5% weight loss

Hello all, I hope everyone is doing well on this cold Friday morning. I went to see the nutritionist as St Elizabeth's on Monday. She said that prior to me having the lapband surgery, I would need to lose 5% of my body weight or insurance won't pay. Do I have to start that now...or do I wait later? I'm hearing everyone talk about a "pre-op" diet so I'm just curious...if the program is going to put me on a special diet or is it up to me to start dieting....like.....today? Thanks for all your help!!!!!!

Marie ... I think you should start your 5% weight loss asap.. don't wait around you wanna get that done for your nutritionist to give report to your surgeon..the early the better for your approval

Yes I would start that now. If we don't loose enough weight we were told we would be put on the liquid diet for after surgery and I don't want that yet. Good Luck , Jennifer

You should start now. You don't want any set backs near the completion of all the things your surgeon ask to be done pre-op. That's why I started dieting WAY before I was even eligible. I heard the horror stories!

HI Marie, Not only should you start the diet now, but plan to keep on it until your surgery. I got an earlier surgery date because a patient in our program gained weight. CWC is very strict about the weight loss and not have any weight gain. DId Deidre instruct you to start choosing more low cal foods and cutting out junk and snacking, and smaller portions? Have you seen Dr. P yet? Dr. P will do everything in her power to help you lose the weight, but you have to do the work, eat less, exercise etc. Its not so much as the insurance will refuse to pay, but Dr. P will refuse to operate on you. ALot of the pre-op things are to help us and in a way to test us. If even for a few months we can't eat less and exercise more and not gain weight, they don't feel we would do the work after the surgery and be prepared for all the life changes yet to come, and maybe we are not taking the surgery seriously or we are immature. I took Merida for about 2 months before the surgery to help supress my appetite. Amy

Okay....I will start tomorrow. How long was the whole process for you from start to surgery with Dr. P? Do you think I could get a surgery date for March or April. I saw Deidre and she told me to cut back on junk foof and watch my portions. I have to meet her again on February 22nd. She is really nice. I also have to see the nurse on the 27th. What happens at that appointment? I am marking down the days on my calendar. I am ready for this surgery and well prepared thanks to this website and all of the nice folks here. Thanks!

Honestly you should call the nutritionalist. But usually the weight that you have your counsalt with the Doctor is the weight he will go by for you to lose weight. Get weighed then ask them for a diet. If they dont have one I would love to share the diet my doc gave me at your stage of the surgery. I lost 18lbs in just a few weeks on it. Amy