3 month diet versus 6 month diet

I have Aetna and i am starting the 6 month diet.  I have been told that i may be able to do the 3 month diet.  I would love to cut my wait time in half.  What makes the difference?  What do i need to do to get the 3 month rather then the 6 months?  Any info would be great!!!

I think you need to ask whoever told you that.  The 3 month versus 6 month diet requirement would be put in place by your insurance company.  So if they told you that, you need to qualify what that means.  Typically, they want you to be on a doctor's supervised diet with the goal of seeing you lose enough weight to drop below a bmi of 40 so you aren't morbidly obese and they can say, "See... if you watch what you eat, you can succeed with just diet."  That doesn't mean, as we all know, that the weight you lose would stay off for any significant amount of time but that is what they hope to accomplish during the doctor supervised diet.  Some insurance companies require a BMI > 40 for a certain time like 2 years never dropping below.  If you go on the supervised diet and go below, you are disqualified for 2 years (I've read this on other boards). 

I have BCBS-Georgia and they didn't require that.  Maybe they did and my PCP has watched my weight and documented my previous attempts, and failures, pretty well since the topic of my weight has been the primary issue the past 5 years with him.

Good luck!

Mick, thnx for the info!  I have looked at my policy bullitian and it says i can do either, but adds an exersize therpist to the 3 month.  IU called Dr Harts office and they say that theyd want me to do the 6 month just to be sure i will get approved.  I just feel like a horse with a carrot dangles in my face cuz i saw the chance to only wait 3 months instead of 6.  Im really kinda ticked and i would hate to waste 3 months ya know?

I totally understand what you mean.  Look at it this way, it gives you a chance to work on bandster eating rules and see how much you can modify your eating.  I lost 30 lbs the month before surgery.  My best month before or after.  I almost didn't go through with surgery as I was so inspired by the pre-op diet.  The difference is keeping the weight off.  Anyone can diet for 6 months or a year and be on their best behavior.  Eventually, we've all reverted back to our old ways.  Hopefully, that won't happen now that I'm banded!

The Surgeons office may want you to do the 6 mos but you know you can do the 3 mos anyway.  There is a nutrisionist & exercise pshyologist at the Atlana Medical Center off Freedom Pkwy

Karen Buren Burke is the nutritionist ans Keve is the exercize pshylogist, i went there for 3 mos, also went to my PCP for 3 mos to discuss eveyrhing with im that I discussed with the NUT, now I m waiting a detailed letter from PCP already gor letter from the NUT.  Let me know if you need her tel#

Hubby & I are just beginning our journey/process of preparing for LapBand.  So far we have 1 month's worth of food diary and exercise log.  We are looking for someplace to go for exercise besides Phsiotherapy Associates.  We pay our co-pay each time and recently found out that there are places that will take a monthly payment and a person can go as many times as they want.  Rockdale Hospital has a Wellness Program but need to find out their hours.  We have Aetna HMO. I think our requirement is the 3 month supervised diet/exericse program.  We're open to any suggestions/help/advise that anyone has to offer.
Roberta/Mimi G

I will be interested to hear what you learn about Rockdale Hospital. 

Ruby
3/11/2005  RNY
262/125/136
hi/lo/today

Hey there! I think I know you....

Were you my neighbor in the meeting on Thurs?

maybe - I'm very short, my hubby was with me.  Were you sitting on the left back corner?

I also have Aetna. The way that I understood it was that you have to have a TOTAL of 6months supervised dieting, with three of those months being consecutive and monitored by the surgeon doing your WLS. I am also going to Dr Harts office. Going to the seminar on the 6th of August. This will be my second seminar because I changed surgeons. I guess I am going to be pretty knowledgable by the time I finally get my surg. Good luck to you!