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Called the insurance today I have Meridian (Illinois Medicaid) said I have to go through weight watchers for 6 months first to get approved for surgery. I can still start the program at the Bariatric clinic just have to do my 6 months through weight watchers. Anyone else have to do this process too?

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I’ve never heard of 6 months of weight watchers, but most of us have had to do 3-6 months of weight management classes. How do they want you to document your WW participation?

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Curious they chose W W but every plan is different, they,want to see if you can lose under a structured program. Mine was,all done by the nurse practitioner in my former surgeon's office.I had a diet sheet I had to chart my diet and activity levels on, I followed my daily diet on My Fitness Pal and then transfered the information over onto paper. Once a month we met to go overmy,sheet and see if we had to make changes.I had completed 5 of the 6 that insurance required, then my job terminated, and i,lost my insurance. Thought well that's that, so stopped going. Turned out the insurance I switched.to has less.requirments, i,could have gone ahead with surgery at that point but no one notified me.
So,i am still,trying to,prepare for my surgery and,this time I'm staying to the end.

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20 minutes ago, frust8 said:

Curious they chose W W but every plan is different, they,want to see if you can lose under a structured program. Mine was,all done by the nurse practitioner in my former surgeon's office.I had a diet sheet I had to chart my diet and activity levels on, I followed my daily diet on My Fitness Pal and then transfered the information over onto paper. Once a month we met to go overmy,sheet and see if we had to make changes.I had completed 5 of the 6 that insurance required, then my job terminated, and i,lost my insurance. Thought well that's that, so stopped going. Turned out the insurance I switched.to has less.requirments, i,could have gone ahead with surgery at that point but no one notified me.
So,i am still,trying to,prepare for my surgery and,this time I'm staying to the end.

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Really? I knew it was going to be 6 moths just didn’t know it was going to be with W W and I know people just go see the dietitian or nutritionist but I think it’s through W W too for my insurance. Yes I know you can make it to the end!

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23 minutes ago, aNYCdb said:

I’ve never heard of 6 months of weight watchers, but most of us have had to do 3-6 months of weight management classes. How do they want you to document your WW participation?

I have to go to a meeting every week and it’s at our recreational center at least 10 meetings out of 12 and lose 5% of fat the first 12 weeks then another 12 weeks after that

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That actually sounds like a really good kick start. Weight watchers is old school, but it's good basic nutrition and good support. Wishing you the best:)

Edited by Creekimp13

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6 hours ago, Creekimp13 said:

That actually sounds like a really good kick start. Weight watchers is old school, but it's good basic nutrition and good support. Wishing you the best:)

Thank you so much!

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I'm doing my 6 months thru my surgeons office I'm on month 3 of 7 I have a weight check in a week. Then onto month 4 yay it's moving by so fast. Omg like I feel like I just met with the doctor and now it's almost may I'm having surgery in September. It's happening so quickly you guys

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My office didn't do that because when I had the surgery I had medicare and medically necessary so all I did was go to psychiatrist for clearance, test for E Pylori. And see nutritionist and if you have like medcaid they made you do 6 months so I guess depends on insurance and doc

DOS: 1/21/12
SW: 367 LBS
CW: 185 LBS

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13 hours ago, newmebithebypass said:

I'm doing my 6 months thru my surgeons office I'm on month 3 of 7 I have a weight check in a week. Then onto month 4 yay it's moving by so fast. Omg like I feel like I just met with the doctor and now it's almost may I'm having surgery in September. It's happening so quickly you guys

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Awesome!!! Good luck! I can’t wait to get the ball rolling 😁

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Awesome!!! Good luck! I can’t wait to get the ball rolling [emoji16]

Thank you. Visit 3 complete. Today we learned the post op diet progression and what Vitamins we need. Also what Protein Shakes to get. It was a long class.

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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