Need some advice

Little bit of background  -- I have been off of phentermine for the past three weeks. I just went on scale to day and I have gained 15 lbs !! in three weeks. Im 5 5 and at 265 right now.  I havnt had my first surgeons appointment yet to see if I qualify for the surgery. It is scheduled for MAY ...so I have to wait all of next month. Should I diet?-- or should I just never mind untill next month after I see him? Thanks for any input you have

Thats a hard one! I will say that any weight you lose between now and your Drs appointment will not "count" as any required loss that you may have to lose for insurance purposes unless you have it monitored. If you can get into your PCP just to weigh in so it is written somewhere what you started, I would try that. Or, it looks like you are going through Vandy? You can probably just stop by there to weigh in and have them note it in your file. That way, any weight you lose will show on paper.  With that being said, I would never tell anyone not to diet or change their eating habits just because it didn't "count". Obviously, if you want to go ahead and diet and start losing weight, I would do it regardless if it isn't in writing or not. Good luck with your journey to weight loss and better health!

Janice I don't know what kind of insurance you have.  But if you have BC/BS of TN. they will require you to loose 10% of your body weight.  The way they do it is take your highest weight recorded by your PCP in the last two years then look at your lowest weight during that same time period. Then they will determine how much you need to loose.  Example 08/21/06 you weighed 300 lbs, 05/01/08 you weighed 280 then you would have to loose 10 lbs to meet requirements.  Some insurance want you on a 6 months Doctor supervised diet. Some require nothing.  So if it were me and I had BC/BS of TN I would start dieting now. If you have some other insurance I would wait.  Hope thats as clear as mud? Bob

Hi  Janice, I agree with the others. BC/BS will require a 3-6 month dr. supervised weighloss and monthly weigh in before you can get approved. They're real sticklers about that.  Call your insurance and ask what their requirements are to get approved.  Then you will know what to expect.  Best of luck to you. May God travel with you on this new journey. Kathy

You will also go on a liquid diet before the surgery to shrink your liver., 8 days before. But I started cutting back on what I would eat, just to help with the shrinkage of the liver when the time came.  And I really think that it helped.  I am 5'4" was 326-but had started to lose back in Sept. when I went to the seminar. But there are no regrets for the way I did anything...I would do it the same way again... Dr. Richards is awesome. I was scheduled for Mar 24, and mine got moved up to 12th, and that can happen to anyone, be prepared, for any changes just in case. I hope this helps.  And congrats sweetie. Barb