birth control and weight gain

[mofo]

so i am thinking about the getting on the pill and i've heard mixed stories of women on birth control and their visually significant weight gain. anyone have a better grasp on things? i know the hormonal changes are the main factor behind it all but i just want to know the specifics and if there are ways to bypass it. thanks!

[Shibby]

I'm not sure what you mean by "bypass", but I will have Magdalena take a look at this thread. I know for her the main difference she noticed was the difference after the two pregnancy's. After my first son she went on birth control and after the second she didn't (I got a vasectomy). Her time of getting her body back in shape has been cut in half. That being said, I think a little weight gain is trivial compared to how your life will be forever changed having a kid. Also the weight gained from birth control isn't even comprable to that of a pregnancy.

[magdalena]

there are so many different types of pills available that it shouldn't be a problem to get something that works best for you. Just talk to your ob/gyn and explain what you are wanting out of the pill. If you start gaining weight on one of them you can always switch to another. I used to take the basic Ortho Cyclen and it worked really well for me, didn't notice any significant weight gain. I also used the shot, Depo Provera after my first son was born and even though I used combination of diet and exercise I was loosing weight VERY slowly.
Definitely talk to your doctor and take it from there.

[mofo]

yeah. i read a lot about the shot and it not being as "gentle" as the pill. and there is also the question of what kind of pill to take. some have 2 hormones as opposed to the 1. any ideas about that?

[magdalena]

The single hormone one are called the mini pills, I know they are safe to use while breastfeeding... other than that combination of hormones is much better and more efficient.

[mofo]

thanks a lot for your help magdalena

[dna9488]

I heard some women take birth control to make their cramps less painful.

dbj, if you want to get on the pill, i recommend it. Of course talk to your doc about it.

[Shibby]

I heard some women take birth control to make their cramps less painful.

dbj, if you want to get on the pill, i recommend it. Of course talk to your doc about it.

I hope this isn't the first time you have heard of it and are talking to her about this :whistle

[dna9488]

I hope this isn't the first time you have heard of it and are talking to her about this :whistle

Nope it is not. We have been talking about it for about 8 months.

[Shibby]

Nope it is not. We have been talking about it for about 8 months.

What a post pregnancy thing? :thumup:

[mofo]

What a post pregnancy thing? :thumup:

HAHAHAHA. thank the lord that isn't true.

[redsquirrel]

If you aren't hard core into competing, then I would recommend it. I personally did experience some weight gain...about 8 lbs or so. And, no- there isn't a way to bypass the weight gain that's brought on by taking the pill.

If you are looking to compete, then I would get off of it when you start your diet. Being on the Pill makes it hard to come in sharp because it makes it next to impossible to lose that last little bit of weight.

[FitnessBrat]

I personally can not take take the pill, but I've tried them all. Depo-Provera (the shot), the patch, and Nuvaring (the ring). My favorite by FAR is the ring. I didn't experience weight gain with any of them, everyone is different. When you use the ring, the hormones bypass your stomach (which was a problem with me with the pill).