perspective on speed of weight loss

Up to 2 pounds a week is considered safe, more if you are in the obese category. 45 pounds in a year is great too. It's better to lose half a pound a week and keep it off than 2 pounds a week and have it not be sustainable (as you know from yo-yo dieting). Make sustainable changes and see how fast works for you. Some people go too fast and then give up or binge. Some people don't see results fast enough and get discouraged. It's important you find a speed that you find rewarding enough to keep going but not so restrictive that you hate your life.

I lost 55 pounds (248 to 193) in 2014. Could it have been more? Sure. But the big picture is I still have another 50-60 to go, and I know that's going to take me well into 2016 to lose.

Losing faster means more of a chance of losing muscle mass and depriving your body of key nutrients. There's also more of a chance of gaining the weight back once finished. So you can do it quickly and risk your health, or go slower and feel better in the end.

Once you're there, will it matter how long it took you to get there? Plus, 45 lbs. is nothing to sneeze at. That's several clothing sizes for most people.

You're going to get to next year and the year after anyway, at least barring some tragedy. Wouldn't you rather be thin when the calendar turns to 2017? Think back to 2013. Doesn't it seem like yesterday? Don't look at it as two long years stretching out miserably before you. Really live your life every single one of those days, make the right food choices and you'll wind up where the rest of us wind up: at 2017. But a thin 2017.

And by the way, 45 lbs. a year is a slow rate of loss, especially starting out at a very heavy weight as the author must have, if she ended up losing a total of 90 lbs. ETA: Sorry, yes, I see reading back that she started at 230. That's less than a pound a week. I started out with 90 lbs. to lose too, have 70 to go and am losing 2 lbs. per week. You may have bigger losses in the beginning, and that's always encouraging and feels great. The author may have had bigger losses at her heaviest weight, slower as she got closer to goal, which many people do.

When I started, the weight flew off. I lost so fast. I thought I'd be done so damn quickly. Ha! It slows down, lol.

I don't think two years is too long. It seems like a really long time when you're starting out, but once you're in the swing of it, it's just how you live, so it doesn't seem like a big deal.

If you remember that you have to change what you were doing before and that the change has to be permanent if you don't want to go back to where you were before...the two years is irrelevant. It's The Rest Of My Life, not "while I lose weight." I don't know if that makes it better or worse for you, lol.

I don't think of it as two years. Two years to get my weight off, maybe, it remains to be seen how long my 100-120 pounds will take. But, the new eating habits aren't for weight loss, they are to make myself healthier and there is no limit on that.

I know how you feel. I do get a little bummed out by the slower losses sometimes, but I know in the end it doesn't matter how long it takes. I'm not stopping!

When I'm having thoughts of "only" losing 35 pounds in a year and a half, I go find something heavy and lug it around the house. I can't imagine having that weight back in my body!

It's recommended not to lose more than 1% of your body weight a week to preserve lean body mass and achieve lasting loss. That is not minimal, that is dedicated and focused consistently. Most of us will have some weeks where we take a step back or whatever.

Remember the important thing is consistency and health, not the speed.

45 lb in a year is still a lot. It's possible to lose more, but it's not what's important. A change of habits that's manageable so you don't quit and so you don't regain, is.

There are 52 weeks in a year. So, a goal of losing 52 lbs. in a year (at 1 lb. lost each week) seems very reasonable! If you set that goal for yourself and manage to lose more than that amount, say 1.5 lbs. a week (78 lbs. total in a year), that would be awesome, but setting reasonable goals helps to manage expectations.

I have less to lose, so I'm losing slower than 1 lb. a week, but I'm still very happy with my progress 190 days later! Don't be discouraged. Just get started!

I lost 52 lbs last year. This year I'm aiming at 10-15 pounds. Once you get closer to goal the weight loss slows down. On the upside, by that point you may find that your focus has changed from total weight to another goal (e.g., bodyfat, strength goals, etc.) so you don't think about how long it's taking as much.

I always want it to come off faster than it does. when I started, I banked on losing 2 pounds per week with the expectation I would hit my goal weight by end of Sept 2014 (total of 44 pounds). You have to be extremely disciplined to achieve that and I wasn't as disciplined as I would have liked and I am the only one to blame for that. I still had my indulgences (a beer on a patio, Starbucks, occasional dessert at dinner - i am an avid baker). That being said, I am 22lbs lighter than I was when I started and am half way there. You will have your ups and downs but as long as you stick w/ it, you will get there.
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I've lost 66 pounds in eight months.

But, it's not a contest - the author of the book may have lost 45 pounds a year, but that doesn't mean you will. You might lose faster, or slower. It really depends on a number of factors - the biggest one being how committed you are.

I never had a time goal for my weight loss. I made small, manageable goals (lose 25 pounds, get under 200 pounds, get my BMI under 30, etc) so nothing felt too overwhelming.

I still have about 20 pounds to lose, but I have no idea how long that will take me. And that's okay.