Birth Control and Weight Loss??
miarail
Posts: 2 Member
I want to start going on birth controll but I hear horrible stories about people gaining weight or how hard it is to lose those stingy pounds. (sorry for the personal info, but I need advice). I have a super irregular period, i get it like every 6 months, so I am thinking i might go on birth control to regulate my hormones. Do you think it might hurt me from losing the weight i want? I was thinking that it might help, since i have wacky hormones, but Im just afriad Ill gain even more weight! ahh if anyone has any stories or advice for all those ladies out there, that would be much appreciated!! xoxo
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My BC pill helped with water retention, which was a pretty big deal to me, since I was retaining water 3 out of 4 weeks in the month. I had to take it for endometriosis. I wouldn't have gone on it just for contraception. It will make your hormones more consistent. I had to try several versions before I found one that worked for me without having side effects.0
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Has made not one iota of difference. Fat before taking it, fat during taking it, losing weight taking it.0
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@VintageFeline - I love your glasses and cute hairstyle! Sorry, back to the topic.0
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Doesn't make a difference. Lost 50lbs/and maintained it all while on the pill. You may be hungrier, by you'll need to figure out how to fight that.0
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lithezebra wrote: »@VintageFeline - I love your glasses and cute hairstyle! Sorry, back to the topic.
Thank you!0 -
It can cause water weight gain, which is just a fluxuation, and can cause some people to have more of an appetite, but it doesn't MAKE you gain fat, nor will it stop you from losing.0
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I was on a particularly strong pill cerrazete. It made me put on weight .. alot. More bloated maybe. Despite going to the gym a few times a week. I got so annoyed because before I was losing weight at a steady pace. And gaining muscle mass. My period is heavy and makes me very sick. Vomiting and fainting ect.. the pill worked on that... although it stopped my period all together. I went off it and now try rectify this. But the pill works for some and doesn't for others.0
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I lost 40-ish pounds while I was on Depo Provera. Then I got off it and gained weight over the last year, I blame the mood swings and the cravings that come with.
But really I blame myself, not the drug, I'm the one who shoveled sugar into my mouth during the crazy hormone times. 0 -
I think it depends on the pill. I was on a pill called Seasonique for about a year and gained quite a bit of weight - my Dr. admitted it makes you gain weight.......make sure to tell your Dr. to put you on a pill that does NOT cause weight gain.0
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I took Yasmin, and loved it. It does carry a higher risk of blood clots than other BCPs. I had no other risk factors for blood clots.0
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chandanista wrote: »I lost 40-ish pounds while I was on Depo Provera. Then I got off it and gained weight over the last year, I blame the mood swings and the cravings that come with. But really I blame myself, not the drug, I'm the one who shoveled sugar into my mouth during the crazy hormone times.
It's hard to resist the urging of one's hypothalamus. They don't call it "The Boss" (of your hormones) for nothing. But you might be able to find ways to trick your brain out of making you eat sugar.0 -
It doesn't make you gain or lose weight. It may, as many medications do, increase appetite. As long as You are aware of this and are honestly racking your intake then it will have no impact on weight gain or loss. It's not the drug, it's what you put in your mouth.
And I get it, I gained 3 stone due to appetite increases from psychoactive medication but it didn't do anything to the calories in/calories out equation.0 -
Sorry, but I just don't get this. Not wanting to start a clearly needed medication just because it might "cause" you to gain weight is just so freaking dumb.
I gained weight after I started birth control. But I can tell you right now it was because I enjoyed stuffing far too much food into my gob and had nothing to do with the pill. And I'd rather retain a few extra kilos of water than suffer from the agonising cramps every month.
I totally get not wanting to take a medication that makes you think about food all the time. You don't HAVE to stick it in your mouth, but it's no fun having an overpowering urge to eat, even if you have a will of iron. However, there are many formulations of the pill. Hopefully, most people can find one that has a minimum of side effects.
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I was worried about it.
But not having another baby was/is kind of important to me.
Oh, and stable moods.
We're still working on it, I just started a tri-cycle type.
I'm still losing weight.
and... for the first time in over 8 years my super fine and thinning hair actually seems to be growing a bit thicker.
I kind of like the hormone balance.
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I lost weigh on Depo twice, which my doctor informed me me was "impressive". But piled on weight when had implant, yet they're supposedly the same hormone. I also had bad skin, mood swings and constant bleeding. So I would suggest finding the one that suits you. There are many and many are similar, but they are not all the same.0
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Only once had my weight been affected by going off birth control. I went off Portia (was on for years) and I dropped weight very easily (this was back 6 years ago). I recently went off birth control again, and haven't seen any huge difference.0
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OP - good question. I believe that many of the weight gain horror stories are from those who really just ate too much and blame the Pill. Weight gain often occurs with a new partner (because we eat more) or after puberty (because we've stopped significant bone/muscle growth), times when many of us start.
However, it is so much more important for you to worry about unwanted pregnancy than weight gain!!! As others suggest, log your diet and exercise, and keep to your calorie goal and you'll be fine. The majority of women from around the world take the Pill for decades without problem.0 -
Sorry, but I just don't get this. Not wanting to start a clearly needed medication just because it might "cause" you to gain weight is just so freaking dumb.
I gained weight after I started birth control. But I can tell you right now it was because I enjoyed stuffing far too much food into my gob and had nothing to do with the pill. And I'd rather retain a few extra kilos of water than suffer from the agonising cramps every month.
I wouldn't be taking it for contraceptive reasons, I'm not sexually active. I do have bad skin and a very irregular period, which is why I've been thinking about going on it, so i guess I'm just weighing whats more important and just doing a trial and error of what works and doesn't work. You had a larger appetite, which one were you on?
Thanks
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I have not Gained any weight in the 3 years since starting the pill. I think people just blame the pill for overeating?0
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I have been on birth control since I started my fitness journey and have been able to loose weight.0
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Birth control will not cause you to gain weight. It can increase your appetite or cause a bit of water retention , but it will not make you gain fat. You gain fat by eating more calories than you are burning.
I have been on Seasonique for a few years. I have lost 33 lbs since late June. I also gained 22 lbs while I was on it. But that was all me eating way to much as I was dealing with 3 deaths in 4 months and health issues due to hydronephrosis.0 -
Sorry, but I just don't get this. Not wanting to start a clearly needed medication just because it might "cause" you to gain weight is just so freaking dumb.
I gained weight after I started birth control. But I can tell you right now it was because I enjoyed stuffing far too much food into my gob and had nothing to do with the pill. And I'd rather retain a few extra kilos of water than suffer from the agonising cramps every month.
I wouldn't be taking it for contraceptive reasons, I'm not sexually active. I do have bad skin and a very irregular period, which is why I've been thinking about going on it, so i guess I'm just weighing whats more important and just doing a trial and error of what works and doesn't work. You had a larger appetite, which one were you on?
Thanks
I take Levelen, and I don't take it for contraceptive reasons either. (Nor has it done anything for my acne.) The reason I take it is so that I can be a functional human being during my period, instead of just an agonised ball of cramps barely able to move or focus on anything beyond pain. On my doctor's advice I only have three-four periods a year by using the pill to skip them.
But I can tell you now, my weight gain had nothing to do with it. I was already gaining weight before I started the pill. Why? Because I was still eating like a teenager even when I no longer was one, and moving even less. I was relishing having money of my own and the freedom of the university cafeteria, and I was lazy - it was particularly around the time I gave up playing cricket.
And honestly, even if the doctor had told me I'd guarantee gain weight on it - I was in so much pain every month that I would not have cared. I couldn't go to school, work, anything. Exercising made it worse. Eating made it worse. Not eating made it worse. Moving beyond that curled up ball on the couch and my hot water bottle made it worse. My life would come grinding to a halt for six days every month. It could not go on like that. A few kilos of water retention is a tiny price to pay for being an actually functional human being.0 -
I take it for my skin (adult onset acne) and painful periods. I was taken off it briefly and the skin problems came back worse than ever so the pros outweigh the cons.
I'm on Marvelon in the UK, may be called something else elsewhere.0 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »It can cause water weight gain, which is just a fluxuation, and can cause some people to have more of an appetite, but it doesn't MAKE you gain fat, nor will it stop you from losing.
This0 -
There is no scientific or proven reason as to why contraceptives would cause weight gain. Though if it makes you more emotional which it can, and if you're an emotional eater, that could contribute. I'm on BC pills, have been for 3 months (I have endometriosis), its continuous (I never take a sugar pill). At first I was moody and ate more, I gained maybe 5lbs but I lost it back pretty quick (without trying). After 3-4 weeks I was not PMS-y anymore lol.
Although I've bled every day since taking it and that's exactly why I started taking it (so I wouldn't bleed, when my uterus contracts the endo tissue grows more, its already in my stomach), so I'll probably be getting the implant soon.0 -
I've been on birth control the whole time I've been losing the 65 lbs I've lost. Take the pill and count your calories. The weight will come off just fine.0
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I want to start going on birth controll but I hear horrible stories about people gaining weight or how hard it is to lose those stingy pounds. (sorry for the personal info, but I need advice). I have a super irregular period, i get it like every 6 months, so I am thinking i might go on birth control to regulate my hormones. Do you think it might hurt me from losing the weight i want? I was thinking that it might help, since i have wacky hormones, but Im just afriad Ill gain even more weight! ahh if anyone has any stories or advice for all those ladies out there, that would be much appreciated!! xoxo
I've never had a problem with weight gain on bc of any form. I have heard that taking an implant or IUD carries less of a risk of weight gain than oral contraceptives, but you should research and speak with your doctor to find what best suits you.0 -
I went on the pill for my skin & cramps as a teenager (Nowhere near sexually active
) & it really helped, didn't make me gain weight at all (it was called Brevinor - I think!).
I now have the implant, on my 4th one, & I love it! No periods, no cramps or mood swings, & no babies! I'd have a chat with your GP about your options, especially as you're looking for hormonal help, as it were.0 -
I started going on the pill 2 years ago. I gained 20 pounds and that's why I'm using this app - to try to get my old body back! When my doctor prescribed me the pill, she said weight gain is a common side effect and that I should start eating healthier and exercising. I was like pshhhh that's a rumor, cause like you I've heard it before. Before I know it, I gained 10 pounds, then 15, and then recently weighed myself to find out it was 20. Just eat healthier and exercise and you'll be fine. I don't necessarily blame my weight gain on the pill, because as you get older your metabolism slows down. Plus, I used to be able to eat whatever and not exercise and be able to maintain my 130lb physique. So weight gain isn't just from the pill, other factors may cause you to think its the pill. Just listen to your doc when she says start eating healthier and exercising, so you don't end up in the same boat as me:)0
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A low dose pill should not be a major problem for most people, however, yes, there are medical reasons that estrogen promotes weight gain. Fifty years ago, the dose of estrogen in the pill was a lot higher, and weight gain was a fairly common side effect.0
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