for women with healthy metabolisms, they can expect 10% of weight-to-lose gone in induction period (2-3 weeks), a short stall, then settle down to an average loss of 5% per week. So a 8 pound loss in 2.5 weeks is right on target. You could expect to lose an average of 4-5 pounds per month thereafter. In a year, you'd be 60 pounds lighter, which is a whole lot better than being 10 pounds heavier, eh?

The above posters gave good advice, but I'll reiterate it. This is NOT a diet. If you go off and on it, eventually even this won't work for you--if low-cal already doesn't work for you, then there will be no way for you to lose your excess body fat. The truth is, metabolic obesity is not curable. It is only treatable--and LC is a treatment (as is reasonable exercise), but it is a treatment that must be applied every day for the rest of your life.

Also, you might experience a 6-month stall...or a slow-down in loss. If this is the way you eat for the rest of your life, though, what does it matter how long it will take? It'll take as long as it takes, and there's very little we can do about what our body decides is a healthy rate of loss.