Birth Control and weight loss

[melibsmile]

I am on BCPs and have been for probably 6 years now. I am concerned that my weight loss is not very rapid on Induction, but I also had insulin resistance and thus might be metabolically resistant. If I am in ketosis, should I be worried? I don't mind if my weight loss is slow so long as it progresses in the right direction. I am just concerned that my birth control might be preventing success, since I did see that Atkins mentioned it as one of the problematic medications. I am on a low dose BCP, but I still wonder if it is sabotaging me. Does anyone have any insight on this or know of any scientific resources on the matter? I am fully versed in reading the scientific literature, so PubMed references would be great. Thanks.

--Melissa

[NixCarbos]

Birth control, no matter what kind, always made it difficult to lose weight. It changed things so dramatically inside me too, that caused many mental and physiological changes that has taken 5 years to turn around. I took my last BCP Feb 2003.

Lisa

[bsheets]

Maybe YMMV bc I've found it much easier to lose since I started back on the pill. Maybe my cravings are more regular and no where near as strong??

[NixCarbos]

It wasn't about the cravings for me, it messed me up hormonally - and when the hormones aren't operating as they should, nothing short of a miracle will cause weight loss.

Lisa

[jschwab]

In my case, BCP's have been my "weight loss pill", making it much easier to lose. I have to take high estrogen pills to get that effect, though, and I had horrible PMS before I started the pills.

[Kay2008]

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I would reply here instead of making a new thread about the same thing... then getting told off! hehe ;)

Well, I have been on the pill (Microgynon 30) since about 2004, started it when I was 18, so around 4 years ago. I went on the pill for the main reason, to use it as a contraceptive. But I also started it to regulate my periods and ease some of the pain and PMT/PMS whatever you want to call it!

I started my periods at about 12, and for 6 years I suffered big time with bad period pains, BAD PMT and my periods would come 4 - 6 weeks. Sometimes I never really knew when my next one was due, which was a pain.

So going on the pill helped all of that, as well as stopping me from getting pregnant. The one thing I do still get though is "period pains", the pill has helped the pain... but not completely.

When I did low carb last year, I lost 3 stone and stayed on my pill.

I started low carb again yesterday (after gaining all the weight back and possibly more), and I also finished my pill on Monday.

I have decided to stop taking my pill for many reasons, but also to see if it changes anything with weight loss.
Everyone says how they don't want to go on the pill because it makes you put on weight, well what do they mean by that exactly? I heard, and read that the pill basically just increases your appetite, so it doesn't just magically make/store fat on your body... it's you making yourself put on weight because your appetite has increased and you haven't controlled it.

I will probably end up going back onto the pill, as I need it for certain reasons. But for now I have stopped it and I will see how it goes.

[ambimorph]

I'm becoming suspicious of this "just increasing your appetite" business, not just for the pill, but in reference to any drug or therapy. It seems to me that appetite increase is a symptom of your body being in the "put on fat" mode. If your appetite is increased and you don't indulge it, I suspect your body will expend less energy to compensate.

[chandbaby1]

i know this situation way too well. i have been through hell with BCP...

So the two different reactions as regards to weightloss is because BCP changes your progesterone to esterogen ratio. So to begin with you had loow progesterone and high estrogen ans you take a low estrogen BCP like yasmin or YAZ in the beginning you will lose weight. On the other hand if you had normal estrogen and progesterone and you took the BCP you will gain weight with the extra progestin and estrogen.

But ultimately what will happen is you liver gets tired of trying to deal with this synthetic hormones and this will lead to some kind of imbalance depending on what you started with and how long you have taken it.

BCP is evil in my opininon. I have been through hell after being on them. I havent still found a balance with it.

Please know the side effects which are not listed but most women do experience google yasminsurvivors......you will find a lot of women suffering from this.

[melibsmile]

I did not find that BCPs made me gain weight, but then again I was already fat before I started them. I will probably bring up the concerns the next time I see the doctor, but for now I don't want to change anything. If I change too many things at once it will be impossible to discern the cause of any results that I see.

--Melissa

[DianeeM]

....have any of you ladies tried the ring? It didn't seem to have the same effect on me as the pill, as far as weight gain etc.....do some research.....and oh it wont fall out! :lol: