I'm one of those people who've lost alot of weight, but I have to give disclaimers. I've now lost 110 lbs since my highest weight of 350. About 25 of that I lost in the months leading up to my surgery, the bulk of which was in my 2 week pre-surgery diet. I am 6'4" and had a somewhat muscular build leading to the surgery. I am also only 30 years old, and gained all of my weight in the past 9 years. I am also male, which has a big factor for quicker weight loss as I've found out on the men's board. Prior to surgery I was in pure denial about the massive quantities of food/calories I used to eat. In contrast, my DW who had RNY at the end of March too has lost about 60 lbs. She is looking fabulous, and you probably are too. Give yourself a break. As for my exercise, I use an elliptical machine with a heart rate monitor. I've worked my way up to being able to do a 1 hour routine from a max of about 5 minutes initially. I also do occasional resistance training to keep my muscle tone and prevent muscle loss. Every day I get in more than the minimum protein and about twice the recommended water content. On the elliptical I try to stay in my target heart rate to make the most of my workout. More about target heart rates can be found on the exercise section of OH, including a week by week program to ramp up your exercise starting with 15-20 minutes a day 3 times a week and ramping up to 5 days a week for 45 min- 1 hour. Hope this info helps encourage you! Most people actively on cardio plans are convinced they can beat any plateau! --Dave 350/240/205

Hey, Jenifer- Maybe this will help you feel a bit better about your progress...I had my RNY on March 5th (just about two weeks ahead of you), and I started at 5'6" / 290.6 lbs. A little taller than you, but we'll call it even. At 16 weeks out, you say you've lost 63lbs. (as of your post on 7-10). Well, at 16 weeks out, I was only down 48 lbs. So, see...you're doing better than me! I was biking about 3 - 3.5 miles twice a day, calories were anywhere from 625 to 770-ish / day. Fat was between 10 to 16 gms per day. My protein stayed at 60-65 grams.day. My doctor was pleased, the nutritionist was pleased...but I, like you, sometimes got just a bit frustrated or concerned when I read about these fabulous results that so many others seemed to be getting. But in the past three weeks I have finally realized that there are those that may lose more rapidly than me, but there are also others that may lose a bit slower than I might. Without seemingly working at it, some people have the metabolism of a HUMMINGBIRD. I just happen to have the metabolism of a corpse. So, I've stepped up my exercise...daily cardio and strength training, along with the biking in the evening, and I've managed to take off another 13 pounds in the past 14 days (putting me at 61 pounds down). It's all about the metabolism. For me, the key is constant exercise...I have to sweat. For others, it may be lean proteins only combined with no carbs. And for others, it may be something different still. Find what kicks your metabolic rate up, then commit to it. You'll hit plateaus, as we all will, but when you find the trick to increasing your metabolism, you can always pull that trick out of your back pocket to break a plateau. Hope my long-winded reply gave you a little comfort! PS: You're doing GREAT! Stop with the doubts, silly!

Welcome to our little group Chris. Wow, you guys have done amazing. I feel embaressed about my little 50 lb weight loss. Thanks for letting us know how you are all doing. Brenda

I don't think 73 lbs in 3 1/2 months is anything to sneeze at! When could you have ever lost that much so quickly before? You are doing great. But to answer your question, I think a lot of it has to do with starting weight, people heavier lose weight quicker in the beginning. I started with 180 lbs to lose, so I am not surprised I have lost so much in the beginning because I'm heavier. It can also have to do with metabolism, some people's are just naturally higher and people with more muscle will have a faster metabolism than someone who didn't. There are so many variables that make us unique in how we lose weight, just focus on yourself and be proud of your weight loss which is wonderful!

ooopsss forgot to say I have lost 73lbs so far....duhhhh