How to Lose Weight on Alesse

Written by Holly Case

18 July, 2017

Alesse is a brand of hormonal birth control that allows women to have control over their fertility and avoid unwanted pregnancies. However, many women experience side effects along with these benefits, and one of the most common side effects is weight gain. According to MayoClinic.com, weight gain is not a proven side effect of birth control, but many women who report weight gain may be experiencing bloating and water retention as a result of the estrogen in the pills. If you want to lose weight, the techniques are the same whether or not you use birth control.

Reduce your calorie intake. The Centers for Disease Control states that it takes 3,500 calories to gain or lose a pound, and you can safely lose up to 2 lb per week. To reach that goal, you want to cut 1,000 calories from your diet each day. This may sound intimidating, but can be easily accomplished through a series of small steps. Switch to lower-fat options, avoid high-calorie drinks, eat smaller portions and skip dessert.

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Combine a regimen of aerobic exercise and strength training. The National Institute of Health recommends two and a half hours per week of aerobic exercise, which is most easily broken up into 30 minutes five times a week. However, the agency says that even several intervals of ten minutes each can be effective if it adds up to a sufficient total. You should also get strength training twice a week, either from light weights, resistance bands or Pilates.

Drink more water. Because the estrogen in birth control pills can cause the kidneys to retain more water, you need to drink a lot more water to flush them out. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends drinking eight to 10 glasses of water each day for optimal health and weight loss.

Warnings

Do not skip meals or go on "crash" diets that drastically restrict calories; your body will think it is starving and will burn calories more slowly. You will also regain any weight lost by this method when you resume eating normally.