My cat Pepper has been on a diet for about 9 months. He was definitely overweight and has lost about 2 pounds, but I'm starting to worry he's being underfed now. He just seems more stressed when he goes to check his food bowl and it's empty and will wait for the machine to dispense for hours before his feeding times.
He's a bombay, and I found some info online that says they should be under 15 pounds and some that says under 12. He's 12.6 now, and he still looks kinda chubby, but it's hard to tell because he has a big primordial pouch(loose skin in the belly area).
I know I should ask a vet, but I can't afford a vet visit.
This. It's all about the ribs. Run your hand along them. If you can't feel them at all they're overweight. If you have to put a little bit of pressure but only like a little like a vigorous pet they're good. If you can feel them without trying or see them they're underweight. Probably if your cat is 12 pounds they are neither severely over or under