Most likely I will ultimately end up being a cash payer. But I have a BMI of 34 and OSA. My surgeon requires you to meet the minimum NIH requirements to do surgery (35 + comorbidity)

What am I supposed to do? I haven't gone for my first weigh in yet and officially start the process (although I've met with and talked with the surgeon several times in regards to WLS as I know him personally)

Am I expected to gorge myself and intentionally get heavier to hit the threshold, or are there any other suggestions? Would greatly appreciate any help

Edited June 24, 20179 yr by Mhy12784

On 6/24/2017 at 0:13 PM, Mhy12784 said:

Am I expected to gorge myself and intentionally get heavier to hit the threshold, or are there any other suggestions?

Prior to weight loss surgery, weight gain was easy for me. I could gain 7 to 8 pounds monthly with virtually no effort.

You would only need to gain 5 or 6 pounds to attain the vaunted BMI of 35, so I really don't see why this is a dilemma. You'll lose the 5 pounds (plus more) during your pre-op diet.

Right now, prequalification is king. Do what you've gotta do to qualify. Ethics be damned.

I had the same issue. I was just at 35. I was worried that if I lost even a pound that I would be denied. The nurse jokingly suggested quarters in my pocket. I have two insurances. My primary wanted at least 5 years being at 35 or more. My secondary insurance approved me. I hope you can get it figured out. God Bless.

Ankle weights darling...


H 5'6" HW 253, CW 245, TBS 9/19

Lol


“There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” —Michael Phelps

On 6/24/2017 at 1:13 PM, Mhy12784 said:

Most likely I will ultimately end up being a cash payer. But I have a BMI of 34 and OSA. My surgeon requires you to meet the minimum NIH requirements to do surgery (35 + comorbidity)

What am I supposed to do? I haven't gone for my first weigh in yet and officially start the process (although I've met with and talked with the surgeon several times in regards to WLS as I know him personally)

Am I expected to gorge myself and intentionally get heavier to hit the threshold, or are there any other suggestions? Would greatly appreciate any help

Have you ever thought of just going the weight loss medication route or something similar? You really don't have that much weight to lose and I lost 60 lbs using phentermine the first time. This is major surgery and you are only 195. Oh, I also exercised like mad.

Edited June 30, 20179 yr by Skinnygirl1984

21 minutes ago, Skinnygirl1984 said:

Have you ever thought of just going the weight loss medication route or something similar? You really don't have that much weight to lose and I lost 60 lbs using phentermine the first time. This is major surgery and you are only 195. Oh, I also exercised like mad.

Years ago I did the weight loss drug route and it worked great, but had some nasty side effects and eventually stopped working. Also my weight is almost 240, I need to lose at least 75 pounds. And the other issue has become the sleep apnea which causes plenty of problems of its own, and unfortunately weight loss drugs significantly exacerbate the sleep apnea

2 hours ago, Skinnygirl1984 said:

Have you ever thought of just going the weight loss medication route or something similar? You really don't have that much weight to lose and I lost 60 lbs using phentermine the first time. This is major surgery and you are only 195. Oh, I also exercised like mad.

Sometimes it's not about the weight loss. It's about keeping the weight off. And, without surgery, the original poster has a 95 percent chance of regaining it all plus more.

I was able to lose weight just fine without surgery. In fact, I had lost 200+ pounds over the years before surgery (e.g., lose 60, regain 100, lose 50, regain 90, rinse & repeat).

I'm sure the original poster could lose 'only' 60 pounds without surgical intervention. Most obese and formerly fat people can drop pounds without weight loss surgery. However, the medication route is not sustainable for the long run. The dieters' mentality is not sustainable for the long term. And anything that isn't sustainable for the long term usually doesn't last.

A wise physician who specializes in obesity medicine one stated, "If people disliked what it took to lose the weight, they'll dislike what it takes to maintain the weight, which spells regain."

I'm assured the original poster doesn't want a lifetime of maintaining on phentermine and extreme dieting to the point of irritability. Nope. Not sustainable.