The pill and weight gain

cheneynuts · 04-09-2008, 08:04 PM

Do any of you feel that taking birth control pills has contributed to weight gain and/or inability to loose those last few pounds?

merse · 04-09-2008, 08:35 PM

i was wondering that myself. ive been on the diane one for a few yrs and my weight hasnt changed too much even tho i go tru months of eating super clean and cardio-ing heaps

is there any way to tell or do u have to trial and error and go on and off it?
i cant really do that, dont want to risk it, the bf wouldnt like that

SophieM · 04-09-2008, 09:41 PM

i've been on the pill for years, even when I had anorexia. It didn't stop me from losing weight. I guess it depends on what you're taking though.

FameGirl · 04-09-2008, 09:49 PM

I always thought people were coming up with an excuse when they blamed BC for weight gain or retention. I will say, BC never made me GAIN the weight, but it definitely made it harder to lose. I was busting my ass on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, and holding onto a decent amount of lbs. When i switched, the weight almost INSTANTLY dropped (well... not instantly ha

) and i had a hm... moment. The BC was definitely a factor,i have no doubt!

cheneynuts · 04-10-2008, 11:32 AM

I guess all I can say is that I can't wait for the male version to come out. My BF already agreed he'd try it so I could get off of mine. I'm curious to see if getting off the pill changes anything for me.

boobiebot · 04-12-2008, 01:26 AM

I agree, it might be the pill? I've never found I gained weight but I think it really depends on how it plays with your hormones and cravings. To be honest, I think I gain weight when I go off the pill! haha!

And to the girl taking the diane birth control, look into it! I was on it but was warned by many doctors that it's not the safest option.

manchesterbu · 04-12-2008, 11:09 AM

I was on BC for about 6 months - i felt like it made me retain water. I felt bloated alot. So i quit it - it also made me not sleep at all some nights too.

bigbadbutch · 04-13-2008, 10:06 PM

ick! I just started the pill in February and gained 20 lbs in the first month. I was so disheartened I actually stopped working out for a while. I'm back on the wagon now but man did it scare me to see those extra lbs.

Ridge4120 · 04-23-2008, 07:51 AM

I've been on the pill for two years now and I have not noticed any gaining. I haven't started to work out until recently, so I'll have to get back to you on whether or not I can lose weight. I have heard that the "shot" makes you gain a lot of weight, so I would stay away from that. Have you tried "Yaz" ?

molloy_1616 · 04-24-2008, 03:57 PM

yes i know it has ! ive always been this super skinny, and after two months of taking ANY birth control i gained 10 pounds .. but thats just me . try taking differents ones hopefully you will find one that works for you.

Tiffany_P · 04-24-2008, 04:23 PM

Yes, but not until I had been on it for about 7 years. It was weird. Every year I try to lean up for the summer, but last year and this year I had more trouble. I also noticed that my sex drive diminished. I just spoke to my friend today about it who's a doctor, and she said that synthetic estrogens increase the binding of globulin, which can decrease the levels of free testosterone in your body (which explains a low sex drive and a difficulty losing weight). Unfortunately, with long term use like I had, it can take a really long time for hormone levels to return to normal, which makes sense to me since it took 7 years for me to notice a problem. I got off the pill about 2 months ago and so far I haven't noticed a difference. I plan to get my hormone levels checked in the next month or so.

I'm not sure if synthetic progesterone increases globulin binding, but you may want to look into the NuvaRing which only has progesterone instead of estrogen.

pinkfit · 04-24-2008, 05:52 PM

I find that birth control made it harder for me to lose weight. I have been off it for months now and I have lost almost 10 pounds in that time so I think it plays a factor in weight control.

SexyChic · 04-24-2008, 06:09 PM

Definitely no contribution to weight gain...and to my knowledge no problems in the losing weight department either.

c0ldhart · 04-25-2008, 02:48 PM

Over the last ten years, everytime that I've been on BC, I gain an average of 3-5lbs a month. I've even put on when i'm running and working out really hard. For some reason, the women in my family are VERY sensitive to hormones, so they play a huge factor in my health and weight.

Now that being said, my doctor and my sister's, have both just had to accept that it's the way we are made, not the norm. I have so many side affects from BC that even on the lowest one that you can be on, i had horrible acne breakouts and weight gain... all while working out and eating very clean. Very upsetting since I didn't have severe acne as a teen and now at 31, I have it really bad and it's caused scarring and only just going away now that I came off of BC again. I've been on strong drugs from my dermatologist for the last 4 months, no joy, TWO weeks off of BC and I can see the difference.

This is just a tip of the iceberg. Everyone is not the same, alot of women have little to no reaction to hormones, the women in my family have HORRIBLE reactions, it's just the way people are made.

The point... yes, you can gain weight from BC or attribute some weight gain to BC, but it's really about your body's chemistry. Watch it over time and you should be able to determine what is it for you.

pensfan2006 · 04-26-2008, 07:42 AM

I got on the pill last MAy and since then put on 40 pounds. There were other factors such as decreased activity and poor diet (I craved sugar like crazy while on the pill), but I really think BC had a lot to do with it. I was on YAZ. I have recently stopped taking the YAZ and am already seeing a difference in my sex drive, energy, affinity for sugar, and overall feeling of wellness.

c0ldhart · 04-27-2008, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pensfan2006

I got on the pill last MAy and since then put on 40 pounds. There were other factors such as decreased activity and poor diet (I craved sugar like crazy while on the pill), but I really think BC had a lot to do with it. I was on YAZ. I have recently stopped taking the YAZ and am already seeing a difference in my sex drive, energy, affinity for sugar, and overall feeling of wellness.

That is exactly how I am...

Noveske · 04-29-2008, 03:00 PM

I don't think being on the pill in general has contributed to any weight gain I've experienced, but I think that certain types have certainly contributed to factors that would point me in the direction of weight gain.

On a multiphasic pill like Ortho Tri Cyclen, my hormones are all over the map --> wacky appetite/cravings, mood swings (which lead to emotional eating), change in energy levels.

On a monophasic pill like I'm on now - Ortho Cyclen - my body is much more under control, therefore its a lot easier for me to control what I'm doing without much stress.

Trackat · 05-01-2008, 03:23 PM

one word to change your problems:

Lutera

I've never had any problems with it and with a mild cardio time increase it can help you lose weight faster.

Paulena · 05-03-2008, 07:06 AM

No I didnt put on weight or any symptoms when I went on the pill except my period went alot lighter and shorter.
At first I thought my appetite had increased but then I think it settled down or was just purely mental because it reverted back to normal pretty quickly.
I was on Diane btw.

CarolinaGurl · 05-03-2008, 03:44 PM

I have been competing on and off for nearly three years and I have tried just about everything from low dose ortho tri, progestrone mini pill, Yaz and too many more to list.

I don't take any form of b/c now because my hubby and I decided it was just easier to use other contro forms but I know for a fact that on an oral b/c depending on type of pill you are on you will almost always either gain weight (most often a huge amount of subderm water) or hang onto fat a lot longer than if you weren't on anything at all.

As a means to an end I did a bunch of research with my sister (an OB RN) and figured out that to have the lowest fat loss resistant dose of b/c in my system but still be protected from pregnancy was oddly enough the Nuvaring b/c.

Unlike most oral meds in some cases the ring is 1/80th the amount of a comparable oral med. I have a number of friends who had used it and all have had nothing but praise for it. So I tried it myself and have to admit that I didn't have any break through with it like you do the pill, I didn't hold water (like a buffalo) and I didn't have any problem with losing the fat during my cutting diet.

I have talked to a number of other competitors that have used it and say the same thing. So maybe thats an option you can look into for yourself.

Good Luck!!

~CG

steph0823 · 05-03-2008, 04:11 PM

I have been on the pill for the past year and LOST 30lbs. so in one word NO, I dont feel it has made me gain weight.

FameGirl · 05-03-2008, 04:32 PM

Depends on the pill. I was on ortho tri cyclen lo for 2-3 years, switched since i needed something with a higher dose of hormones and suddenly the fat wanted to come off. Made dropping 30 lbs a lot easier. 30 lbs which i blame partially on OrthoTriCylenLo.... I went to FemCon FE, and now i use Yasmin and i'm still staying lean...

So i think it depends on what kind of BC it is and how your body responds.