Question:
HOW CAN I GAIN 10 MORE POUNDS TO MEET CRITERIA FOR WLS WITHIN A SHORT TIME?

WHAT HAS WORKED FOR YOU?    — CINDY D. (posted on September 12, 2003)


September 12, 2003
Jen my wife suggests Ben and Jerrys. Consumed at least twice daily. This was her favorite pre op food. Each 3500 extra calories eaten daily is a extra pound gained.
   — bob-haller

September 12, 2003
chinese food the night before always puts 5 # on me
   — **willow**

September 12, 2003
Cindy, when my husband was in high school he was always just several pounds underweight. What he would do is drink as much water as possible prior to weigh-in. Hopefully you'll be able to drink a ton & it weighs much more than any type of food you could eat before weigh in. Just hope your wait time is short in the waiting room prior to weigh-in & a bathroom is near! Of course this will probably add about 4-5 lbs, but every pound helps. Good luck.
   — j A.

September 12, 2003
Sorry - when I read my post it didn't make sense. My husband was trying out for the football team at the time!
   — j A.

September 12, 2003
<Sigh> Brooke, did you even read Cindy's profile? It's not like she has just five or ten vanity pounds to lose. I just don't understand the hostility that crops up here from time to time. Cindy, I think you already qualify for the surgery since you're over 35 BMI and have serious co-morbidities. Don't let anyone get you down. Do be careful of too much water overload prior to weigh in because there has been a few deaths associated with TOO much water. Of course it has to be an awful lot of water to be dangerous. I think it has something to do with throwing your electrolytes out of whack? Good luck. Sherry
   — sherry hedgecock

September 12, 2003
Eat a lot of foods with extra butter. Breads, rice, pastas...nothing like fat and carbs to put on 10 lbs fast. Ice cream will do it also since it has both.
   — susanje

September 12, 2003
I was also in the same position as you. I was just on the borderline of a 40 BMI at the time of my consult. My surgeon weighs you with your clothes on, and I knew that. I went in December and wore jeans and a heavy sweater as well as all the jewelry I could. From the time I made my appointment to the time I had it, I just ate frequently, high carbs, sugars and fats. After my appointment I let up a little bit and 7 pounds came off by itself and then I stabilized. As for you ever feeling that you may not deserve the surgery after the response from Brooke, all I can say is whether you have a hundred pounds that you are unable to lose or 200 or 300 pounds you are unable to lose, it STILL affects your health and self-esteem. I decided not to wait to be 300 plus pounds to do something. I commend you for taking charge of you future now before you have to lose twice as much weight. I felt it was better to be cut and have my insides rearranged then to live with artificial joints in my knees and hips. I did not make the decision carelessly, and am thankful everyday that I had the opportunity to save myself from a life of disability and pain. Brooke, please , if you read this, understand that your comments can cause as tremendous pain and hurt as those who are thin and say malicious comments to the morbidly obese. I felt that the difference of 10 pounds should not determine my future health. Best of luck and health to all.
   — Fixnmyself

September 12, 2003
Sometimes you have to show that you have been at a certain BMI for a length of time before being approved...then you might have to lose 10% of your body weight before surgery. The protocol is different with every surgeon and insurance company.
   — Sarahlicious

September 12, 2003
we just talked about this at my support group the other night...drink lots of water...wear your heavy shoes (most often we opt to remove our shoes for weighing in, I have never heard them ask any one to remove them) pack your purse as heavy as possible...and put rolls of quarters in your pants pockets. Its understandable to want to gain weight to insure insurance approval..but anything gained prior to surgery is more to be lost post op. Best of luck to you...keep us posted on your progress! lap rny 4/9/03 311/222/-89
   — Peg L

September 13, 2003
Did your surgeon tell you to gain weight? If not, then don't do it. Every extra pound makes your surgery that much more hard on your body. And why gain weight if you don't need to? You don't want more to lose, believe me. 40 BMI will qualify, depending on your insurance.
   — mrsmyranow

September 13, 2003
Havent we already addressed this (you posted earlier this week). Here are my thoughts again..... My thought on this is that it is those people out there who are GAINING weight to have this surgery that are making it VERY DIFFICULT for those of us who weigh A LOT (in excess of 150 pounds overweight) to get insurance approval!! I find it very disturbing and quite pathological. My response may not be popular - but it's how I feel. I have had to fight for a year for insurance approval- weighing 366 pounds!!!! INSANE!!! I am sorry, but I have very little empathy for those who would willingly GAIN weight to defraud their insurance company!
   — MissKimberly

September 13, 2003
Kimberly: I have NO empathy for people who take their frustrations out on other people. Cindy doesn't live in your state, and isn't unfortunate enough to have Kaiser. Your insurance is what is causing you your problems, and has nothing what so ever to do with Cindy trying to get surgery. If she was putting weights in her clothes to show a higher BMI, then that is defrauding the insurance. Even that I can understand someone doing, even if it is unethical. To gain ten more pounds to qualify isn't frauding the insurance, and isn't hurting you or anyone else. Do you honestly think she won't just gain 10 pounds in the future anyway if left alone? All she's doing is qualifying a bit earlier. If I would have had surgery six or so months earlier, I probably would have been able to save my knees from the constant pain I'm in now. I was "just" a 100 pounds over weight, and even though I got close to goal my knee pain never got better. Why force someone to get more comorbidities because you're unhappy with your insurance struggle? All she's doing with her question is asking how to work within a somewhat arbitrary guideline. Maybe my feelings won't be popular either, but I honestly do not believe that you are anymore worthy of this surgery simply because you weight 50 pounds more than I did. I had a life-long weight problem same as anyone else, and I was suffering, and my future looked just as bleak as anyone else. Kimberly I suggest you take your frustration and hositilty and put it where it deserves to be, which is your insurance. If it's possible, why not try changing to a PPO and save yourself the fight all together? Whichever you do, I implore you, and everyone else like you, to PLEASE quit posting such hostile responses.
   — sherry hedgecock

September 14, 2003
There are many people would like to have this surgery. Some of them will qualify, and some will not. An insurance company has to decide what the limits are. If you do not qualify then you might consider paying for this surgery yourself. If you gain the weight then you will not defrauding insurance company. However quarters in your pocket and other devious techniques for fraud! You can be prosecuted. Good luck to you
   — Robert L.

September 14, 2003
Cindy... Try drinking milk right for a few days. It puts weight on me VERY easily!! I know exactly how you feel! I had a BMI of 36 when I went in for my first appointment. I could tell by my surgeon's reaction that I didn't have a chance of getting WLS. I was so depressed afterwards. I cried for days! Yeah I know I am not as big as some people, but that doesnt mean I am not affected by my weight. I was misserable!! I felt like my family was ashamed of me! Anyway, good news is that I DID get approved (and I didnt have to gain weight to get to a BMI of 40....but you can bet your bottom dollar that I would have)!! I had my surgery on June 4th. I am now down 32 lbs!! My Reflux Disease is GONE! My cholesterol is down to 120 from 240!! My blood pressure is now NORMAL!! I am feeling great!! I still have 32 more pounds to go before I reach my goal. I know I will get there one of these day!! WHOOO HOOO!! Don't worry about what some of the SMO people say to you! You do what is needed to make sure your health will improve!! I have gotten so much crap about having WLS and only being 64 lbs overweight! Well you know what? They can kiss my *#&!! WLS saved my life too! Having this surgery was the best thing that I have ever done for myself! I have no regrets!!! Good luck fellow lightweight!!
   — S A.

September 15, 2003
Eat lots of icecream, that put weight on me and of course greasy pizza. I sympathize with you. If you need to gain 10 lbs to have the surgery...do it. Forget what anyone else thinks. Just because someone is over 400 lbs and is qualified is the same as someone 220, they both should qualify. Why feel bad because you dont weigh as much as some of us to qualify. Only you know how miserable you feel. Gain the 10 lbs and have fun doing . Good Luck
   — Lisa G.

September 15, 2003
layered clothing, weights in your pockets (quarter rolls), weights in your shoes, bend your knees on the scale when the nurse measures your height - they're most likely looking at your head, and not your knees.
   — jengrz

September 15, 2003
Oh yeah - family history (subjective) but may qualify you if you're BMI is between 35-40. (family hx obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cervical cancer, breast cancer)all subjective and cannot be proven.
   — jengrz




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