Gg (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) on 11/16/2009:

I'm 28 and have been taking the pill for about 5 years and recently decided I should have a break. I had gained a couple of extra kilos over the years that became increasingly hard to shift. Every year it was only a little bit but it all adds up, and like my dad says, half a kilo a year = very overweight by the time you're in your 50's! I'd always been very slim and didn't tend to put on weight, despite the fact I used to "eat for Australia" -- much to most people's jealousy. I could basically eat whatever I liked at whatever time of day. I eventually just attributed the cellulite and extra "puppy fat" to getting older and gave up trying to get back to my late teenage size. We're only talking about a size and a half bigger here but it was the fact that I just COULDN'T get rid of the fat that got me down. I was also having major migraines around the time of menstruation and the pill I was taking was really expensive, so I decided to have a break, I figured it would do me good.

Immediately the fat started dropping off! This was bitter-sweet for me, as it confirmed my suspicions but it also meant I was always going to have to deal with the extra kilos if I wanted to avoid "oops" children (other contraception didn't work well for me).

Eventually I had such bad skin problems (I guess it was like a "withdrawal"?) that I started back on it. But I'd effortlessly dropped almost 2 sizes and was able to get back into old jeans I'd given up on, all whilst eating like I used to - it was so liberating! I was chuffed!

Before I started taking the BC pill again I started with a regimen of ACV twice a day. I've been using it on and off for about a year and found it kept colds and flu at bay, helped me get better quicker and relieved a lot of muscle cramps I get from sitting at a computer all day. NOT to mention the candida probs it helps fix! I am a chronic thrush sufferer and the best "help" I've been able to get from the medical community is "Oh well, some women are just prone to it". YAY! Coming from a male doctor. Ie. "Just deal with it". If you suffer this problem you will know what I mean when I say it can make you beside yourself, on an emotional level, when you can't stop it, get rid of it or even enjoy eating any of the foods you like. And the discomfort of being incredibly itchy ALL the time! Anyway that's a post for the "candida" part of this website. :-) Suffice it to say ACV keeps things in my digestive tract fairly under control, even when I eat known "aggravators".

So I started having 2 Tbsp with about a level tsp of bicarb each morning and evening (for thrush at that stage). I have been back on the pill for a month and a half AND I've been eating all the wrong foods (ie. Pasta, bread, some snacks, pastries and sugary treats at the movies) and my weight remains the same. I'm very surprised. I've found I have a lot more freedom in what I can eat without suffering weight-gain or side effects of digestive complaints. I've also started using it on my face as a toner at night after I cleanse - it was the only thing that helped clear up the massive acne outbreak I had when I went off the pill. I use it straight and apply with a cotton pad, then rinse off after about 20 seconds. Stings a bit but you know it's working!

I can't say enough good things about ACV!