Gaining Weight!!! - Wilmington,MA

Updated on December 14, 2010
K.H. asks from Cambridge, MA
11 answers

Ok so I started birth control again for the first time in years, after having my second child this past june. After I had my daughter I was about 10 lbs LIGHTER than before i was pregnant. I kept that weight until about 2 or 3 months ago, and now i've ballooned and put on 18 lbs. I am so down right now. I can't believe how heavy I have become and I never have enough energy! I have the baby and my 2 year old during the day and then I work at night and weekends. Has anyone else ever experienced this after starting birth control again, or after having a child? The no energy is killing me. No matter how much sleep I get I drag through the day and then at work. Any advice would be great! Oh as a side note, I do try to go for walks with the kids ( weather permitting ) playground trips, and I have an elliptical at home that when I get the chance I do use ( maybe 2 x's a week for 30 mins each time )

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the responses thus far. I think I'm going to really have to find the time to exercise more and I will take the advice of writing down what I eat. Maybe I am taking in more than I am burning. The energy thing could be the BC, or it could be lack of exercise. I have a doctors appt on the 18th of JAN anyway, so i will bring up the BC concern and im sure they will question my weight anyway. So maybe this will be a to be continued into January... Thanks for the thoughts and support. Much appreciated.

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F.W.

answers from Cumberland on

Maybe try a different birth control method? I was shocked when I was about 10 lbs. lighter than my prepregnancy weight a few months after delivering my first child. I realized some of it was from breastfeeding and running after multiple daycare children but another big factor was the birth control I was on. Before getting pregnant I was on Ortho-Tricylen which had estrogen and progesterone. While breastfeeding I used Camila, a "mini-pill" that is progesterone only so as not to interfere with my milk supply. Was just as effective for me and did not make me gain back those extra 10 lbs. Maybe try a pill with low estrogen or no estrogen? Or Mirena? (IUD)

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C.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

I hate to say this but....more than likely it's not your birth control. Right down everything you eat and drink, yes drink. That means every bite you take off your kids plates, every little extra chip you put in you mouth, every tsp. of creamer in your coffee/tea, pop you drink. You will be surprised at all the extra's you are eating and drinking.

Hate to say this too, but as we get older all these extra's are going to add up. Also you live in MA it's probably not been warm enough to take those walks, so how much exercise are you really getting? Doing an elliptical 2x per week just isn't enough. You really need to be doing cardio 4-5x per week 30-45 min. Long enough to get your heart rate up and stay up for awhile and also add in light weights 1-2x per week.

I'm saying all this with love women to women. I too have to make sure I'm doing all this or I will put on the weight in nothing flat. It sucks, I love my kids to death, but they do a number on our bodies. Goodluck

1 mom found this helpful

E.T.

answers from Boston on

Hi K., I am so sorry you are going through this and imagine that everyone will have a diet suggestion for you. As an avid Shaklee distributor, I wholeheartedly recommend our weight/inch loss all-natural product called Cinch. It is a powder (vanilla, chocolate, cafe latte & strawberry) that you mix with either milk or water -- it is honestly delicious and filling and gives you energy! The best part of our product is the FREE coaching and support that my mentor provides for as long as you need it. She knows everything about weight loss and nutrition and is on the product herself right now. I would love to hook you up with her by phone (she lives in MI) so she can explain all about it - if you are interested. The folks I know who have tried it have lost several pant/dress sizes and, most importantly, have been able to maintain the weight loss. It is a healthy way to lose. Please let me know if you would like to speak with my mentor and me to learn more about Cinch with no obligation -- ____@____.com or ###-###-#### I wish you all the best and hope to hear from you asap. E. Taft

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M.B.

answers from Milwaukee on

Yeah, it's the birth control. I had problems with several different kinds of hormonal BC pills and gaining weight. I was on a progesterone-only pill briefly during my senior year in college and gained 15lbs in ONE month! The only hormonal form of BC that didn't make me gain weight (and be moody) was the Nuvaring. But I still felt more mopey and depressed, so I finally decided to swear off all hormonal forms of BC and we use condoms. Btw, I hear if you're sensitive to gaining weight, the Depo shot is horrid, so I'd stay far away. Good luck, Mama!

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N.C.

answers from Boston on

You need to get bloodwork done to check your thyroid levels. If your thyroid is low, then your metabolism is too slow...ie. very tired, lots of sleep, weight gain. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after I had my second daughter and have been on daily meds since then. Head to your doctor's office to get it checked! Good luck!

G.T.

answers from Modesto on

I'd switch birth control pills. The same thing happened to me back in the day when I was taking them. I was used to a certain kind that ended up being discontinued so my ob put me on some other kind and I blew up really fast. She then switched me again to a lower dosage pill and the problem went away ... however I was always about 5 to 10lbs heavier while taking the pill. Talk to your doc, she would be the best one to inform you on what to switch to.

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L.L.

answers from Topeka on

I'm on my 3rd child she is 21 months I have started to gradually put on weight at the end of summer still continuing to do so i'm depressed I have martial issues that involve money because of no health care insurance the only reason why is he started a new job a few months ago they don't offer health care insurance through the company at a discounted rate so come to find out 3 weeks ago it was going to cost us about $900.00 a month plus limited visits a year so he dwelled it over said I need to find another job with better money,benefits,401 K so he did now waiting till it kicks in another 3 months there is no time to go by myself for a walk or to exercise I think about it all the time I can do something here at home but i'm too exhausted I don't sleep at night like everyone else does can't go see my Dr. because of no insurance so I take a sleep aid.There is all the hustle going on here at home the feedings of the kids,shopping,cleaning,down time,appts. I feel so fat I can't fit into any of my size 9 or 10 jeans had to go up in them I don't want to be over weight the health issues that come from being over weight.
I see you have an elliptical I love those if I had one I would make use out of it daily come to speak of hubby was suppose to get one i'll remind him how FAT i'm getting.

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K.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Yeah, I gained about 30lbs within 6 months of putting in the Mirena IUD, with NOTHING else changing (in fact, I was actively trying to LOSE weight with diet and exercise - I bet if I wasn't doing that I would have gained even more!). I had the IUD removed and now, finally, the weight is slowly coming off. So it is very possibly your birth control - who knows what those hormones are doing in your body. For me, I tried everything, diet, exercise, diet pills (in desperation). I even did a two week experiment (thinking that maybe I WAS eating too much and not exercising enough), where I wrote down everything I ate, ate really healthy foods, exercised everyday (cardio and weights), parked my car far away in the parking lot, took the stairs, everything. Simple math and science (calories in vs calories out) said I should have lost at least a couple of pounds in those two weeks. I gained 3lbs and it wasn't muscle (I have a scale that measures that). I then realized that the only thing I could do was lose the IUD - which I did. And I also realize that it had turned me into a complete beeeyotch. I'm much nicer now, and weigh less, too. I'll never use birth control which involves hormones again!

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K.A.

answers from Boston on

Speak to your doctor about the type of pill you are on. The different hormone levels in them can wreck havoc with your metabolism (and mood, and weight, and energy levels). I 'lighter' pill might be something that could work for you. Good luck with everything.

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S.D.

answers from Dothan on

Yea, for the last 12 years of birth control. And having children even though on a vegetarian diet ballooned up 50 lbs from hormones alone in pregnancy From the shot to the pill to the IUD.
I got my husband fixed, now I feel great and I am losing weight and feel like myself again meaning not bitchy,exhausted,overindulging,super emotional!!! YAHOOOO!!

Yea its the BC hun! get away from it and get fixed, or get hubby fixed. Promise you will love it!

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M.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Could def be your birth control...or perhaps even a thyroid issue. Hypothyroidism will make you gain weight and feel tired. See your doctor. 18 lbs is a lot to gain and will negatively affect your health and your spirit. Don't worry though-either one is fixable.

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