Anyone gain weight.. going OFF birth control???

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LetsMakeupXtina
LetsMakeupXtina Posts: 627 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
new here :)
so I am planning on going off my BC pills in the next month or so to detox my body from the artificial hormones and get ready to hopefully get pregnant with our first toward the end of the year.

I am really working hard to get myself and my body in better shape prior to pregnancy which is why i have decided to join MFP for extra motivation and guidance!

I have heard from several girls that they gain weight going ON the pill.. but someone told me today that they actually gained weiight once they went OFF the pill... so then I started reading up on it, and I guess it does happen! I have been taking ortho-tricyclen lo for about 3 years and prior to that was on YAZ... i am so scared now that getting off the pill is going to hinder my weight loss success, but I have to go off the pill =\ I feel like if i stay strong with exercise and diet there should be no way ill gain, but what has been your experience getting off BC? i know everyone is different, I am just curious how likely this is! thanks ;)
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Replies

  • Lalaine1
    Lalaine1 Posts: 11
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    Best of luck! I lost weight when going off of the pill. Most people I know have the same experience; either they lose or maintain. Gaining when going off of the pill is rare, and generally not due to the hormonal changes themselves.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    Not sure, I went off the pill to have kids and got pregnant within a month. I gained the kind of weight that you hold 10 months later.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    no, I gained weight while on it. that's why I went off lol
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
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    I have been on the pill for 5 years now, and I have actually gained weight from it. Every body is different!
  • WhiteCloud9
    WhiteCloud9 Posts: 113 Member
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    I gained about ten pounds coming off the pull both times, using Desogen and Yaz. When on the pill my midsection seemed to be slimmer, also. I didn't do anything different with my diet each time so I have no idea why I gained.

    Be prepared for getting pregnant to take a while after coming off the pill! I came off a year and a half ago and I'm still not pregnant. I'm in my early 30's and have a cyst on my ovary that could be keeping me from getting pregnant, but many women I talk to about this have said that it took them around a year after coming off the pill.

    Good luck to you!
  • thinnnnnnner
    thinnnnnnner Posts: 89
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    Artificial hormones are terrible for your body in general...

    But anyways, I gained about 5 pounds going on it several years ago, and though I've lost weight since going off of it I wouldn't say that was the reason behind my weight loss. I've never heard of anyone gaining significant weight solely because they went off the pill.
  • haheisick
    haheisick Posts: 13 Member
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    I went off the pill and lost 15 pounds in about 4 months without changing my diet or exercising really any more than I already was... it DOES happen!! Best of luck to you :)
  • CarleyLovesPets
    CarleyLovesPets Posts: 410 Member
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    I don't think I will be getting my depo provera shot next week for the main fact that ...
    1. I am single now
    2. I think this was a big reason why I gained back the weight I lost in 2009
    3. I feel like it's harder to lose weight on it.


    Not looking forward to the girly time of month though, haven't had one of those in 3 years.
  • jenna715
    jenna715 Posts: 201
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    I was worried about gaining weight when going off the pill, but I went off when I was at the peak of my healthy lifestyle change and I can't say it made me gain weight, because I lost/was losing because of eating healthy and working out. If you want to try to have a baby you're going to go off the pill anyway so there's no sense in stressing about it. As long as you eat healthy and work out you'll be fine (periods are a littler harsher though). I also suggest downloading an app to track your cycle to check the regularity, etc since you won't be on a pill regimen.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Only because I got pregnant.
  • bohonomad
    bohonomad Posts: 171 Member
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    I don't think I will be getting my depo provera shot next week for the main fact that ...
    1. I am single now
    2. I think this was a big reason why I gained back the weight I lost in 2009
    3. I feel like it's harder to lose weight on it.


    Not looking forward to the girly time of month though, haven't had one of those in 3 years.

    I was on depovera for a year and lost 40 pounds while on it. My doctor warned me though that a lot of women gained an average of 30 pounds from it. I noticed each time I got the shot I would want to eat constantly for the first 2 weeks, I just told myself it was the hormones and either ignored it or made sure I was stuffing my face with fruits, veggies and water. I went off the depo last month because I found out it doubles the risk of breast cancer and I am NOT liking the periods. I think what helps is to just be aware that its making you hungry.
  • Destanie_Robyn
    Destanie_Robyn Posts: 304 Member
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    I believe that most of the weight gained going on/off the pill has to do with two main factors - change in appetite and retaining water, I think if your monitoring your intake well then you should be fine. If you are retaining water, that could be a temporary problem.
  • rfrobertson
    rfrobertson Posts: 19 Member
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    I'm glad someone else ask this question, because I needed answers myself! I actually went off bc last month (was on nuvaring), have been doing Insanity (just like the schedule) along with teaching Yoga and Zumba twice a week, I never eat over 1300 calories and have gained 2.5 pds since coming off bc. I haven't changed anything except for the better (eating right and working out more) so coming off bc is the only thing that I can think of. It's very discouraging since losing 18lbs and finally reaching my goal weight of 130 and now I'm back at 132.4 and standing still.
  • thinnnnnnner
    thinnnnnnner Posts: 89
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    I'm glad someone else ask this question, because I needed answers myself! I actually went off bc last month (was on nuvaring), have been doing Insanity (just like the schedule) along with teaching Yoga and Zumba twice a week, I never eat over 1300 calories and have gained 2.5 pds since coming off bc. I haven't changed anything except for the better (eating right and working out more) so coming off bc is the only thing that I can think of. It's very discouraging since losing 18lbs and finally reaching my goal weight of 130 and now I'm back at 132.4 and standing still.

    you've probably gained muscle by the sounds of your routine..
  • nikitaxlal
    nikitaxlal Posts: 1
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    Everyone is different. My situation was unfortunate and I gained over 20 pounds going off it. My lifestyle did not change but after starting to gain weight I changed to a healthier lifestyle, exercising regularly and eating healthy but could not lose any of the weight. Sometimes birth control can affect your natural hormones either to increase or decrease weight. There is no way to guarantee.
  • leahprufrock
    leahprufrock Posts: 4 Member
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    One reason you might gain weight going off the pill is if you PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), a fairly common hormonal disorder in women. I don't know the exact science behind it, but generally speaking, women with PCOS don't use insulin correctly, which leads to a build up of insulin, which, in turn, causes the production of testosterone. Somehow it all results in weight gain. If you have PCOS, birth control can actually make you lose weight by balancing out your hormones. I have PCOS and the three times I have gone off birth control in the last ten years, I've put on weight each time and I lose when I go back on.
  • jennifermlund
    jennifermlund Posts: 2 Member
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    I've gained 10lbs since going off birth control several months ago. I have Graves Disease. When going on bc my endocrinologist said that synthetic thyroid hormones need to be adjusted when going on or off birth control. When you are on bc you need less and when you go off you need more. I haven't had my levels adjusted since going off so I'm gaining. I'm considering getting on bc again, but I was getting debilitating migraines.
  • Keepcalmanddontblink
    Keepcalmanddontblink Posts: 718 Member
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    I used Yaz and my weight gain could not be blamed on the BC. However I have been off it for nearly two years now, and my cycle is only now getting back to normal and I had been taking it for about 5 years before I stopped. Any weight gain off or on it, was due to me over doing it with food. lol Good luck!
  • Kamirose9047
    Kamirose9047 Posts: 21
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    One reason some people gain weight when coming off of hormonal birth control is that they go from not having a hormonal cycle to suddenly having one again, and one thing that goes along with many people's hormone cycles is the cravings. If you overindulge those cravings, you'll gain weight.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    I personally haven't had any issues with huge gains while *on* it, and have had an easy time losing on it. I'm gonna echo what Kami said above. I personally am on Depo because my uterus feels like the Cthulu is ripping its way through my uterus and abdomen each month, and I prefer not to deal with the crankiness/cravings/Cthulu each month. When I wasn't on birth control, it was easy to give in to eating half a pint of Ben and Jerry's, or fulfilling cravings.

    Every body is different; I was warned I could have weight gain while on Depo, but the amount I gained amounted to only 10lbs in two years, and that can't even be directly attributed to the BC method. I would just listen to your body, watch what you eat after, and adjust accordingly if you're seeing weigh creep back on immediately after stopping. Good luck!

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