3/8/09 Ticker Update Time!

Whoo Hoo! I can finally update my Ticker! One “ten pound head” (with my fat face) gone and nine or so more to go. I think I win the award for slowest weight loss pre-band…actually, probably not as I’ve run across quite a few others here who also weren’t allowed to lose much on their Six Months of Lingering Torture. I know, I know, you’re saying what’s so torturous with not losing much weight??!! Gee I REALLY feel sorry for you BG! I’m telling you if you’ve come to this point in your life where you feel desperate enough to get WLS, then you’re ready to make the change, and you want it to start happening sooner, rather than later. I’d describe my feelings much like an alcoholic would about ‘hitting bottom’. For me, and I think many others, we had some sort of turning point, or ‘moment’ where we hit bottom and decided to consider WLS (I’ll share my moment another time). It’s actually been hard while you’re researching and learning all this not to be able to put it all into practice. I swear it's made the time go slower too, probably because you don't have as much to do (tracking calories, exercising, planning/cooking diet meals). If you’re someone like me (professional dieter) who is always either gaining or losing it’s been weird staying about the same weight. I haven’t stayed about the same weight this long in I don’t know when!

So ‘breaking’ my plan, and actually starting my stricter diet this last month of the Six Months of Lingering Torture, has been a great feeling. I started my dieting last Monday and haven’t really been cutting the calories too drastically yet (I’m planning to step things down) as I didn’t want to lose a TON of weight this month. Well, you can all call me an ‘April Fool’ if I mess this whole thing up and get denied! Time to update my Ticker tomorrow…FINALLY!...I hope I remember how!

Me, Summer 2010: “Lost Weight? Me? Thanks for noticing!”

Doggone it, BG! Post a spew alert with your images! (wiping my monitor again) ROTFL! I have been feeling like a Shar Pei Puppy lately! I'm so stealing that picture.

Lena

Doggone it...

Heeeheehee. Funny...dog...gone...hee hee. How how can I tell what people are going to think is funny? I'm easily entertained, so I laugh at everything people write/pic (well, unless it's sad)! I let DH read my very second blog of what I thought was a somewhat funny incident at my first PCP visit (remember, I Peed My Pants HERE). He didn't get the funny...OK, maybe it's a girl thing...I've not offered for him to read any more. I probably have a warped sense of what I think is funny (I cracked up when I saw that pic)...ooops, that means you're warped too !

I know I'm warped. I make my living off being warped.

BG- I just can't wait for you to join the banded on the other side of the line! Keep up the fun posts!

the 6 mos will be up before you know it. I totally understand how you must feel. I was lucky and my insurance (at the time) did not require it. I'm hearing from a few in my office who are trying to do WLS that they require a 6 mos plan now. Hang in there, we can't wait to see you on the other side!

Thanks gals for the support! It can't come soon enough :-)

Sorry, I know I'm really clueless but are you referring to a diet of six months required by insurance to auth the lap band? And if so, are you supposed to succeed or fail in order to get the auth? Thanks, Cali

Hey Cali, Yes I've been on a 6 mo. diet & exercise program supervised by my PCP to meet part of my insurance requirements. For MOST ins. co's. this means just going to the visits for 6 consecutive months within 2 years of your surgery date (and having the right notes taken by the PCP). Again for MOST ins. co's. the expectation is that you will not succeed very well (if you could you wouldn't need the surgery). This means you need to lose 5-10#, you cannot gain, you cannot go below your minimum BMI (either 35 or 40 depending where you fall).

Rarely, for a few docs/ins. co's., they expect a weight loss of 5-10% so you have to first get a copy of your ins. co's. info and then check with the person at your surgeon's office who works with the ins. co. and ask them what the weight loss expectation is.

I could only lose about 10# and I have to be sure I don't fall below the 35 BMI (my 35-40 category). This is too crazy isn't it? Good luck! -BG