Birth control and weight gain

[Firiel]

Okay, I just started birth control and (as I'm sure many woman are), I'm worried about weight gain. Lately, I've been feeling good... just started exercising again, and I've been able to eat when I'm hungry and then some (because I haven't really been getting hungry... I'd be eating too little if I didn't).

 

The doctor told me that birth control weight gain is due to an increased appetite, and not much else. I just started it this morning (I don't even know if the hormones start affecting appetite this soon!), and I've been hungry all day but afraid to eat any more than I regularly do. It's coming up on dinner time and so far I've had a frozen waffle, one egg/one egg white with spinach, a rice cake with two slices of deli turkey, and a carrot.

 

Women, what have your experiences regarding birth control and weight gain been?

 

And how do I avoid giving in to this "extra appetite" without overdoing it and losing weight (which I really don't need to do)?

[shikashika]

I've been on different types of birth control and none of them made me gain weight.

 

What makes me gain weight is my love of chips and dip!

[sophie274]

I didn't experience any weight gain on either of the two types of pills I've been on. I didn't notice increased appetite either.

 

Your food intake sounds pretty thin to me - don't know how much you normally eat, but during a day when I exercise I would be starving if I had only had what you've eaten (assuming the frozen waffle is one of those small ones). It's quite possible you just really do need to eat a bit more.

 

If you're really worried, I would advise you to just count calories for a few weeks, and hit a number of calories and stop there, even if you're still a bit hungry (or eat a bunch of carrot and celery sticks to fill yourself up with few calories). If you are having pill side effects, they should mostly decrease within the first months.

[sarahxo]

It would all depend on how your body handles the hormone change, not everyone gains the weight.. I didn't and don't want it LOL. It sounds like you have a pretty good diet as it is so maybe when you get the munchies grab a healthier snack *which shouldn't cause the weight gain*

Not only that, water retention.. certain pills can make you retain water which will make you heavier...so to battle that... drink more water, sounds nuts but it works...

Hope this helps

[Firiel]

I didn't experience any weight gain on either of the two types of pills I've been on. I didn't notice increased appetite either.

 

Your food intake sounds pretty thin to me - don't know how much you normally eat, but during a day when I exercise I would be starving if I had only had what you've eaten (assuming the frozen waffle is one of those small ones). It's quite possible you just really do need to eat a bit more.

 

If you're really worried, I would advise you to just count calories for a few weeks, and hit a number of calories and stop there, even if you're still a bit hungry (or eat a bunch of carrot and celery sticks to fill yourself up with few calories). If you are having pill side effects, they should mostly decrease within the first months.

 

Yeah, I tend to not be hungry at all in the mornings, but then to gain an appetite in the afternoon/evening, which is why I don't eat much throughout the day. I have been wondering if I should be eating more, but I had just decided to eat when my body wanted me to and see where that took me. Since my weight has been pretty stable the last month or so, I figured it was working.

 

It's good to know you didn't gain weight or have an increase in appetite. It's possible I'm imagining all of this! Exercise tends to curb my appetite, and Sunday is my day off... so maybe I am just legitimately hungry.

[greywolf]

I gained weight, but it was all water retention, and not actually fat.

[astromantic]

a little bit of weight gain, about 4-6 pounds. nothing that really alarmed me. but i also blame it on winter. i've been using birth control for about 4 months (2 of them on yasmine, the other 2 on the patch which i like more). i tend to gain weight in the winter anyways so i'm not freaking out but i also know i need to cut back and watch myself.