Hi Ladies,
I don't usually post in here (obviously) but the other night I had a discussion with my brother and his wife about nutrition, etc, and working out, and something was said that made me think twice about a couple things I've taken as "gospel" with weight loss.
I was saying to them that many people fail to realize the simplicity of losing weight and how it's a matter of putting yourself in a caloric deficit so that your body uses the nutrients you put into it, but continues to burn through stored fat, glycogen, etc, your body has put away. At this point my sister in law interrupted and said it's NOT as simple as that, and went on to explain how she and many other girls nowadays can run into these "hormone imbalances" brought about by the birth control pills she's taking and that it's nearly impossible for her to lose weight. Synthetic hormones are apparently throwing off the way her body functions and it's affecting her enough that she has serious trouble losing weight (She's not fat. She's just one of those girls that might have a little extra around the thighs/butt and stresses out about it to no end. She is not "out-of-shape" looking)
Normally I'd poo-poo this as the words of someone who's just not trying hard enough, but knowing my sis in law and the way she eats/works out, I've ALWAYS thought there was something more to her situation than just eating too many calories. I've tried to give her advice on multiple occasions and to her credit she's always been receptive of what I have to say, often asking questions or making sure she knows what I mean.
She's tried going from 1500 calorie diets and high cardio to weight training and more calories (Trying to build muscle to help burn fat, etc) but nothing seems to work for her and she cannot lose weight.
I'm wondering if you girls have heard about this occurrence through the use of birth control pills? The way she explained it made it seem to me that there are a lot of women out there with this problem, and considering I've yet to take a birth-control pill this is one of the areas of weight loss/fitness that I am 100% in the dark about.
Anyway, I appreciate you reading this and would really like some knowledge borne of first-hand experience.
Thanks in advance.
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02-10-2011, 08:28 AM #1
Estrogen/Birth Control Pills/Weight Loss Hell!
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02-17-2011, 02:01 PM #2
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Hey,
I can share my personal experience... but it is just that. So, I went on the combined pill (oestrogen + progesterone) for many years. I didn't think I put on weight and assumed any weight gain people complained about was (1) water, so why not just lost your 2-3lbs of water as fat and / or (2) a freakin' excuse. Then I came off the cp for a while. In 2 weeks, without changing anything, I dropped 7 lbs.
Then, I had to go back on some form of hormones (bad, bad cycles). So, I chose the progesterone only IUS (coil / IUD). I chose this because (1) the monthly dose was the same as 1 single pill and (2) it was supposed to be localized. Again, I assumed no weight gain was possible. Well, I just had it out. I leapt in weight gain (water... a hormone thing) immediately after, then again, it just fell off. I feel 100% more in control of my body - it responds to diet / exercise more as I expected and I have WAY less sugar cravings (except for 1 day per month ). Which makes me thnk my blood sugar / insulin cycle is way more stable.
So, I think yes, those hormones can really mess up your ability to lose weight. I didn't believe it until I came off them - twice. However, for your S-I-L there will be something that works, so tell her to stick with it, and try different macro nutrient ratios / cutting out certain food groups (e.g. dairy) / different exercises. Hormones are not a death sentence, but they are a pain.
NEVER AGAIN!
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02-18-2011, 01:16 PM #3
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02-19-2011, 06:02 AM #4
I've been waiting a long time for a discussion on this topic...and I'd really love to blame it all on "the pill" because that would sure make things easier for me...however, I'm honestly not so sure the pill is the culprit. Here is why...
I've been on the pill since I'm 17 and am now 40. Went off a few times and got ovarian cysts that were painful, so doc said I need to stay on until menopause. Went off only once, long term, to get pregnant and have my daughter...who is now 11. Went right back on after having her. from about age 25 -30, I was starting to pack on the weight, and I know it was from eating junk, working nightshift etc, but I have always worked out, both aerobically an anaerobically. So at my heaviest, I weighed 165 lbs at 5'7", and had a nice layer of fat on me, which I maintained for 5 years,even with exercise. At age 30, I met the original Hydroxycut (and boy do I miss him) and by taking only 1 pill per day ( when you could take up to 6!) and drastically reducing my junk intake and food cravings, going off the nightshift, and maintaining my workout routine, I lost 40 lbs in about 6 months time...all while still on the pill. I kept this weight off for about 5 years, without much effort, and no more Hydroxycut since it was banned, and now 10 years later, I'm weighing 150lbs. I try to cut calories, I eat clean and I work out, and nothing comes off the scale for me now. I suppose that I'm not being as strict and consistant with my diet, cause I will dine out, or eat the occasional cookie, but for the most part, I eat a great diet and workout more than most people, mainly aerobically, and no weight will budge from the scale. I would love to blame "the pill" for this road block, but I seriously think it's all about calories in, and calories out. I do think that the pill keeps about 2 to 5 lbs of water weight on you, due the estrogen, but it also keeps your hormones at a consistent level so that excess weight gain doesn't occur, as does when approaching menopause, due to estrogen loss as we age. If a woman on the pill went without any food for a month, and she didn't lose weight, then she'd have a case...but we all lose weight when we stop eating so much...simple as that!Last edited by samizmom; 02-19-2011 at 06:12 AM. Reason: Adding another thought
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02-21-2011, 01:41 PM #5
I started getting the depo shot and have gained 30lbs, even working out everyday with a personal trainer and following the diet strictly i never lost any weight. Before I was a college athlete at a high level and had never had a problem with weight gain in my life.
This shot has definitely screwed up the balance in my body, once i researched it properly I now will not get another shot or anything else until my body gets back to normal!
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02-21-2011, 07:33 PM #6
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02-22-2011, 08:32 AM #7
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I must be a freak of nature because I don't have problems losing weight or maintaining my weight on BC pills. "The Pill" is not the problem, it's the person in question. It is true that BC pills will cause an increase in appetite, but you can shut your stomach up with a healthy snack, a big glass of water, or a distraction.
However, everyone is different and people will react differently to the same medication. I have known many women who claimed to have gained weight on the pill and I know many women who didn't gain a pound.
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02-23-2011, 06:08 AM #8
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This. I have been on the pill for a couple of years now, but my weight gain started before I went on, and only in the last 6 months when I changed up my lifting routine and conditioning and cutting back on junk food have I started to lose weight. But again, to reiterate, everyone responds differently.
OP, if you SIL is really on point with her diet and training then she might look at another form of birth control or different percentage of estrogen in the pill."There's something about a heavy weight that makes a body not want to get under it. Part of the fun of weightlifting is rousing one's spirit and getting under a heavy weight in spite of one's more sensible survival instincts." -Stenn
"Conditioning prepares you for battle. Cardio makes you really good at running slowly away." -Chris Shugart.
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02-23-2011, 06:35 AM #9
I have been on low hormonal birth control pills for about 8 years. I was always slender and never had weight issues but after turning 30 (about 4 years into the BC pills) I found it easier to put on weight and ALOT harder to lose it. I wouldn't say it's impossible but it takes alot of discipline with how much and what you eat.
The problem is, that as women our hormones go out of whack as we get older anyway - so throwing BC pills into the mix, going through menopause or taking HRT can all have effect on our bodies and make weight loss difficult.
I really like the Body for Life for Women book because it is written by a female physician who is an expert on female hormonal changes. I don't believe it's "impossible" to lose weight when on the pill or during hormonal changes - but it can feel that way. It just takes extra discipline, understanding how your body reacts to various diets/exercise and not comparing your weight loss ability to when you were in your 20's!
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02-27-2011, 06:24 PM #10
Anecdotal evidence won't help you here. Look for scientific research on the subject. Since I can't link, I'm going to repost an article...
Birth Control Pills Do Not Cause Weight Gain, New Research Suggests
ScienceDaily (Jan. 19, 2011) — According to research conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University, the commonly held belief that oral contraceptives cause weight gain appears to be false. The results of the study are published online and will appear in next month's edition of the journal Human Reproduction.
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To conduct their research, scientists and physicians studied a group of rhesus macaque monkeys at the OHSU Oregon National Primate Research Center for almost a year. Rhesus monkeys were used in this study because their reproductive system is nearly identical to humans. However, unlike human studies, more variables can be controlled and measured -- such as exact food intake -- to provide more meaningful data.
At the beginning of the study, half the animals were obese and half were normal weight. During the eight-month treatment period, animals received doses of oral contraceptives, adjusted to the weight of the animals so that it mimicked dosage in humans. Researchers tracked weight, food intake, activity levels, body fat and lean muscle mass. At the study's conclusion, the normal weight group remained weight stable whereas the obese group lost a significant amount of weight (8.5%) and percent of body fat (12%) due to an increase in basal metabolic rate. No changes were seen in food intake, activity or lean muscle mass for either group.
"This study suggests that worries about weight gain with pill use appear to be based more on fiction than on fact," said Judy Cameron, Ph.D., senior author of the paper and a researcher at the primate center.
"Additionally, there may be a differential affect depending on your starting weight -- heavier individuals who keep their diet stable may see a weight loss with pill use. Most likely, the reason why this belief continues to exist is that the weight gain that seems to occur with age is being attributed to these medications. We realize that research in nonhuman primates cannot entirely dismiss the connection between contraceptives and weight gain in humans, but it strongly suggests that women should not be as worried as they previously were."
The research was funded by the Society for Family Planning.
So in sum: Most people who think that they gain weight as a result of going on birth control are really just seeing the aggregation of months/years of slow weight gain. I do not believe that birth control creates a "hormonal imbalance" that causes fat gain, especially not when the only evidence is anecdotal and doesn't prove a causal relationship.
I know the temptation to assume the causal relationship; my best friend, whom I've known since birth, went away to college the first year and came back probably 15-20 pounds heavier. She had started birth control during that time. Of course, it would be easy to assume that she had some "hormonal imbalance" going on, but the answer is more likely to involve college food, drinking and lack of exercise. You've got to see the big picture.
Honestly, the second you started talking about "Synthetic hormones are apparently throwing off the way her body functions" I knew we were probably talking about someone who a) doesn't understand or study human biology and b) buys into snake oil like the acid/alkaline theory of disease, liver cleanses and acupuncture. Synthetic hormones are not scary bad guys, but I'm sure that someone out there has already patented the pill that will cure your SIL's ailment for just three easy payments of $39.99!Last edited by lexinak; 02-27-2011 at 06:29 PM.
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03-05-2011, 04:32 AM #11
I used the nuvaring for the first time over 1 1/2yrs ago and within a month put on 4 kilos. I only used the nuvaring for that month and haven't been able to lose the weight since.
My doc prescribed me some BHRT a few weeks as my hormones were out of range. I have since piled on another 3 kilos.
Hormones make a big difference to our bodies function.
I am now going off the hormones and into an Infrared sauna to detox everything out of my body and hope it goes back to normal.
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03-05-2011, 09:37 AM #12
So... so very, very wrong. Infrared saunas aren't special and aren't going to "detox" your body - primarily because there are no scary evil toxins lurking about in your body that can be sweated out in the first place! It's nothing but a stupid trend that tries to seem high-tech so that you can be convinced to spend more money on it.
And if you expect to be taken seriously when talking about "hormones" could you be bothered to specify which hormones you're talking about and what their effects are? Or maybe you couldn't, because you don't know and you're talking out of your rear end.
/hate this crap
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03-05-2011, 10:31 AM #13
I have been on the contraceptive implant and the hormonal pill - Microgynon 3.0 and Yasmin. I changed from Microgynon to Yasmin about 3 years ago.
I can't comment other than to say I have always had problem's loosing weight but I wouldn't lay the blame at the pill as I know other factor's are involved. However I have just stopped taking Yasmin a week ago as at present I am not in a relationship and there is no point me being on contraception when I am not sexually active.
If I notice any dramatic changes since stopping then I will come back and mention them on this thread.
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03-05-2011, 03:48 PM #14
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I lost 30 pounds when I was 16 before I started birth control and I lost it quite easily. When I started Yaz, I lost weight very easily while I was on it. After a year, I quit the Yaz and now I am on Kariva. Now I've been trying to lose weight again and I cannot for the life of me lose anything... and I'm trying so hard. I always wondered if it could be the birth control and the hormones.
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03-06-2011, 02:24 PM #15
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03-06-2011, 02:26 PM #16
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03-06-2011, 03:11 PM #17
This ^^^ and all those similar posts. I will say that some women gain some weight as a result of birth control, but most of it can be attributed to another cause. Both of the gynos that I see have told me that they have never seen a woman gain more than five pounds as a result of oral contraception, and even that much is rare. I feel like I carry about a pound more water during my period than I did before I was on the pill, but that's it.
That being said, there are rare freak cases, but chances are good that something besides and/or in combination with your sister's birth control is what's causing her weight loss problem.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
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03-06-2011, 10:44 PM #18
I used to be on orthotricyclen-lo (5 years) and man, what a mess that was...I do think I gained some weight despite always being at a high fitness level. There was always this last few pounds that I could never shed! The main reason I went on it in the first place was b/c my periods were so debilitating. Eventually, after seeing so many older women that I knew that had been on the pill for so many years cropping up with various cancers, I got scared of taking hormones and decided to get the copper IUD. This thing has been great, except that I have terrible cramping the week before my period, and my periods in general have gone back to being a nightmare. The only plus that I miss about the pill was the light periods and no bad cramps, which means more time spent at the gym.
After getting the copper IUD and giving the hormones from the pill time to work their way out of my system, it has been a lot easier to see the changes in my body from changing my diet and lifting. I can actually GET SOMEWHERE now whereas before, it was as if I was on a perpetual plateau.
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03-06-2011, 11:07 PM #19
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03-08-2011, 01:53 PM #20
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Thanks so much for posting this! I was starting to freak out because of what so many women say. However, maybe there is some kind of imbalance that people may need help with such as thyroid issues etc. But this really helped! Thanks bunch! (I read your response to the infrared sauna thing... i had to crack up! I can feel the frustration in you /hate this crap :P lol)
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03-11-2011, 05:03 PM #21
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03-12-2011, 06:38 AM #22
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03-12-2011, 09:11 AM #23
I've been taking Loestrin Fe 24 for a while now but have cycled through almost every form of BC pills imaginable.
I originally started taking BC because my mom died of ovarian cancer and taking BC for 3+ years is supposed to lower your risk of getting it. It did regulate my periods and did away with my cramps - which was awesome - but it made me CRAZY depressed. I mean - REALLY bad. So my doctor put me on a variety of low hormone versions of the pills (like loestrin). These pills are super low in hormones and I find I don't have a period at all while on them. (I haven't had one in about a year) Which is kind of weird - but I roll with it. Unfortunately, these still make me depressed - so I'm taking a hiatus from all forms of BC for about 6 - 9 mos. I want to see how I feel without them.
To the OP: No matter what BC I was on (high, normal or low hormones), I didn't notice any difficulty in my weight loss/gaining. Any trouble I had could be pointed towards my diet or not exercising properly. Do you know if your SIL is on a low hormone BC? If she's having other side effects (besides the difficulty losing weight), she may want to look into a low hormone form of BC. I'm not sure if it would help any (I'm not a doctor ) - but it may?"If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut." - Albert Einstein
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03-12-2011, 11:33 PM #24
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Being as I have been on EVERY bc there is and have been at EVERY weight and activity level there is I think I can shed a little light on this subject...
Its both and neither all at the same time...
Every woman's body is different and they are going to respond differently to different bc. On the shot I gained weight, on one pill I lost weight, on another pill I gained, on the ring I was neutral, on the iud I've gained. I've had my step sister who has pretty much eat the way I eat and work out the way I work out has also been on most of the same bc as me yet she has reacted COMPLETELY different on them! I think that a bc CAN impact your weight by making you hold onto weight in certain areas, increase cravings, water retention etc. but I also think the level and which one that happens to be is going to depend on the individual person. My symptoms on each bc was completely different than my step-sis and we both had almost identical eating and workout patterns! The only difference was our own biology and dna makeup! All I can say is tell her to try experimenting with different bc's and if that doesnt find at least an easier way for her to get the stubborn weight off then she may just have to work extra hard to combat the necessary evil of bc.
As a man dont ever think that us women just use things like that as excuses for why we're thicker in the hips or packed on an extra 5lbs! Sometimes there is truth to what we say... and almost ANY dr. that prescribes bc will tell you to expect weight gain...now if they're WARNING you of it beforehand doesnt that just add to the fact that hey this thing is gonna make me losing weight more difficult?"If you can't take me at my worst you don't deserve me at my best."
In other words when I get cut all you boys out there who thought you were too good for me...YOU CAN EAT YOUR HEART OUT! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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03-12-2011, 11:40 PM #25
I didn't notice any effect on my weight, but I haven't been on the pill in a really long time. What I did notice was the effect on my mood. I was the most irritable miserable person ever. So I opt to not take it and then if I get knocked up so be it. Not going to be having sex for a while any way since my other half will not be here.
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03-13-2011, 11:47 AM #26
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Believe it or not, I think it is absolutely true based on a personal experience I am going through RIGHT NOW. I started the transformation contest here on BB.com and was finding it difficult to lose any fat about halfway through the competition. It was becoming quite frustrating because I was doing 30 minutes of cardio twice a day, and extensive weight training routine a-la body by design, and eating clean, clean, clean.
I literally gave up due to frustration TWICE and this second time around there was a clear difference. I stopped using my birth control pills. Not intentionally, but I literally couldn't get them on time (there is a specified window you have to take them in). AND GUESS WHAT?
Fat is dropping like crazy, and this is with limited cardio, I haven't weight trained in 2 weeks, the only supplements I've been on for the past 2 weeks are BCAA's and Xenadrine (which I'd been taking for the past month and a half... and guess what, now it's WORKING!). I've been eating horribly.... excess meat, hamburgers, french fries, an amazing amount of bacon, fruit, pastries, wine, vodka, you name it, I eat it. I may not be excess in calories, and I don't overdo the carbs, but I've been LOSING FAT.
It is the craziest thing I've ever experienced. I'm not as hungry, which could account to why I'm able to keep a significant calorie count on bad foods, but seriously, I think the birth control pills have all the blame. I'm thinner and thinner every day with minimal effort.
I might not get back on them until I get to my goal body fat percentage. Obviously this will take a little more effort than I'm doing now, but I'm kind of enjoying this experiment"Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels"
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03-13-2011, 12:09 PM #27
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03-13-2011, 08:17 PM #28
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The way I look at it is that everyone's body is different, and how it reacts is different. Just like when you're trying a new workout or a new supplement or a new nutrition routine, everyone's body WILL react differently.
When scientific research is paid for and conducted by companies with "interests", those results WILL be skewed to keep true to a company's marketing and monetary interests. I'm not sure if this is the case with these "scientific research studies", but I promise you that it has happened in the past with plenty of different medications.
The best suggestion is to try it for yourself. As we see from other's previous posts, everyone's experience is varied, and experimentation should take that into consideration."Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels"
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03-14-2011, 06:01 PM #29
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03-16-2011, 06:29 AM #30
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