Ok, so today my doctor gave me a perscription for birth control to regulate my period and help with my complexion. My question is, how will it affect my weight loss goals. Some of my friends are taking it, and they say that they gained a little bit of weight while taking the pill. If I restrict my calories more and workout more, can I fight the possilbe weight gain?
Like ducky said, it just depends... everyone's body responds differently to various types of birth control. I know I was on Lo-Estrin for about two years and gained about 20 pounds on it even though I was doing intense rowing workouts every day. I switched to the Ortho Evra patch almost 2 months ago and have lost 10, but since I've been dieting and exercising, it's hard to tell what caused that. You should be ok if you just keep track of what you're eating and doing. If you do have problems, you'll know whether it was caused by the pill.
Yaz helped to keep my weight down when I was on pill because it contains a duretic. I would gain a little bit of water weight (which generally ment that I lost a little less weight that week). I switched to LoEstrine 24 because it was cheaper and I haven't gained any weight from it.
i heard that it increases your appetite more than it makes you gain actual weight so watch out for that. i didn't gain any weight when i started birth control BUT i took it for years and just stopped this summer and gained maybe 15-20 pounds. i went through **** this summer from stopping birth control so look out for that when you stop taking it. however that doesn't happen for everyone, plus i had so side effects from starting the pill. it all depends on you.
I didn't gain anything when I was on birth control (I actually lost 5lbs on Yasmin but I never gained or lost on any others and I've been on like 5 different brands) and when I stopped taking it I didn't gain either but I guess it's diffeent for everyone. As long as you are aware it could possibly increase your appetite and make you gain weight, as you definitely are aware, you can control it easily
Unfortunately there isn't a clear answer for you because everyone's body reacts differently. I was on Loestrin for over a year and think it may have been part of the problem. Generally my body likes to hang out at its set point and I was about 20 lbs ABOVE my set point and thought "something isn't right here." It could have been because of the length of time I was on it, or it may not have been related at all. I did switch to Kariva and haven't had any problems, but I switched about the same time I started back on my weight loss journey.
Just keep doing what you're doing and go from there. Good luck!
Pinkalarmclock had it right for my case. Ortho tri-cyclen made my appetite and cravings skyrocket. I've been on it for 6 years now, so I honestly don't remember how much I initially gained. You just have to keep yourself in check with it. I don't think you'll have to cut more calories. Keep downing the water and continue your exercise and you will probably be okay. If you notice an issue with it, you can always talk to your doctor about switching to a different type of pill.
Last edited by Gourmet Bean; 03-16-2010 at 11:43 AM.
Reason: Typo
I did gain weight while I was taking ortho tri-cyclen lo..but didn't gain weight until about 4 months after starting it because I went to college...(freshman 15). I've easily lost weight from it and have even maintained weight while on it. I'm on Tri Sprintec right now, which is a generic form of it and I haven't gained any weight from it.
I know some people who are on yaz too, and they haven't gained weight either.
Over the years I've taken Nordette, Ovcon 35, the mini-pill while nursing, and Ortho-Cyclen and its generic -- Sprintec.
I don't know if it matters, but over the years with PCOS I've learned I'm best off on monophasic birth control pills. Triphasics make me crazy moody, cranky, etc.
(Ex: Ortho-Cyclen vs OrthoTriCyclen -- tri usually is in the name)
I already have messed up hormones, I do better on the steady,even dose of monophasic types than the stair-step of Tri's.
I have no idea how this influences the hormones for appetite though. Would monophasic be more steadying there too than triphasic versions? Of your friends experiencing gain, what type of BCP was it?
But for me, no significant gain on any of mine. Maybe a little bloaty kind of gain right before period came, but not anything major. A few pounds or water retention that would come on and disappear within days as period cranked up and passed.
I've never had a problem with bcp affecting my weight (I had a weight problem long before I went on bcp). I managed to lose weight while on it, but I can see how the hormones can affect your appetite, which might be something to keep an eye on.
I'm on a generic form of Seasonale (only 4 periods a year) and I didn't gain weight, and actually don't gain weight before I get a period either...and I haven't really had a hard time losing weight except for holding myself back with bad choices
I was on OrthoTriCyclen though and gained 10 pounds nearly instantly.
I've been on bc since December, and I have not noticed any significant changes in my weight or appetite. Then again, I had a very normal cycle even before I was on it, so maybe it has something to do with needing more regulation?
Also, I have friends who swear that after being on bc, their boobs got bigger. Maybe they gained weight overall and just noticed it in their boobs, but if not, that's some weight gain I can get behind, lol.
I started using bcp about 6 weeks ago. Im using Loestrin 24. So far I have not noticed any weight gain, but I haven't lost any either. I have restricted my calories and up-ed my workouts. I have become less regular and am now seeing 2 short periods a month. I hope that it goes to 1.
I was on OrthoTriCyclen Lo a few years back. I gained a lot of weight at the time but I think that had way more to do with my dramatic lifestyle change (moved from Brisbane, where I walked everywhere, to Atlanta, where I drive everywhere). My weight gain certainly didn't slow down at all when I stopped taking it.
I'm looking into starting on a generic of Seasonique soon. Honestly weight gain hadn't even occured to me as a possible issue with this. I figure if I stay on plan, I'll keep losing.
edit- Just made the appointment with my gyn, they said it's going to cost at least $290! Man, I miss being on my parents' health insurance!
Question about birth control...
