The Pill and Dieting?

charlotte7411
charlotte7411 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I want to go on the pill for cramps, but the only thing I'm worried about it gaining weight because of the pill, did it make you gain weight and could you still lose weight when you went on it?

Replies

  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    Every pill is different and every woman is different. No one can predict how you will react to any certain BC. That is a conversation to have with your DOCTOR.

    Personally, I've been on dang near every pill under the sun and I've never gained weight or found it particularly hard to lose weight. In fact, my weight loss has stalled a little since I went off it in mid-December. Other women will post about having the exact opposite experience.
  • a_stronger_me13
    a_stronger_me13 Posts: 812 Member
    There's a lot of ways to mitigate cramps without the pill if you're really that afraid of it causing you to gain weight.

    In my experience, my emotions are more stable and I'm a more rational person when on the pill so my tendency to overeat because of emotional influences is a lot lower and I lose weight.

    If you start gaining weight or stop losing, you simply just need to adjust your calorie intake. It's not that challenging of a thing to work around.
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
    I have been on the pill for years now and it never made me put on weight.
  • JONZ64
    JONZ64 Posts: 1,280 Member
    I know if you don't take it, you get really fat for 9 Months:laugh:
  • sarahwilson12
    sarahwilson12 Posts: 70 Member
    I've been on it for over a year & a half now. I did have a tiny little bit of weight gain, but it was probably due to lack of exercise, eating more food after getting married, & not having any work (so I was at home the majority of the time). I haven't lost the weight yet, but that's probably because I haven't been exercising very much.

    All that to say - I don't think my weight gain was only because of the pill. It was a combination of factors. I've been very fortunate with it though... I know a few friends who've had a lot of issues with it & a lot of weight gain.

    It would probably be good to talk to your dr. about it first. Ask which brands of the pill have fewer side affects, and what's best for you. They might even have some free samples of different brands that you can have, just to see what works best with your body.

    Good luck :smile:
  • Rambo529
    Rambo529 Posts: 170 Member
    Agree with @Stage14, everyone reacts different. And different types of The Pill will react differently with each person. When I switched to a progesterone only pill (as opposed to the mixed version), I got stalled a little. A few weeks after starting it everything got back to "normal" and I've been able to continue to lose as well as drop my body fat percentage. For me it was just the change in hormones that "shocked" my body, and after it adjusted it was fine.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    i'd get off the pill! When I was on it-I became fatty mcbutterpants.....
  • healthybodyhealthylife
    healthybodyhealthylife Posts: 189 Member
    I didn't gain weight, but I don't know if its just me but I found losing weight was suddenly easier once I stopped taking the pill. It may just be me though - it could have been a variety of different factors. It could have just been water retention too, not fat.
  • sunnshhiine
    sunnshhiine Posts: 727 Member
    I want to go on the pill for cramps, but the only thing I'm worried about it gaining weight because of the pill, did it make you gain weight and could you still lose weight when you went on it?

    When I went on the pill for health reasons my boobs grew 2 sizes, but that's it. All the weight I've lost (per my ticker) has been while on the pill.
  • Hollie704
    Hollie704 Posts: 59 Member
    Different pills will affect everyone differently. For me, when I went on the pill, I steadily gained weight and had a hard time losing weight on it. After I had my son, I decided not to get back on the pill, and when I started exercising and changing my eating habits, the weight slid off.

    I'm not sure what your diet is like, but I used to have crippling cramps and irregular periods, and when I changed my diet, I was incorporating good fats and eliminating a lot of sugary and processed foods. Since then, my periods have gotten regular and the severity of my cramps has gone to where I barely notice them or I don't have any. So, you may just want to start by looking at your diet and adding good fats (if you're not already) to see if that helps. It did for me, but it might not be the case for everyone.

    Hope that helps!
  • KateCon912
    KateCon912 Posts: 200 Member
    The pill did not make me gain weight and I had no trouble losing weight while on the pill.

    I think people want to blame weight gain on anything but themselves so the pill takes a lot of blame. That's just my opinion.
  • sbarella
    sbarella Posts: 713 Member
    Every pill is different and every woman is different. No one can predict how you will react to any certain BC. That is a conversation to have with your DOCTOR.

    Personally, I've been on dang near every pill under the sun and I've never gained weight or found it particularly hard to lose weight. In fact, my weight loss has stalled a little since I went off it in mid-December. Other women will post about having the exact opposite experience.
    +1
    I've been on two different pills and on nuvaring but I never gained weight because of BC. In fact, my weight loss would be harder without it because it's been doing miracles for my iron deficiency and now I can exercise regularly. That doesn't mean that weight gain while on BC is a urban legend, this is just my personal experience.
  • Desterknee
    Desterknee Posts: 1,056 Member
    The pill has different effects on everyone. It does not make you gain weight. I was on the pill when I started trying to lose weight. At some point along the way I stopped using the pill for reasons unrelated to weight loss.

    It made absolutely no notable difference in my weight loss.

    NONE.
  • vjm7981
    vjm7981 Posts: 42 Member
    I have been on the pill for 17 years now. I started taking them when I was 15 because my cramps were so terribly bad. To this day, I still take them for that very reason. My doctor has switched me to different brands a few times now. In these 17 years, I have gained weight, but it's certainly not due to the pill. It's because I got lazy, drank to much, ate to much and just abused my younger years of life. While the pill may cause some people to gain a little, I doubt it's much and it's probably more of a crutch to have something to blame the weight gain on. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just stating my opinion. While not linear, weight loss is pretty simple. Calories in vs calories out.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    I'm on the mini pill, Norethindrone (not recommended if you are prone to forgetting days, you need to be religious about it) and lost 30 lbs. LOVE it.
  • GretaGirl8
    GretaGirl8 Posts: 274 Member
    I am not discounting that going on certain types of hormonal contraception can cause weight gain in some people. The question would be...why? Is it just water weight? Does going on the pill make you more hungry? Is there something metabolically taking place causing one to gain? Does taking the pill indicate a lifestyle shift (finding a monogamous relationship, becoming more comfortable, allowing one to eat more)? Does taking the pill ease debilitating physical symptoms (cramps) allowing someone to eat more as a result? I don't know. I've tried to find a conclusive answer for a long time--without success.
  • sk_pirate
    sk_pirate Posts: 282 Member
    I feel women use being on the pill as an excuse to justify their weight gain.

    I am on the pill and gained weight because I ate like *kitten* and didn't track. Not because of being on the pill itself.
  • sk_pirate
    sk_pirate Posts: 282 Member
    Different pills will affect everyone differently. For me, when I went on the pill, I steadily gained weight and had a hard time losing weight on it. After I had my son, I decided not to get back on the pill, and when I started exercising and changing my eating habits, the weight slid off.

    That right there is probably why the weight "slid off." Not being on the pill.
  • kenzietate
    kenzietate Posts: 399 Member
    Every pill is different and every woman is different. No one can predict how you will react to any certain BC. That is a conversation to have with your DOCTOR.

    Personally, I've been on dang near every pill under the sun and I've never gained weight or found it particularly hard to lose weight. In fact, my weight loss has stalled a little since I went off it in mid-December. Other women will post about having the exact opposite experience.

    I agree with the first part of this. For me, I gained on about 3 different pills before I found one where I was able to lose weight. But I have other hormonal issues to deal with so the different pills were reacting in different ways. Just talk to your doctor and see what they have to say. If the first one isn't working try a different one.
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    I'm afraid the only way you'll know for sure is by trying it. I've dealt with awful cramps, even throwing up and passing out from the pain, so I know how you feel. It's worth it to at least try it out. Just keep watching what you eat and you'll most likely be fine.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,271 Member
    i recommend training for a marathon instead. I found in my own experience that when you are mentally and emotionally and physically exhausted from the constant training that nothing else really seems to bother you nor do you have time for it.

    Cramps! aint nobody got time for that ... I got a 14 mile run this weekend!
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    i recommend training for a marathon instead. I found in my own experience that when you are mentally and emotionally and physically exhausted from the constant training that nothing else really seems to bother you nor do you have time for it.

    Cramps! aint nobody got time for that ... I got a 14 mile run this weekend!

    You do realize that she's talking about menstrual cramps, right?
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,271 Member
    i recommend training for a marathon instead. I found in my own experience that when you are mentally and emotionally and physically exhausted from the constant training that nothing else really seems to bother you nor do you have time for it.

    Cramps! aint nobody got time for that ... I got a 14 mile run this weekend!

    You do realize that she's talking about menstrual cramps, right?

    Yes and I PROMISE my recommendation will fix the problem
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    I don't mean to be rude, but severe menstrual cramps are not simply ignored by doing something else. Don't you think we women have tried everything under the sun to get rid of them?
  • csalazar89
    csalazar89 Posts: 8 Member
    I went on the pill about a year ago for the same reason, severe cramps. While it did help my severe cramps so much (I barely noticed any with my first period on the pill), I also gained a ton of weight without increasing my calories or decreasing my activity. I gained 10 -15lbs and at least a cup size in the 2 months I was on it and it was quite a noticeable difference since I was 108 beforehand. I just looked bloated all over. Not to mention horribly sore breasts and horrible mood swings and brain fog, my husband even mentioned that I was acting like a crazy b*tch (after I returned to normal lol) and I would have to agree with him. It was horrible and I will never go on it again.

    I did lose the weight again very quickly after stopping the pill. The mood swings also disappeared and I felt like myself again within a couple weeks. That being said, everyone is different and not everyone has such a strong reaction. They also recommend trying different pills to find one that has less side effects for you, but I was so scarred by the one I tried that I will never try another one.
  • csalazar89
    csalazar89 Posts: 8 Member
    I don't know what you usually do for your severe cramps currently, but I find if I take a 12 hour aleve right when I first start to feel them it makes them much more bearable. Midol/Advil/Tylenol/etc never work as well for me as Aleve does.
  • DriRose
    DriRose Posts: 28 Member
    I've been on it for only 3 months and the only effect I've had is clearer skin.

    I do get major cramps but to be honest the pill did not do anything to help those, I still have to take some kind of pain reliever or I can't get out of my bed for 2 days.

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