[askopec]

So I've been on this 6 month supervised diet for the insurance before surgery. I went for my 3rd meeting last night and I haven't lost a pound. Plus, last month I weighed in at 278.4 (so rounds down to 278), last night i was 278.8 (round UP to 279)...grrr. I know it's only a pound but I didn't want to show I gained anything. I asked the girl that weighed me if that was a big deal and she said that I can go up a few pounds from what I was originally weighed in at (my insurance would still pay) as long as when i weigh in at month 6 i am 277 or lower. Now comes the pressure. I've read how this surgery messes with people's heads after but i say it does before too.

BUT on the brighter side I have my first appt with the surgeon, Oct 27 I'm so excited to get this moving more.

Thanks for letting me vent, I needed that.

[RC59105]

Just hang in there! I wasn't able to lose my 10 % mandatory weight loss in my months and weeks prior to my surgery, even though I seriously attempted weight loss on my own.
I think my matabolism was so screwed up from a lifetime of diets and yo yo weight loss, my body honestly gets confused when I try to diet. Tries to hold onto every pound in case I am going onto another starvation mode. I was even worried that this surgery wouldn't do the trick and somehow I would fail at this attempt as well. Boy have I been happily surprised at the outcome so far!

The week before my surgery date I actually did lose quite a few pounds on my liquid diet they put me on.

Its alot better for you if you can get some weight off before surgery, so do your best to get it accomplished but don't beat yourself up about it either.

Best of luck to you!

[decker1976]

Keep plugging away. You'll get there. Chin up.

[DocSanae]

Hang in there, your day will come.

[SkinnyMe1342]

My weight was up and down during my 3 month required insurance diet. I followed everything to a "T". I was still approved by my insurance company. Also, my nut did not really put me on a "diet" it was more of a weeding things out of my usual diet. Sugars, soda ,fried food and fast food. Still no weight loss but still approved. After my approval, I emailed my nut and she sent me a 1200 calorie diet, if I wanted to lose some weight before surgery. (which I told her I did) I wonder why she did not tell me this before but they told me it was not about losing weight but learning a new way of eating and exercising.

[hermonica1]

I've never heard of that requirement before. Do all insurance companies require you to lose 10% of you weight before surgery?

[likearock]

You can lose 1 pound in a day or two just by not eating a meal! In one BM you can shed a pound. Do not stress about it!

[judijo]

Originally Posted by hermonica1

I've never heard of that requirement before. Do all insurance companies require you to lose 10% of you weight before surgery?

No, they all don't. Most need some proof that you are trying. That is why it is so important to consistantly see your doctor and keep your medical chart up to date. (like if you change doctors for whatever reason)

I have seen, via these discussion boards, surgeons who won't see a patient without some weight loss on his/her own. I don't know the use of that, personally (except immediately pre-op for liver shrinkage). Seems like a giant step backwards. If I could do it "on my own" I would have...ya think?

[amymarie7905]

My nut had me do a little over a month of high protien diet (for liver shrinkage) but I had lost 20lbs on my own before that.

[mamma_buddha]

My insurance company was pretty strict on the requirements before they approved me for surgery. I was glad they did it though. I have seen people who's insurance company didn't require them to do anything before hand, not even a 10 day diet or liquid diet 3 days before hand and they struggle with the phychological side of it. My doctor required a visit with his gatric bypass dietician, a visit with his psychologist, one session with a physical therapist to go over a post surgical exercise plan, the 10 day high protein diet with a 3 day liquid only diet. However my insurance required much more. They are a private insurance run by my husbands employer and they have a whole team dedicated to just weight loss surgery and it's success. They have numerous classes on well being for their employees and spouses as well as fitness centers in all their plant locations. They required me to go on Weight Watchers for 6 months prior to being approved and a 10% weight loss, working out at their fitness facility 3X a week minimum at 30 minutes each time with a plan designed by their local fitness instructor, a 13 week class on eating healthy and other healthy lifestyle changes, I had to meet with a psychologist for 6 one hour sessions and their dietician 4 times. My doctor allowed me to use the 6 psychology visits for his 1 required one, but I still had to see his own dietician because she was specially trained in gastric bypass nutrition. I don't regret a single minute of it. It was hard but I am proud of my accomplishments. I lost my 10% with about a week to spare. I credit Weight Watchers with a huge part of my success as it is structured but so easy to follow. I highly recommend them or any other structured program if you are required to do any weight loss on your own before the surgery is approved. They teach you how to be self disciplined before the surgery because you certainly will need to learn it afterwards. The psychologist helped out in helping me realize what type of eater I was. I learned that I am not an emotional eater, but I use food as a reward and need to practice more self control. The surgery automatically helps you with that as you cannot eat the portions you once could. I would do all of these requirements again if I had to in order to have the surgery. It is so worth it.