Watch your nutrient intake and tailor it to YOU

I had my shot back in May and aside from my own unwittingly self-inflicted side-effect, I've been fine (after the initial month of my body yelling OMG WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!?! time getting acquainted with the drug, of course). I have also forgotten that excess protein can cause you to lose more calcium. I was definitely on the higher than norm protein consumption than I was accustomed to in my quest to reduce my carbs/sugars intake. I pretty much set myself up for it, but forewarned is forearmed. A chat with even a PA isn't a bad idea when you decide to make a major change in your life, and altering your diet is a big one. You might require extra care at the onset of your plan to help keep balance in your system, then steadily "wean" yourself down as you lose mass.
I try to remind myself that a pound is a pound, muscle does not weigh more than fat, it takes up less room. I want to lose weight yes, but I'm more interested in losing mass. The Depo shot has been known to possibly cause weight gain, I thought "Oh great, another speed bump to overcome." But in the first month I after I had it, of the side effects I experienced, weight gain wasn't one of them. I was diligent in my diet and exercise and thank to MFP, watched exactly what I ate. The 10lbs I lost (and found, to my perturbed annoyance) were a direct result of that diligence. I did it once, I will do it again and knowing it can be done I will lose that and more to reach my goal. Am I angry that in my slip I essentially lost all my progress? Not really. Annoyed? Eh...yeah, a lil grumpy. I know it will take a bit longer to get back to where I started since my bones are weaker than when I began before, but from several articles I've read, regular exercise seems to make calcium more available to your bones. A short walk is better than sitting on my butt. I started at a 15 min treadmill walk and maybe 10 on the elliptical to work my way up to the hour I was doing when I quit. Moderation is everything, I'll do as much as my body says it can handle then stop. Add a minute a day until I'm back and focus on what I'm going for, not what I had.

One note here: The food you eat is the best source of calcium because the calcium in food is more readily absorbed by your body. Supplements are a good alternative source, but sometimes they can lead to too much calcium. Up to 2500mg a day will not cause any problems, but higher levels may interfere with the absorption of other minerals, like iron or zinc. Excess calcium can also cause constipation and can lead to kidney stones in people who have a genetic propensity to form them. That's why I mentioned seeing a physician to have a check on your vitals and current levels that will be affected by your new way of life as a lighter, leaner you. My personal amount was 1800mg a day, I take two 600mg tablets with my multi-vitamin. I take those it with a protein shake made with milk and I usually have a cup of yogurt sometime later in the day. I plan to go down to one 600mg as I focus more on calcium-rich foods in my diet to better access the other nutritional values they have to offer.