Birth Control and weight loss/muscle gain

[Lauren]

Have any of you all experienced any issues losing weight or gaining muscle while on certain types of birth control? If so, which birth control did you find that you had issues with and which did you switch to after realizing it was creating a problem?

[joysoliel]

Well seeing that I am on a birth control research fest I can tell you this, birth control will be a major hurdle in any muscle gains and might even lump on extra fat. Now genetically you could be lucky and it won't affect but from what I can see and what I experienced - more women than not see themselves just freeze or gain at least anywhere from 5-20lbs and that's with diet and exercise. I personally posted here many times baffled about my inability to move a lb or slow steady weight gain in spite of diet and a super low carb diet. You could try looking into Yasmin or Ortho Tri Lo; discuss with your doc and move from there. But the pill is definately not the best thing to enhance muscle or drop significant weight...well unless it makes you consistantly nauseaous

www.pillrage.com

[Lauren]

Well seeing that I am on a birth control research fest I can tell you this, birth control will be a major hurdle in any muscle gains and might even lump on extra fat. Now genetically you could be lucky and it won't affect but from what I can see and what I experienced - more women than not see themselves just freeze or gain at least anywhere from 5-20lbs and that's with diet and exercise. I personally posted here many times baffled about my inability to move a lb or slow steady weight gain in spite of diet and a super low carb diet. You could try looking into Yasmin or Ortho Tri Lo; discuss with your doc and move from there. But the pill is definately not the best thing to enhance muscle or drop significant weight...well unless it makes you consistantly nauseaous

www.pillrage.com

I actually got off of the pill a long time ago because it did make me gain weight and my stomach constantly hurt no matter what type of pill I was taking, not to mention the over dose of hormones gave me yeast infections and other problems. After 6 years of changing pills with no success, my doctor perscribed me the patch which I later found out actually cause death in soem girls because it causes them to get blood clots. Needless to say after reading about several deaths from the same source, I changed to orthoevra (the ring) and it seems to be working great. I lost a little bit of weight immediatly after switching to this and I've noticed I feel all around better, not to mention I only have to worry about it once a month..

[luvtigers]

Well, I've been going through HELL trying to find the right birth control for the past year, and my doc has put me on a no-estrogen pill. I'm 37, and I just had my IUD yanked out (I bled non stop for 4 months), and now I'm still experiencing problems. Sometimes I swear I was a man in a past life that did something REALLY BAD to women and I'm paying for it in this life.

My doctor wanted me to avoid any form of birth control with harmones - the patch, the pill, the ring - they ALL have the same harmones but just come in different forms. Since going back on this new pill, I haven't been able to lose pound one of that last 10 pounds! But to tell you the truth, I'd rather fight this 10 pounds than get pregnant - especially at my age. Then I'd have a lot more pounds PLUS a baby to deal with - no thanks!

As my doc says, the only way you can avoid side effects is through abstinance (as if!).

[terracotta]

Have any of you all experienced any issues losing weight or gaining muscle while on certain types of birth control? If so, which birth control did you find that you had issues with and which did you switch to after realizing it was creating a problem?

I didn't experience any weight gain from the pill.. it has clearly been over eating (like gaining 3 lbs at xmas).. BUT it has made me have problems with ravenous hunger if I don't eat every 3 hours and this can lead to weight gain.