My body fat is dropping but Im not losing weight

I am 24 years old. I exercise 4 times a week, 2 cardio sessions and the other 2 times with a personal trainer.  I have done this for the last 3 months. My body fat % has dropped, and I have lost centimetres, but I don’t loose weight. Why is that? Now the other thing, I’m on the Depot provera* injection, and I just can’t loose weight. Is that perhaps the problem?
Thanks for a great magazine; it really inspires me to exercise.
Regards
Louizan via info@fitnessmag.co.za

The Pro’s Respond

*Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is a progestin-only hormonal contraceptive birth control drug which is injected every 3 months.

Dear Louizan, well done on your efforts so far! If you are already showing measurable results after only 3 months, just imagine what you are likely to look like a year down the line once regular exercise and healthy eating have become lifestyle habits of yours!

Like I regularly mention, you should be using the scale as the last means of measuring your progress. The tape measure and body fat analysis are better methods; however the mirror is the best reflection of your progress by far. After all who cares about numbers if you look good in the mirror? Similarly when I stand on stage in a physique contest I’ve never had a judge ask me my weight, body fat percentage nor my measurements. Irrespective of the numbers I am going to do only as well as I look, and there is no better way of determining progress and how we look than an honest eye and the mirror.

Additionally you need to remember that muscle is a lot denser (heavier) than fat and as such a 2cm layer of fat might for example be equivalent to 1cm of muscle thickness. This means in theory you could lose 2cm of fat and gain 1cm of muscle thus yielding a net loss of 1cm yet still remain the same weight. As you have lost fat and gained muscle your body fat percentage would also have changed, but without much difference on the scale.

During the early stages of weight training muscle does respond and grow a little quicker than it ordinarily would and thus you will find that with time, provided you remain committed and stick to the plan, muscle gain will slow but fat loss will continue and you will therefore notice more significant changes to your weight. 
Please just don’t rely on this as a measure of your progress.

With regards to the Depo-Provera injection, you need to be aware that it contains the active ingredient medroxyprogesterone acetate, which is a synthetic form of the naturally occurring female sex hormone, progesterone.

Since progesterone selectively suppresses estrogen action (estrogen is important for bone health), over time it is thought that this may cause a loss of bone mineral density and therefore increase the risk of osteoporosis later in life. Fortunately weight bearing exercise will work in your favour to help increase bone density and mass, but you will need to support this by ensuring adequate calcium intake. I highly recommend you supplement with a well formulated calcium supplement providing 500-1000mg elemental calcium daily.
As for Depo-Provera’s effect on one’s weight, there is some scientific evidence showing Depo Provera use to be associated with weight gain due to an increase in fat mass, though the mechanism by which it causes an increase in fat mass is not fully understood. Having said that, some findings have demonstrated that an increase in protein intake can protect against gains in weight and body fat among those women who choose to use Depo Provera.

I am therefore reasonably confident that provided you stick to your exercise plan and follow a high protein, moderate carbohydrate, low fat, calorie controlled diet (along the lines of what we regularly promote), you will still make significant improvements to your physique despite your use of the Depo-Provera injection.
Good Luck.