[IHeartMe]

I just started to get back on plan to lose weight and was doing great for the first two weeks. I had then decided that I wanted to get off of birth control because I have been on it for 10 years now and thought my body needed a break. The first week that I stopped taking it, I gained 5 lbs. I stuck to plan every single day and never went over my calorie goal. The two weeks prior while eating the same amount and getting the same amount of activity I had lost 2 lbs each week.

I started doing some research online and found thousands of forums with women who have experienced the same thing! I have never heard of this happening before. I didn't gain any weight while on the pill and definitely didn't expect to gain when getting off. My concern is that a lot of the stories I read had the same issue...they gained about 3-5lbs per week uncontrollably no matter what they did. Some of the woman experienced it for 3 months or longer.

I am wondering if anyone here has experienced this and if so, how long did it take for your body to get back on track. Any help or information is greatly appreciated!

[Katbot24]

You just put your body through a massive change in hormonal balance after a decade of routine, it's going to react to the change the way it does for every change: freak out and retain water, slow metabolism, basically go into "survival" mode. Your body has no idea that you planned this change, all it knows is that something is different and it's doing what it's programmed to do.

You stayed on plan, then you couldn't have gained fat weight, it's all water weight. Give it time,your body will realize that nothing's wrong and go back to its normal everyday function.

[FunSize]

This is happening to me right now. I was on BC for a year due to PCOS. BC is the only thing that makes me feel normal (regulates my periods, moods, clears my skin, and it's easy for me to lose weight on BC).
I just went off my BC in May and I gained 10-12lbs!! And for the last 2 weeks I have counted every calorie that's been going into my mouth to stick to my 1200 calorie plan and I have actually gained a pound in the last week.
I have no idea why but it's definitely hormone related. I keep telling myself as long as I stay on track I don't see how I could be gaining real fat.. I must be retaining water like crazy.

[Brid]

I haven't experienced gains like you describe, but I came off the pill less than two months ago. I've heard a LOT of people here talking about how hormones affect them over the course of their cycle - some people gain before Auntie Flo comes to stay, some during, some while ovulating, and so on. So I'm still tracking daily, and watching out for any of these sudden gains. They're water gains though, not weight gains, and they drop off eventually. Water weight can also mask fat loss, just to make things even more psychologically difficult. Hang in there!

How long ago did you come off BC? If you've been experiencing steady gains since coming off it months ago and your eating honestly hasn't changed, it may be time to see a doctor. But if you only came off it recently, then just wait, and that water will drop off when it's ready.

As for these women you've read about steadily gaining - three to five pounds a week for three months is up to sixty pounds gained. I don't know how to explain that, but it's a **** of a lot for water weight. My suspicion on this one is that the people you read about may have unconsciously increased their food intake, but I really don't know. It just sounds bizarre.

[sumire]

If you've definitely stayed OP 100%, it's water weight. It'll drop off.

When I got off BC (also after 10 years on) in June '11, I gained a smidge of water weight afterward. For about 3 months after I got off it, I had significantly more food cravings and felt generally hungrier. I'm quite sure that, water weight aside, this is the reason why those women gained weight. Most people (not those on 3FC! ) don't accurately track their food/calorie intake; when they say they "haven't changed their diet," they may really believe this, but it's not true.

Echoing Brid, the claims of up to 60 pounds gained in 3 months are bizarre. People lie and exaggerate. Maybe this has happened to some rare individual, but I find it quite unbelievable that this happens on any widespread basis.

After 3 or 4 months, the cravings and hunger went away. I get far less of both now than I did during the 10 years on the Pill. The couple of pounds of water weight mysteriously dropped off eventually, and I didn't gain any more than that. Just keep on track!

[IHeartMe]

Thank you everyone for your input. All of you are thinking exactly what I have been thinking as far is there is no way the weight is actual fat. I have only been off of it for a week and a half now so I am definitely going to give it some more time before I would go see a Dr. I know that the hormones have obviously caused my body to "panic" a little bit and I know that if I stick to plan that eventually I have to start losing again.

To FunSize-Thanks for sharing your experience! You said you have been off BC since May...has your cycle regulated itself yet? I am thinking that a lot of the water that is being retained has to do with cycles being off after being on the pill for so long.

To Brid & Sumire-The 60 lb gain is exactly what sent me through the roof! I was thinking in my head "this can't even be possible without eating more." There is no way that someone can gain 60 lbs in water, at least I would hope not! I also know that when people are upset or frustrated that there can definitely be some exaggeration, so I am taking that with a grain of salt.