How much can birth control actually hinder your weight loss? I'm currently on Ortho tri cyclen lo for birth control. My partner and I are several years away from being ready to have a baby and I am allergic to latex so going off it seems like a pretty bad idea. I'm completely unwilling to get an IUD because having children is extremely important to me and a 1 in 1000 percent chance of complications is still more than I'm willing to take where my fertility is concerned. However, I'm finding it impossible to lose weight despite very clean diet and regular exercise. I don't have any side-effects from my birth-control. So is it actually going to change anything if I go off it? What's a girl who really enjoys sex (as in everyday, unwilling to do the basal body probably not gonna work anyway by virtue of margin of error voodoo) to do about it?
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You know what really wrecks your weight loss goals.... babies.... just saying |
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I can't offer a lot of advice on the weight loss, but I just went off the pill. Biggest side effect was complete loss of libido, so there was no need for the Pill. I'm charting, which I know some folks think is bogus, but so far, so good. I've seen all the signs I need to see to tell me exactly when I'm possibly fertile and when I'm not and it has actually been a freeing experience. Not that I have any evidence of this, but I presume tracking and knowing your fertility signs were part of how our ancestors managed child spacing. Check out a book called Taking Charge of you Fertility. It might be a revelation. If you do try going off the pill, you and your partner may want to try some lambskin condoms for days when you want to have intercourse, but are running a high probability of being fertile. |
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Hormonal birth control can affect your weight loss. I had a Mirena IUD which is extremely low level hormones, but even that made me gain weight. Your hormonal balance is a delicate system and throwing extras in there can really change how things work. I had a copper IUD also and that worked well for about 3 years. I don't think I would trust charting either. Or what about a diaphram? I know they are old school, but it's a possibility. |
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I'm on Kariva now and have had zero issues with bloating or weight gain. When I was on a tri-cycle pill I definitely had bloating the week before my period. The only strange piece is that since I went Paleo I will have the occasional breakthrough, which sucks, but other than that? Nothing. If I have one more breakthrough then it's calling my OBGYN and we're going to go for one more level up to see if that will help my body to adjust. So.. what about changing your pill out? I know everyone is different but could be worth a shot talking to your doc and seeing what they say. If you go off the pill.. how about getting fit with a diaphragm? You can have sex 24/7, even with your period. I was fitted with one just for that reason as like you I love sex, yes please once to twice a day, and and didn't want my monthly to get in the way. Something to think about :) |
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Lena, but can't you just quit the pills for a few months to see whether that's the problem? If you are eating in a way that would normally induce weight loss, and due to pills the weight loss is blocked, isn't that itself quite a significant side effect? I am not expert in this, but if you read the paleo books, you understand how the hormonal balance is important for the body, so it is highly impropable that such an substance will not have side effects. From the perspective of paleo principles, I'd say that is impossible. Just an anectodal evidence: My wife also doesn't take pills, and we can easily survive it with methods like not ejaculating inside during fertile days, etc. It is definitely doable for a few months at least. Or I occasionally use the method of not ejaculating at all - takes some getting used to, but it's good for preserving energy and staying horny. ;-) |
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Every hormonal birth control I've ever been on has kept 15lbs on my frame. I've been on a number of pills, and they all do it. My doctor pushed Yaz on me, saying "I've haven't had any patients gain weight on it!" It murdered my sex drive and I started gaining weight right away. I went off the pill when I was 26, and lost the extra fat. It's easier to keep off too. When I was on the pill I could work out, diet, whatever. Practically no weight loss. I had BC pills and their side effects. We use the withdrawal method, and it's been working great for 6 years. |
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I think it "can" play an important role. Hormones are pretty powerful. I've been on heavy fertility meds, BC pills that were great, and some that made me a emotional mess. They can wreak havoc on your mood and state of mind. But, I've never met a BC pill that helped me loose weight. All in all the best you can hope for is a BC that has the least side effects |
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Total n=1... I started out about 10lbs above my ideal weight range. I went on birth control, and gained about 50lbs within about 6 months. I went off birth control, lost about 20 of that, and got pregnant after 3 or 4 months. By 1 year postpartum (with no hormonal birth control) I was within my ideal weight range without any major effort (breastfeeding, more home cooking, walking a bit more). The NP I saw before going on birth control claimed any weight gain is due to negative changes in lifestyle that often accompany a new relationship. Given how drastic both the increase and decrease were, I'm not buying that. (Pregnancy and breastfeeding, on the other hand, seem to encourage weight loss for me.) |
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If you really want to stay on the pill, can you switch to a progesterone only pill? There are many options available today, since many women who want to breastfeed also want to be on the pill, and progesterone only pills are considered safe for breastfeeding women. Just a thought. I noticed way less side effects on a progesterone only pill than when I was on Yasmin or ortho for all those years. |
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