Can't lose anything thanks to Depo Provera!!!

I gained 40 pounds on the depo shot the first time I was on it. I was a very active 17 year old girl then and I didn't change anything I was eating, no more, no less and I still gained, I couldn't lose the weight until I quit using it. Switch your birth control if your not happy with it, I had to.

I am sorry for your issue with Depo but that its not the case with me. I was not on BC when I gained weight. I've been on DP for 4.5 years and have lost all my extra weight and am now on maintenance mode. 1. Evaluate your intake look for culprits like salt. 2. Are you using an HRM to have a more accurate calorie burn? 3. How are your workouts? Try shocking your body with a different kind of workout. Best of luck.

I've heard that about depo I hate BC sooo much. I'm on it myself only b/c 3 is our max kids and I'm not getting pregnant again lol..I can't wait to be birth control free some day.

Vasectomy. That's what we did the week after we married, no more problems.

When I was on that, my doctors actually told me it in and of itself won't make you gain weight, at least not any more than any other birth control. It actually just increases your appetite which leads to over-eating and that's what causes the gain.

Your doctors are either liars or idiots.

Actually my doctor said the same thing. When I first got on it I actually lost weight because I used to not eat when playing sports and it increased my metabolism. Weight gain is a side effect because of the increase in appetite.

Let me make this simple: A known side effect of Depo Provera, which 40% of women experience, is weight gain due DIRECTLY to the shot itself and not tied to overeating or a bigger appetite.

This is documented and well known. Any doctor who says otherwise has not educated him or herself on the drug being administered and I would find a new doctor. I had this same experience with Mirena. My doctor insisted it did not affect weight. Yet after losing 30 pounds and maintaining that loss for several years, without decreasing my activity level or increasing my calories, I gained 25 pounds and no matter what I did (I even tried eating 500 calories a day for three weeks), I could not lose an ounce. I started asking around and found many, many women had the exact same experience I had.

Lucky for you, you were in the 60%.

When I was on that, my doctors actually told me it in and of itself won't make you gain weight, at least not any more than any other birth control. It actually just increases your appetite which leads to over-eating and that's what causes the gain.

Your doctors are either liars or idiots.

Actually my doctor said the same thing. When I first got on it I actually lost weight because I used to not eat when playing sports and it increased my metabolism. Weight gain is a side effect because of the increase in appetite.

Let me make this simple: A known side effect of Depo Provera, which 40% of women experience, is weight gain due DIRECTLY to the shot itself and not tied to overeating or a bigger appetite.

This is documented and well known. Any doctor who says this has no educated him or herself on the drug being administered and I would find a new doctor. I had this same exoerience with Mirena. My doctor insisted it did not affect weight. Yet after losing 30 pounds and maintaining that loss for several years, without decreasing my activity level or increasing my calories, I gained 25 pounds and no matter what I did (I even tried eating 500 calories a day for three weeks), I could not lose an ounce.

Lucky for you, you were in the 60%.

This! And men (unless they're certified doctors) have no place in this thread trying to tell her she isn't "working hard enough" because birth control messes you up in ways you'll never understand. Hormones regulate a lot in a woman's body and yes, it is possible for your body to gain and retain weight regardless of your diet when your hormones think you're pregnant and are prepping you for what your body assumes to be childbirth.

Me, I can't take birth control because it makes me gain insane amounts of weight. SSRIs will do that to you too. It's proven. I agree with the above advice to do it religiously for 4 weeks and bring the results to your doctor.. for me, I had to stop birth control altogether. But the right partner won't mind

Wow, so many informative opinions on here.:yawn:
Anyways, a side effect of BC, regardless of what kind you're on, is weight gain. However, doctors usually consider the weight gain as "vanity pounds" (which is still weight, no matter how they dress it up)

On the other hand, every woman is different. So, while it's great for some woman to lose weight, that doesn't always happen with EVERY woman. I would seriously suggest switching birth control if you think it is a problem.
Also, and I'm surprised no one has mentioned this in between the snarky comments, maybe you have hit a plateau? So, maybe changing your workout routine (higher intensity) and recalibrating your caloric allowance could help.
Whatever you do, do not give up

I'm on Depo, and I have lost weight on it. I gained the weight back because of my crappy eating habits. I have heard that one of the side effects is increased appetite, but I just adjusted :-)

I've been on different forms of BC for the last 15 years, and I've never had a problem losing weight when I wanted to - well, until my thyroid went to *kitten*. I may've gained a few pounds from it, but that was likely due to eating like crap.

My guess is you're either not eating the right foods, or you're eating too many calories, or you've got yourself on too tight of a calorie restriction causing your metabolism to slow down.

You're not eating enough to support 1-3 hours of cardio per day. Your metabolism has likely slowed down. Have you calculated your TDEE?

When I was on that, my doctors actually told me it in and of itself won't make you gain weight, at least not any more than any other birth control. It actually just increases your appetite which leads to over-eating and that's what causes the gain.

My doctor told me the same and as I have lost all the weight I wanted to, and am now at maintenance, I tend to agree. She said "if you don't put it in your mouth it won't make you fat!"

^^ Every single birth control on the market has a possible side effect of weight gain, it all depends on the person, the eating habits, the body's reaction to the hormones etc. The shot itself does not actually prevent you from losing weight. I was on Depo for years and didn't have any problems.