In six months on a doctor monitored low calorie diet required by surgeon I have lost 66 pounds. With that success I am questing having surgery and continuing my diet and seeing if I can reach my goals. Any body have similar doubts?

I did, but the things with diets is at some point or another they end and (at least for me ) I would always gain back what I lost plus more...

If can lose weight without the lap band, and keep it off. DO IT. Personally I have always been able to lose weight, but have had trouble maintaining that loss for more than a year. What is your history like? Can you live like you have the last six months for the rest of your life?

Losing weight is the easy part... keeping it off is the challenge!! I had lapband surgery because I wanted it to be a permanent loss this time around!

yes I lost thousands of lbs and regained them too. the band has helped me lose and keep it off... I have not gained a lb since being banded..I hope after I reach my goal I will continue to keep it off.. with the band I have more confidence that I can..

Me too to Terry and Sharpie. Lost, probably, 1000 lbs in my lifetime, but gained it back! Best wishes, I would never want to dissuade you from your own decision. 66 lbs is amazing in 6 months. Woohoo!

If you can do it without that is great. I think all of us have lost many many pounds, but the ponds seemed to multiply and then return! I have lost a lot of pounds many different times, but I am confident theses pounds with the band will be the last time I will loss them..

Best luck on your journey!!!

Diets are temporary. The Lapband is permanent and requires a change in your lifestyle. Unfortunately, it's difficult to understand this concept until you've been banded.

I completely agree with the others.

If you think you can do it, by all means, I say go for it on your own. Worst case scenario- you change your mind in the future and decide to get the Lap Band after all.

Like the others, for me losing the weight has never been the issue. I've lost hundreds of pounds since I was a teenager. The problem is, I always regained the weight plus some. Losing the weight is fairly easy- the tough part is keeping it off. With the band, maintaining the weight loss is a lot easier.

I would say try it but I would closely monitor for trends going in the wrong direction. I lost 170+ doing Atkins between 2003 and 04 and I gained it all back plus another 90. Losing weight is easy...keeping it off that's hard.