How to achieve weight loss?

[jman_in_mn]

I should add all is not doom and gloom.  Marvin did lose 1/2 lb since November (last time at the vet).  Calculated out an average kcals he was getting from Nov to March, which included a small wet food portion + mostly Royal Canin dry + protein treat of chicken (that we've been unable to shake because they love it so much):

	per cup/5.5 oz can/piece	old portion	new portion
Royal Canin CC	222	167 ( 3/4 cup )	148 ( 2/3 cup )
Wellness Chicken + Herring	189	35 ( 2 tablespoon )	18 ( 1 tablespoon )
bonus (treats, etc.)	12	6 ( 1/2 piece chicken )	6 ( 1/2 piece chicken )
		208	172

So old portion was from Nov - March, new portion is what we just switched to yesterday after his vet visit on Monday.  About a 17% reduction in calories.  I'm wondering aloud if this is enough reduction?  Personally I'd like to stick with this food type formula because it has been working for us.  Ideally the all wet food diet would be great, but both cats had virtually no issue from Nov to March, super regular in the litter box, no issues at all.  I just want to accelerate the weight loss.  When I say the plan isn't working is because I had expected a greater weight loss than what ended up being determined at the vet.

 

[mschauer]

Your new portion calories is more in line with what I would expect an average sized, mostly sedentary cat, to need in order to lose weight. I think Mickey is currently getting a little less than that.

I wouldn't lower it any more for now. Try it for a few weeks then adjust if necessary.

Do you weight him regularly? 

 

[xcourtney3]

One year ago my cat was a little over 20lbs. He is now 13.2lbs. I started feeding him his dry 4 times per day, a premeasured amount. If he didn't eat his full portions within 10 minutes while I was supervising him, then that's that. I took it up, he could eat again next meal time. Some cats won't eat all of their canned portions because they aren't used to meal times so they think they can eat whenever they want. I did this for a week or so then started replacing some of their meal times with canned, and within a week or so I got rid of all dry food in the house. If a cat can smell the dry food, they will hold out for it. Anyway, for canned only I started out with about 1.5 cans then slowly reduced it as he was losing weight. He is currently eating 1 can a day (~180cals) and still losing weight. Interestingly enough, if I dropped calories too fast, he would gain not lose. The exercise worked itself out on his own. He was once a lump on a log and now he's a kitten again chasing his sister. (he's 5.5 years old)

 

[jman_in_mn]

 
Your new portion calories is more in line with what I would expect an average sized, mostly sedentary cat, to need in order to lose weight. I think Mickey is currently getting a little less than that.

I wouldn't lower it any more for now. Try it for a few weeks then adjust if necessary.

Do you weight him regularly? 

I had been periodically with a $25 pet scale picked up from Amazon.  However, it proved unreliable as the results at the vet were much different than at home.  Chucking that scale and going to buy a really good human scale with oz. measurements included.  Then I'll just hold the cat & weigh, then weigh without the cat.

I think if I could reduce that dry food portion down to 1/2 cup I'd really be happy.  But for now I'll roll with this.  Seemed to be fine yesterday, the first day, ha.

 
One year ago my cat was a little over 20lbs. He is now 13.2lbs. I started feeding him his dry 4 times per day, a premeasured amount. If he didn't eat his full portions within 10 minutes while I was supervising him, then that's that. I took it up, he could eat again next meal time. Some cats won't eat all of their canned portions because they aren't used to meal times so they think they can eat whenever they want. I did this for a week or so then started replacing some of their meal times with canned, and within a week or so I got rid of all dry food in the house. If a cat can smell the dry food, they will hold out for it. Anyway, for canned only I started out with about 1.5 cans then slowly reduced it as he was losing weight. He is currently eating 1 can a day (~180cals) and still losing weight. Interestingly enough, if I dropped calories too fast, he would gain not lose. The exercise worked itself out on his own. He was once a lump on a log and now he's a kitten again chasing his sister. (he's 5.5 years old)

Might be something to try, however, the portion consumption with my 2 cats works great with dry, not so great with wet.  They're certainly more finicky with wet foods.  If I can get them to the point where they always finish the wet portion, I'd have much confidence towards switching to all wet or mostly wet.

Thanks for the success story, I'd really like to be able to contribute a similar story in 2016

 

[jman_in_mn]

Marvin just got back from a checkup from his round of antibiotics 2 weeks ago...  Down 1/2 pound in two weeks!!  I'm cautiously optimistic but also very excited that we may have found the magic food combination that works for him.  Paws crossed.