Rate of weightloss?

Hi everyone. I just want to make sure I'm on the right track here. I've lost about 165-170 lbs depending on the day. I'm 13 months out. The PA says I should be losing 5-10 pounds a month at this point. I still have 100 lbs to lose. Does this all sound about right? Also, for the past four weeks I've upped my exercise a LOT... and I gained about five pounds! I know that muscle is more dense than fat and that sometimes you'll retain fluid and such. Do you think this is the case? My eating habits haven't really changed at all. Part of me is just SO SCARED that this isn't going to work because of all the failed diet attempts in the past and because I've been super morbidly obese since I was about seven years old. Plus, I'm able to eat more food now and it really freaks me out. I'm so afraid of going back to my old self.

I was checking out your pics, you look great. I hoping to get the surgery soon, I can't wait! Stefanie

Everyone loses at slightly different rates, so don't panic if things are slowing down.  I lost about 15-20 pounds a month for the first 3-4 months, then about 10 pounds a month until I was 12-14 months out.  From about 14-20 months out, I lost about 8 pounds a month.  Then it slowed down to 3-5 pounds per month.  If I'm diligent now at 27+ months out, I can still lose, but it's much slower now.   Keep up the exercise - in my humble opinion, regular exercise is key to keeping weight off on a long-term basis.  I exercise 6-8 times per week, doing strength training and cardio, plus some stretching for flexibility.  Your body may still be adjusting to the new exercise routine, so don't panic about the 5 pounds.  Just keep eating right and exercising, and you will start to lose again.   You will be able to eat more as time passes, so it's important to stay focused on keeping your new, healthy habits, and not letting your old, unhealthy habits creep back in.  I use a food journal and daily weight tracking to keep myself focused.  I know myself too well and simply accept that I will need to journal and weigh daily, perhaps forever.  It's a small price to pay for the improvements to my health.  If you're interested in a journaling tool, check out fitday.com, sparkpeople.com, or calorieking.com.   Good luck on your continuing journey -  Kellie