Trying to lose weight gained from Mirena

Options
danielasaur
danielasaur Posts: 63 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi! Although the I've always been heavy, I've usually been around the 180-185 range for the past several years of my life. I was always ok with this, even though at 5'5" this is considered obese; I've never really had a problem with being fat, I was still happy in my body. Last year however I decided to go on Mirena (a hormonal IUD) to help with my heavy, long and painful periods and although it has done wonders for that it has also led me to gain a LOT of weight and fast. I'm currently at 207 lbs, the heaviest I've ever been, and the weight gain happened so fast that I've got stretch marks on my stomach and thighs that I'm pretty self conscious about. I've been ignoring the changes in my body for a long time, but I've decided to finally do something about this unhappiness that has been seeping into my life because of my weight! For the first time ever I'm trying to excercise and diet, so I need a little help. Has anyone else experienced weight gain after going on birth control? Any advice? Support? I would love to connect with people with similar weight loss goals :)

Replies

  • thegreatcanook
    thegreatcanook Posts: 2,419 Member
    Options
    Plugging in with others helped me lose over 100 lbs. Feel free to add me for support.
  • ghizzie
    ghizzie Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    I have gained 18 lbs quickly since getting Mirena. Wow. I had no idea THIS would happen. It seemed like such a win win and now I am at my heaviest too. Feel free to add me for support .
  • MudstainSally
    MudstainSally Posts: 571 Member
    Options
    I only had it a month and noticed a 7lb gain in January without changing anything else I did... but... it pushed me onto this path. It's crazy because weight gain is not listed as a side affect of Mirena, but I've heard it from sooo many people already that it does make you gain.

    @danielasaur add me, I'm newish to this too, but we're the same height. My goal is to head down to the 140s where I was in my mid 20s.

    @thegreatcanook Wow!! You guys in that profile pic look amazing! Great job!
  • danielasaur
    danielasaur Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    @MudstainSally yeah, nobody really tells you but it really is a nasty little side effect. As you say though, it pushed me on this path and I'm sure my life will be better for it, since I'm striving to commit to a lifestyle change as opposed to a crash diet! My goal is 150; I haven't been 140 since I was about 12-13 :P but who knows, maybe if/once I reach 150 I'll just keep going!

    @ghizzie it's crazy how quickly I put on the weight; so fast I've got a ton of stretch marks! I just didn't have the motivation to do anything about it (or even acknowledge it) until now! Not to worry though, we'll turn it around and definitely make Mirena the win-win I just KNOW it can be!
  • carolbeths
    carolbeths Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    Mirena caused me to gain about 7 pounds over 7 days. Doesn't sound that extreme but I am very petite and believe me it showed. Nothing I did helped me lose the weight. I finally had it removed and the weight remained (along with other hormonal side effects like night sweats) for months. Happy to report that nine months post removal I went back to my old self. Seems to resolve much more quickly for others, so I spent ages fretting that i had ruined my health and balance forever. Wanted to share my experience for others who are struggling.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    Options
    I'm fairly certain five years with Mirena helped me gain a lot of weight. What was notable is how it was coming on in the belly. That was a new thing. I lost about ten pounds in a matter of days after having it removed. I've read stories of fitness instructors gaining sixty pounds due to Mirena. I loved having only three periods in five years, but I didn't like the painful cysts or going from pear shaped to apple shaped. Now that I'm on a diet and exercise plan and the Mirena is gone, I'm losing belly fat.

Categories