I've seen it mentioned before that losing 1% of your bodyweight per week is a reasonable goal. Is that just anecdotal, or is there some research behind that specific number?

The 1% is an updated version of the "2 lbs per week" healthy rate of loss that doctors used to recommend. 2lbs per week doesn't take into account that larger people can lose more and smaller people might have a harder time losing that much.

Healthy Rate of Weight Loss

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(this is a pdf file)

There's also an article on the mayo clinic website, but I can't find it right now. I'll have a look later when I have more time.

Thanks, that's just the information I was looking for.

I appreciate it...

I've been weighing once a week for the last five weeks or so and I've pretty consistently lost ~1% every week.

9/7/2009 - 312.8
9/14/2009 - 310.0
9/21/2009 - 305.2
9/28/2009 - 302.2
10/5/2009 - 298.8

So I guess I should just keep doing what I'm doing as long as it's working...

That is a great result.

You honestly wouldnt want to lose weight any faster.

I am sure that you will be making sure that your nutrition is healthy and you are incorporating exercise. If that is the case - your weight loss is certainly totally on track...

Well done.

I've been eating really healthy, and I haven't felt hungry at all. That, and doing 30-45 minutes of cardio six days a week. I feel great, not like I'm on a 'diet' or depriving myself of anything.

That is great - because you will benefit most by thinking of it not being a diet but the new way that you live. That way you will not count the days until the end of the diet, finish the diet and then go back to behaving the way that you used to behave.

The big secret is to consider it to be your new way of life. That way - when you get to goal - you simply adjust the calories (and/or possibly the amount of exercise if it is at an onerous level) such that you are in balance and continue eating healthily and exercising regularly. That way we can maintain our new shapes - despite having a history of becoming too big.

I think that's great advice. I think of it like 'this is part of my new life'. I'm now someone who eats healthy and exercises.