GADeltaDawn

I'm in a holding pattern too. Everything completed in less than a month now I have to wait 30 days for my one on one dietician visit and then insurance submission. Wish I had know this sooner because I would have done my nutrition class first. It's aggravating but I can't change the requirements. I'm so ready to get this surgery done and can't wait to start my new life. Best wishes to you all in your journey.

I'm in Atlanta too! I'm having my surgery at Dekalb Medical with Dr. Rashid. I'm still preop and only have the nutrition class to complete before being submitted for insurance approval. That's this Thursday, everything is flying by for me. Best of luck to you in your journey!

I cut my diet Coke habit almost cold turkey over 2 years ago. I did it by replacing it with flavored seltzer Water. It had to be ice old from a bottle. I have since made the transition to Water. Still like it to be ice cold, but the thought of drinking a diet coke is not appealing. Last summer I started limiting carbs. That's going so-so, but I'm confident that after surgery I'll be fine because I've limited myself already. Sugar is another issue, I've been working since last summer. I don't keep sweets in the house and we only bake on occasion. And I already have a very narrow pallet for sweets anyway, so that helps. I did make a chocolate sheet cake a few weeks ago and ended up throwing out 1/3 of it because I was inhaling it. I guess the next thing I need to tackle for the transition is coffee. I don't get a kick from coffee like most people do, so I'm betting that Decaf will be fine. Even with all these changes I couldn't lose the weight. I just had my first appointment this week and go the list of test/consults etc. I begin making appointments on Monday. Hopefully by April I can have surgery.

I found it hard to stop my vices cold turkey, I'm kinda odd so made myself a plan for decreasing my quantity of caffeine, alcohol, processed sugary foods etc. I also gradually increased the Decaf content in my coffee to the point that I drink a decaf coffee a week or so. I switched from pop and alcohol to carbonated Water with a dash of juice, to kombutcha tea, then to fun herbal teas cooled and over ice.
I started changing my behaviours as soon as I went to the first information session but got serious about 10 months before surgery (my first intake appointment). I also struggled with the waiting for things to move on the hospital end, but hoped that if they saw the deliberate effort I was making maybe it would speed things up (it hasn't in my case).
I think the awareness and effort on your part is the biggest factor, no matter how small the changes may seem.

I am also preop since Nov and I have quit all caffeine, all carbonation, no sugar, no alcohol. No drinking 15min before eating and 30 min after eating. Small bites, chew so many times to make pureed in mouth before swallowing. doing every single thing my NUT tells me to do. Then came physical therapist. Well she put me on hold last month to get cardio condition and blood pressure in acceptable range and NUT wants me back again too. So back I go for Feb 11 date to see if they will pass me to surgery date yet!! starting to get really disheartened and frustrated with the wait, I have done everything they tell me so just waiting and waiting at this point. Do everything they tell you and everything you can before, or you wont move forward

I am 5'8" and a normal BMI for me is 164. That is my goal. I am 3 pounds away! I am thin now, wear a size 8/10. I picked this goal with input from my physician, BMI calculator and my fitness pal. It's the perfect number I think for my height.

I am also 5'11 and I looked back at a time in my life where I was fit and happy and healthy. I was the captain of my tennis team in high school. I worked out all the time and felt great about how I felt and looked. I was 200-215 at that time in my life. (I am very large boned)
My surgeon was very happy when I suggested 199 as my final goal. I'm hoping to get to the 180s and then the 2-3 year slight gain will take me into the 195-199 range.
The charts say I should be around 160.... I think I'd look gross that thin. I can't even imagine the 140s

Oh good! I've tracked my weight in LiveStrong and followed their program so I have 2 years of weight tracking along with my laundry list of other attempts during that time. All my doctor weights correspond to my records so I was hoping this would be enough. My doctor did prescribe me wellbutrin for stress at work in hopes it would also work for weightloss and I've been on that for a year and a half. This med is used for that and my dad actually did lose a lot of weight with it. I only lost like 10 pounds when I first started it though. I'm still taking it but only because it works so good for stress. Trying to make sure I have all my records in order so I'm not having to guess and estimate at my surgeon visit. I go on Thursday. I've already scheduled my pulmonary, psychology and nutritionist and will have all those completed by the 19th. I'm hoping I can get the surgery sometime in march. I'll update after my appointment too. I'm told this insurance is actually one of the easiest to work with

I am waiting for my surgery date buy have been changing bad habits. My worst is fast food, so I lock my purse in the trunk while I'm driving so I don't have access to my money...lol

I will probably be having surgery in June, but I am trying to work on any bad habits now that will have to change afterward, like snacking, grazing, eating in the car, eating while on the computer, etc. I'm tracking my Water intake (64 oz is a lot harder than I expected it to be). I already walk every day with my dog but plan to start some weights soon.
I have been a big coffee drinker but for the last two weeks have been mixing regular and Decaf in the pot, I'm now down to 1/3 regular and 2/3 decaf. No headaches!
I greatly decreased my diet coke habits a few years ago but have still had one or two each week so soon I will be cutting those out entirely as well.

I'm 4 days post-surgery (bypass). A couple of years ago, I went on a doc-supervised diet (very high Protein, few veg, not much else) and gave up my 4-6 cans a day of regular Coke at that time. Kind of weaned before starting that and transitioned to 3-4 cans of Diet Pepsi a day. Somehow, that did the trick for me. But then came bypass surgery and the no diet sodas/no carbonation rules, sigh - I first (may 6 weeks before surgery) cut back on caffeine soda by mixing half-caf/half non-caf Diet P in a big glass of crushed ice from Sonic. Over a couple of weeks, (maybe 3?), got to just non-caf Diet P. Then had to start weaning off of Diet P altogether, so I started switching out one of my DPs with Decaf tea, etc etc. Took probably 6 weeks to get completely off. For some, cold turkey will work better, but that's what worked for me. Good luck!

Following this as I had the same question :-)

When I began the medically supervised diet and exercise program prior to surgery, I gave up all caffeine and carbonated beverages cold turkey. I lost 20 pounds on that change along. I had a 5 diet coke a day habit. But I suffered a major withdrawal syndrome, very severe headaches for about a week. Then I was O.K. It is better to get this over with now than to compound it with the effects of surgery.

I'm 14 days from surgery, and for the last few months I've been exercising, tracking my food in my fitness pal, and I quit caffeine and Advil.
I don't regret doing any of this now so that my surgery and recovery aren't such a shock and lifestyle change as they could be!
Good luck on your journey!

I actually had my first consult last Wednesday. The six consecutive month non-surgical weight attempt was actually taken care of between my psych evaluation and my chat with the nutritionist. I discussed and they documented the different "fad" diets and weight loss attempts I've tried and failed at and that, apparently, is good enough to satisfy the insurance requirements. I do have to go through many pre-op tests but I believe that's because I'm band to sleeve revision. Good luck both of you!

Hi there. The most important thing for you to realize is that WLS of any kind is NOT a miracle cure that is suddenly going to make you stop eating crap. I had mine in September, so far I can pretty much eat anything I want. I have not had one episode of dumping yet. Also you can over eat by simply eating throughout the day. Every 30 minutes or so your stomach empties and you can fill it up again. The reality is it is a tool that can help you in your weight loss journey. You have to be in control of what you put in your mouth and the amount of exercise you get daily as well.
It is very hard work to lose weight even post WLS. Taking off the weight is not the big issue, maintaining is. This tool simply sets you up for success you still have to make very good decisions to lose the weight and ultimately keep it off.
I just wanted to share with you my opinion of reality. I hope this makes sense.

I chose bypass for that reason. I am 40, 5'3, was 272 at my highest. Sweet tooth like you couldn't imagine. Loved sugar of any kind and just couldn't resist. For me, the fear of dumping was the push I needed. I had my bypass in July 2014, so a little over 6 months ago. I've dumped twice, I've learned my limits and never ever ever want to do that again! Seriously!!! It's worked exactly how i had hoped it would. I'm down 100#. I avoid sugary anything like the plague, and at this point, don't even miss out. You could set a plate of brownies in front of me and I wouldn't even think twice. Absolute best decision of my life, and yes, my decision was solely based on the benefit the bypass offers, which was dumping!

Having trouble understanding all this. I'm at the verrrrrryyyyyy beginning of this journey - not even had a doc appt yet.
My insurance (BCBS Federal Employee) requires 3 months doc-supervised diet prior to surgery. Just don't get the reasoning. If I COULD lose weight dieting, I would have already. So are they trying to prove that I really CAN'T lose weight or do I need to actually lose weight in those 3 months (which sort of proves i don't need surgery to lose weight).
Sorry for rambling, but I'm confused by this!!

I am almost certain the 6 months pcp supervised diet is strictly to observe whether or not you will go to appointments as scheduled. It didn't matter at all whether I lost or gained. Only that I went.

Currently approaching my 2nd month of my supervised diet with PCP. My insurance bcbs sc requires me to have 6 months. My surgeons office said I'm not required to lose a certain amount ,I just can't weigh more at my last appt then I did at the first. Stick in there! It's tough when you have these hurdles to jump through but it also gives you time to research and start making the life style changes you will need to be successful in the long haul.

My PCP actually offered to do this for me if the insurance required. My bariatric surgeon also offers a medical weight loss program for those who want to take that route, and for those whose insurance requires it. They use it as preparation for the WLS. You might check with the surgeon's practice to see what they offer.

I had the vertical sleeve in October 2013. Now I'm having a revision to gastric bypass because I can not get the reflux under control. Had I known what I know now about reflux and the sleeve not being the best choice I would have just had the bypass and saved myself from a second surgery.

Hi y'all! I started out wanting the sleeve but the more I learned about it, the more I'm considering the bypass instead. Did anyone else change their minds and if so, what were the driving factors behind you're decision? The main thing that I like about the sleeve is the hunger hormone being gone but I have horrible reflux and heartburn already and don't want it to get worse. On the bypass side, the dumping would probably be a good thing for me because of my sweet tooth. I need that accountability. I think I like the longer history of the bypass too, seems to be the gold standard. I really don't want to risk a revision later. You're thoughts?

I had RNY surgery 20 months ago. I lost hunger right after the surgery and the weight seem to just melt off. I had episode of severe acid reflux prior to surgery but none after. I encountered dumping a few times but you learn quickly to avoid it.

I too was planning on the sleeve until I met with the bariatrician the first time. I suffered from uncontrollable reflux to the point I was coughing all day every day for over a year and a half. In addition I had type 2 diabetes.
After doing more research and talking to my gastroenterologist I felt so much better about doing the RNY.
I had it done in Sept., immediately my diabetes went into remission and I never get heartburn or reflux and I am off all medications related to reflux sine I hit the 30 days post op.
I could not be happier with my decision. I am one of the folks who so far have not gotten sick however I now do not like sweets of any kind. I was a sugarholic before surgery. I hate anything that tastes sweet from sugar or even artificial sweeteners.
Good luck on your decision.