Is it expecting too much to want to lose 10 lbs a month?

I don't think so.....if u have a goal to obtain and are tht driven, Go get it!!!

I think it depends on how much weight you have to lose...

Unless you are 100 lbs over weight, it's probably not very realistic. Initally you may lose that much because of water, but difficult to maintain and it may become discourage. Determine how much you want to lose a week and go from there.

Agreed - I started out losing 10-12 a month and have recently slowed to around 5 or so a month. I think that's healthy though and it doesn't bother me. I don't care if the scale moves .2 I get excited

When I first started I lost about 10 pounds a month. But I was VERY overweight. Now I am lucky to lose 4.
So I think it really depends on how much you have to lose.

Yes, you are being unrealistic - 10 lbs a month for a woman with the amount you have to lose is unrealistic. Even if you 'crash' diet, which would be dumb, your weight loss is going to slow down the closer you get to your goal. You also didn't mention how tall you are, but your profile says you are 38, and fact is, weight loss is harder when you are 35 and over. You may lose 10 lbs in the first moth, but 1-2 lbs per week is more realistic after that. You are just setting yourself up for failure if you set unrealistic goals - I don't know how you personally react to failure, but a lot of people respond by giving up altogether. If that tends to be your pattern (and I don't know, may you're the type who just ignores it and goes on...), why don't you try setting more achievable goals so that you will eventually reach your ultimate goal?

I'd say 5 to 8 lbs is ideal:)

Tomorrow is week 3 for me and I will be at 12lbs lost. I have 50 total to lose and I am not starving myself or working out excessively. I take 1 exercise rest day a week. I have been out to eat, had ice cream and was over on my cals a couple of days. My body is just dropping the weight faster than I had expected.

I'm shooting for 10 a month and I've lost ten but in about 5 weeks. It's a good goal to set because it's challenging but not impossible.

I'm willing to bet that the first month or so you'll lose 10lbs...but then weight loss will slow, and you'll get discouraged. The first little bit usually comes off easy. Taking it off slower is better for your body in the long run, and by doing it that way consciously you're developing the good habits you'll need to maintain a healthier weight and lifestyle. It's certainly possible to lose that much weight that quickly, I bet most of us have done that crash dieting thing before. There's always a price for it, in the long run.

as long as you have at least 1250 calories a day, whatever your body can do is about as much as you can hope for. I lost 12 lbs in a month, but I have a lot to go, Just do whatever you do in a healthy way that you can be proud of and talk about when people as "HOW DID YOU DO THAT?" But maybe shoot for 1.5 a week, it's a little more attainable, I hope you hit your goal!

You'll always lose more the first month. I lost 20lbs in my first two months! After six months I've lost just shy of 60lbs. But I'm still 40lbs heavier than you. I don't expect it to last much longer.

As others have said its not a race. As long as you're moving in the right direction you'll be fine.

I lost 11 lbs in 5 weeks.

Might I just add for everyone who is complaining about losing 10lbs per month... It is safest to lose 1-2 lbs per week... There are 4-5 weeks in each month which equals 8-10 lbs of weight loss per month... I have lost 12 lbs a month for the last 3 months and did not starve myself.. did not over excercise... I walk sometimes... I use my elliptical sometimes... mix that with a really unstable performance of P90X and cleaning the house liberally atleast twice a week and my weight is coming off!! I was a size 22 and am now a size 18 and the new pants are getting loose. Just do your best and forget the rest... My suggestion is to only set a goal on overall weightloss..ie. I started at 5"11 264lbs and I won't stop until I'm 165lbs.. When you set monthly goals you will be discouraged because we all hit a point where we will have to work harder to lose weight and at first (if your working out) you will even gain weight because the volume of muscle vs the volume of fat weighs more! Think about how small your 16oz steak is vs if you tried to scoop a pound of crisco!! Measure yourself... never give up! Have fun with it... if you get tired of walking then try dancing while you get ready for work... anything to get you moving!!! I'm no professional and I can only tell you what has worked for me. I hope this helps!