Hi end it, and welcome to the site, a lot of hospital require u to do a weight management course for 6-12 months b4 u get refered for surgery and although this isn't wat u want wen u just want surgery but if u see it as the start of ur journey, it will b different to any other diet u have done b4 bcus at the end u know u will get surgery!!! It is hard but worth it I done it a few yrs ago and lost a fair bit then didn't want surgery but it has all gone bk on so I got refered by my dr for surgery at the end of august 2010, now I'm just waiting for my funding to go through then a date for surgery as iv been to all appiintments necessary so now it's a waiting game my surgeon said it will b jan/feb 2011 so I'm looking forward to the new yr, good luck with ur wl journey I'm sure wat ever hoops they make u jump through u will and u will succeed good luck and will look forward to following ur journey xxx