I have a confession that I have been thinking a lot about but keeping from my family. I have talked to my doctor 3 months ago about having gastric band surgery. I was sure that I could take the weight off, but he did say that if in 6 months if I was still heavy, that I could be referred for the insurance to pay as well.

So I sat here a week ago, wondering if I should start Atkins, since I KNOW it works, if you stick with it... or just wait 3 more months, and have the surgery.... which at the time seemed so much easier.

I guess I am going to try my best to stay on the diet, and see where I am at the end of this 6 month period.

Has anyone else considered the surgery, or know anyone who has had it done (besides carny wilson, lol)

Any comments would be great..

If you think that Atkins is a restricitive WOE-wait until you have your surgery-You have a lot more freedom to choose food on Low carb-Besides-you can stretch you stomach by overeating post surgically- The answer is to get you eating in control-You can do it be low carbing or surgery, but consider the much higher rate of mortality and serious complications that accompany the surgery.

I will preceed this response with the comment that I do have a friend who has had the surgery, and she looks pretty good. She does not really talk to me about how it has affected her emotionally.

I don't think I could do the surgery. I love food too much (and I am afraid of being knocked out- lol). I am interested in breaking the emotional connection to eating, but I like having the freedom to eat what I want. My friend can only eat extremely small amounts of food (2 oz.) w/o getting sick.

I also like the feeling of doing it myself. LC is the first way of eating that I have found to lose weight w/o feeling deprived. I like the success of losing small amounts every week because I CHOOSE to eat this way.

That said, the decision is personal. You will have to decide what is right for you. Good luck!

Thanks for your responses. I appreciate it. I just have days where these seems too hard... I know it works, but I just am trying to get in the right frame of mind to stay on the WOE without falling off.

Thanks again

just wanted to add something to this.
i work with a lady, who just had this surgery in november of 2002. now she has lost 103lbs as of last monday, but if you ask her if she would do it again, she would say NO!!!!!!!!
she almost died. lots of complications with it, and now she gets sick if she eats sugar, or anything more than like half a roll.
i know you feel heavy, but at 250, you can do it on your own, with atkins or whatever plan you choose. the accomplishment will be greater to you. good luck in your decision, just think of the thousands of people here to help you along the way.
just my 2 cents worth
dawn

I started Atkins a year ago as my last effort at weight loss before surgery. I am so glad I did so. I have lost 90 pounds in the past year and I feel great. I work with a woman who had weight loss surgery, and while she lost weight more rapidly than I did, she feels like awful and looks awful. She continuously goes back and forth to the doctor for various ailments, while I go out at lunchtime and walk four miles. She weighs less than I do, but I wouldn't trade my life for her life for anything. There is more to life than a number on a scale.

I know that banding has fewer complications than by pass surgery (which is what the woman in my office had), but I still think you are better off avoiding it if you can. It is not an easy solution -- it has lifelong repercussions for your health. In my experience, low carbing is an easier solution than surgery.

There was an interesting article in the Washington Post health section (which runs every Tuesday) either last week or the week before discussing gastric bypass versus banding. While there are fewer complications with banding, apparently it often isn't all that successful. You might want to search the Washington Post website and read that article.

If you search through the Triple Digits Club, there have been several threads over the past year regarding weight loss surgery. Since everyone who posts in the Triple Digits Club started out with over 100 pounds to lose, many of us have seriously considered the surgery.

Edit: Here is a link to a thread I started in the Triple Digits Club a while ago discussing weight loss surgery. Most of us on the thread were discussing bypass, not gastric banding. The thread includes a link to what I think is a very informative website on the topic:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=82526

I have read your post and I can see you only need to loose 70 lbs 5 stone of weight!
I had to loose 189lbs 13 stone 5lbs!! I had a gastric bypass done in July 2000. I have never im my life felt pain like it!!! (dont het me wrong if I had to I would do it again!!) I had to have it done it was a case of do or die. I know 5 stone may sound a lot to you to loose but dont look at it like that take it at 7lbs a time and before you know it you will be more than half way there. Surgery can help but believe me it aint a miracle cure you still have to diet, and if it does get you to your goal weight, and you eat the wrong things you can and will out weright on as I later found out myself. 1 shot from 14 stone 7lbs to 17stone 10lbs in months I am nearly back to that weight but that was by hard work and determination. Please give yourself a chance if you can do it without the surgery do it, because 3 years on I am still suffering side effect from my op! If you had more to loose I would say go ahead do it!! But you dont have that much to loose compared to the people who really need the surgery!!

I have a friend who had the surgery, and she was in so much pain. She can no longer eat any sugar or she gets sick. She can't eat more than 4 oz of any food in one sitting, and can't drink liquids at the same time. After surgery, she was hospitalized for hemmoraghing. She's lost 146 lbs, but she says that she is just sagging skin. Her stomach goes down to her knees. She doesn't have the money, but the only way to fix herself is surgery yet again for all the skin. Because you lose so fast, the body has no time to shrink.

She keeps saying how happy she is that I'm losing without surgery.
I'd never do it.

its so true I have lost so much weight but will have to undergo surgery to loose the excess skin on my tummy thighs arms and boobs, how much more money before I am happy with my body!!