How to lose weight with the Depo shot
jdavis7622
Posts: 2 Member
I've been on the Depo shot for 2 years now. I've managed to gain 35 pounds. Any tips on how to jumpstart losing weight? I'm sure it will take time.
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Replies
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You're not a car, you don't need a jump start.
It's all calories in/calories out. Weigh, measure, and log. Plan meals if you have to. I'm on the depo shot too, and losing weight, because I'm keeping an eye on my calories.31 -
The main thing it does is make you more hungry. Focus on fluids, and low calorie snacks if you're a volume eater.
Also if you haven't already, try out different macros to see what satiates you the best! It seems to vary from person to person. Doing so should help with appetite control as well.8 -
You're not a car, you don't need a jump start.
It's all calories in/calories out. Weigh, measure, and log. Plan meals if you have to. I'm on the depo shot too, and losing weight, because I'm keeping an eye on my calories.
This. I'm also on the depo and have no problem losing. Count calories, stay at a deficit and keep your water intake up.5 -
Have you considered an alternative to depo? If you feel as though you have significant increased hunger on it, perhaps another option will work better for you. Otherwise, keep in mind that depo itself doesn't cause weight gain, just that some people experience increased hunger and water retention while on it.
And yes, weight loss will take time, but there is nothing you can do to jump start it. You just have to start and go one day at a time.6 -
the same way one would lose when they are not on depo - through a sustained calorie deficit.3
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Jdavis, I completely know where you're coming from! I just stopped taking the depo shot last month (technically, I just never got my last shot that was due a couple weeks ago). I have been on multiple types of birth control (spanning from Ortho tri cyclin to Mirena IUD)---never had one weight gain side effect. I have been taking the depo shot only since June and have gained 10 pounds. I work out 4-5 days per week (3 days are always weight lifting) and am health conscience with food. In other words, I didn't change a thing in my routine. As soon as I realized I was gaining this weight due to the depo, I immediately made the decision to stop the injections. I am wondering how long system will take to regulate back to normal, and when I will start seeing this abnormal weight gain go away! Let's keep each other posted!!11
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And by the way, the only way to lose weight would be to stop your depo injections!23
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I was on depo shot for years, got off it to have a baby... went back on it while in excellent fit condition and gained weight regardless to activity and diet. Took about 6-8 months for my hormones to adjust to the shot again and then the weight cane back off. I did a lot of research and found if you switch birth control it can actually get worse rather than better so I stuck it out. No problems now4
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asheffield13 wrote: »And by the way, the only way to lose weight would be to stop your depo injections!
No, it's not. Please don't spread lies.
I didn't gain weight because of the depo, I gained weight because I ate too much. I'm not losing weight in spite of the depo; I'm losing weight because I have a calorie deficit.18 -
Girl, I've been there done that with different methods of BC. Many (thousands) of women are going through unexplained weight gain caused directly from the depo shot. Added to that now are studies that are now being conducted. Every woman reacts differently, plain and simple. Just because you haven't gained weight, doesn't make it any less real for another woman.
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asheffield13 wrote: »Girl, I've been there done that with different methods of BC. Many (thousands) of women are going through unexplained weight gain caused directly from the depo shot. Added to that now are studies that are now being conducted. Every woman reacts differently, plain and simple. Just because you haven't gained weight, doesn't make it any less real for another woman.
Can you link to any studies? What is the process of gaining weight on depo? If food gets stored as fat it's not used to still hunger and nourish the body. Thus how does it work?6 -
I got the depo shot in March 17, I gained 40lbs! I totally think the depo contributed towards my weight gain. I decided NOT to go back for my latest shot, I'm working on getting it out of my system whilst controlling what I eat then when I have reached my goal weight I will consider a different method of contraception.6
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My best friend and roommate is naturally thin and gained 30lbs on the depo shot and she eats exactly the same way she did when she was thin and has the same activity level.
She may lose 5 to 8 every now and then when she's really not eating much, but for the most part her weight stays around 160ish now. She went from always being around 132lbs to 162lbs like almost overnight and granted she's still in the normal bmi range at 5'10 but she still doesn't like that a shot can make you gain that much weight and you have the same eating habits as before. I'm a little baffled myself and it makes me wonder slightly about CICO.
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I gained 30 lbs on Depo as well. I feel like it’s all in my stomach where I’ve never gained before. I’ve always had a flat stomach and I feel like now it’s all there. I don’t eat any red meat, never have and don’t feel like I’m eating any differently. Not saying that i eat 100% healthy, i don’t, but no differently than Pre Depo.2
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I have been on DEPO for about 3 years now. I can relate to the increased hunger, though for me it normally goes away after a couple of days. I've not gained weight unexpectedly and I have managed to lean out successfully while still on the injection. It may impact feelings of hunger etc but thats where mind over matter comes in and you learn to control your calorie intake. You cannot balloon up 40lbs without over eating enough to gain 40lbs.6
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It baffles me that women can be so nasty to one another. These threads are not meant for women to spout rude comments to one another. But rather, for women who are truly experiencing REAL issues seeking other women going through the same thing. You cannot tell a stranger that they are not experiencing something... How do you know?
All I know, is that I am an athletic woman who works out consistently and eats a healthy consistent diet. And over a 7 month period of time experienced a 10 pound weight gain doing nothing differently... Except taking the depo shot.12 -
asheffield13 wrote: »It baffles me that women can be so nasty to one another. These threads are not meant for women to spout rude comments to one another. But rather, for women who are truly experiencing REAL issues seeking other women going through the same thing. You cannot tell a stranger that they are not experiencing something... How do you know?
All I know, is that I am an athletic woman who works out consistently and eats a healthy consistent diet. And over a 7 month period of time experienced a 10 pound weight gain doing nothing differently... Except taking the depo shot.
It is possible that the shot caused a change in the number of calories that your body burns during the day (caused a slight lowering of your metabolism). Or you could just be eating an extra snack every couple of days - unless you are accurately tracking the calories that you eat and the calories that you expend, you really don't know if you are doing anything 'differently'.
What is not possible is that the shot will allow your body to manufacture energy (i.e. store more fat) unless you are eating more food or moving less to provide the calories that are being stored as fat.15 -
asheffield13 wrote: »It baffles me that women can be so nasty to one another. These threads are not meant for women to spout rude comments to one another. But rather, for women who are truly experiencing REAL issues seeking other women going through the same thing. You cannot tell a stranger that they are not experiencing something... How do you know?
All I know, is that I am an athletic woman who works out consistently and eats a healthy consistent diet. And over a 7 month period of time experienced a 10 pound weight gain doing nothing differently... Except taking the depo shot.
How many calories are you eating while you gained this weight? If weight was gained without excess calories it would only be water weight, if you have excessive water weight you should see your doctor.
There is also a possibility that the shot could cause your non exercise activities to decrease without you noticing.4 -
asheffield13 wrote: »And by the way, the only way to lose weight would be to stop your depo injections!
I lost 67lb while on Depo. I tracked what I ate, first through weightwatchers and then on here. I started running to burn a few more calories, and carried on tracking what I ate.9 -
Yes, eating less while on Depo, will still allow you lose weight. I think that is not really the point of OP's question though, . Even though it is worded jumo start, I'm guessing she's actually trying to figure out how to work around the handicap of increased depo induced hunger to still be able to lose weight.
Literally out of 20 replies, only one offered tips on how to keep the hunger under control in order to be able to actually keep her calorie count under her target. Most of the rest either told her to stop taking the shot (not your business) , stop eating so much food (duh), or argued about whether or not depo causes weight gain (not the point). How about some of you actually come up with some helpful ideas instead?
Jdavis7622, Unfortunately there really aren't many supplements that are both effective and safe, and most of the "jumpstart" plans are either useless, a scam or downright dangerous. The only way to really get things going is to figure out where you can cut more calories, and make your body work harder with some exercise. Logging and weighing everything with a scale will help you keep track of how much you are actually eating. Logging religiously, (even a couple weeks before actually cutting out food), including why you are eating, and how you feel before, during and an hour after eating will help you see what foods help you feel satisfied and good, which make you feel bloated or hungry again in an hour, and where you are eating out of habit instead of hunger. Once you do that, you can start playing with different foods, cutbacks and alternatives that will fit into your calorie budget. Lots of high fiber vegetables and lean protein might help curb the hunger cravings. The important (and hardest) thing to remember is that a jump start is basically useless in the long run. It is much more important, and easier to slowly work your way into changes that are actually sustainable.7 -
Here's what's going to happen: in 1 month I will report to you all on my weight. That will give my body enough time to adjust without the depo. I will continue doing the same exact regime I've been doing. This will hopefully help the women on this feed that are truly seeking help and wanting to know the same thing I'm wondering: how long will it take for our bodies to come back to normal after stopping the depo.
Anything else doesn't matter to me at this point. I know my body more than anyone else in this world. I've had two babies and have been through more hormonal crap than I care to truly know!8 -
asheffield13 wrote: »Here's what's going to happen: in 1 month I will report to you all on my weight. That will give my body enough time to adjust without the depo. I will continue doing the same exact regime I've been doing. This will hopefully help the women on this feed that are truly seeking help and wanting to know the same thing I'm wondering: how long will it take for our bodies to come back to normal after stopping the depo.
Anything else doesn't matter to me at this point. I know my body more than anyone else in this world. I've had two babies and have been through more hormonal crap than I care to truly know!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this wasn't your thread? I'm asking because it can be confusing sometimes to follow when threads go off in an unintended direction. When you update, you might want to start a fresh post so it's easier for those who are interested to follow it.
I'm interested in hearing your results, but everyone here should keep in mind that one person's experience doesn't necessarily have any bearing on someone else's.
What I'd really like to see are some published, peer-reviewed scientific studies to back these claims. Otherwise, it's difficult to take it as anything beyond anecdotal. Also, it's important to keep in mind that correlation doesn't not equal causation.13 -
Please be careful choosing depo. Long term depo use shows it can cause bone loss and infertility. They put a black box warning on it years ago. ❤️❤️2
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We would all love to see some scientific results regarding depo prevera and "published, peer-reviewed" science studies. But since there is hardly any of that for whatever reason, desperate women like me are seeking other women's experiences and what they are going through. That's why there are a million blogs out there on this topic! Again, none of us want to hear from women who have never been on depo, or who are/have been on it and haven't experienced any adverse effects and only want to be negative and opposing on these types of sites....I digress...
Update from 10 days ago:
I finally started my period for the first time after stopping depo, and within a week I have lost 3 pounds literally doing nothing. In fact, I ate like crap today and weighed myself at my 'heaviest time of the day', which is the end of the day. More to come ladies!
And by the way, blogs don't have to be formal and official and by the books. They can stray off course and gain insight for some people. I hope I don't get a spanking by the blog cops...
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I've been on depo since 1999. I also have PCOS to the point of we are in the beginning stages of talking about a hysterectomy. For the first 15 yrs. of depo I did not have a period at all. Now, as I approach peri-menopause I find that I have spotting and/or sometimes a full month worth of bleeding in the 2-3 month depo range. I was able to lose 80+ lbs by just logging food and exercising before I got sick. I'm back and not having any problems losing weight this time either.2
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glitterrainn wrote: »Please be careful choosing depo. Long term depo use shows it can cause bone loss and infertility. They put a black box warning on it years ago. ❤️❤️
Which is why my doctor carefully went through my family history for bone density before she put me on it. I can't take the pill because I get migraine with aura (stroke risk) and like hell I'm having anything shoved under my skin or up there.
I'm still losing weight on the depo.2 -
Hi.. just reading comments regarding 'Depo' .... as a sexual health nurse, I can confirm this type of long lasting contracteptive CAN indeed cause weight gain...thousands of women do, but not all. It may be a fab contraceptive but unfortunately (and the pharmaceutical company recognises this) it can be an very unwanted side effect. I think it is kind of like a steroid? anyone who has taken them or knows someone who has, will tell you they found they had an appetite from hell!! (hence why so many women complain they notice the weight around their middle first..?). I gave this contraceptive injection to many many women and would say that the majority loved it and would be devastated if refused it, but some ladies unfortunately, had to look elsewhere due to the weight gain. Yes, you can do the maths (calories in and calories out), but a shift in metabolism and the Depo can cause the weight gain.2
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Hi ladies! Nutritionist here. Unfortunately, it’s harder to lose weight gained by birth control because hormones slow your metabolism but making a few changes like always eating breakfast, only eating nutrient dense food, never eating before bed, etc. are a few ways to boost your metabolism. Hope this helps!6
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