Pre-Op Diet Questions

Good evening,  It's been a while since I've been to a WLS seminar, but the one thing weighing on my mind is the pre-op diet.  As of now, I haven't been on a formal diet of any sort for some time.  But I'm beginning to have lots of thoughts about what needs to be done in order to gain approval. From what I recall, most plans want to see you on a 6-12 month supervised diet.  My question is this - are you expected to lose weight during this time?  I may be paranoid, but I feel like if you lost a significant amount of weight, they'd deny the surgery, since you essentially proved you can be successful (even if only for a moment) with dieting alone. I plan on going to the doctor Saturday morning, so I can weigh in and have them document that I want to be on a "supervised" diet.  I've not even received my insurance information yet (nor made my choices, due to the lack of info provided), but I wanted to at least get a head start here with the diet issue. Any suggestions or feedback would be most helpful.  Thank you for your time & I hope you've had a wonderful evening! Blessings, Bela

I didn't lose much in the 6 mo and have just been approved be sure that you don't miss a mouth or you will have to start over.Good luck

According to my insurance I have to participate in a 6 month supervised by my PCP or other physician diet which I am currently in my 5th month of or it will be 5 months on Sept 21 .  I have lost 20-22 pounds but I have worked my hiney off to do that.  Walking 3-4 miles a day, on a 1500 cal diet .  The diet isn't bad but until I started walking I didn't lose anything on it.  When I read the actual insurance requirements it looks as though mine expects you to lose at least some to prove you are willing to make dietary and life style changes and stick with them. Best of luck!

Hi Bela. Nice Avatar. You are doing right by taking the first step to get in to the DR and get it noted about the diet. That way, if your insurance requires it, then you will have begun it. Some insurance requires you to lose a certain amount of weight (like 10% of your body weight) on the diet before they w ill approve you so I think it just depends on what your insurance says. Mine did not state an amount to lose on my 6 month diet. I did not lose much - only about 8 pounds. I slacked off. I felt the way you did about not wanting to lose too much but not wanting to lose to little. I would say if your insurance does not specify an amount to shoot for 10%.  But that is just my opinion. Good luck!

To add to what Misty said...The insurance company will go by your weight at the time you started the 6 month supervised diet. Anything you do lose during that time will just make your surgery and recovery that much easier.

It depends on your insurance.  I have Aetna and they either required 6month diet or a 3 month surgery prepatory program of where you see a nutritionist and exercise physiologist and then see the surgeon at the beginning and end. Of course I opted for the 3months and I lost like 16lbs but by the end it ended up being 8lbs. I was approved.  You might see if your insurance allows the 3month multidisciplinary surgery prep program.  Good luck to you! :-) 

Thanks, everyone, for your responses.  The 3 month multidisciplinary sounds great!  I'd be thrilled if my insurance ended up offering that!   I will have United PPO as my insurance, though not yet sure which plan I will be under.  They've still not sent the insurance paperwork to us, nor can anyone in my local office provide me with any paperwork.  More and more companies are getting away from having on-site benefits reps, and moving more towards everything being handled via mail or phone.  Gotta love cutting costs in big corporations now a days, eh? **grumbles** On a positive note, I scheduled my seminar on Wednesday the 5th.  Wish me luck!