One pound per week.

It depends...

Amy

There's another question that overwhlems that one - What is the
standard time limit in which I should keep it off?

Figure out how to keep it off and the loss rate is far less important.

The common idea is 1 to 2 pounds per week. If you are obese (30 pounds
or more over your ideal weight [you can find calculators online]) it
may be a bit higher. The problem with losing more weight in a short
amount of time is that you begin to use your muscle mass for energy as
well. This is bad! The more muscle you burn the slower your metabolism
gets. Obviously this is bad for many reasons. This effect is also
responsible for a lot of plateaus in people's weight loss programs.

My suggestion is to stay away from programs that promise fast results
like 20 pounds in 2 weeks. They are dangerous and you'll only be
disappointed with the results. Try a more realistic program of
exercising and healthy eating, and most importantly be patient with
it. I tried losing 50 pounds about 2 years ago (I was about 22 at
5'11" and 230lbs and got to 180lbs) and lost it in about 6 months.
With the 2 pound a week rule, that seems about right.

I run a blog that I update daily with stories and opinions on weight
loss. I also am an affliate with some systems that work. I won't spam
those here. You can see my articles at allweightloss.blogspot.com.

Russ
http://allweightloss.blogspot.com