Water-retention

The relationship between hormonal contraception and weight change is more nuanced than commonly believed. This article reviews what the evidence shows about contraceptive-related weight gain, what happens after stopping, and why individual experiences vary considerably.

Clothes fitting looser while the scale stays the same is common — and physiologically normal. It reflects genuine fat loss masked by water retention, glycogen replenishment, or simultaneous lean mass gain. Waist circumference is a more reliable indicator of metabolic health change than scale weight. This article explains the mechanisms.