I am so tired of the waiting game, technically I guess I really havent waited that long yet . My first appointment was march 30 th and my supervised diet began then. I was just curious to find out for those that had to have a 6 month supervised diet required by insurance ,did you literally wait 6 months before the doctor even applied for authorization or was it less time ? and exactly how long was your process from start to finish? I am becoming restless. I guess Ive waited this long. Whats another 3 months????? I think Im going to drive myself crazy. Please bandsters shed some light on this for me

Hi I was on the six month plan to . The total time for me was ten months . Three weeks as of last thursday .

I had to do the 6 month diet too. However after I was done it only took 2 months to get my appt. And approval. Surgery is July 12. that will be 2 months. Good luck to u.

Yes, you have to wait the whole 6 months before it's submitted because your doctor has to prove you did it. My surgery was really soon after my paperwork was sent in- between 2 and 3 weeks.

I'm GLAD I couldn't get the surgery fast ,though when I found out about the wait period I was heartbroken. Use this time to learn as much as you can about what you have to do post-surgery, you'll be glad you did!

Thanks I was just wondering because some people have told me that the doctor submitted the info around 5 months and they were approved . thanks for the quick response time

Yes you have to wait the full 6 months if your doc requires it. I was devastated too having to wait, but like Rachal now I am kind of glad I had to wait. I had found this board when I first started this process and I read everyday posts and I saw what to expect. So when it happened I wasn't OMG what is going on. And I wasn't calling my doc for every little discomfort

Hey!! I just started my 6-month supervised diet... I met w/ a wonderful weight loss specialist and dietitian. I'm excited to see how much weight I can lose before I'm banded.

Good luck and stay encouraged!!

Hi. I'm about halfway through my 6 month pre-op diet with a nutritionist. I thought for sure I would be super impatient throughout the process, but I think it's better than someone who can fly right through the process and be banded right away. This process of 6 month's def. helps you to really learn what your getting into, your strenths/weaknesses, food, attend support groups, talk to others, get your head on straight about it, I think it def. prepares us better.

I find myself getting impatient now, a bit. I have my 4th nutritionist appt. next Tuesday the 21st. I gained about 1.5 lbs last time, so I'm hoping I'm down again next week, I believe I am, but only the scale will tell the truth. I'm trying not to focus on the weight so much, but more about being healthy and being to be me, while I'm still young.

Good luck with your journey! Keep us posted.

That's awesome!! I'm at the very beginning!! I'm excited though!.. Do you have any advice for me?? My major issue is that I miss a lot meals and now my metabolism is screwed up!!! The nutritionist has be doing 5 small meals.. and it's sooooo hard.. I feel like I'm eating too often!! LOL..

But I guess that's why she gets paid huh??!!!

Congrats and blessings on finishing strong!!

My first appointment was October 28th and after that I had appointments in December, January, February, March, and after my April visit (April 4th) they submitted to my insurance and I had the approval in about 2 weeks. I'm not having surgery until this Thursday but I had to delay it a bit because of scheduling conflicts. So my diet was not a full six months and if I had scheduled the surgery as soon as I could have, I probably could have been banded right around my official six month mark.

I agree with the poster above that says to use the time to learn as much as you can - I did, and I feel so much more prepared than I otherwise would have been. The time went by pretty fast actually. If you can start doing any exercise now, it's also a good time to do that because it will help improve your cardiovascular health prior to the surgery.

My 6-month pre-op diet lasted four months--but I think that's because my dr. had charted that I discussed my weight and diet with him before I got pregnant last year. The surgeon's office went ahead and submitted the paperwork last week just as a trial, and I was approved today. I've been on and off supervised diets for years (including during my pregnancy b/c of gestational diabetes); I'm glad to be moving on to something that will help me keep the weight off!

I also had to do the 6 month diet thing. I was disappointed when I found out but the time goes by soooo fast. I am now in my 5th month. My 6th month visit will be July 6th. I am now greatful that I had to wait the six months because I have sampled Protein shakes and found recipes and witnessed a lap band recovery first hand through a co-worker. I am now looking forward to my last visit and I am hoping that it will only take a week to schedule my surgery. Use this time to document your journey. I have created a vlog on youtube. I document how things are going weekly or when ever I have an appointment. Sit back and take advantage of the time.

I am so tired of the waiting game, technically I guess I really havent waited that long yet . My first appointment was march 30 th and my supervised diet began then. I was just curious to find out for those that had to have a 6 month supervised diet required by insurance ,did you literally wait 6 months before the doctor even applied for authorization or was it less time ? and exactly how long was your process from start to finish? I am becoming restless. I guess Ive waited this long. Whats another 3 months????? I think Im going to drive myself crazy. Please bandsters shed some light on this for me

Back n 2009, I started my 6th month supervised diet in April, I had my surgery On Oct 30, 2009. It was only about 3 weeks after the end of my diet when I had my surgery. My son just finished his 6 month diet, but the surgeon says Aetna is super slow at approving, so he scheduled my son's surgery for the 1st Friday in August. Good luck, Karen

I would love to see your vblog.. Would you send me the link?? Thanks for the information!!

I also had to do the 6 month diet thing. I was disappointed when I found out but the time goes by soooo fast. I am now in my 5th month. My 6th month visit will be July 6th. I am now greatful that I had to wait the six months because I have sampled Protein shakes and found recipes and witnessed a lap band recovery first hand through a co-worker. I am now looking forward to my last visit and I am hoping that it will only take a week to schedule my surgery. Use this time to document your journey. I have created a vlog on youtube. I document how things are going weekly or when ever I have an appointment. Sit back and take advantage of the time.

The insurance guru at my surgeon's office told me to call her once I have completed 5 months of the 6-month required supervised diet, and then she will give me further instructions on when to schedule my pre-op tests, etc. She said my surgery would probably be able to happen very soon (within weeks) of the day I hit the 6-month mark.