Tips for losing weight on birth control pills

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  • dseig001
    dseig001 Posts: 6 Member
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    MD Checking in :)

    It's not that weight gain on birth control is a myth, it's that the percentage of people who experience it, and the amount of weight they gain, is grossly exaggerated. Yes, there is a small percentage of women who, after using the pill for an extended amount of time (on the order of years), will gain 1-3 lbs.

    Remember that what you are reading is an internet forum: made, ran, and populated by mostly lay-people (albeit good intentioned, helpful ones). Also, remember that most of the people who do not have any problems with their pills (which is the majority) are not coming on forums to complain about them. You wouldn't come to the Apple forums if you didn't need help with your iPhone, right?
  • ksimms
    ksimms Posts: 31 Member
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    I've been on 3 different birth controls, started on Tricyclen Lo, then Linessa and finally Seasonale.

    The first change was because my doctor was giving me free samples and when I got covered he switched me, no problems on Tricyclen. Probably on it for about a year. Didn't take anything for 10 months until...

    Linessa started off ok, I found that going on this one I "gained" but really it was like 5 lbs and that was propbably due to the fact that it made me crazy. It made me have terrible mood swings and suffer from PMS (food cravings hence the minor weight gain) when I never had before. On for 9 months and took 6 months off before...

    Finally, Seasonale has been great, I gained weight again after being off for a while but I also was on vacation so who can say for sure, again very miniscule amounts. This has definitely been the best pill I've been on, it's great for me since I have periods once every 4-6 months when not on the pill.

    All in all, watch your sodium, and don't have anxiety over possibly gaining weight. Be aware of what's happening in your life and don't blame the pill for bad eating/exercise habits :)
  • kerrbear79
    kerrbear79 Posts: 229 Member
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    I ditto what a few others have said about making you hungrier. I've been taking the pill for 12 yrs. The only time since then that I didn't take it (besides during pregnancy) was the 6 wks after pregnancy, and I had a normal appetite during those 6 weeks. As soon as I started the pill back I became ravenous and it did effect my weight. That's part of the reason I joined MFP. I knew I had to get my hunger in check. Now that I've been doing this since January I have a lot less problems with the hunger. Maybe my hormones have leveled back out, maybe I've just gotten used to eaten less, or a combo of both. So with all that said, yes it did increase my appetite, but as long as I watch my calories (thru MFP) I can lose weight.
  • KES9898
    KES9898 Posts: 2
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  • francescalola
    francescalola Posts: 1
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    Ive been eating healthy for a long time (Vegan diet - no sugar or grains) Basically I eat vegetables , legumes fruit and salads. Ive also been working out doing an intense boot camp workout 2 days a week for a month. I recently started birth control a month ago and my body fat content has actually increased as well as me gaining an inch in my hips. I lost inches everywhere else. (explain to me how one loses inches everywhere but gains an inch in their hips and an inch in their breasts at the same time?)

    my eating habits haven't changed, if anything they've gotten better, I eat small portions of fresh veggies/salads and fruit 3 times a day and no snacks . I drink 8-10 glasses of water a day minimum to reduce water retention.

    Ever since Ive been on birth control Its damn near impossible to lose wight and my hips are getting larger. So for those who say it is a myth, that's a bunch of garbage, everyone's body reacts differently to hormones. Mine blows up like a balloon with no increased hunger or dietary changes even with intense workout regiments. It just happens.
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
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    I lost a combined 79 pounds while I was on Yaz doing nothing special.
  • msylvesterxo
    msylvesterxo Posts: 1
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    I was on some birth control (forgot the name of it) & it made me gain so much weight !
    I used to be a size 3, & now im a size 11/13 in juniors. It has changed my body, my boobs have grown from an A cup to a 36C.

    its horrible, & i can't lose the weight still !:-( & i have no idea what to do !
    maybe my hormones are still unbalanced or something, and I've tried working out and i watch what i eat but no weight loss:-/
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
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    I had been lo loestrin fe for over a month. No weight gain, but did have break through bleeding.
  • kfitzs
    kfitzs Posts: 48 Member
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    i was using the depo injection which is known to cause weight gain to the extent that before every injection my doctor would weigh me and record my weight and i lost 5kgs without trying due to a lifestyle change and then went overseas on a holiday and came home eating junk all the time and put on weight so i dont think it had anything to do with the contraception just my lifestyle but i think they can affect everyone differently as i had horrible mood swings on the pill and had to swap several times to find the right one
  • madamepsychosis
    madamepsychosis Posts: 472 Member
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    I'm on the combined pill and I think the whole 'makes you gain weight' thing is just a myth and people use it as an excuse. It can increase your appetite, which obviously could make you eat more, but there's nothing in the birth control pill which makes you put on 7lb overnight and even if it did, it would be water weight. Birth control will not make you gain fat.
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
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    I had been lo loestrin fe for over a month. No weight gain, but did have break through bleeding.

    Oops... I've been on it for over a year, not a month.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    If anything, the pill will make you put on water weight but I doubt it will make you gain actual fat.

    I've been on Lo Estrin 24 FE since 2009 and yes I put on 40 pounds but it was not due to the pill.. It was due to the fact that I was in college, ate crap and didn't exercise like I should.

    Now that I've been trying to get the weight off, I've lost all the weight I wanted to in a years time and am just maintaining now.
  • pineapple1989
    pineapple1989 Posts: 195 Member
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    When I was on Microgynon I gained loooooads of weight... or at least thats what I thought when it happened. In reality it was all the extra pizza I was consuming! I've been on the pill about 7 years, tried 3 different ones, I gained weight when I ate too much, lost it when I ate less, I am on Cerazette now and have had no trouble losing weight, well no more than people not on contraceptives anyway, to be honest, now I am older and more experienced with it I am inclined to believe with the doctors on this one. But everybody has different experiences, this is just based on mine! I guess everybody will react differently to the hormones as well.
  • Peta22
    Peta22 Posts: 377 Member
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    I asked my doctor about this the last time I saw her and she said that weight gain is no longer an issue with today's oral contraceptives
  • welloiledmachine
    welloiledmachine Posts: 1,147 Member
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    There is a possibility that it can hinder some muscle gains tho. Not that you can't gain muscle, but not hit your true potential. But I could argue that because I'm pretty lean.
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
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    I'm on Yasmin and haven't had any problems with my weight or weight loss since I started it last year.
    I think with some pills you're more likely to see weight gain when you stop taking them, but I have no experience with this.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I was on the pill for 13 years with no effect on my weight or ability to lose. In fact, my experience was overall very positive. Different women react differently to hormonal BC, but don't assume you will have issues.
  • Christi6604
    Christi6604 Posts: 245 Member
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    Hi, I am currently taking Ortho cyclen and I have never had a problem with weightloss. As long as I diet and exercised as anyone should, I have lost. I have lost 50 pounds once while on the pill.

    ^^ same here. I was worried when I read about it, but it didn't impact my weight loss at all.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    I think the doctor is wrong. I mean I understand that just because many blame their weight gain on the pill doesn't mean it's true...maybe they just started eating more? But I assure you I was eating the same when I was on the pill and I gained a significant amount of weight. Then there's the girl I know that went on a needle. She went from short and a little bit chubby to her arms being flappy and approximately the size of my head in a few months. It was terrifying. Even if I tried to do that I don't think I could...and she was dating a fitness trainer who took her to the gym constantly...

    I was also sick on the pill, so throwing up multiple times a day (tried 6 different kinds, didn't know there were that many). So that may have been something to do with my weight gain (my body was probably thinking wtf are you doing and trying to compensate).

    How did I loose the weight? I stopped taking the pill.

    Hope you find a solution!
  • lily896
    lily896 Posts: 1
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    I am a little disappointed. I have always had an active life style and kept up with a health diet. I live in the mountains so my hourly bike ride commute is an exhilarating cardio-work-out, and I keep up a weekly date with friends playing racquet ball. I also eat very well and cook most of my food myself.
    But I started taking Lo Loestrin Fe and then I gained 5 pounds. I think this is due to water weight because I have been incredibly thirsty all the time (maybe also just because it's winter and home heaters dry out anybody :) ). To top it off, last week I went to the doctor with an infection and he told me I was very dehydrated. He said that basically if I were to be graded on my hydration I would get a C-. Seemed weird to me since I've been drinking so much recently.
    Now I have just started taking Lo Loestrin Fe and this is the first time I have ever taken an oral contraceptive. Im about half way through my third pack. I understand that when you first start a new medication the first three months can be somewhat strange as your body adjusts itself to the new hormone levels.
    Now, my question is… Are these 5lbs some kind of water retention or "bloating" that the doctor warned me would happen during the first three packs? Will they go away once my body learns how to deal with these new levels of hormones? I guess Im just a bit disappointed that I have been taking care of myself and I gained weight on a medicine that most people said didn't effect their weight.

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