How to lose weight with the Depo shot
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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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Of course CICO still holds whilst using hormonal contraceptives - and it is possible to lose weight via a calorie deficit.
That doesn't mean it's impossible that the contraceptive can change either side of the equation indirectly - making it harder to do so.
Personally, I found that known/well-documented side effects of the pill and implanon implant made things more difficult.
Specifically:
- Mouth ulcers caused by the pill made it harder to eat certain foods, leading to a change in diet
- The pill caused joint pain and headaches, changing the intensity of exercise I was comfortable with
- The implant caused 'morning sickness', a cycle which was extended by two days and more severe cramping than usual. As a result, I worked out 2-4 days fewer per month at the gym and sometimes chose not to ride my bike to work
- Persistent spotting between cycles meant that I felt less like swimming
I switched to the non hormonal coil instead, which I found much better.1 -
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.
EXACTLY Why I never ask for advice on here. Sure, it's "user error" I can't believe in women can't support one another better than this. I am glad you said something.
The average weight gain per Depo user on this thread alone is 30# and I've had it since August and gained....30# BUT I am sure by the looks of some of these responses, it must be PURELY coincidence. LOL.2 -
Most hormonal birth control uses a form of progesterone. Progesterone can increase your appetite ergo you can gain weight on hormonal BC because your appetite is bigger and you eat more as a result.
If you know that cravings or desire to eat more is due to hormones, you can ignore the urges.
Keep tracking accurately. It's amazing how just one extra snack a day is enough to stall your weight loss.6 -
Hormonal contraceptives affect weight in two ways:
1) Increasing appetite
2) Increasing water retention (oestrogen causes this - this is why overweight women are often given the progestin-only mini-pill).
So, to those saying that it is only due to increased appetite/ calories - do your research - hormonal birth control can have other side effects which result in weight gain. They don't, however, lower your metabolism (in fact there has been one study which showed a slightly INCREASED metabolism for people on hormonal contraceptives)
OP, I don't think you can do anything much to kick start your diet... If you stay on depo it will be a case of tracking calories, moving more, and probably a willpower battle to overcome any increases in appetite.
It might be worth discussing a different type of contraceptive with your doctor... I gained less weight with the mini-pill than any other contraceptive I have taken.1 -
I've been on the Depo shot since I was 19 and I'm 37 now and weigh 233lbs, I'm finding it HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE to lose weight. Been using Noom since Dec 22nd 2020, I cut my calories. I've never been a JUNK FOOD only eater, I use to eat every 2 hours and don't now. My weight goes up a bit and down to where it was but that's it, the ONLY way I've EVER been able to lose weight is by not eating at all. CAN NEVER drop below 200lbs even with eating once a day and walking 2 miles EVERYDAY in the Summer. In 2005 is when I noticed weight gain, and been going up ever since, my heaviest was 250lbs.0
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BeckyKnox971 wrote: »I've been on the Depo shot since I was 19 and I'm 37 now and weigh 233lbs, I'm finding it HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE to lose weight. Been using Noom since Dec 22nd 2020, I cut my calories. I've never been a JUNK FOOD only eater, I use to eat every 2 hours and don't now. My weight goes up a bit and down to where it was but that's it, the ONLY way I've EVER been able to lose weight is by not eating at all. CAN NEVER drop below 200lbs even with eating once a day and walking 2 miles EVERYDAY in the Summer. In 2005 is when I noticed weight gain, and been going up ever since, my heaviest was 250lbs.
Can you open your food diary, and you as well @asheffield13? We can get a better idea of what’s going on. What are your stats? We can help. And seriously, don’t worry if it shows fast food or anything like that, since it doesn’t matter whatsoever in losing weight. Heck it’s part of my weight loss plan even.
Would also love to see any evidence that shows you can gain fat without eating above your TDEE. Would be a medical anomaly, so keep us posted.1 -
Nvm- the user is gone1
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msalicia07 wrote: »erinbersell wrote: »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!
Always eating breakfast and not eating before bed boosts metabolism? Can you explain that metabolic biochemistry?
She has just the one post from March 2019 so don't expect an answer0 -
I've tried many forms of BC over the decades, and my favorite by far is - vasectomy!
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kshama2001 wrote: »msalicia07 wrote: »erinbersell wrote: »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!
Always eating breakfast and not eating before bed boosts metabolism? Can you explain that metabolic biochemistry?
She has just the one post from March 2019 so don't expect an answer
I just realized that lol!
And I gotta admit I never heard a vasectomy put that way before. Amazing 😆1
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