Birth Control

Yaz is pretty good. But I hear the non-pill bcs are better. Ask your gyno

Weight gain is a side effect of birth control. It doesn't happen for anyone, but it does for a lot of women. The key is finding one that doesn't make you "balloon up". Personally, I prefer the Nuvaring. I am actually able to lose weight with it, but slowly since I work at a desk all day and don't go dancing like I used to.

Abstinence

The pill can mess with your appetite centers, leading you to eat more - it doesn't really slow your metabolism. But some women do struggle with it anyway. Just about any contraceptive that uses hormones is going to have similar effects (the shot, the pill, the implant, Mirena, etc).
I've heard a lot of women who love the copper IUD. I had Mirena, which does have some hormones but stays mostly in the uterus (so some women have fewer effects). Other than that, there would be barrier methods (condoms, diaphragm, female condom, etc) or spermacidal creams. You'll have to talk to your doctor about what is best for you.

http://www.cyclebeads.com/

I went off mine because of the weight gain and how hard it was to get the lbs off.........good luck!

I'm on the pullout method. 60% of the time it works every time

So many many little ones do you have running around? haha

OP, I'm on Loestrin 24 FE. As someone who has been around the block a hundred time regarding hormonal weight gain, this is, hands down, the best pill I've ever been on. No weight gain, short TOMs, no mental side effects whatsoever. That said, different pills work differently in different people. I can honestly say, though, that as someone who is extremely sensitive to hormonal birth control, Loestrin 24 FE has, hands down, been the best. There is even a lower-hormone version (Loestrin is a low dose) called Lo-Loestrin. It's half the hormones in even the low-dose I'm on. I haven't tried it, but I would assume that the low dose of hormones is excellent.

If the pill isn't your favorite, you could look into getting a Paragard IUD. No hormones whatsoever and it lasts for up to... 8 years, I believe. If you have heavy cramping/bleeding, though, that may not be good. I've heard it aggravates cramping in some.

Hope this helps!

I had this concern with my doctor when I started BC...i had already lost 30 lbs and DID NOT plan on gaining anything back... he put me on "Lo Loestrin Fe" and I haven't gained any weight. The only side effect: I hadn't been on ANY type of BC pill previously, so it took my body a LONG time to figure out what was happening. I started the pill this February (2011), and didn't get a period until June (also 2011..obviously). This can kinda freak you out...but now I'm all good

Glad there is another (Lo) Loestrin user on board! I'm telling you, this is the best pill ever when it comes to weight. No mood swings, either.

Tubal Ligation has worked well for the last eight years for me.

IUD all the way. I'm on the Mirena, which is an IUD with extremely low-dose hormones. Unlike the regular copper IUD, it doesn't cause insanely heavy periods, in fact, i barely experience any period at all. The hormones are so low that they don't effect your body (or your mood!) and it is extremely effective.

My doctor would NOT put me on it because I haven't had kids, or any other woman that hasn't had a kid yet.

I've been on two types of pills, both in the low hormone category and haven't noticed weight gain due to them. Any weight gain was due to lifestyle changes rather than the pill. Really, the best thing to do is talk to your doctor. Different pills work differently for different people - they are not one size fits all and each has a different ratio of the various hormones. Its okay to try them and find the one that works best for you.

IUD all the way. I'm on the Mirena, which is an IUD with extremely low-dose hormones. Unlike the regular copper IUD, it doesn't cause insanely heavy periods, in fact, i barely experience any period at all. The hormones are so low that they don't effect your body (or your mood!) and it is extremely effective.

My doctor would NOT put me on it because I haven't had kids, or any other woman that hasn't had a kid yet.

Hmmm... different doc? I know lots of women who have had IUDs and haven't had kids. Hurts like a sonofa**** when it gets put in (especially in non-gravida women), but there are docs who will do it for you. It does not affect your ability to have children later.

I'm definately not getting an IUD bc I don't have any kids. I just had a miscarriage last month so I'm already afraid that something is wrong with my body. Plus I don't want to wait 5 years to have kids. Maybe nuva ring.

Your choice, but just to let you know, you don't have to wait 5 years with an IUD. You can have it removed at any time, technically. That said, if you don't want that type of protection, it's your choice because it's your body!