I follow the diet closely but I'm on meds that cause weight gain so I only lose about a pound a week - but after three or four months it adds up and the scale is in a zone it wasn't before... and you'll be very glad... remember if one pound a week - in forty seven weeks you'll reach your goal... better than all the overweight people not even trying and pigging out at buffets!!! Good luck and keep the faith and keep up the good work and sometimes you might plateau a bit but if the scale is going down after quite a few months you'll realize all this is well worth the work and hassle - I do already and I've only lost about fourteen pounds in three months...You keep going!!!! :)