Tips for losing weight on birth control pills

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  • soozy_q
    soozy_q Posts: 56 Member
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    the injection made me lose weight because i was so depressed I skipped dinner every night and just curled up in bed as early as 6pm some nights. I also bled for weeks straight...never again. The mini pill made me put on weight, not the pill itself but it made me depressed and hormonal so i just ate crap all the time : ( too scared to try anything else now as I am doing well and dont wanna screw that up
  • rachelamber_x
    rachelamber_x Posts: 104 Member
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    I've been on loads of different pills (kept switching because of issues such as acne) and its never made me gain weight. None of my friends have gained weight on the pill either.

    Like most people have said, it doesn't directly cause weight gain it can just make you more hungry.
  • Followingsea
    Followingsea Posts: 407 Member
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    I've been on Apri (aka Mircette, Desogen, Cyclessa, etc) for over a decade now (good heavens). As far as I can tell it hasn't affected my weight any. Can't speak as to how it affected appetite - I can't really recall.

    It HAS affected the amount of sleep I seem to need, though.
  • Melionfire
    Melionfire Posts: 343 Member
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    The pill itself won't make you gain weight or stop you from losing weight but it does play with your hormones which can cause you to crave more foods and if you are not aware of this you can be mindlessly overeating. I have been on the pill the whole time I have been losing and I have not noticed any negate effects on my weight loss. If I crave something I wait a bit because the craving will usually pass. If it doesn't I allow myself a small amount of what I crave as long as it fits in my calories. Working out regularly also helps to regulate your mood and hormones. Just listen to your body and talk to your doctor about your concerns.
  • velocirapptor
    velocirapptor Posts: 1
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    I've been looking into this because I started Sprintec 2 and a half weeks ago and in that 2 and a half weeks I've gained 5 pounds. I track my calories and macros closely and exercise religiously. I have no idea if it's water weight or fat but it's extremely discouraging and I understand where people are coming from. I think it's stupid to call bull**** on someone that has gained weight since they got on BC.
  • TrinityParadise
    TrinityParadise Posts: 2
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    I was on Loestrin before and found it near impossible to lose weight. I didn't gain, but I could not lose at all and I was eating healthy and working out. I am about to start Sprintec and hope that I will be able to post something positive in here soon!
  • Aaralyn87
    Aaralyn87 Posts: 1
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    It's definitely not a myth and birth control pills effect everyone differently. I went on a diet and exercise program 3 years ago and lost 30lbs. I've gained it back after having a baby and have been on birth control pills for a year. I have been following the same diet and exercising program for a few months and have barely lost 4lbs. The only difference is the BCP's so to me that's the problem. Maybe it's causing me to lose weight slower. I think i'm just going to get an IUD.
  • LaNellAngerstein
    LaNellAngerstein Posts: 14
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    Ok, first of all the doctor's you have talked to are quacks, because I have been on birth control since I hit puberty, and nothing makes my weight fluctuate like birth control. I have taken Lo esterine Fe before, and it did affect my weight. I gained 40lbs in 2 months, and considering I am already overweight, I didn't need that pill to help me in that department. I have been taking Orthotricyclen Lo for the last almost 3 years. This is the only pill that hasn't messed with my weight. My weight has been pretty consistant since I started it, until now because I am trying to lose it lol...well I hope that helps!

    I had the same experience on multiple pills. I was in perfect health/weight when I started the pill. I gained 45lbs in a matter of months. (I was only 16 year old when it happened so my metabolic rate was not the problem.) I started working out & dieting but I ended up having to get off the meds to start losing weight.

    It depends how your body reacts to the hormones. However, it is VERY possible you will start gaining weight. To be honest, no birth control pill is all that good for you. It is just the nature of the drug.
  • LaNellAngerstein
    LaNellAngerstein Posts: 14
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    The pill itself won't make you gain weight or stop you from losing weight but it does play with your hormones which can cause you to crave more foods and if you are not aware of this you can be mindlessly overeating. I have been on the pill the whole time I have been losing and I have not noticed any negate effects on my weight loss. If I crave something I wait a bit because the craving will usually pass. If it doesn't I allow myself a small amount of what I crave as long as it fits in my calories. Working out regularly also helps to regulate your mood and hormones. Just listen to your body and talk to your doctor about your concerns.

    This is NOT true. I was a 16 year-old & I gained 45 pounds from EATING LESS AND HEALTHIER when on the pill. Synthetic hormones will LITERALLY put weight on you as well as affect your mood. (and long list of other side-effects) Often times, the doc will not be completely honest with you about all of the side-effects. (I know mine was not.) It pays them to sell more pharmaceuticals. Just saying.
  • frostedcherry06
    frostedcherry06 Posts: 1
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    I have been on the pill for less than a week and holy crap! Today I ate more than I usually do in a week... I don't know why but it does make you crave food. For me especially sugar. Also, I don't seem to feel full. I think if this keeps up I will stop taking it. My Dr. said its a myth that it makes you gain weight - but now reading the majority of these posts, I disagree with my Dr.
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
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    It's a total myth that the pill makes you gain. I lost 10kg when I got on the pill. The only reason I gained since was eating badly and not exercising enough. I'm still on the pill and now I'm losing again.
  • Kittyface722
    Kittyface722 Posts: 12 Member
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    A few months ago I ran out of BC and so I stopped taking it. Up until that point I had been on a great weight loss track, losing 40lbs, all while being on the pill. I don't know if it was related, but when I stopped the pill I started gaining weight. (It very well could also be me "falling off the wagon" with my eating, although I was exercising more). I just got a refill (FINALLY!) and I'm hoping to see a decrease in my weight. I know it usually goes the other way around but with this pill (Ortho cept) I never had an issue losing weight. Good luck!
  • Kittyface722
    Kittyface722 Posts: 12 Member
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    Also to the people saying the pill doesn't affect your weight: everyone is different. But adding hormones to your body will have some affect, it just depends on how it manifests. People with PCOS who have hormones issues have a VERY difficult time losing weight, and BC is supposed to help with that. So don't flat out say "gaining weight on the pill is a myth".
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
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    Up until last month I was on the pill. I had no problem losing whilst on it, my blip started when I came off it.
  • dlkingsbury
    dlkingsbury Posts: 90 Member
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    I've been on cyclessa for close to 10 years and have never felt that it lead me to gain or lose weight at all.
  • dlkingsbury
    dlkingsbury Posts: 90 Member
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    When I first started the pill, I was ravenously hungry all the time. The first month, all I wanted to do was eat and sleep. That feeling went away though!

    The pill hasn't made me gain any weight. What I have noticed though, is that it seems a lot easier to lose weight when I'm on the withdrawal week. I usually lose a couple of pounds pretty easily during that week. Because it seems easier to lose, I'll work out a little bit harder on the off week to reap the benefits! I think I might look a bit more bloated as well while on the pill. But it's just water!

    Anyone else find that it's easier to lose weight on the pill-free week?

    i don't think i've found that is easier to lose on the pill-free week, but I do have less of an appetite that week. I've always thought it was due to cramping and a general "I feel gross" feeling though.
  • Glitter_princessx
    Glitter_princessx Posts: 1
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    I noticed every body reacts differently to birth control , and you'll never know how it will react with you . My doctor room the same birth control as me , never gained weight and could lose weight , however I gained 25 pounds from it without changing my lifestyle. And can't lose weight for the life of me
  • myrtille87
    myrtille87 Posts: 122 Member
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    Try it, whilst maintaining your diet and exercise as they are currently, and if you gain a significant amount of weight after a couple of months, go back to your doctor and see what they suggest.

    I've been on Loestrin 20 since I was 18 (nearly 8 years now) and don't think it's had any impact on my weight. My weight has fluctuated over those years but that's been down to lifestyle changes - I have both gained and lost weight without trying at times on the pill, and have now just started trying to lose weight again and it seems to be working OK.

    The only other side effects I've had are on my periods - I get very light periods that only last a couple of days, no cramps, no bloated feeling or mood swings, but I also get breakthrough bleeding.

    Hormonal contraception seems to affect everyone differently, but there are lots of different products so if the first one you try doesn't suit you, go back and ask your doctor to change it.
  • runner359
    runner359 Posts: 90 Member
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    I think it's a myth, and I think people use it as an excuse. I am on Tri-cyclen and I haven't had an issue losing weight.

    This. From WebMD " a review of 44 studies showed no evidence that birth control pills caused weight gain in most users."
  • Bc4lifer
    Bc4lifer Posts: 1 Member
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    Hormones - either synthetic or real- have everything to do with regulating your weight, metabolism and health. Insulin is a hormone, just like estrogen and progesterone. By inducing a change in your hormone production with a BCP to trick your body into not getting pregnant, you could be simulating similar side effects that your body would do if pregnant.

    So, everyone's bodies react with the different side effects, just like some women have easy periods and/or pregnancies, others have very difficult of either as well. And the same simulations can happen to your body as well with your breasts increase and hips changes because again, you're prepping your body into a fake sense of pregnancy when altering the core make up of your hormonal balance.

    I have been dealing with hormone irregularities for over 20 years and have tried most on the market just to find balance. I've experienced a wide array of side effects and even when not on a BCP, have had natural imbalances like weight gain, insulin resistance and overall health issues.

    What I can say, is learn your body and get to know what is you and what is the hormones you're taking effecting you. It can be a wide variety of side effects. While it takes time to to regulate hormones once you make a change by taking a BCP, trust your body and know when it doesn't feel right. You're altering everything about yourself when you start taking a pill because you are a woman and you are made up of complex hormonal balances that can change daily anyway.

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