STARTING THE WLS 6 MONTH PROCESS

I am so happy/nervous/excited/overwhelmed to be starting the 6 month process to being able to get VSG surgery by Dr. Ward, David! I have United Healthcare Community HMO btw. I have to see a nutritionist for 6 months, Wednesday being my first appointment, then a psychiatrist once, and have to get a scope in my tummy done closer to the end of the 6 months i believe. How was your process? It feels like its gonna be a while before I get the surgery but I know time will fly by (Hopefully). :)

Congrats on starting the process! I had similar 6 month process for VSG even though it was revision from band. I was so ready when i decided on vsg, that the surgery day couldn't come soon enough. Hope it's here before you know it, best of luck!

Congratulations on taking your first steps! My insurance only required a psych evaluation so I actually could've had surgery within a few weeks of my consult. I had to postpone it for several months due to work, but I took that time to research as much as possible and to begin implementing healthy changes. Your surgery date will be here in no time! Good luck with your nutrition plan until then.

Congratulations ! A six month pre-approval process is actually a gift. Use this time to research, identify and address any potential road blocks. I encourage you to get going on My Fitness Pal, or another food logging site. Work on eliminating soda, and simple carbs now. Practice no liquid an hour before or after eating (and during meals), in addition to chewing smaller portions well. Begin to weigh, measure and log actual meals. Experiment with a variety of protein drinks and collect recipe ideas for your post VSG stages. Find ways to get moving that you enjoy. I used walking poles and chair exercises when I was at my highest weight.

The six months will fly by, and you will be well prepared for the required lifestyle changes ! You've got this !

Welcome, welcome! The 6 months will fly by and you will end it by saying, "Hey, what is going on here?" Take advantage of your time with the nutritionists and working on making the changes to your diet pre-surgery. I did and I am still having cravings that are scaring me! One thing that I kind of came up with was to try a different vegetable based dish at least once a month to find a way to add some flavor to my meals. One of my favorites is a "cheese bread" stick made from zucchini. Even my hubby loves it! Another is called, believe it or not, spinach brownies. No, they are not sweet or chocolate, but a wonderful savory side dish...

www.mybakingaddiction.com/spinach-brownies/

www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/.../zucchini-cheesy-brea d-recipe/

By the way, I cut about 1/2 of the cheese off the top of the zucchini sticks and it was still good dipped in spaghetti sauce. Even my DOG loves these recipes! When I make either of them, he swoons and drools! So, if Mickey loves them, you will too!

Again, welcome, if you need support, this is the group to get it from.

Congrats on starting the process! For me, it was a lot longer than 6 months. When I met with the psychologist, she told me that I may have binge eating disorder. She told me that I could not move forward without being cleared by a psychologist for binge eating disorder. I was so frustrated because that put me into about 1 year of counseling before I could start the whole 6 months over again. When all was said and done, it was just over 2 years before I could get my surgery approved, which happened on 11/29/2017. I am 2 months out and things are going terrific. In retrospect, I am so happy that it took such a long time for me to be approved because when it came time for my surgery, I had already adopted the lifestyle and was losing weight. Before surgery I went from 365 lbs. to 285 lbs. When I left he hospital, I was 306 lbs. and just weighed in at 248 lbs.

The 6 month process is there for your benefit so that you can get yourself properly prepared for the change in lifestyle.