Battling side effects
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VintageFeline wrote: »Weight gain cannot occur in a vacuum. The doctor stating weight gain as a side effect is a simplistic way of saying, increased appetite = weight gain. The only way physiologically and scientifically for one to gain weight is to eat more than their body requires.
The initial weight of 10lbs was more than likely water, hormone changes easily cause water retention.
What are your stats? How do you measure your portions? Cups and spoons, eyeball or scales and measures? How long have you been tracking? Do you track every single thing you eat and how long have you been consistently doing this? What is your activity level set to and your loss goal?
I am 5'7" 318 lbs. I measure my portions with a scale as well as measuring cups and spoons. I am not sure how long I have been tracking. I was keeping a food journal for a while and writing down everything for a while when I went with out internet have been back on MFP for a while. I track everything I eat (I have even gone as far as to grab my husbands phone to get online when I had a piece of gum in the car so I could put it in). Again I am not sure exactly how long I have been doing it but it has been a while. My weight loss goal is set to 2 pounds a week and my activity level is set to sedentary. I try to stay active when at home and between customers at work but work does involve a lot of sitting as do the many trips in the car to take my oldest to the doctor all the time.0 -
Can_Do_Gal wrote: »I've been really successful on MFP - I've lost 141 pounds & counting. I have to take thyroid meds because I had thyroid cancer & had my thyroid removed. I have thyroid bloodwork at least every 8 weeks, so that we can make dose changes as I lose weight.
A few months back, I started having abnormal uterine bleeding. Lots of tests, etc. So about 2.5 weeks ago, my GYN had me go on BC pills so we could do another test at a very particular part of my cycle. Within a few days, I started to feel a familiar & dreaded increasingly cruddy feeling. (It took several years to find the right dose of thyroid meds for me.) My PCP ran my thyroid bloodwork early, and even though I had only been taking BC pills for 1.5 weeks, there were dramatic changes in my thyroid numbers.
My endocrinologist says that BC pills affect how your body processes inactive thyroid hormone to active thyroid hormone in your liver. There's also another thing with a binding protein. Women with a well functioning thyroid just compensate & the theory is they end up with their normal levels. I can't because I don't have about thyroid any more.
The symptoms women often describe from taking BC pills - difficulty losing weight, weight gain, hair loss/thinning & mental fogginess - those are among the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism. Since thyroid issues are more common in women than men anyway, it makes me wonder if the women who struggle with taking BC pills are unmasking some thyroid issues.
I don't know if there's any research about this. But I do have personal bloodwork that shows changes I find hard to believe. I can't wait to get done with this pack of pills, get my GYN test, and never, ever go on BC pills again. My hubby had a vasectomy years ago. So much of a better option!
Sorry about all you have had to go through. My doctor wanted to do a thyroid test but it has not been scheduled yet.1 -
VintageFeline wrote: »Also, how much have you lost in what time period? How long since you last saw a loss? How often do you weigh yourself? Are you tracking any other progress, measurements for example?
When I initially started on MFP I lost almost 30 pounds, then I stopped when I was pregnant because I moved and had no internet for a few months and I have not seen a loss since prepregnancy. I weigh my self once a week and either stay the same or go up about a pound. I am not tracking any other progress because I have never done my measurements and am not sure how.
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I recommend if you are done having children that your husband get a vasectomy. No hormones for you, no hormones for him. Tell him it's great for your sex life - absolutely no fear of pregnancy. (After he's passed the all clear, no swimmers test.)0
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The Paragard IUD is an alternative as well. I'm not really sure why women choose Mirena over Paragard, considering that Paragard is non-hormonal. Is it the cost?I personally needed the hormones. My doctor observed me over producing a lining, causing bleeding for months at a time. She advised me to stay with progesterone to keep the lining from growing too thick. There are cases for hormonal birth control, not every option is right for every woman.
Another option for progesterone is Prometrium, an FDA approved bio-identical progesterone that comes in pill form.1 -
i went on b/c only one time in my life and i gained RAPIDLY and ALOT. it was NOT due to overeating as i kept the same routine of food intake and exercise. hormones can be tricky little things! i would suggest trying something w/o hormones like an IUD w/o hormones or something surgical if you are ready for permanent b/c. unfortunately for me, until i got off b/c, i was heavy. i lost all my weight as soon as i went off.
**this was over 20 years ago, so not recently**0 -
bchrispell wrote: »Dont want to do the vasectomy because I would like more kids eventually I think or would at least like the option.
Vasectomies can be reversed.
But check out this book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taking-charge-of-your-fertility-20th-anniversary-edition-toni-weschler/1119908785
I'd post the Amazon link, but my Mom uses my account sometimes and I don't want her getting the wrong idea from my browsing history. Charting may be a better way for you to go.
Reading this I sound kinda hippy, but whatever.2 -
bchrispell wrote: »Dont want to do the vasectomy because I would like more kids eventually I think or would at least like the option.
Vasectomies can be reversed.
ooooo i have to disagree. once a man has a vasect, his sperm count decreases over time. if it's reversed later, he could have a zero (or close to) count. i would NEVER consider any surgical methods "REVERSABLE"
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Agreed with this. Increased appetite is the side effect which causes weight gain. Consuming more fuel than you body needs to maintain its current weight is the only way to gain weight.VintageFeline wrote: »The side effect isn't weight gain, it is possibly an increase in appetite which in turn causes you to eat more and gain weight. So the blame here lies with what is going in your mouth. Get accurate with your logging and intake and you will lose weight.
Yeah, but do you weigh all solid and semi solid foods in grams on a food scale? Measuring and weighing foods yield very different calorie counts.bchrispell wrote: »Thanks to you all. I do already measure my food and log everything I eat and I log most activity. Hard to log what I walk at work because it is so busy I can track it all while I am there. My doctor specifically said that weight gain was a side effect that hit many women. I cut out a few thinks like pop and such after it was placed and started eating more fruits and vegetables and less "junk" food. With in the first week of having the IUD placed I gained 10 pounds. Gain has been slow ever since no matter what I try. I am considering having it taken out because I am having some other issues that caused some one to ask if I had one said they had the same things just trying to work out what I want to go on instead. Dont want to do the vasectomy because I would like more kids eventually I think or would at least like the option.
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cerise_noir wrote: »
Yeah, but do you weigh all solid and semi solid foods in grams on a food scale? Measuring and weighing foods yield very different calorie counts.
i agree with measuring in grams on a scale, instead of "cups" or "fluid ounces."
my scale measures out to 1.11 grams (as an example) so i can get very accurate as compared to a measuring cup, which may or may not be an ACTUAL cup.
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markswife1992 wrote: »bchrispell wrote: »Dont want to do the vasectomy because I would like more kids eventually I think or would at least like the option.
Vasectomies can be reversed.
ooooo i have to disagree. once a man has a vasect, his sperm count decreases over time. if it's reversed later, he could have a zero (or close to) count. i would NEVER consider any surgical methods "REVERSABLE"
I'm not saying for them to wait 20 years. Also, sperm can be frozen. More alternative methods that allow her to not be on a form of BC.
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markswife1992 wrote: »bchrispell wrote: »Dont want to do the vasectomy because I would like more kids eventually I think or would at least like the option.
Vasectomies can be reversed.
ooooo i have to disagree. once a man has a vasect, his sperm count decreases over time. if it's reversed later, he could have a zero (or close to) count. i would NEVER consider any surgical methods "REVERSABLE"
I'm not saying for them to wait 20 years. Also, sperm can be frozen. More alternative methods that allow her to not be on a form of BC.
freezing sperm is a good idea but then you have to deal with doing an IUI or other fertility treatments. most people don't have the money or resources to do that. and it doesn't take 20 years to deplete sperm count. it starts decreasing soon after surgery; certainly far less than 20 years.
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markswife1992 wrote: »markswife1992 wrote: »bchrispell wrote: »Dont want to do the vasectomy because I would like more kids eventually I think or would at least like the option.
Vasectomies can be reversed.
ooooo i have to disagree. once a man has a vasect, his sperm count decreases over time. if it's reversed later, he could have a zero (or close to) count. i would NEVER consider any surgical methods "REVERSABLE"
I'm not saying for them to wait 20 years. Also, sperm can be frozen. More alternative methods that allow her to not be on a form of BC.
freezing sperm is a good idea but then you have to deal with doing an IUI or other fertility treatments. most people don't have the money or resources to do that. and it doesn't take 20 years to deplete sperm count. it starts decreasing soon after surgery; certainly far less than 20 years.
ok. but I also posted a link to a book to help her do something without any medical involvement, so ... alternative methods.0 -
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I think we're losing sight of the issue at hand here and that is: the only scientific, physiologically proven way for one to gain or not lose weight is by eating more than the body needs. The pill or other BC doesn't magically create an energy surplus for the body to be able to then store as fat. It's just not a thing.
There could be other health issues at play but again, they do not in themselves cause weight gain. They could cause appetite increases or metabolism slow down, nutrient malabsorption (this one would cause weight loss) but they are not on their own to blame for weight loss and gain. That still boils down to what is going in your mouth.
Whilst you are waiting for further testing my advice is to tighten up your logging. Weigh all solids on a food scale (cups and spoons are meant for liquids, wildly inaccurate for solids) measure all liquids in cups or a jug. Make sure entries you are using are the correct ones in the database by cross checking label info (catches a lot of people out that one) and do this every single day for 6-8 weeks. That will give you enough accurate data to work with. At the moment it's all a bit vague and at your weight, even with some underlying health issues, if you were truly in anything of a deficit the weight would be dropping.3 -
Another vote for paraguard....or a similar copper IUD. I'm in Canada, so things might be a little different. 6 years ago I had paraguard, it cost me $300 and was told it would last 3-5 years. Had it taken out to have another baby and have had another brand copper IUD fitted for $60 that is supposed to last 2-3 years. I've been on hormone birth control before, didn't do anything for my appetite, but made me so damn emotional. Anyways, I don't even notice it's there, so it's not a big deal.0
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VintageFeline wrote: »I think we're losing sight of the issue at hand here and that is: the only scientific, physiologically proven way for one to gain or not lose weight is by eating more than the body needs. The pill or other BC doesn't magically create an energy surplus for the body to be able to then store as fat. It's just not a thing.
There could be other health issues at play but again, they do not in themselves cause weight gain. They could cause appetite increases or metabolism slow down, nutrient malabsorption (this one would cause weight loss) but they are not on their own to blame for weight loss and gain. That still boils down to what is going in your mouth.
Whilst you are waiting for further testing my advice is to tighten up your logging. Weigh all solids on a food scale (cups and spoons are meant for liquids, wildly inaccurate for solids) measure all liquids in cups or a jug. Make sure entries you are using are the correct ones in the database by cross checking label info (catches a lot of people out that one) and do this every single day for 6-8 weeks. That will give you enough accurate data to work with. At the moment it's all a bit vague and at your weight, even with some underlying health issues, if you were truly in anything of a deficit the weight would be dropping.
i am really not trying to be difficult, but dealing with other drugs and hormone issues, i have learned that it's not exactly CICO 100%.
i dont have info in front of me, but try researching hormone issues (such as PCOS) and drug interactions with weight gain w/o having any change in food/calorie intake and exercise.
also, i have a pituitary tumor, and before diagnosis, thought i was going mad b/c i would eat VERY LIttle and gained A TON Of weight. sometimes, it's not as simple as eating less.
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I agree with this 100%. I used to believe all the medications that I take (BCP, many pain meds and other meds that claim weight gain due to the masses) were responsible for me not being able to lose weight and even gain, but...the science is there. Too many calories (not too much food volume-wise) was the true culprit of me not being able to lose weight. Sure, the medication did increase my appetite, but I did eat more calories due to this. I've lost over 80lbs being on the same medication, so in reality, it was not the medication that made me fat, I did. I used to think "I don't eat very much, but I am gaining weight!". It was true, I didn't eat very much, but once I started logging my "not very much" by weighing absolutely everything I ate then logging accurately by comparing database entries with the food packaging, it turns out I was consuming way more calories than thought. It was crazy.VintageFeline wrote: »I think we're losing sight of the issue at hand here and that is: the only scientific, physiologically proven way for one to gain or not lose weight is by eating more than the body needs. The pill or other BC doesn't magically create an energy surplus for the body to be able to then store as fat. It's just not a thing.
Consume more calories than your body needs to maintain = weigh gain without a doubt. Consuming less than the body needs to maintain = weight loss.
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markswife1992 wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »I think we're losing sight of the issue at hand here and that is: the only scientific, physiologically proven way for one to gain or not lose weight is by eating more than the body needs. The pill or other BC doesn't magically create an energy surplus for the body to be able to then store as fat. It's just not a thing.
There could be other health issues at play but again, they do not in themselves cause weight gain. They could cause appetite increases or metabolism slow down, nutrient malabsorption (this one would cause weight loss) but they are not on their own to blame for weight loss and gain. That still boils down to what is going in your mouth.
Whilst you are waiting for further testing my advice is to tighten up your logging. Weigh all solids on a food scale (cups and spoons are meant for liquids, wildly inaccurate for solids) measure all liquids in cups or a jug. Make sure entries you are using are the correct ones in the database by cross checking label info (catches a lot of people out that one) and do this every single day for 6-8 weeks. That will give you enough accurate data to work with. At the moment it's all a bit vague and at your weight, even with some underlying health issues, if you were truly in anything of a deficit the weight would be dropping.
i am really not trying to be difficult, but dealing with other drugs and hormone issues, i have learned that it's not exactly CICO 100%.
i dont have info in front of me, but try researching hormone issues (such as PCOS) and drug interactions with weight gain w/o having any change in food/calorie intake and exercise.
also, i have a pituitary tumor, and before diagnosis, thought i was going mad b/c i would eat VERY LIttle and gained A TON Of weight. sometimes, it's not as simple as eating less.
Those are health issues that would impact your metabolism and hormones can cause one to retain a crap ton of water (which isn't fat but will still show as a gain on the scale). Does a reduced metabolism suck? Of course. Does that negate CICO. No. It is a scientific fact that remains regardless. The CO part may change and that explains why CI remaining unchanged causes weight gain or loss. That doesn't negate CICO.
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VintageFeline wrote: »
Those are health issues that would impact your metabolism and hormones can cause one to retain a crap ton of water (which isn't fat but will still show as a gain on the scale). Does a reduced metabolism suck? Of course. Does that negate CICO. No. It is a scientific fact that remains regardless. The CO part may change and that explains why CI remaining unchanged causes weight gain or loss. That doesn't negate CICO.
we'll have to agree to disagree.
"a crap ton of water weight" is NOT the issue. i did not gain 69 pounds of water weight. i did not eat enough calories to make sense of a 69 pound weight gain. it's meds + hormone issues + the pituitary tumor + PCOS. add it up and no matter how little i eat, i haven't lost, but gained.
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