6 month diet problems

I'm so confused right now and any advice would help to be honest.

First of all a little back-history. (literally LOL) .. I'm having RNY because I have a horrible back and my docs all told me if I don't drop a massive amount of weight within about a year or two, I'll be paralyzed in some form, waist down. Could be one leg, or both .. who knows. My weight is exaggerating a stupid pinched sciatic nerve and it's killing me because I have this huge tummy pulling on the same area as well. I get all that - that's why I'm going for RNY.. I've had trouble all my life like all of you had/have.  Dieted all my life as well.  What I don't get is..if I can barely walk, how do they expect me to lose weight on a "diet". The chick in my office told me I need to get out and exersize but I can't walk for 5 minutes without my leg going numb! I had back surgery once before and mysurgeon said I was lucky I could still walk after all I did on that ruptured disc before. I don't want that to be the case. I rather like to have mobility!! LOL

Any ideas? This diet is for insurance purposes - I don't have to lose a certain amount..the lady said about 2-3 lbs a month would be fine. That seems a little much though without being able to get out and about. I know I can lose the amount I need to for the surgery because the diet will be strict and near liquid...I'm just confused. The surgery is for those who cannot lose weight the natural way with diet and exersize..soo...in order to have surgery ...they put you on a diet...which they tell you at seminar...WON'T work.  -_-

frustrated..confused...and ready to slap the P.A. if she doesn't drop the attitude. Honestly, she's a size 6 and gives me the same look that those little snobby teenagers do when I go to the movies with my fiancee..GRR. That's a different story though xD.

Do you like your surgeon you have chosen? if so, then you need to follow his/her guidelines, if not, find another one, but make sure you follow their protocol.
It's not easy before, after or during so if anyone told you different, I can tell them they are wrong.
Read your first paragraph that you wrote again. It seems you answered some of your own question of why your doing it. The surgery works different for each person, each surgeon has their own protocol and you must follow it without question. And if you do have a question, then you need to ask the surgeon.

Yes, you need to do diets before the surgery, this too will help you after surgery in make a new lifestyle of eating. Your whole life will change. Eating, clothes, friends, etc....some good and some bad...

good luck, I am from the old school of tuff love.....and won't sugar coat anything....it is what it is....

I certainly don't expect sugar coating =) I prefer it straight and honest!  

I am following everything they have told me to do I'm just at wits end as to why they think it will work now when it hasn't worked for the past 20 years LOL I see them again on Monday so hopefully I can either ask the questions I need to ask ..or ask for the other P.A. because this one has a major attitude. .. I really wanted to ask her if it was part of her job description to be rude to patients!

 As one who took way to long to get insurance authorization, I can speak from recent personal experience.  They are looking for concrete documentation that you can not be successful any other way.  They are looking for documentation of willingness to make efforts at diet, lifestyle and activity.  The MD documention is critical in authorization.  Find a PCP that understands morbid obesity and work on consistent documentation using the specifications of your insurance.  By doing this, I finally got approved and am scheduled for surgery 3/29.  After 3 years and 3 denials I made it.  Not because I lost weight but because I "played by the rules" and was able to show the insurance that I can not lose weight merely by diet and exercise.  They are not looking for success but for effort. Best wishes!

Sometimes you can appeal against the 6 month diet requirement. It's your insurance that's requiring this, not your Dr? File an appeal with your insurance. If they deny it file a grievance with the Department of Managed Health Care (If you have an HMO, if you have a PPO, it's a different agency, but the process is the same, I'm not sure of the name of the agency, though).

These might help:

Insurance-mandated preoperative dietary counseling does not improve outcome and increases dropout rates in patients considering gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity.

Review of Weight Loss Prior to Bariatric Surgery

 

it is my insurance that requires it ..but I have medi-cal.. the state insurance (like medicare) can you even appeal those ?

You can appeal anything!

Also how do you do in the pool for exercise?

I just finished my 5 months of pre-op classes and was able to loose 45 pounds. Before it started I was convinced that I would never be able to loose the required 10%, but with a 1500 calorie a day food plan that was low carb, low fat, high protein, lots of veggies, and little exercise I lost well over what I had to.  My knee and sciatic are a problem for me too, so I just use an exercise bike for short periods of time and I am on my feet a lot at work. I had to turn my "can't do it attitude" around and start to believe in myself, I decided that I can't just sit and wait for surgery day to start putting some effort into myself. Sorry to hear the PA is not very helpful, is there a dietitian that you can see?  Try not to feel discouraged, if I can do it so can you.

I am a bit confused here.  First of all, losing a massive amount of weight is not really going to help your back.  If you have skin issues like I have, I have lost around 170 lbs, did not fix my back.  Having a tummy tuck will assist my back in healing, but losing the weight did nothing.  I had 3 ruptured discs, spinal stenosis, among other things.  There is no reason you cannot exericise.  I am starting exercise tomorrow for the first time in years, because that along with my recent spinal surgery will assist my back in futher healing.  So why do you not get into a pool and exercise?  That will assist in your weightloss and there is not a doctor around that won't tell you that it is the best thing for you to do when obese.  Also you CAN lose weight without exercising.  I did,....lost 60 lbs on a high protein low carb diet, of course it was put back on, but it did come off.  There is also weigh****chers that will get the weight off you.  You are the only one that can make a decision on what you put in your mouth.  If you are not happy with what this PA is telling you then find a doctor that will assist you in meeting your goals, but you have to meet them halfway.

Good luck.