So I'v been browsing and reading and I keep hearing about this 6 month pre diet. What's this about? And what insurance requires this to be done? During my consult they never mentioned anything about a 6 month diet prior to approval. They said the insurance approval process is only a few weeks, and based on the insurance I have, approval would be really easy. But then again my consultant was a total mess, so god know if anything she said had truth to it. That actually sounds really discouraging, waiting for 6 months Please can someone educate me?

Different insurances have different requirements. It may be that your insurance doesn't require it. Call you insurance company and ask them. I had BCBS of Michigan when I had my surgery and they did require a 6 month diet, however; because I had had the same PCP for almost 20 years and he was well aware of the previous attempts I had made, he was able to write his referral so that I didn't have to do it.

Some insurances require nutrition counseling for 3 or 6 months and may depend on how high the BMI is and whether you have comorbilitis. According to my insurance I needed nutrition counseling for 3 consecutive months. I would check with your insurance company directly so you know for a fact what you need to do.

Do not be discouraged! The time goes by faster

than you know it, and

you really need to use this time to wrap your head

around the surgery, as

well as getting all the insurance required tests

out of the way (I have Blue Cross Blue Shield).

My insurance required

a 3 month, 6 lbs to lose and keep off, a psych eval, heart/stress test

and a pulminology

exam - those alone took 3 months to get taken care

off. Plus, I

actully started giving up the things I knew I could

no longer have - I was a

HUGE soda drinker....so I gave that up and went

from there, breads, pastas,

rice....although eventually I will be able to

have the breads and such,

better to get your self off of them prior to the 2

week pre-op

surgery....(every Dr is different, but my 2 week pre-op diet was

3 meals a

day, 2 of which had to be Protein shakes and 1 meal of 4-6 oz of

protein

only). The reason is to try and shrink the liver so they do

not have to manouver it to much during the surgery since they have to lift it to

get to the stomach.

Good luck - and remember - stay focused and do not get discouraged!!