Does birth control affect weight loss? The answer is different than everyone thinks

Contraception is nowadays a widespread issue, which has a number of undesirable effects in addition to the desirable ones. For example, women believe that contraception is behind their regular migraines, nausea, acne or even uncontrollable weight gain. And although some of these effects are indeed confirmed by scientific studies, others are more likely to have arisen from misinterpretation of research. And the latter category includes the fact that it is more difficult to lose weight with the use of contraceptives. Fortunately, in today's article we will set the record straight.

Article content:

• A little about hormonal contraception
• Does hormonal contraception affect weight loss?
• But I gain weight while taking birth control!
• How to lose weight while taking birth control?
• What to take away from today's article?

A little about hormonal contraception

Before we get into the actual effect of hormonal contraception on weight loss or weight gain, we should briefly introduce it. The first ever pill form of contraception was approved in the early 1970s in the United States and since then, thanks to it, the number of abortions has also radically decreased. The mechanism of action is quite complex, so for the purposes of today's article it is enough to know that the pill usually contains two synthetic hormones mimicking the female ones - most often consisting of an estrogenic component (e.g. estrogen itself) and a progestin.

Due to these effects , contraceptives can make the body feel that the woman is pregnant, and therefore ovulation will stop. Thus, the reliability of hormonal contraceptives reaches up to 99%, which is also why these pills are facing increasing popularity.

Hormonal contraceptives are usually a combination of an estrogenic component and a progestin.

Does hormonal contraception affect weight loss?

That you will not be able to lose weight with hormonal contraceptives is, of course, a myth. But even this is based on a true and logical reasoning. Progestins have been shown to increase appetite and this can of course result in weight gain. But the stumbling block is that most contraceptives do not contain enough of them to promote weight gain in any staggering way. Thus, research has shown that even women taking progestin alone gained less than 4.4 pounds (about two kilograms) in 6 to 12 months of use. And that's a relatively insignificant number.

The problem of gaining excess weight while taking birth control may be somewhere a little different. Estrogen, which should be present in hormonal contraceptives in some form, causes water retention in the body. So, if you feel that you are gaining excess weight, it may just be due to excessive water retention. However, as the amount of oestrogen in these drugs is demonstrably much lower than in the past, this effect should be temporary and should not be significant.

But I am gaining weight while taking birth control!

Many women may argue that they gain weight while taking hormonal contraceptives. And of course, there is no objection to this, every body (as well as every product used) is a little different and it may well happen that you gain weight, whether it is fat or water, when using contraceptives. On the other hand, in many cases, unwanted weight gain and the inability to lose weight can have a number of different causes.

The most common one is some change that can occur either in the diet or in the overall amount of exercise. Often people don't even realise that they have started driving more instead of walking, for example, or that they are suddenly eating more sweets than usual. These are small details, but they can ultimately lead to a change in the ratio of calories in and calories out, and can therefore affect overall weight loss or weight gain.

Some women may actually gain weight after birth control, especially in the short term. But often a small change in lifestyle is also to blame.

How to lose weight while taking contraceptives?

If you react to hormonal contraceptives by over-accumulating water or gaining fat, it may be worth considering seeing a doctor who should be able to change your medication if necessary. But if you're experiencing only minimal changes in your weight, it's not a problem and with a little diligence you can lose weight without any problems. We recommend sticking to these basic pillars, which are actually identical when losing weight without birth control:

It won't work without the right diet

Even though you may have sweet cravingswhile taking HA, for example, you still need to have the right diet. We even wrote about this in our series called How to Set Your Diet, and you should keep in mind that your caloric expenditure needs to be higher than your caloric intake. Without this simple rule, but one that still gives a lot of people trouble, you simply and easily won't lose an ounce of weight.

Hormonal contraceptives can actually influence your taste preferences. But the important thing is not to give in to them and have a set diet.

Move more

When you feel the need to eat more, try to compensate with more exercise. Think about how much time you spend on social media each day - try to fill that time with walking, riding an exercise bike or any other physical activity. This will not only keep you fit, but also increase your calorie expenditure and suddenly it will be easier for you to lose weight.

Give it time

Changes in your weight probably won't happen in a day. Not to mention that for the first few weeks of taking hormonal contraceptives, you may actually be excessively waterlogged, and this will of course also manifest itself in increased weight. So don't be unnecessarily hard on yourself and don't set yourself an unnecessarily strict diet, rather stay in just a slight calorie deficit for a longer period of time. You should find out how your body reacts in about a month.

Get plenty of exercise and try to watch your diet. You'll see results after a few weeks.

What to take away from today's article?

The main thing you should take away from today's article is that while hormonal contraceptives can increase appetite and thus cause weight gain, it's actually not as bad as they say. Much more often it causes waterlogging, which, although it also results in more weight, disappears after a while. However, if you get both your diet and training right and are in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight reliably even when taking hormonal contraceptives. After all, many female athletes prepare for competitions and use contraceptives, so it is not good to make excuses for hormones.