Depo Provera and weight

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2003
Depo Provera and weight
2
Wed, 06-09-2004 - 2:56pm
Is anybody on Depo-Provera, and have you had a significant weight gain? Have you been able to lose it?

My doctor put me on Depo last fall after I was on Lupron for a year. Despite the fact that I have eaten a low fat diet for years, I gained a whopping 30 pounds between November and May! I tried to cut back, but I have that hypoglycemia type shaky feeling, although my blood sugar is normal...

I'm due for my next shot, but I have decided to go off it.

So, what's the best and quickest way to get my weight off? Any ideas are appreciated...

Wildkitten

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 8:10am
Weight gain is one of the most common side effects of Depo--the "average" is supposed to be six pounds per year, but we've heard more than a few reports of 20, 30, and 40 pound weight gains. You're not alone there!

As far as losing the weight...it may take up to a year for the Depo to fully leave your system and for you to start having regular periods. Some women go back to regular cycles right away, but it can be a while for others. How this is relevant (besides just being a piece of information you might want in about a month or two) is that if the Depo caused you to gain the weight (and I'd wager that it's the culprit), it may be tough to lose it while you're still under its influence.

Best and quickest aren't going to be the same thing for how to lose weight! Healthy living, including nutrition and exercise, is one of my other passions in life. It seems like everybody's got a diet that they think you should try that worked for them, but it's not rocket science. So long as you don't have metabolic problems, as long as calories consumed does not exceed calories burned, you should be able to lose weight. It doesn't matter where the calories come from, you don't have to have a precise proportion of carbs-to-protein-to-fat, just calories in < calories out. You can lose weight quickly in an unhealthy fashion or using diet aids (that aren't proven safe by the FDA), but the best way to lose weight is in a way that you can sustain for the rest of your life so that you're not always going from one diet to the next.

But there are ways that are easier for some people than others to make sure that they're maxing out the benefit of what they're eating to stave off hunger, feel satisfied, and still not overindulge. I have a personal issue with diets that demonize certain foods, whether it's fat, carbs, or anything else--I love to eat, food gives me a lot of enjoyment, but by paying attention to what goes in and what exercise I do to balance it out (and probably good genes), I don't weigh any more than I did when I was 16 (I'm 29 and at the gym 2-3 days a week).

Some people have found that the low-carb diets are good jump-starts for weight loss, I'd never be able to get through Stage 1! Low fat diets can be a problem if you're eating more calories because you're not satisfied by what you're eating. If you compare a reduced fat Oreo cookie with a full fat Oreo cookie, there's about 10 calories difference per serving, but that full fat Oreo is probably going to make you happier with fewer cookies! Fat makes us feel satisfied and it does help with the hungries; a small palmful of nuts instead of a handful of fat free pretzels will keep you out of snack mode longer. And a little fat with an otherwise starchy food can slow down the insulin rush (like a little peanut butter on a bagel) so that you're not hungry as quickly (the insulin thing is linked to hunger too).

I could go on and on and on....but I won't! We have a ton of boards on the Diet & Fitness channel here at iVillage, you might find one that suits your needs and personality, or we can talk here in the Off-Topic folder, I'd be more than happy to do a brain dump about food and exercise (the ideal combination for losing weight) if you want me to.

Good luck! What's your next plan for birth control? Or was the Depo for medical reasons?

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2003
Mon, 06-14-2004 - 11:19am
Hi,

Thanks for the info...

I was shocked by my weight gain because I have eaten a lowfat diet for years...and watched my weight...

Yeah, the label says the average weight gain is minimal, but I read somewhere that the way the drug company arrives at those statistics kind of clouds the real picture...

I've also read that some kind of birth control medications cause your body to metabolize glucose differently, also causing weight gain, so it's not only an increase in appetite that comes with it...

I was taking the Depo for treatment of endometriosis, but I decided that the risks that come from weight gain "outweigh" the risks from endometriosis...My doctor also had me on Premarin because I was still bleeding on the Depo.

Thanks for the help...

Wildkitten