When will I finally Lose the Weight After Depo Provera?
jdleslie18
Posts: 46 Member
Ugh! Started taking Depo Provera last May. Within months, I had already gained 15 pounds, but I didn't put it together that the Depo is what was causing my weight gain. I ended up having two more shots and gained a total of 50 pounds. I was about 3 pounds underweight before and now I'm 13 pounds overweight. I stopped getting the shots and hoped the weight would just come off, but it didn't. I exercise like crazy and eat a mostly vegan diet. I thought there must be something else wrong with me and had every blood test known to man done on me. All the labwork came back as 'normal' and I'm back to questioning if this could be because of depo. I finally am getting a normal cycle as of this month and have lost about 4 pounds in the past month or so. I have never had an issue with my weight. Am I finally turning a corner with my weight loss journey? Will the weight come off easily now? Advise from other would be very helpful!
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Replies
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One of the side effects of Depo is weight gain - but many people have found once the hormones settle out (about 2-4 months of getting off it) they are able to lose weight easier.1
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I went through this when I was seventeen. Started the shot, was on it for like 6 months the first time gained 20 lbs, stopped the shot and lost the weight in a few months, then went back on it when things got serious with me and my now husband and in 8 months I gained 40 lbs, missed one shot by 2 weeks and got pregnant. I will NEVER be put back on that shot. Good luck hun, I know it sucks.3
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I stopped having Depo after I fell pregnant on it with my son. I never gained weight but it took ages for my cycle to return to normal, not sure if that was because of the Depo or because of my pregnancy. Weight gain is a common side effect for most forms of contraception, when your cycle regulates itself you'll probably start shedding lbs easier, good luck!0
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You should consider yourself lucky to be only 13 pounds overweight. I was in a normal range before depo and gained 60-70 pounds in the year and a half I was on it. It's very common to gain that much weight. From what my doctor told me it can get your hormones off balance and it could take anywhere from a few weeks to 9+ months for your body to go back to normal. I'm finally noticing a change with me after about 2 months of being off the shot. I feel a lot better than I did, a lot more energy but still finding it tough to lose any of the weight. Just be careful, I was advised to try a high protein diet so maybe discuss that with your doctor. Don't overdo the exercise and cardio as it causes your body to produce cortisol which will cause your body to store up all your carbs and you won't lose any weight that way! Just stick to about 30-45 mins of cardio per day max and stick to a balanced healthy diet and once your body adjusts, you will begin to see changes. Be patient! The depo shot is HORRIBLE wouldn't recommend it to anyone!1
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Good luck! I went on the depo shot when I was 16. Gained 60lb in the first 3 months. Thought maybe it was just my body getting used to it, not so much. The depo is an ugly thing! After gaining weight like crazy I went off of it and still have that weight and then some. But i'm trying to lose it. The depo shot is what got the doctors wondering what was going on and is when I got diagnosed with pcos. Losing the weight you gained while on the shot isn't going to be easy but you can do it. It can take over a year for the depo shot to completely get out of your system. Its a nasty thing.1
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Thanks, ladies! I'm getting so discouraged. I just want to make sure that nothing else is wrong with me. I think I'm convinced this is all Depo related. BTW, I was supposed to have my last shot November of 2012, so its been about 5 months. Does anyone who has lost weight after Depo remember the timing of when it became easier?0
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I have been on Depo since August of 2011 and have lost 50+ lbs. It isn't the Depo that makes you gain weight, unless you already had a weight issue to begin with. Your doctor should have explained that to you. I still get the shot and am still losing weight.3
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No, I've NEVER had a weight problem. Within 3 shots, I gained 50 lbs. I have had ALL sorts of bloodwork done and this is the only explanation. I wasn't successful with weight loss until about a month ago. Even following a very strict diet/exercise regiment, I would still gain weight. I think it effects everyone differently. I interested in those that have had similar experiences.0
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Hey, I understand the frustration as I am currently off the shot as of today (meaning the shot "should" no longer be in affect) I gained about 20lbs over the 2 1/2 years I have been on it and recently decided to stay away from all hormonal birth control. I am going to rely on spermicide, pulling out, and the fertility awareness method. I'm sick of working my *kitten* off and the weight not coming off like it should. Hopefully we can lose this weight! Also, I have never had a weight problem, I had always been in the goal weight range for my height, and it does affect people differently. I am sick of people telling me it's my fault I gained the weight. No it is not. Thank you very much.0
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I have been on Depo since August of 2011 and have lost 50+ lbs. It isn't the Depo that makes you gain weight, unless you already had a weight issue to begin with. Your doctor should have explained that to you. I still get the shot and am still losing weight.
^This^ The depo injection itself doesn't make you gain weight.
What it does do though is increase your appetite, more food makes you gain weight, not the drug.4 -
I have been on Depo since August of 2011 and have lost 50+ lbs. It isn't the Depo that makes you gain weight, unless you already had a weight issue to begin with. Your doctor should have explained that to you. I still get the shot and am still losing weight.
^This^ The depo injection itself doesn't make you gain weight.
What it does do though is increase your appetite, more food makes you gain weight, not the drug.
Exactly. I've been on Depo for years. No weight gain, and no trouble losing. I am hungrier at certain points, especially the week before my shot, but I know its just the Depo and I adjust accordingly. If it makes you so hungry that you can't control your food intake, then it probably isn't the right BC for you.2 -
I have been on depo since april of 2011.yea i did gain weight on it but i dont blame it just on the shot it makes u feel hungry so u eat.i started my weight loss journey this year in feb and lost 17 pounds and im still on depo2
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I have been on Depo ten years with no weight gain from the shot. I have gained and lost the same amount of weight due to over eating though.0
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I have actually had the opposite problem - I lost 30
Pounds while on the Depo shot for a year, but got off it in January and have gained 20 pounds since then. I haven't been living too much different than before, but the weight just has packed on. My doctor told me that most people gain weight once of the Depo shot, but once it's out of your system, that you should be able to lose weight like normal. But, I'm feeling very discouraged at this point as well. ????0 -
I was about 115 lbs before I started the depo and gained 50 lbs in 5 months! Never had a problem before going on Depo with my weight.. and had 2 kids prior to going on it. It did not increase my appetite, it messed up my hormones, therefore resulting in weight gain. I went to an Endocronologist and had a lot of testing done. I also experienced hair loss, dizzines to the point of being unable to walk, migraines, fatigue...I could go on!!!! I have been off of the thing for about 10 years... and still have troubles with trying to lose weight.. which I never had before depo.1
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What some people need to understand is that not everyone will have the same symptoms from the shot. It is frustrating when you see someone post that it is not the shot, it is you. The shot has side effects and it takes on to each of us differently. I have never had a problem with weight gain while on birth control until I took the shot. I have been off the shot for 4 months now and the weight will not leave,. So I will have to continue my plan of dieting and exercising and wait for the side effects to completely leave my body. The goal right now is to maintain my plan and keep the weight from increasing. As with everything, you have to decide carefully as to what method is best for you. Some birth control methods work differently than others, unfortunately, this is one of them. Good luck ladies.2
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I have been on depo twice now. The first time i gained 20lbs. I was so upset i got off of it right away and lost the weight in a matter of months. This time i gained 30lbs. I am so pissed. It it 100% the shot. I have been off it for a month now and have not lost anything. The first time it just fell off. DEPO IS HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!0
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I call depo my "happy shot." I've gained and lost weight during the years I was on it depending on my food & fitness habits, not based on the shot. The first year I was on the shot I lost weight. The one time I tried going off it (because it was expensive) I immediately started gaining weight.
From what I understand if your cycle is naturally regular then you will probably have bad results with the depo shot. If your cycle is all over the place (like mine is) it will probably work well for you.0 -
I've been on the Depo for over 2 years and I have lost 32lbs although I was worried about weight gain but this hasn't been an issue0
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I took the shot for over a year and gained nearly 80lbs. I was off of it for a year before I got pregnant with my son and the weight NEVER went away, even counting that I worked at a job where I was on my feet and active for 11 hrs a day, 4 days a week.0
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I was on Depo yrs ago.. I gained 100lbs while on it...!!!!!!!!!!!! Once I decided to stop, it took my body about 6 mths to finally start dropping weight (and I was 18 at the time).1
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Depo is the only form of birth control that can cause weight gain, not just increased appetite. Not in every person. There's always going to be people who it doesn't affect that way.
I was on Depo a few years ago, and slowly gained about 30-40 pounds over several years. I was a bit skinny when I started, and had also just gotten over a jaw problem that caused that skinniness, so I didn't mind much at first, and didn't really put two and two together, either. I went off the depo for a while, and it was during that time that I lost weight on here.
I got back on it late last summer. The first two injections, no problems. Except some breakthrough bleeding, but no change in my weight or anything. After the third and fourth shots, even though I was still logging my food and exercising the same as before, I gained weight each time. Not a helluva lot, maybe a total of 12 pounds, but I didn't want that trend to continue, so I stopped getting it.
I'm now playing a waiting game for the hormones to completely leave my body. It's been about five months since I last had a shot, so two months since I was last due, and my period is still screwy and the weight will NOT budge. At least I stopped gaining, so that's something. :grumble:2 -
Reading all the threads on Depo Provera on these forums, I guess that I'm really grateful that I'm apparently one of the people Depo was made for...I was on it for a couple years after having my daughter, and again since having my son. I tried a few other forms and the mood swings were terrible; I act pretty balanced on Depo Provera.
So long as I'm not breastfeeding, I'm able to lose weight on the shot. I gained quite a bit (30 ish pounds? ) when I went off it, when we were trying for my son. Hot weather and salt water taffy have that effect on me, but it was still pretty dramatic. I had to get some of that off before I finally became pregnant with him. All my extra poundage has been traceable to either that period when we were trying, or my pregnancy with the boy. Although, to add weirdness to the situation, I still get occasional periods even though I'm on Depo.
It's too bad there isn't some hormonal test that ladies can take to tell them what form of BC is best for them. It's really all trial and error.1 -
Thanks, ladies! I'm getting so discouraged. I just want to make sure that nothing else is wrong with me. I think I'm convinced this is all Depo related. BTW, I was supposed to have my last shot November of 2012, so its been about 5 months. Does anyone who has lost weight after Depo remember the timing of when it became easier?
I was on it for a full year and gained 20 pounds (this was in my early 20's). It took a full year to START dropping weight. I did everything - even starved myself. It was so horrible. My self-esteem took such a hit from that. Be patient. When the weight did come off, it happened very quickly. As in, one day I woke up and had lost 5 pounds. I thought it was an anomaly, but within a month, I had dropped another five.1 -
Also, I have never had a weight problem, I had always been in the goal weight range for my height, and it does affect people differently. I am sick of people telling me it's my fault I gained the weight. No it is not. Thank you very much.
^ ^ So agree with this. Hang in there! You'll get through it!1 -
I came off it a few years ago after becoming a psycho ***** on it.
It took me about a year to get back to normal and for my periods to return.1 -
I have been on Depo since August of 2011 and have lost 50+ lbs. It isn't the Depo that makes you gain weight, unless you already had a weight issue to begin with. Your doctor should have explained that to you. I still get the shot and am still losing weight.
^This^ The depo injection itself doesn't make you gain weight.
What it does do though is increase your appetite, more food makes you gain weight, not the drug.
Exactly. I've been on Depo for years. No weight gain, and no trouble losing. I am hungrier at certain points, especially the week before my shot, but I know its just the Depo and I adjust accordingly. If it makes you so hungry that you can't control your food intake, then it probably isn't the right BC for you.
This is what my daughter has told me as well. She has been on the depo shot for 3 years now and only put on 15 pounds during that 3 years time. She decided she wanted to get rid of that little bit of weight gain and did it within 2 months. She just watched what she ate and exercised. She has learned to control her appetite. She keeps track of what she ate and when so she knows she isn't really hungry because she just ate. She's also on other meds as well that are said to cause weight gain yet she was able to take off that 15 pounds and has kept it off for several months now.0 -
I just did a google search. 1 in 4 women experience significant weight gain on the shot. Here's another article talking about weight gain and the shot. Bottom line, every one is different, but this is a widely reported side effect. http://contraception.about.com/od/depoprovera/f/depoweightgain.htm2
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A different perspective from any other posts....I am currently 39 yrs old. I started depo from 25-35 with zero effects. I was the poster child for depo. After 10 years my doctor was concerned about bone loss and for personal reasons I wanted to have my period again (35 yrs old). It took a year and a half to have my period. I had my period for another year and a half and I hated it so I wanted to go back on the shot (38 yr old). I got my first shot last year at my birthday (Aug 2012) and I gained 8lb almost instantly. I lost it, but then gained it back 3 months later with my next injection. I was under some incredible stress during that time so I didn't connect the dots that it was the shot. I lift weights 6 days a week, eat a VERY clean diet and my scale never changes. No matter how much I work out, or diet, my weight doesn't change. I'm now going off the shot and hoping to see a difference. Luckily I have only gained 15lbs but that is a lot on a small frame. I want people to know that every body is different, but as you age, your body changes. Good Luck! Lots of love to everyone struggling with weight....it is NEVER easy!!1
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Depo is the devil :devil:
It took me on a wild ride too. I never did get to my pre-depo weight after stopping it but I was very young. Good luck!1
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