i think youre on the right track..i personally haven't had any weight gain due to the pill(i'm on yaz) and any side effects i had(nausea, headaches,dizziness, spotting) dissappeared within three months of use...though the pill does effect women in different ways...just continue to excercise, monitor what you eat and definitely watch your salt intake, thats about all you can do! good luck though and just keep at it..make sure you are doing plenty of cardio as well, you should do a minimum of 30 minutes for it to be effective

Do you want to have children later down the road?

IF not, I might suggest that you look into more permanent forms of birth control like getting your tubes tied, or having your partner request a vasectomy. These procedures are quite reliable and there's no weight gain!

Yes I love children. Im only in my mid twenties as well, not to many doctors would tie my tubes and if they would, not a doctor I would want to see!!

How about the calendar method (planning sex on your infertile days of the menstrual cycle) while using a condom?

No im staying on birth control, I just want to know if anyone has had good luck with a certain brand. Unless I go with the IUD later on down the road.
The calendar method takes 6 months of tracking and its not reliable at all. I also cant use condoms, they give me horrible infections.

i haven't had any problems with yaz..though i'm sure you've read on this forum that many women hate it...its the only pill i've been on and i'm satisfied with it...i'm with you, condoms irritate me and as for the calendar method..HA! for me?! before b.c. i was SO irregular..it was nuts..i hated it..one month i'd have a 28 day cycle the next it'd be 38 days oh it was horrible..especially when I became sexually active because i never knew when or if it was coming! yikes! i love yaz everything is right on time now maybe you should look into the IUD though?

I've been on Yaz for only 1 month, and am trying it specifically to treat my severe PMS which it is highly prescribed for. As important as that is to me, I'm really frustrated for feeling like I've gained 4-5 lbs (and I'm a fairly small sized person, with plenty of breasts, frankly, so 4-5 lbs AND bigger boobs isn't easy to ignore). I've experienced no negatives aside from feeling heavier and tighter in my clothes, but I really hope it is something that will balance out after sticking with it longer. I too workout regularly, and eat a decent diet.

What I would suggest if you haven't tried, and you are doing everything else to maintain your comfortable weight, is a diuretic/ water pill. I've been using over the counter like Diurex, or AquaBan. There is no side effect, other than peeing alot, and you have to be drinking alot of water, which you said you do. I think most of the fat feeling I'm having is water retention, and that's what those are for. It's a cheap, safe thing to try. Hope it's helpful!