For the Girls: Birth Control and Weight Loss: HELP!

I am on the pill, I'm convinced that losing would be easier if I wasn't on it. I need to discuss this with my doctor or something. Grr xx

I have bad problems and have to be on BC all the time. Bad thing is, I build up a tolerance to them in about 2 years so I have to switch up. This means I have been on about 7 different kinds - and there are some that make me gain weight... it has varied from 10 pounds to 40 pounds. After the 40 pound gain, I told him I will not take a pill that makes me gain weight like that. He said that was fine and I could switch, just to let him know. You have to find what works right with your body and if it is making you gain weight, then other things are off too... so I would say talk to your doc about changing pills.

I would say talk to your doctor. There are so many pills with different combinations and levels of hormones. Many women find that they have to screw around with a few different types to find what works best for them. It can take awhile - but I'd bet there is something that would work better for you. If you're taking the pill as a contraceptive and not just a method to get your period, there are also non-hormone ways you could use as birth control. They're probably more costly, but some kinds of IUDs/implants don't have hormones at all. They can make your period go away, though. Talk to your doctor...you're definitely not alone. Good luck!

Hi from the sounds of it you are on a oestrogen based pill ie 21 day pill which allows you to have a period at the end on the month. There are 28 day pills which you don't have a period on which are progesterone based and less likely to make you gain weight. Not sure which country you are from I'm from the UK where the main ones are cerezette and Jasmin (not sure of the spelling of that one) also there is a coil that you can have which hasnt got any hormones at all with it so that may be a good option. The progesterone based pills are very good because you are less likely to have any adverse effects also ie deep vein thrombosis x

Weight gain can be a side effect of any pill, but not every pill will do it to you. I have been on several different BCs over the years but only one made me retain water badly (showing as an 8lb gain!). I switched to a different version of the same pull and it went away. Every pill will affect you differently so it sounds like its just time to try something different. Don't stop and start - that can mess with your cycles/hormones really badly, causing more bloat and issues.

It seems to me that you are taking the pill for reasons that have nothing to do with birth control: i.e. the complete loss of your periods and ovulation cycle. So if the pill is to re-start your ovulation, the prescription has to be specific to that purpose, and not all pills are inter-changeable. Discuss your weight gain with your doctor. If the treatment is short term, it may be worth it to suffer the weight gain to get back on track. Once this goal is reached, I would recommend Natural Family Planning. Science has advanced NFP so that tracking your cycle for fertile and infertile periods is quite exact. Many couples resort to NFP when they want to increase their chances of conceiving. However, many of us are not that fertile. If that is your situation, you don't need to load your body with hormones that increase your risk for all kinds of nasty health complications.

A great book is this one: Taking Charge of your Fertility. Description at the link, but Amazon carries the book too: http://www.ecosex.ca/eco-contraception/taking-charge-of-your-fertility-book.html

"As the book explains, by using simple fertility signs including peaks in morning body temperature and changes in cervical position and cervical mucus, it's possible to determine when ovulation is taking place. Fertility awareness is therefore useful for not only couples who are trying to conceive, but for those who are aiming to avoid pregnancy without the use of chemical contraceptives. It will be of special interest to those women who have suffered from infertility. It also features thorough, easy-to-understand explanations of hormones, the menstrual cycle, and menopause, along with fertility tests and treatments and their long- and short-term side effects, plus a topnotch resource section. Recommended for any woman who wants to better understand her body.

"What makes it ecosexy?
• No synthetic hormones or other chemicals
• Inspires body literacy and empowers women to manage their own reproductive health
• Books are great for sharing!"

I am on the shot every 3 mths...The Depo & most people gain on it but luckily I don't...Thank goodness but I spoke with my doctor about the reason for people gaining weight on it is b/c of the cravings that you have on it for whatever reason...You just have to fight the cravings...Like salt, chocolate...Mine is chocolate but I try not to keep it around too much but it's hard with a 3 yr old who loves chocolate milk like his mommy..lol

I would think something like a low dose pill b/c it would put less estrogen in your body which I have heard makes it easier to gain...HTH.

I tried the Nuvaring & the patch -- both were awful for their respective reasons but I didn't gain weight.

In 2009 I started Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and immediately started gaining weight. All told, I gained about 15lbs in just 3 or 4 months and NOTHING had changed regarding my diet & exercise. Back in 2010 I used myfooddiary.com and joined a gym but I just continued to GAIN weight. Then I discovered my health, in general, was taking a nose-dive so exercise is difficult. Very depressing.

I quit the bc a few months ago, started MFP, bought an elliptical and am amazed by how quickly I'm shedding the weight. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what the issue was...

I've heard horror stories about the Depo.

I've always been on some sort of generic birth control pill and did gain weight at the beginning, but I'm almost certain that was because of lifestyle changes and not the pill. I wish I would have been keeping a journal then so I would have a clearer image of what went wrong and caused me to gain 15 pounds.

i wouldnt just quit taking it. id talk to your doctor and see if a different pill might work better for you. i have no problems losing on loestrin so maybe its the just specific one you are taking.