I'm thinking about getting back on birth control but I dont want to gain all 27 pounds back or more then what I was starting out. If you were able to lose weight on birth control what kind do you or did you use? I like Implanon personally, Its the rod they put under your skin in your arm.
It may be sheer coincidence but this is my first successful weight loss attempt and also the first time I haven't been on hormonal birth control. I always feel an element of 'crazy' with mood swings and a short fuse while on it too so maybe that is the driving force for my determination this time.
birth control is so tricky. Unfortunately I gained most of my weight while on birth control. I tried a bunch of different ones: nuvaring, yaz, loestrin 24 etc. Nuvaring was the worst for weight gain, that for sure, but the others were still really bad for weight loss. Its just so hard to lose weight on birth control, at least for me.I also had a lot of other unpleasant side effects on birth control, mood swings, headaches, rashes, low sex drive, etc. I eventually decided to come off BC completely and just use condoms with my husband until we were ready to start trying. It's worked for us, and I've had much better luck losing weight without birth control than when I was on it.
Definitely talk with your gyno about it though, they can help you to pick a birth control that will have the least number of side effects for your goals. I hope you can find one that works for you! Sorry I don't have more encouraging experiences myself!
ChubbyMum ~ Thanks for replying to my thread, Congrats on losing 60 pounds
Claygirl ~ Thanks for replying back to my thread, I've talked to my OBGYN at my last appointment and I'm gonna get back on Implanon, I wasnt trying to lose weight while I was on it the first two times so I'm not sure if it caused my weight gain or not but I'll be able to see if I gained weight this time around cause I'm 28 pounds down right now so we'll see...Wish me luck...By the way you are very pretty.
I've been on BC since I was 16 (originally for medical reasons). I have went from 140s on up to 195 then back down to 145. Those reasons were not because of birth control. It was my own fault for eating poorly and not exercising. I guess I have been on it so long I cannot tell you if I crave more food because of it or not. It's more about keeping myself accountable with food and exercise.
The hormones can trigger hunger or cravings, but you can choose to give in or not.
That said, personally I have tried Depo injections and some type of pill. When I am not on BC I crave bacon cheeseburgers and brownies for about 5 days a month, on Depo it is about 3-7 days every 3 months right before the next injection is due, on the pill I craved them 2-3 weeks a month. When I gave in I gained, when I didn't I was miserable. Because of all this I ended up gaining on the pill and losing on depo.
it is always worth trying different things until you find one that works for you. I'd say give implanon another shot and pay attention to how it effects you for a few months, as long as you don't mind whatever effects it has then keep with it, if you don't then try something else
I wanted to add to what's already been said even though you have made a decision. I did a lot of research because I had these same concerns. What I found was for MOST forms of bc, there may be an initial weight gain while you adjust to hormones, but that for most people, that will level off in about 3 months. If you are experiencing significant weight gain after a few months and yet you are still following your same diet plan, then definitely talk to your doctor and reasses. But most likely you will be just fine.
I have used the pill, the Nuvaring, and now have Mirena (IUD). I understand that hormonally Mirena is very similar to Implanon and I am happy to report that I have had no issues with weight gain OR depression (woohoo!)
nonameslob ~ Thanks for replying to my thread. I'm glad to know that if I do gain weight on Implanon it should level off in about 3 months, That puts my mind at ease. Since coming sexual active I've only been on two birth control's The shot which made me gain ALOT of weight and Implanon and I like the Implanon really well.
My guess is it would be better to go with lower-dose options to avoid weight gain. But, I am not an expert.
On the pill I had major problems but I am more concerned with how the pill affected my acne, more than my weight. Come to think of it I did gain all my initial weight while I was on the pill. Perhaps the pill caused it, I don't know. There were a lot of factors at work.
For 6 years recently I was on Mirena (IUD implant) which I loved. It did its job perfectly, I never had to think about it, and the hormone dose is so low (it works very locally and does not travel in high doses through the bloodstream. It contains a far lower dose than other hormonal forms because it only needs to work in the area it's implanted). I had no periods, no mood swings, no cramps, and no worries, and it did not seem to make my acne worse like the pill did.
The pill and similar hormonal options can worsen acne (which is horrible since they're often prescribed FOR acne), which is often not evident until you go off the pill. My understanding is that the recent prevalence of middle aged women with acne is directly correlated with the use of birth control. Women go off the pill, and then suddenly they have acne, even if they never had it before.
Anyway, sorry I can't be of more help with relating birth control to weight. I can say my weight gain did begin shortly after I started on the pill (Diane 35) although it's never occurred to me that might have caused it. I went on Weight Watchers, lost weight, and was still on the pill when I regained the weight. I think I used condoms for quite a while after that when having sex, and being off the pill did not stop me from gaining weight. I did the Dukan diet, lost some more weight, then regained it. I can't remember if that was before or after I got my Mirena implanted.
I suspect dieting (and specifically, going off a diet) is a far bigger cause of weight gain than birth control is. But, that's just my suspicion.
I've lost all my weight(65ish lbs) while on mirena which is an IUD. Its the only birth control that's worked for me since all the other ones I tried gave me terrible side effects. Everyone is different though. Good luck!
Birth Control and Weight Loss
