For a lot of women these days, the basis of choosing a contraceptive has become not only its effectiveness as a means of birth control; weight gain has become a powerful determinant, as well. After all, reports of a strong linkage between contraception and weight gain is enough to make women think twice about the contraceptive they're using, if any.
Contraceptive Pills and Weight Gain
An up-to-date census of women produced this astonishing figure: 1 in every 2 women believes that contraceptive pills induce unwanted undesirable weight gain. Of these believers, 20% declared that this was why they steer clear from oral contraceptives.
It seems that their fears are unjustified. Researchers maintain that it is tough to corroborate such an association between contraception and weight increase. Millions of women have picked up weight following their use of oral contraceptives. However, this observation alone is not sufficient to validate that such increase in weight is connected with the use of contraceptive. It is imperative to examine various elements in these women's lifestyle before making a big conclusion. There is a high possibility that women who already bank on an increase in weight following the use of a contraceptive pill are unwittingly modifying their established exercise and dietary patterns.
Women who are taking oral contraceptives and support this premise usually proclaim a weight increase no greater than five pounds. Very few of these women note a weight increase higher than 10 pounds. In most cases, changes in weight (whether an increase or a drop) that are linked to contraceptive pills are inadvertent effects of the pills within the initial three months of contraceptive use.
Changing Your Pill
Despite the paucity of information to back up these claims, if you remain anxious regarding the probable association between contraception and weight increase, simply inform your doctor. He could allow you to change your current contraceptive pill medication. Taking into consideration the fact that all pills are designed to inhibit gestation, different brands contain their own hormonal quantities. With this in mind, you can safely infer that changing your choice of pill could also remove, add, or change any or several side effects that you experience with one brand of contraceptive pills.
In general, those that have higher doses of estrogen have a greater likelihood of increasing your weight, due to fluid retention. Various studies report that these contraceptive pill brands are the safest to use if you want to give a wide berth to undesirable weight gain:
- Alesse
- Brevicon
- Levlite
- Loestrin-Fe
- Micronor
- Mircette
- Necon 0.5/35
- Nor-QD
- Tri-Norinyl
- Triphasil
- Ortho Cyclen
- Ortho Tri-Cyclen
- Ovrette
Weight Increase and Other Contraceptive Practices
Many ladies know about the reported connection between the contraceptive pills and inadvertent weight gain. Be that as it may, did you know that Depo Provera, Lunelle, and Norplant have all been linked to weight gain, as well? Those who reported weight increase after using these contraceptive methods claimed a gain no higher than 10 pounds. Nonetheless, it seems that ladies who are over 150 pounds typically acquire more pounds using these types of contraception compared to lighter ladies.
Always keep in mind that if you wish to use any of these means of birth control, it is best to consult your trusted healthcare professional before making a crucial move.
Fending Off Unwelcome Pounds
You have power over your body -- including your weight and fat levels. If you are intent on curbing extra pounds from using contraceptives, you better be cautious with your eating habits and exercise routines. To be even safer, find a more reliable means or instrument of birth control.
Meanwhile, for those of you who have used various kinds of birth control practices and yet remain beaten by unwanted weight gain (despite a good diet and regular exercise), let your healthcare professional check your insulin resistance. No need to worry, as a simple blood test is enough to find out if you have a problem in this area. If you were afflicted with insulin resistance, sticking to a low-carbohydrate diet would help you reach and maintain your preferred weight.
