Anyone lost weight while on birth control?

jodidari · November 2015

So i recently started birth control for the purpose of regulating my hormones. I've lost 2lbs in about 10 days. I'm not sure this may be the cause but since I've started I've also been getting really bad headaches and I've been feeling a little more tired.
P.S I've changed nothing about my diet and i haven't exercised in two weeks

queenliz99 · November 2015

Body weight fluctuates day to day, hour to hour.

acheben · November 2015

I got to my goal weight while on birth control. Birth control can increase your appetite and fluid retention, but it doesn't contribute to real weight gain.

I would schedule an appointment with your doctor about the headaches and fatigue though.

ARGriffy · November 2015

Some birth control gives a big risk of headache then migraine, then stroke. speak to your doc, seriously I am affected by this and been on 4 different ones due to it xx

alanahp93 · November 2015

Hi I had to take birth control because of my endometriosis, I felt terrible the first month... morning sickness, tiredness, loss of appetite etc. But after a month it starts to calm down and go back to normal, but if not I would recommend changing pills with the Dr.
I didn't notice a huge change in weight after taking the pill but every one is diffrent

jodidari · November 2015

Thank you so far

soapsandropes · November 2015

I did but only with diet and exercise. It is definitely a good idea to talk to your doctor about the headaches. There are a lot of different pill formulations and it might take some trial and error to find the one that works for you.

vespiquenn · November 2015

I have been on it since I was 17 (25 now) for endometriosis, and I can't say I noticed any difference either in gaining or losing. If I switch pills, I hold onto water longer, but I never experienced the change in appetite either. So it's hard to say how your body will react in response to it.

Remilia_Scarlet · November 2015

I've been on a few different types. I've never had a problem losing weight on birth control, but some made me bloated and gave me acne. (My current pill made my boobs bigger for a while, which was nice, but didn't last!) Overall, birth control can't make you gain or lose weight unless you're eating the calories associated with those changes. It's probably just a shift in water retention.

antennachick · November 2015

I didnt find a difference with losing weight while on birth control although I was told it could cause wieght gain. Just a thought but there is non hormone option of a IUD also.

DawnieB1977 · November 2015

I lost 42lbs for my wedding years ago whilst on birth control. I also took it again when my first baby was a few months old and continued to lose weight.

I did notice that my weight loss slowed down a bit when I started taking it after I had my first baby, and I also had feelings similar to when I was pregnant, slight nausea, and real hunger sometimes, so perhaps I upped my calories initially (I didn't use MFP back then, in 2009).

choppie70 · November 2015

I have been on birth control for the past 6 years. I have lost 32 lbs since late June. The birth control will not make you gain weight, or not be able to lose weight, it is the fact that certain birth control pills can increase your appetite.

KrisiAnnH · November 2015

I've both gained and lost 3stone on bc. It has absolutely no impact on my ability to lose weight (apart from perhaps cravings, but those are easy enough to control, and I'd get those when off bc anyway).

It's probably worth talking to your doctor if you're experiencing side effects. The first few weeks after starting can be a bit up and down anyway, but if you're suffering from headaches then they may be able to recommend a different type. I started out on one type of pill but it gave me crazy mood swings and I was miserable, as well as horrible stomach cramps etc, so I changed to Marvelon- which as I understand it is just a different combination of the components, and I haven't had any issues since

jodidari · December 2015

Thanks everyone, I'm actually having mood swings/being frustrated all the time but the headaches stopped when i started taking it an hour before bed. Somehow i'm losing a pound every two weeks but not sure what changed

afatpersonwholikesfood · December 2015

I don't know about weight changes, but I took the pill for years, and I always had minor nausea throughout the day. This was with different brands and low doses. I'm sure I must have been taking it when I purposefully lost weight about 10 years ago since I've pretty much always been on some form of BC.