It does seem to really be determined by your insurance company unless you plan to pay for it all out of pocket. My insurance company required 6 months of documented weight loss supervision under my doctor's care. I had to attend a monthly nutrition, exercise and lifestyle change class led by registered health care providers. At first I was really disappointed that I had to wait so long, but the classes really helped. I would not have been emotionally or mentally ready to handle the lifestyle changes had I not had the education and time to "practice" the changes. I believe a lot of my post-op success will be because of these classes and my continued check-ins with my doctor. It also helped me determine my real reasons for having the surgery, and my willingness to make life-long changes.
The "hoops" I had to jump through:
Psych Eval
Blood draw for initial labs
Monthly visits to doctor's office for weigh-ins and classes (1-2 hrs each), where they asked me to:
Increase H20 comsumption to 64 oz (half gallon) a day
Stop all carbonated, caffeinated and sugary drinks
Eat meals in no less than 30 mins and Chew, Chew, Chew
Begin exercise 3-5 times a week for at least 20 mins
Keep a food diary to be reviewed at next visit and documented
Discover reasons/triggers that cause over-eating
Visit with surgeon to discuss surgery, desired outcomes and ask questions
Wait for insurance company to approve (about 6 wks)
Wait to be scheduled for final class about specifics on pre/post op (I am currently here)
Get scheduled for final pre-op labs and actual surgery date
