Question:
Am I losing fast enough?

My doctor keeps me on 800 calories a day. Is this too little to lose? I am 3-1/2 months post-op and have only lost 57.25 pounds as of this morning, with a starting weight of 316. My doctor told me between 40 and 70 grams of protein, 800 calories a day, at least 4 to 5 glasses of non-caffeine drinks, no more than 1 diet soda a day, no more than 20 grams of fat a day, and watch out for sugar. My loss seems minor compared to others, even though I know we all function differently. Any thoughts or suggestions for improved loss will be appreciated. My exercise is moderate due to a bad knee, but has improved a little with time.    — Trish H. (posted on May 2, 2001)

May 2, 2001
You are doing fine, right on target, following excellent orders. Don't get caught up in what someone else is doing. Losing slower than some is actually beneficial -- it gives your skin time to tighten up and not look so unsightly. Here's my weight losses as best as I can recall: 21, 9, 10, 22, 5, 5, (I forgot the rest temporarily here) . . . to 109# lost by a year postop. I was 275, now 166, was size 28 jeans, now size 14 which are baggy (maybe I'm in a 12). I'm 5'7" We should lose about 1/2 our excess weight by month 5. The other 1/2 during the following year. Would they be ok with you? Don't worry. Take your measurements, I bet you've lost lots of inches!
   — Cindy H.