Questions for the the dieticians

I have a question. I'm 5'5 and 270lbs. I have recently,seriously, researched and considered the lapband surgery. Now I am just not so sure. It still sounds great, but I just wonder with diet, exercise, etc. if I can't just do it myself. I have a friend that is an aerobics instructor who has offered to help me work out twice a week and I did the weig wat before my son was born and lost almost 40lbs. How terrible or what are my odds going at this weight loss in a non-surgical manner? I don't ever dream to be a size 4, but a 100lb weight loss would be great. I've read pre op patients going on a 14-20day liquid diet and losing 45 lbs. I'm so desperate I'm willing to give it a whirl. lol. I've also never tried any otc diet pills. Are they as big a scam as I think they are? Anyway any advice or opinion would be welcomed. Much thanks for your time.

I'm not a dietician, but I'll give you my take on things. If you think you need to take a last shot at dieting and losing the weight on your own --- then you definitely should.  Weight loss surgery should be your LAST resort and only after you know 100% in your mind that you have done everything humanly possible to do it on your own.  If you go into WLS with doubts that you didn't give it your absolute best shot then you'll end up regretting your decision - especially if you have complications or difficulties with eating after surgery. As for the liquid diet.  It is a very short diet plan designed to help us drop no more than 5 to 10% of our excess weight in preparation for surgery.  It is not a long term diet plan designed to help you lose all your weight.  It will not provide enough nutrition and is not designed to satisfy you mentally with regard to food for long periods of time.  It's designed as a 2 or 3 week prep for surgery and that's all.  Just ask the people who did Optifast and see how fast they gained all their weight back after they stopped drinking the shakes. So take a step back and really examine your thoughts and feelings about the surgery.  Are you REALLY ready to do this?  Is this really the LAST resort because you've tried everything else and still can't do it?  Or do you have some little doubt in the back of your mind telling you that you need to try, just one more time? Pam