How much is too much?

Curious on others and how their weight loss has gone. My doctors said I can expect to lose 60% of my excess weight by one year out. I've already lost about that within 5.5 months. I'm starting to wonder if my body is losing too much weight. I don't see my doctor again until next month but a little scared on what they will say.

I don't believe there is such a thing as losing the excess weight too quickly. Lose it as quickly as you can. The rate of loss will slow down. Many people get to their goal weight by a year out. 60% by a year out is pretty conservative.

Go to the OH Post Op Planner and enter your stats to see what it predicts. It was pretty accurate for my rate of loss.

I hadn't found that on the site before, thanks for the link.

And yes, VERY accurate for me as well. My goal weight is higher than my "ideal" because I'd look like death warmed over at that weight. I picked my goal weight based on my own history, from when I looked best, felt best, and had the best health of my adult life. I had to play with the settings a bit, but it came out to about 88% of EBW.

I'm at 9 months, and just a little shy of the projected loss.

And then here's my weight trendline from MFP (Surgery was 8/17).

My initial slope isn't quite as steep, part of that is an artifact of the way the MFP chart is elongated with 2 data points per month, and part of it is because I can't do very low carb so my weight loss has been a little slower than others who can.

This may be a good tool for some, but why are we still using tools that determine "ideal weight" by gender and height alone? This tool states my ideal weight as 138 which is 17 pounds under my lean muscle mass of 155. Add a healthy percentage of body fat to that, and my ideal weight is between 165-175. Ironically, the tool predicts based on standard stats, that is the weight I will reach.
"Too much" loss is when one loses bone and muscle due to vitamin and protein deficiencies. "Too much" is shooting for a weight that is lower than your lean muscle mass, which is the weight of your bones, muscles, and organs with no body fat factored in. Women typically retain 10-25% body fat.
I agree that if it comes off fast, that is OK. They say that losing it slowly is the way to keep it off, but I think for those of us on the WLS journey, the low-calorie way of eating becomes a lifestyle, not a means to an end.
My body will NOT let go of the extra fat quickly. If I average it out, I'm losing 4 pounds a week, which "experts" would say is too fast (they advise 1-2 pounds per week). I suppose that is "quick" but I want it to melt off!! I know it doesn't work that way, but I want it to!! HA!

Here is my question: If we are able to lose weight fairly rapidly on this low-calorie, high-protein path, then WHY (if we stick to it) would we only lose 60% of our excess weight, and why would we gain 10% back?? Are these stats skewed by people who go off plan down the road? That's my question.
I see many on here who have reached goal and are maintaining. Some say it is challenging. I suppose it will be. It's good to hear the experiences of others so we know what to prepare for!

Are you saying you have 155 pounds of lean mass at your current weight? That's how I'm reading this.

As you lose, you lose fat AND lean mass. It is absolutely, positively unavoidable. You can maximize fat loss and minimize your lean mass loss by lifting heavy weights, as in a maximum of 8 to 10 repetitions.

Some lose almost as much lean mass as they do fat. Others can hold on to more lean as they lose. But, you will lose muscle, you will lose bone mass as your weight goes down, and even your organs will shrink.

Don't try to estimate a target based on your current body composition. It will change.

That is as determined when I was at my ideal weight. My wrist bones are seven inches and ankle bones ten inches (amazingly, I have no fat around those bones). I do weight training to keep from losing muscle. I have lost this weight many times, and will never weigh below 170. Lean mass may be less now that I have replaced one knee with titanium, though! I guess I'll see when I finally get down there again. I know there is no way in hell that I should or can weigh 138 or 124 as the insurance tables dictate. And despite all of the variables of weight loss, I still strongly object to any of us having our "ideal" weight calculated simply by our gender and height.

people lose at all different rates, but yes - 60% the first year is pretty conservative. I lost 100% of my excess weight altogether. I lost 57 lbs pre-surgery, 126 lbs during the first year after surgery, and the remainder (about 50 lbs) during months 12-18. I'd have to calculate the percentages, but it was more than 60%. A lot of people on here lost all their weight the first year. Be grateful you're taking it off quickly. I was always behind the crowd, and those last 50 lbs were a bear to get off!

that is, way more than 60% if you factor in my pre-op loss. But that *was* part of my excess weight...

Some people are just super responders to surgery, don't look a gift horse in the mouth and enjoy it.