!

I am not saying to NOT do any cardio, just don't count on it making you lose weight. Do that in the kitchen.

I find clothing sizes to be very misleading, anyway. What, exactly, is size zero? In one store, I am a size 8 pants. In another, I am a size 5. In another, a size 3. My daughters, at ages 16 and 13 shopped at Stitches. One was a zero, and the other one a 2. Me? I tried on jeans and the size 10 was a bit tight. Wtf? Don't go by size. Look at your body in the mirror, notice those changes. The curve of a muscle, the tightness of another. Not the scale. Not sizes.

I would have to say it's a combination of fitness, diet and a positive attitude. Life is too short, people. Just too short.

no but yes
i mean, no its not all as simple as that but it will do.
if you follow cals in vs cals out youre likely to find success but
that doesnt account for quality of cals, nutrition and water retention.
im sure theres a ton of other factors too but start with the cals in cals out.
thats good stuff.

That is really what it is all about, but there needs to be some additional understanding. If you cut calories, it is critical that you are not cutting essential nutrients. I take a multi-vitamin daily, vitamin d and vit B12 when I am cutting calories. I seem to lose weight faster and am satiated with the food I am eating.