Can’t lose weight on the pill

I’m having the worst time trying to lose weight while being on the birth control pill. I’ve been on it for about 6yrs. Does anyone else have difficulty losing weight while on the pill? Any suggestions?

Replies

  • sbelletti
    sbelletti Posts: 213 Member
    Depo Provera increased my appetite so I gained weight because I simply ate more than I was before I started taking it. Is it possible that you are eating more than you were previously? Are you logging every thing you eat accurately?
  • amw12784
    amw12784 Posts: 2 Member
    I must admit that it is my fault for the weight gain. It seems to be psychological cravings where my mind craves certain foods
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,122 Member
    amw12784 wrote: »
    I must admit that it is my fault for the weight gain. It seems to be psychological cravings where my mind craves certain foods

    You can have all types of food, you just need to limit the amount of them in keeping with your calorie allowance over time.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,329 Member
    amw12784 wrote: »
    I must admit that it is my fault for the weight gain. It seems to be psychological cravings where my mind craves certain foods

    Nothing wrong with that realization. Most of us have been there one way or another. I remember an old forum post of mine elsewhere stating that I don't understand how I could be close to overweight as I only ate about 1400kcal per day. Mind you, I forgot those few bags of crisps I had per week, and some hard candy. :D

    Why not start slowly: track everything you eat now, preferably with a scale. Then make small changes. Try out things for a few weeks. For example for me: I can't moderate liquorice, this hard candy and crisps. So I don't get them in the house at all, unless I decide to make one of them my dinner instead of having dinner and a bag of crisps.
  • cat_lady77
    cat_lady77 Posts: 203 Member
    It can definitely affect how you gain/lose weight due to hormones. If you're really keeping to your daily calorie allowance & nothing is happening, or if you just feel constantly tired/hungry, have your doctor test your hormone levels. They may want you to switch to a different pill or recommend something else to balance your hormones. Or it could be something else entirely. Giving you this advice because that's where I'm at right now & I need to do it too!!!!
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,257 Member
    amw12784 wrote: »
    I must admit that it is my fault for the weight gain. It seems to be psychological cravings where my mind craves certain foods

    That you know this shows you're well on your way to success. Just awesome!

    This is one of the expected adverse events from nearly all hormone influencing drugs.

    It's important to know what hormones can and cannot do. These can influence appetite, but not usually hunger. It is critical to know the difference - if you crave sweet/salty or specific foods that's appetite learned through routine and therefore can be changed. Hunger is the physiological need for food, which is quite different and non-specific. Hunger doesn't come on quickly. One of the habits I've developed is drinking a glass of water if I feel "hungry" and wait 30 mins.

    Weight gain/loss driven by hormones is largely water weight and normal. This is your body protecting itself against external damage by your cells taking on water. This should correct itself within 5-7 days with proper hydration.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,983 Member
    Agreed that it really boils down to the hunger cues which get thrown out of wack. I have found being on Mirena, my best bet is just to accept a slower loss rate and then carefully track my food and intake (mostly to keep myself honest about how much I'm actually eating).

    Accepting a slower loss rate makes the hunger more tolerable, along with an eating plan that works well for me and my lifestyle. Combined, I've had a steady loss since late summer. Slow, but steadily heading in the right direction. Using a trend weight app helps me stay focused as well, and I've realized there are certain foods I like that always result in a scale jump due to (mostly water) retention. If I eat those foods, I know I'll be up the next day. No biggie anymore!