BC and weight loss

  • Ladies, what has been your personal experience with BC and weight loss?

    I'm starting to consider the possibility that my BC is the main culprit for this insane plateau I'm experiencing. It has been 3 months since I've had a loss. My BC was late getting to me from the mail order pharmacy so I was off of it the week of TOM and the week after. In those 2 weeks, I shed 3 pounds of visibly noticeable weight. I started the BC back a week and a half ago and I'm now back up those 3 pounds and not budging. Again. My plan IS actually slow weight loss but 3 months with no loss is a little too slow for my taste. I've decided to stop the BC next month and see if I'm right. My poor b-friend.

    Some back story:
    I count calories religiously (1500-1600) and eat nutritionally balanced meals. I do not have cheat days (know for a fact since I can't consume processed foods because almost all contain gluten, which I'm intolerant to.) I work out 6 days a week... 1 1/2 mile brisk walk at lunch every day, 45 minutes of cardio every other day, and circuit/weight training on the days I don't do cardio.
  • i seem to lose okay while on birth control...i've been on it consistently for the last 8 years with the exception of the time we chose to have our son...if i set my mind to it, i can lose weight, especially by choosing low carb ways of eating...i dont know if i'd lose faster without being on it, i dont remember losing any weight when i went off it to get pregnant...but i dont want to go off BC now either way (no more babies planned at this point in time)
  • I stopped taking the pill for a different reason but I have noticed the weight seems to be coming off a bit easier. I'm not sure whether I'm just putting more effort in, because it's summer or whether it was the pill. Give it a go! I think women take too much of the responsibility for contraception anyway. Why should we fill our bodies with hormones that potentially mess with our weight/skin/mood/periods? Don't feel sorry for your boyfriend, he should be grateful he can remove his contraception after sex! *RANT OVER* (my poor boyfriend ;-) )
  • i swore i couldn't lose while on the pill....i gained a ton of weight while i was on it but i was also bingeing horribly for months so i can't blame the weight gain solely on the pill...but when i finally decided to LOSE the weight i was losing nothing.....so i quit taking the pill have been off of it since february and i am seeing really good results.....i don't have a bf and am not having sex so no reason to be on it but i will admit i'm scared to go back on it if i start seeing someone because i do think it affects weight and weight loss
  • Quote: Why should we fill our bodies with hormones that potentially mess with our weight/skin/mood/periods? Don't feel sorry for your boyfriend, he should be grateful he can remove his contraception after sex! *RANT OVER* (my poor boyfriend ;-) )
    LOVE this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's so true...Men just need to "wrap it"!
  • i choose to have my fun "unwrapped" because i've already gotten pregnant once when a condom didnt' work as it's supposed to....i was 19 at the time...now i just stick with my reliable birth control pills and it's been effective so far...i know something could always happen but it hasnt
  • I haven't really noticed a difference, but I take a low dose pill. I have such horrible cramps that the pill is a necessity for me .
  • Have you adjusted your calories to account for your initial weight loss?
  • Quote: I stopped taking the pill for a different reason but I have noticed the weight seems to be coming off a bit easier. I'm not sure whether I'm just putting more effort in, because it's summer or whether it was the pill. Give it a go! I think women take too much of the responsibility for contraception anyway. Why should we fill our bodies with hormones that potentially mess with our weight/skin/mood/periods? Don't feel sorry for your boyfriend, he should be grateful he can remove his contraception after sex! *RANT OVER* (my poor boyfriend ;-) )
    I agree, I think we take too much responsibility for contraception as well. Cause it's our body that does the knocking up, we have to make sure it doesn't happen lol. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to latex so just wrapping it up isn't an option. The latex free ones are why I have a kid... they aren't very good lol. My boyfriends okay with it though. My weight loss is more important to him.

    I have adjusted my calorie intake to account for the loss.
  • I have been on the pill (and a fairly high level of hormone) for 17 years. I can't go off it because I have been known to black out from cramping in addition to vomiting and other nasty side effects. With that being said...I have no idea if I would lose more if I was off it but I did lose 100 pounds while on it. I'm thinking that it could just be different bodies reacting differently to hormones.