Can't gain or lose pre-op

Hi,

My Bmi is borderline 40 at first visit, at my second visit it was 39.5. the doctors office said not to gain or lose weight until surgery is approved. What happens if my weight goes up a pound or so at my next appt? Do I have to start all over?

I'm not trying to gain, nor am I trying to lose which is weird in itself. I am just worried because it is hard trying to stay the same!

Thanks for all your help. My third appt is the end of this month, then chart goes to insurance

I started at 41.?  but 40 is the magic number with no major health issues so I started out on a good note.  was told not to gain even an ounce during my 6 months pre-op or I would have to start over.  I was allowed to lose, but I really watched what I ate to lose 1 pound each month. The Dr. used my beginning weight but my PCP had to note on each monthy report what my weight was and that I was on a diet (I forget how many calories).

Lynn, not to worry - just do the best you can.  I think a pound or two should not make or break it.  Think of it as practice for maintenance!
Amy

Staying the same is probably something none of us has EVER tried to do.  But in reality, a pound doesn't usually affect BMI greatly and so shouldn't hurt you in either direction.  My insurance was submitted on the day I started my supervised diet and we were told we really didn't have to lose anything but most of us did.  Then when we went to our pre-op diet, we had already been approved and had to lose 8% of our excess weight before surgery. 
Here's to a great checkup at the end of the month and a rapid approval.

I was back and forth with 4# the entire 6 months.  When I actually weighed at my monthly visits I ended up right on my starting #!  It was insane.  I had not weighed in so long so I had no idea what my body was doing monthly or weekly...

Hang in there and don't stress about it -- it will work out!

My first appointment I had a BMI of 37.5 (with diabetes) and was also told not to gain and not to lose. They took my final weight after my 6 months "supervised diet" with mostly consisted of them telling me what I should eat post-op and getting weighed once a month. I lost a couple pounds over the first 3 months, gained like 6 pounds in one month (my mother who is the very definition of increase-jenna's-stress-level was coming to visit ~ended up staying TWO MONTHS~ and I had to tell her that I got in an accident in her car on the 1st anniversary of her dad's death...) they let me slide when they got my laundry list of stress and told me that I was on probation. IF I didn't get it off or if it continued to increase that would raise a flag with the doc and the insurance company and I might get denied. Over the next couple months I brought it down and was back at my 37.5 BMI for my final weigh in. That's why 229 is my starting weight btw, even though I went in for surgery at 211 pounds (I think that's a BMI of 35.1 for me but they didn't count it, since I was already approved).

I advise you find out what weight your insurance company goes by and remember that life happens, weight fluctuates and just do the very best you can.

I was great at mainenance for most of my life pre-op... I maintained a weight between 185-195 pounds for 12 years never above, never below. Hopefully I can do the same thing at 125-135 when I get there :D

Best of luck to you!! Do you have any co-morbidities?

Hi,

Thanks for all the support!  I will try not to stress about it too much.  The month is flying by!

Take care - Lynn

It appears every surgeons office and insurance is different.  My weight the first time there was 119... which could be rounded up to a 40 BMI.  The next visit was 116... that's when they said at least maintain the 1st weight, do not lose any more.  I asked and they told me the weight taken the day of the pre-op visit with the surgeon would be the one turned into the insurance company.  So, I did what I could to make it as high as I could by eating, wearing boots, roll of quarters in the pocket.  ROFL!!   224 was my high weight... and after that I was allowed to lose, including the two week pre-op diet, so I lost 20 lbs total before surgery.  They were all good with that.  What they had said was if I gained 5 lbs. between the pre-op appt. and surgery, the surgeon would cancel the surgery because it would mean I'd been bingeing while I still could.  I was so glad to be able to quit stuffing my face (maintaining - ack) that there was no way that was gonna happen.

I don't know how they expect a person not to gain or lose at all.

I'm kinda hoping you have co-morbidities that take the BMI out of the mix pretty much.