Hormonal birth control allows women to avoid pregnancy at unwanted times, but many women experience side effects, including weight gain. The Mayo Clinic reports that although weight gain is not a proven side effect, many women experience weight gain from bloating and water retention due to the estrogen in the pills. Some women also find that the hormones in birth control stimulate their appetite to eat more, resulting in weight gain. Although it may be possible to lose weight while continuing to take birth control, many women choose to discontinue birth control in hopes of losing weight.
Step 1
Stop taking birth control pills, if this is the contraceptive method you are using. You can either stop taking the pills at the end of your current pack, or stop immediately. If you are using a long-term method such as the patch or the Depo-Provera shot, you will need to wait for it to wear off, and do not start another round. You should also consult with your doctor to plan an alternate form of birth control to protect yourself from unwanted pregnancies.
Step 2
Consider changing birth control methods, rather than quitting altogether. Some birth control methods, such as the Depo-Provera shot, are much more likely to cause weight gain than other methods. You may only need to switch to a nonhormonal form of birth control to see weight loss benefits.
Step 3
Expect to wait a few weeks or months until your cycles return to normal. According to the Mayo Clinic, some women begin to ovulate again within four to six weeks after discontinuing the birth control pill, while other women may wait months. During this time, your hormones are returning to normal. Because birth control causes weight gain due to water retention, it is possible to lose that water weight once the hormones from birth control are out of your system.
Step 4
Exercise and diet to lose any additional weight you gained while taking birth control. Reduce 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week. Engage in aerobic exercise for a total of 2 1/2 hours each week, and do resistance training or light weightlifting two days a week.
Step 5
Drink more water to help your kidneys flush out the excess fluid they retained while you were taking birth control.
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