Taking the second step

Last night I went to my first lifestyle/weight loss seminar. There are six of them. Lots of people there. One interesting fact that they shared . . . one individual gained 1 pound (yes one pound) during the six month period and was DENIED by her insurance company for the surgery. Can you believe it?! Or is this more common than I am aware of. We were told that we cannot gain ANY weight over the next six months!! Hope I can do it, because I really want this surgery.

Hi Jan,

I guess her insurance provider is very strict.  I know when I went to my initial consult I was told by my surgeon that gaining weight between then and surgery date was cause for cancellation of the surgery and it was suggested that I lose 10 lbs. prior to the surgery as a means of helping my liver shrink.  Many people have fatty liver from being so obese and it can make it harder for the surgeons to do the operation.  I also think (and this is my thinking, not anything they said) that the surgeons feel if you are going to have this surgery, then the changes, and commitment to change, must start from the point of consultation and not become a last feeding frenzy leading up to the day of surgery.  Anyway, I know at my facility, some people do gain weight and are put on a liquid diet for 2 weeks pre-op if they have gained.  I know of no one whose insurance carrier cancelled their surgery do to weight gain, which is not to say what you were told is not true, especially since insurance carriers try to find any way they can to deny us coverage for different things.  

Good luck on this journey, you can do it!

Laureen 

Hi Jan, my surgeon told me not to gain 1# before surgery. I had read that some people have been cancelled for gaining so I made a serious commitment right away to lose some pounds...I don't trust myself and thought that if I didn't commit right away to change, I might gain some before surgery. I lost wt by eating the foods I would be eating post-op. I totally eliminated soda, sugars and caffiene and concentrated on dense proteins and complex carbs. I began taking vitamin supplements also to build myself up and make it a part of my routine. I do better with slow change so I had to do this for myself to be prepared for surgery.
Best wishes to you.
Alice

That's what I've decided to do -- eat what I will be eating post op. Regardless, I'm still so excited about this marvelous opportunity to do what I need to do to lose weight and get healthy.

My surgeon and insurance company said I couldn't gain a pound either or I would have been denied. It is getting harder and harder all the time to get approval. Insurance companies are clamping down. They figure if we can't at least maintain then we won't be able to follow this plan either.

Good luck.....fiollow your doctors guidelines and you will do okay.

Hugs, connie d