1lb to 2lb a week sounds reasonable to me, particularly when paired with an exercise routine. Taking a year to lose 50lbs seems like a huge motivational issue..

1lb to 2lb a week sounds reasonable to me, particularly when paired with an exercise routine. Taking a year to lose 50lbs seems like a huge motivational issue.. I recall reading about a study over the past couple years that indicated people on crash diets were more likely to hit their goals and not more likely to regain the weight. And that's much more aggressive. IMHO if somebody wants to lose weight, I would recommend they clear it with their doc and get after it with as much(little?) energy as they can muster!