Question:
Keep a food diary for nutritional evaluation

Hi guys- Had to pursue a nutritional eval in order to complete my appeal to Cigna PPO. Now I've got to keep a food diary for a week for my next meeting with the dietician. Now I remember why I despise these things. I hate myself for eating this way, or wanting to eat crap. I'm afraid to eat anything because I want to be honest and I just don't want to get denied. I want WLS SOOO BAD! What are the no nos! Do I just eat as healthy as possible and right it down, or do I eat the way I normally eat and then write that down? I'm so confused. Has anyone else been through this and actually gotten approved?    — Anne X. (posted on September 8, 2002)

September 8, 2002
Anne, good luck on your appeal, I hope it goes through. My surgery is scheduled for 9/18. I had to keep a food diary for 3 weeks prior to my surgical consult. The nurse told me to write down EVERYTHING I put in my mouth. I took that literally and wrote down all the food (junk or good) that I ate and everything I drank (including some margaritas!). I mean I went so far as to write down how many green olives I ate in a day! Green olives are a new compulsion of mine and I just eat them out of the jar! I think the purpose behind the food diary is to gauge your eating habits. If you try to eat healthier just because you have to record it then the diary won't reflect the truth. My surgeon also uses our eating habits to help decide which type of surgery is best (you know, do we eat lots of smalls meals, graze all day, eat three large meals, skip breakfast and then stuff ourself all day!) The diary is helpful to the nutritionist and the surgeon so be truthful. None of us would be where we are if we all ate like we were suppose to!! Again, good luck with the appeal, think positive!
   — Patty.W