birth control and not losing weight

So I'm on a low-dose birth control (Aviane? Avian? it's like Allesse? something?) and I have definitely noticed that I've gained weight. This summer I was 115, and now I am always 119. I know it's water weight. But I've also started eating much healthier and working out more...I just can't lose weight! I tell myself it's just the birth control... I know I gained some of that weight when I was on Yaz for 4 months before (I've been on this one for 2 months) but I switched because it made me ridiculously top-heavy.

I know I'm not overweight but I have fat bulges that I just want to go away, not to mention I'm going to college next year where I know self control will go out the window. I don't know, this is all very stressful and I just want to lose 10 pounds of fat and boob.

The only way that 119 is unhealthy is if you're 4'8". Since you're heading off to college, I'm going to deduce that you're fairly young. I'm sorry to be the one to break this to you, but your BC is probably not responsible for the changes you've seen in your body lately. Even though you're long past puberty, it's not unusual for girls to continue to "fill out" into their 20's.  I suspect the reason that four pounds isn't coming off is because your body knows it's supposed to be there.

As for self control going out the window in college, it's not true. Many people get careless when faced with the opportunity to make their own choices and eat poorly, but some do not. I lost weight my freshman year while all my peers were gaining. It's all about knowing your body and being responsible for what you put in your mouth.

birth control weight gain is a myth.  Its OLD information too.  Now that birth control is low hormone, you shouldnt gain weight :)  And if you do, it will only be a few pounds briefly while your body adjusts the first week or so. Hope that helps.

They are right in a way.  if you are still eating healthy and working out it is water weight.  my only solution would be to try another low dose b.c.  I use yasmin  and have no problems with  side effects ie weight gain.  I really think its about finding the right birth control.  Also if you just started the b.c. sometimes it just takes some getting used to and then your body drops the excess water weight--this is experiences i have heard from friends

it is true that weight gain was once a side effect of bc, but i dont think that is an issue anymore. i have taken various brands for about 6yrs now, and can definitely say that the older ones did probably contribute to weight gain. however, i have been taking alesse for almost 2yrs now, and have managed to lose 40lbs. so obviously the bc is not ruining my chances of losing weight! most bc pills have a low dose of hormones, and i believe that it is the ones with the higher dose that cause the undesirable effect of weight gain. i think ourladyofthehighways was definitely right - you may just be going through a time in your life where you gain a bit of weight. but 4lbs is not a dramatic gain, and it could definitely be attributed to a number of factors. if this is a big concern for you, talk to your dr about possibly switching, but i think once your body gets used to the pill (2 months is not long enough to adjust) you will have no problem losing the small amount of weight you have gained, and maintaining your desired weight.

I'm not sure how any of you can say that weight gain is NOT a side effect of birth control. It even says it on the package! I have gained weight every single time I began a new bc pill. It is very fusterating! I just began Levlite, the genric of Alesse, a month and a half ago and I have been doing all the right things to loose weight ( I am a personal trainer so I know what I need to do) but I CANNOT LOOSE. I am gaining a little actually! I wish I could get off the pill but I need it to regulate my periods. I am hoping my body gets used to the one that I am on now and I can begin to loose and stop gaining. I'm gonna give it another month and if I continue on the same track I am going to ask my doctor for a different kind of bc.

tara, I'm sorry for your troubles. I was never implying that weight gain was not a side effect, just that it was less likely to be the cause, considering sayyeah's stats.

As for the problems you've been having, I cannot say it enough: PLEASE ask your doctor to do a blood test of your hormone levels before prescribing a pill! Most docs will whine and complain and insist that it isn't necessary, but it most certainly is. If your pill is causing unmanageable weight gain, you need a different brand.

Thanks for the advice ourladyofthehighways! I will ask my doctor about that!

Ourlady,

I have never even heard of that before....what a great idea.  I know that when I went on orth-tricyclene I gain almost 20 lbs  eeeek! Lost it all as soon as I switched to a really lose does but ended up spotting all the time and now I am on a medium dosage and everything is sweet, my weight gain was not unmanageable even though my hormones were making me crazy while I adjusted...being a girl sucks sometimes. 

Birth control weight gain is NOT a myth or half the world's women are all nuts! The estrogen component when there is too much can most definitely cause weight gain and a greater percentage of subcutaneous fat. In addition to this increase in fat, an increase in water weight also occurs. While on Yaz I lost weight but had awful stomach aches and post nasal drip. I switched to Lutera which has the same amount of hormones but a different kind and no diuretic and I have put on 2 lbs in 4 days.

I've lost more weight ON birth control than off of it.  Including Alesse.  (Right now I'm on one of those "4 periods a year" BC plans and LOVING it.)

One of my OB-GYNs from long ago told me that it's not the BC itself that causes weight gain, but the lifestyle changes that often go along with women starting to use BC, such as starting college & stress eating, getting married and eating what your husband eats instead of the healthier meals you might have had when you were single, or just plain getting older & having your metabolism slow down a bit.

ugh this really kills me. I ALSO experienced weight gain while on the pill. Not a huge amount, but definitely a good 5-10lbs. Once i went off if it, i lost all that weight within a WEEK. yes, a single week. AND i was on a low dose. The low dose was not curing my cramps so i have now been placed on a higher dose. I begin this sunday and am fearing what the side effects might be. I think it's time they come out with a birth control for men. I am trying to prepare myself to challenge this weight gain when i begin my new birth control. I will have to be much more aware of what i put into my mouth which sucks, but it is a sacrifice i need to make. I don't want my boobs nor my waistline to balloon out. Don't get me wrong, i have a bunch of friends who have also not experienced weight gain from the pill. However, i also know people who have. In response to the female who posted this topic, the pill might have something to do with your weight gain, but also consider where this weight has gone. A lot of time a portion of the weight gain goes to your boobs. If anything you get some curves. I can imagine that at a petite 119 you probably look better with a couple more pounds on you.

Some women lose weight, some gain. Like I was saying, I'm on a low dose and gaining. Once upon a time I was on loestrin and gained 20 pounds but on Yaz I lost. Gaining on Lutera. It just depends I guess. But I most certainly attribute my gains to the pill as I was running four miles a day and dieting with no life changes at all except for the pill. Hormones can wreak havoc with your body. In addition to weight there are loads of other annoying side effects .  So I hear ya getfit20! And yes, fat distributution is also a factor. I gain all over while some women only gain in breasts or waist. We have crazy bodies huh! Men do need a contraceptive. If it weren't for my cramps I wouldn't be on it! I'm hoping weight gain will level out once my body gets used to the hormones and the loss of the dieuretic. Good luck!

I also gained weight on the pill (low dose)...and it's not surprising.  Many birth control pills contain progesterone or a combination of estrogen and progesterone.  Progesterone is the hormone the body produces during pregnancy which, among other things, prevents ovulation during gestation (hence, birth control).  If you think about it logically, if you are feeding your body hormones that convince it it's pregnant, it's no shock that you will gain weight, as presumably, you have a fetus to nourish.  As soon as I went on the pill, I personally noticed strong cravings for foods that I'd never before cared for (ie salty foods).  I ate more food more frequently.  Even though the CONTROL was in my hands as to what I ate, and how much I gained, the URGES were all hormonal.

Im seventeen yrs old & have

been on Avian for a year.

& all you girls' comments really helped

Me figure out that it IS my pill

that made me "Busty" . & gain weight also.

Headaches/Migranes too. They`ve gotten

So bad that Im gettin off my pill.

I`m sick of Being a size H in bra's! Im only seventeen

& I absolutly HATE having boobs ..

But Thank all you girl's for your comments

it really helped Me ALOT! :)