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I am hearing so much about this six month preop diet, it scares me. I know it is to make sure you can stick to this long term but I just can't imagine waiting so long to have surgery. Yes I have waited my whole life for this but now since things are really speeding up I don't know if I could handle another half a year. Also I know of people who had to do the six month diet and others who didn't. Is it something that insurance companies request or does it just depend on what the doctors think or what??? I'm soo confused. :mellow: And very freakin nervous. :blink:

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My surgeon didn't require it but I know that some insurance companies do. It will be hard but worth it in the end.

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I found it helpful to make gradual changes in my lifestyle leading up to the pre-op diet.

Cutting carbs is the best thing that will jump start you on your way.

Making incremental, minor adjustments further out from surgery is easier and more effective than "crash" dieting just prior.

Break down larger changes into smaller ones.

No diet will kill you. Carrying extra tonnage through your life will. Only the first two weeks are hard, then it becomes habit.

"Do, or do not, there is no try"

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ok because my BMI was 40.2 i was told to just maintain. So i went each month and met with the nutritionist and learned the steps that would help me while having the band but I was told just to start eating as healthy as i could(which didnt mean squat because I was on my farewell tour of all the fastfood places outthere). But every month for weigh-in i stayed steady. This is all they are looking for. They dont want to see you drop 20 lbs because then the insurance company will say....hey they dropped 20 lbs making changes we dont need surgery for this person they can lose the weight on their own. So my advice is be honest with the nutritionist and I wish you good luck!! My 6 month pre-op diet was a breeze.

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I think if you are self pay it doesn't really matter....I just got off the 6 month insurance required diet. Really it wasn't bad. I did the low carb and on that you can eat lots of things. All my blood work improved and I lost 26 lbs. I was kinda afraid the insurance co (Cigna) wouldn't approve me but I heard to day they did.

The six months really flew by. You will have a lot of appointments and before you know it you will be planning the surgery...

Best of luck with your diet.....

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I was warned that my insurance company was requiring the 6 month supervised diet for a lot of patients prior to approving the surgery so I was worried about it too. My BMI is over 40, but I have no co-morbidities. They approved my surgery without making me jump through any hoops so GO FIGURE! Prior to the approval, the dietician told me that the 6 months can help you to prepare to be successful after the surgery. Blah, blah, blah . . . :huh2: I know she was right but I didn't want to wait either so I know what you mean about being worried that they are going to require it. Good luck!

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

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    • Alisa_S

      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.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      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.
      · 1 reply
      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.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

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

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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