Females on birth control- has it affected your weightloss?

brishaw18
brishaw18 Posts: 20 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Just curious what BC your on and if/how it has affected your weightloss ! Thanks :)
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Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I had Mirena during my initial weight loss and I've maintained while on Ortho-tri-cyclen. Neither impacted my weight loss.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    edited April 2017
    I gained a metric butt ton of weight on a combination pill (by overeating)... and then lost more than what I gained while still on it. Switched to the Skyla IUD and I'm still losing as expected.
  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
    I had Mirena placed September of 2015 and started on MFP February 2016- lost 90lbs while breastfeeding without issue.
  • lillyy23
    lillyy23 Posts: 136 Member
    Hell yes and since then it's been so hard to lose the weight I gained 60 pounds and almost 70 I think it slowed down my metabolism
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    The first time I went on BC (2005-2006), I gained about 10kg. I was ravenously hungry. I wasn't tracking at the time, so I have no idea how much I ate, but I know I ate too much. I had to stop this particular BC because it was messing with my blood pressure (no fun passing out in the middle of a combat at fencing because your BP goes 'bye bye, I'll be down in the basement for no other reason than I want to).

    The second time I went on BC (about a year after the first attempt), I gained about 10kg. I was depressed and my cure was food. I wasn't tracking at the time, so I have no idea how much I ate, but I know I ate too much. I had to stop this particular BC because it was messing with my head (suicidal thoughts anyone?)

    This time (started again in November 2016), I lost 3kg since starting. I am ravenously hungry at the worst of times (as in, I could gnaw off my arm), but since I'm tracking my intake, I have a pretty good idea of how much I can eat and still, at the very least, maintain. Now that I'm slowly bringing my hunger back under control (took me almost 6 months), I am losing again as predicted.
  • 24clouds
    24clouds Posts: 74 Member
    On combined pill marvelon
    Lost 6 stone 10 years ago on it
    Put it all back on after 2 kids
    Currently lost 4 stone on it and plan to loose more
    I actually gain when not on it!
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    I have gained weight every time I've gone back on the pill after a short break, but that's down to increased appetite, but I have also lost weight whilst on them in the past, I could easily have eaten less calorie dense foods to fill me up, but instead I chose not to.

    My most recent weight gain last year, I was on the non-hormone coil, so I can't blame it this time lol
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    I put on a ton of weight on Marvelon through being inactive and undisciplined - nothing to do with the pill. I lost weight on it, switched to Zeletta (mini pill) and have kept it off. BC is easier to blame than a slice of cake over the limit!
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    I had the opposite, I've been on the combined pill for over a decade (not just as contraception but for hormonal reasons), but my doctor took me off it after a few migraines as a precaution since it is linked to blood clots and I'm in my mid 30s.

    During the year I was pill free I put on weight, basically anything that does a number on your hormones may lead to some unwanted weight gain if you're not paying attention, if you're keeping a food diary on MFP you should be able to adjust though if your metabolic rate changes slightly and you notice you're losing slower, just keep an eye on it.
  • kazminchu
    kazminchu Posts: 250 Member
    I had Mirena and gained 30lbs. The Mirena itself did not make me gain weight, but it affected my mood so much that I binge ate a lot, and I was physically hungry a lot more. I had it removed in late November, and I've lost 21lbs since January.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    For me, I got swelling in my face and really hungry all the time. I don't think I could have even eaten a healthy diet with that pill. It was like being on my period every day. It's easier for me to be off it. Just in terms of following the goals I set
  • lmew91
    lmew91 Posts: 88 Member
    I'm on a generic daily pill, I think it's called Trinessa? I was on the pill when I gained weight, but I had been on it for a couple of years and was slim, so it's not the pill that's to blame. I lost weight on the pill as well, and I never felt as though it was 'harder' or I was 'struggling' because I was on bc.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Previously on Yasmin--gained weight because I ate too much, not because of pill. Lost weight because I ate less and exercised.

    Now have Mirena (on my second one)--have gained weight while on it because I ate more than I was burning. Have lost weight though, too.
  • I got mirena in February and it hasn't impacted my weight loss at all. I've lost 8 pounds.
  • m0mmymakeover
    m0mmymakeover Posts: 5 Member
    I was on Alesse 21 almost three years ago and I lost about 20-25 pounds after going on it. I was not doing anything to purposely lose weight at the time. However, after being on the pill for about 5-6 months I went off of it and gained about 10 pounds.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Curious about it too. I'm getting on the pill again because I have low iron anemia and heavy periods... also bad PMS symptoms (including crazy hunger) that are making it very hard to stick to my calories.

    I'm really hoping it's not actually going to make things worse appetite-wise, but I guess I'll find out soon enough. I got to say, it irks me a little bit when people say that they didn't gain weight because of the pill, but because they ate too much... if the pill increases your appetite, yeah, it's because of the pill.
  • Leah_62803
    Leah_62803 Posts: 292 Member
    It hasn't really for me. I was on the combo pill for 4 years and my weight stayed the same as before I was on the pill.
    Now I'm on the depo shot and have been losing weight.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 654 Member
    I've been on Depo for over 12 years. When I first went on it, I lost 10 lbs because it made me so nauseous I couldn't eat. Fast forward, I gained 80lbs on a migraine medicine. But now that I'm off of that, I've been losing weight just fine. So it never impacted me in that way.
  • AmandaEdwards1
    AmandaEdwards1 Posts: 46 Member
    I had Mirena placed in August of last year. Since then I have gained about 15 lbs. Ugh. I am now attempting to reverse that damage and then some.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    I went on the mirena a few weeks ago so we'll see how it goes. I have been in maintenance for a year but had put on a few pounds prior to getting the mirena. I've already taken off that weight since getting it in 3 weeks ago so it seems like I was able to lose weight at a pretty typical rate. My appetite has felt normal and my mood has felt the same.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Curious about it too. I'm getting on the pill again because I have low iron anemia and heavy periods... also bad PMS symptoms (including crazy hunger) that are making it very hard to stick to my calories.

    I'm really hoping it's not actually going to make things worse appetite-wise, but I guess I'll find out soon enough. I got to say, it irks me a little bit when people say that they didn't gain weight because of the pill, but because they ate too much... if the pill increases your appetite, yeah, it's because of the pill.

    Not in my case. The pill had no noticeable effect on my appetite. I just plain ate too much.

    Also, how much you eat is within your control, regardless of what's driving your appetite. You just have to find ways of exercising that control. Counting calories, for instance. Moderating high-calorie foods. Playing with meal timing, macros, etc. The pill doesn't "make" you do anything you don't want to.
  • HazyEyes93
    HazyEyes93 Posts: 89 Member
    I've been on depo provera for 3? years. Lost the majority of my weight on it, actually. Personally, the best thing about it is that I don't have periods, so I don't have to worry about bloating during "that time" of the month. lol Now, I did gain a lot of weight back in the last few months, but that had more to do with eating Chinese take out for every meal and less to do with my BC. lol
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    all hormonal BC methods can cause some gain on the scale but it won't necessarily be "fat" gain. MOstly water retention due to hormones.

    However all hormonal BC methods have weight gain as a possible side effect but that is mainly due to "increased appetite".

    If you gain more than 10lbs on BC time to get logging accurately and see where the food intake has gone up.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Curious about it too. I'm getting on the pill again because I have low iron anemia and heavy periods... also bad PMS symptoms (including crazy hunger) that are making it very hard to stick to my calories.

    I'm really hoping it's not actually going to make things worse appetite-wise, but I guess I'll find out soon enough. I got to say, it irks me a little bit when people say that they didn't gain weight because of the pill, but because they ate too much... if the pill increases your appetite, yeah, it's because of the pill.

    Not in my case. The pill had no noticeable effect on my appetite. I just plain ate too much.

    Also, how much you eat is within your control, regardless of what's driving your appetite. You just have to find ways of exercising that control. Counting calories, for instance. Moderating high-calorie foods. Playing with meal timing, macros, etc. The pill doesn't "make" you do anything you don't want to.

    Yeah but when your hormones make you feel horrible all day if you don't eat.. it's much harder to stick to your calories. Guessing you've never experienced it that badly so it probably seems easy for you. It didn't happen to me until I turned 36 (and got close to the middle of the normal BMI range), to be fair. Before that, I had no idea it could be that bad either.

    Again though, I obviously have no idea how the pill will affect me, so we'll have to wait and see.
  • izzienelsonn
    izzienelsonn Posts: 19 Member
    I went on the combined pill in september 2014 and by december 2014 I had gained about 20lbs. However this could've been down to my age (quite young to have gone on it) and over eating a great deal/ stress eating . Just over 2.5 years later I'm pretty much back to where i was before I went on it. Despite the weight gain I don't regret going on it as it helped with my hormones so much.
  • brishaw18
    brishaw18 Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks for all the feed back. It seems like everything you read about bc on the internet is all negative. So I'm glad to hear everyone's opinion. Some people that don't track their food have no idea how much they are actually taking in and may start to over eat rather than the pill being the blame.
    I have someone I work with that blames her weight gain on hormones but if you saw what she eats on a daily basis and her very low activity level you would see why she would gain weight.
    I have noticed my appetite being way higher than it was before getting the shot. But I'm hoping I will eventually adjust.
  • yellingkimber
    yellingkimber Posts: 229 Member
    I've been on the pill before and I'm currently on the patch (highly recommend it!). Neither have increased my appetite or caused any weight gain.
  • EmmaCrosbie
    EmmaCrosbie Posts: 12 Member
    Absolutely, most definitely! I've got the implant and oh boy does it make me hungry. One of the first things I asked the doctor when getting it was "Will it make me fat?" She told me no, it'll just increase my appetite. Well I clearly have no control over my appetite because I cannot stop eating
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,225 Member
    I have Mirena and I've lost 130 lbs without issue.
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