so i met with the dietition last week. she was informative as to what foods where good and bad but we did NOT set a weight loss goal of any kind. Now i feel like i have been left hanging. she told me, some foods i will never be able to eat again, but im like ok i understand that, but she didnt set up anything to say ok, you should start eating this or that and we are going to set a goal to loose x amount of weight. i keep reading about people here drinking Protein Shakes, but she didnt mention anything about those. all i know is i have to cut out certain foods and go by some generic chart she gave me.

at my last drs visit it was suggested i see the dietition more than once so that Aetna doesnt make me do the 6 months and will just give me an approval with 3. I had already decided to see the dietition up until surgery because i want to make sure i have everything in place and a good understanding of what i will be able to eat and how much once i have the surgery. so as im ready i see people getting approval and then their dates. mines is the opposite. i have the date, but no approval. i called the dr to see when they would be putting in for the approval and they said the middle of Dec!!!! WHAT???? you ask for an approval 2 weeks before my surgery (Jan 4, 2012) what if they say no? uggghhhh!!!

so here i am not really sure what i should be eating, just what i shouldnt be eating.

When you next see your dietition tell her your concerns and expectations. If you are not satisified with her response ... get a new dietition.

Oh I feel for you, this can be soooo confusing and sometimes it seems like these visits to these specialists like the dietician are just hoops to jump through with out any real meaning.

Here's my advice for what its worth: Lose at least ten pounds if you can before your surgery to shrink your liver and make the procedure easier and your recovery faster.This will be very tough with the holidays. Just try to reduce portions and try to make some better food choices. If a food has a lot of fat, some of it goes to your liver. Go for some walks if you can.

When I was preop my doc told me to lose ten pounds (I lost 8) by any reasonably healthy means. I looked at it as the last diet of my life and it was!

Be nice to yourself and dont get too drawn in by all these ridiculous rules and procedures...

FYI I am at restriction and there is no food I can't eat. I choose not to eat bread and pasta. I do have to dip raw carrots in hummus. My only stuck incidents have happened with raw baby carrots that were eaten on their own and did'nt chew well enough.

I hv aetna too, my dr is putting in my paperwork tomm, my 90 days were up today, u cant submit anything earlier than your 90 days

Hi, I'm really sorry you have had this experience with your dietician. I have had 3 visits with the dietician and the first one was really about my current eating habits and to talk about monitoring my calorie intake over the next few weeks. She gave me sample diet but really didn't say to avoid or stay away from certain foods. My 2nd meeting was much more beneficial (from my perspective). We started talking about incorporating protein shakes and eating the "right" foods. Of course it was all about vegetables and protein, which is fine since that is really our life after banding. But I am a "texture" person with food and really needed to cut out the salty, fried foods (potato chips). She was great at giving me alternatives to my favorite non-health foods, like Popchips... not baked or fried and have very low calories but still great taste and similiar texture to potato chips. If you know there are certain foods that are a weakness for you, ask her to provide alternatives. There are many dieticians out there and not all are aligned or understand bariatric needs. If you aren't getting the support you need, seek another dietician. This is your life, your future and you need the tools for success so do not settle for someone that is not truly supporting you.

Hi, I'm really sorry you have had this experience with your dietician. I have had 3 visits with the dietician and the first one was really about my current eating habits and to talk about monitoring my calorie intake over the next few weeks. She gave me sample diet but really didn't say to avoid or stay away from certain foods. My 2nd meeting was much more beneficial (from my perspective). We started talking about incorporating Protein Shakes and eating the "right" foods. Of course it was all about vegetables and Protein, which is fine since that is really our life after banding. But I am a "texture" person with food and really needed to cut out the salty, fried foods (potato chips). She was great at giving me alternatives to my favorite non-health foods, like Popchips... not baked or fried and have very low calories but still great taste and similiar texture to potato chips. If you know there are certain foods that are a weakness for you, ask her to provide alternatives. There are many dieticians out there and not all are aligned or understand bariatric needs. If you aren't getting the support you need, seek another dietician. This is your life, your future and you need the tools for success so do not settle for someone that is not truly supporting you.

Thanks, for the encouragement. i saw this dietition because my surgeon recommended her. i like the idea of an alternative to my favorite tings.

Everyone thanks for the tips. i went grocery shopping and got a lot of low cal stuff and just planned ahead for the week. i boiled eggs and bought wheat mini bagels instead of plain big ones, i started doing salads instead of fast food, and i am trying to stay away from frying food, and i even found something to make water taste better without calories or very little. so all of the ideas have helped. i am just changing the food and cutting back on the calories.

Go to myfitnesspal.com it is a site that helps count your calories, Protein, and exercise. You can go on there, and view other peoples Diary, and see what they are eating. It should help some.

They gave you a list of what not to eat ! So that is a plus too.

Talk to your Dietician, she will have more knowledge then the Dr.. It's her field !

She can give you the info on paper, so you have copy's of everything.

I'm Losingintime on that site, look me up, and I'll friend you in.

It's Free, and allot of us are there.

Hi, I know it is frustrating but hang in there. I have Aetna and had a choice to do the 3 month or 6 month. I chose the 3 month and they would not submit to my insurance until I finished with the program. They submitted it and I was approved in about 4 days. I had to call Aetna and they told me I was approved even before the Dr. found out. Unfortunately I had to postpone until December 21st because I was offered a teaching job that started 45 days before by planned band date of 8/24. It will all fall in place. My dietician did not set any weight loss goals just gave some literature on what foods are good foods. I only lost 5 pounds but they were ok with that because I quit smoking and my weight is 208 pounds. Good luck with everything and stop stressing it will all be ok.

5 days not 45 days sorry typo

I am looking forward to seeing the dietician and have lists of questions going.....