Diana_in_Philly

While my ins. co. did not require a watch/wait/monitored weight loss period, my surgeon (who is at a bariatric center of excellence) requires 3 months of supervised weight loss. To be honest, I was angry at first, but then realized it was really all for the best because I needed to get my head around some new habits (eating and drinking 15-30 minutes apart, eating Protein first, chewing very, very well, etc.) Much of this is in your head and not in your body. Also, it has taken me almost 2 months to get all my pre-op testing done -- pulmonary and cardiac clearances, barium swallow (followed by endocsopy because they wanted to double check my esophagus), chest x-ray, blood work, support group meeting, psychological evaluation. I will finish up with all that on June 30. My final "supervised" visit is on July 8 and all will be sent to my insurance company and I'll get a date. I started all this on May 11. I've lost 13 pounds, found a personal trainer and have made peace with my decision and how to handle it with others who ask. I know once you decide to do it - you just want to get it done -- but give your mind some time to adapt. You'll be glad later.

258.3 as of today Thanks.

Hoping for August. My last of my 3 pre-op visits is July 8 then paperwork goes to my insurance co. I'm going to be away the first full week of August, which would have likely been when I would have been scheduled. So I'm likely to start my 2 week pre-op diet on August 8 with surgery sometime in the week of August 22. The only pre-op stuff I will have left at that point, other than meeting with my surgeon, will be to have the special nutrition class.

I'm pre-op, but I use mine all the time. We are a family of 4 and buy lots of Proteins at costco -- everything gets split up and vac sealed and put in the freezer - then I can plan 2 weeks of menus at a time and not sweat about what Protein to cook when I come home from work. It works great to marinate things quickly or to use in the sous vide method of cooking (vac seal and gently poach at a very low temp.) I use it to seal and portion nuts, meats, and some veggies for freezing. Also, I can portion fresh fruits into packets that I later use for smoothies -- then I know I have 1/4 cup of blueberries and 1/4 cup of strawberries, etc.

Thank you so much for this, @@LipstickLady! I'm starting just about where you were (within about 10 pounds) and at the same height. My biggest issue is I have bad knees from having been an athlete as a teen and am staring down bilateral knee replacement. I'm tired of being the fat mom. Thank you, thank you, thank you.!

Harvard pilgrim is 72 hours Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Is it the jiggly bits or is it the instructor reminding you to lock in your core that is the source of embarrassment? Have you mentioned to your instructor that his/her reminders are not welcome as you cannot control excess skin? You need to be careful you don't wind up with rashes and irritations from compression garments - they are not designed for folks like us. They are designed for people who are all muscle.

@ -- at work you need only tell them your doctor is scheduling you for surgery, its private and you do not wish to discuss. The only time HR/boss can push on that is that if it is a worker's comp injury, which this is not. When they ask when you will be back, you'll tell them when the doctor clears you to come back but you hope to be back in 3 weeks of less if everything goes well.

@@Jenjen2016 -- But when choosing your surgeon/hospital be careful -- if you do not use a center of excellence or if you go out of network it appears you have no coverage at all. Once you pick a doc, call the insurance company to confirm s/he is in network and at a COE they approve.

I have bought more than one case. It is great. I buy chocolate, vanilla and Caramel Premier in addition to the other foods -- fruits, veggies, meats, TP, paper towel. Their Vita Rain -- Costco brand Vitamin Water 0 - is great and $6 less a case of 24 than Vitamin Water. I also use their Multivitamin -- I have done so for years.

If you are part of a large health plan, most plan documents should be available through the online portal where you can check for in network docs and hospitals or status of claims. I was able to download the bariatric policy for my plan with just one quick search. While my plan does not require any supervised weight loss or anything else, my surgeon (who is part of a Bariatric Center of Excellence) requires three months supervised, three meetings with NUT, starting an exercise program, psych eval., chest x-ray, cardiac clearance, pulmonary clearance, barium swallow/endoscopy and blood work. By the time you get done scheduling all that, you are at 3 months. I started in May. My third visit in July will have everything go out the door to my carrier. Go on line and see what you can find in the portal. Otherwise, the next time you are in the doctors office, meet with the insurance coordinator and call the ins co and put them on speaker while you are there. Seems like problem solved.

It depends on your surgeon. Some use your weight at your first visit/consultation. Others use your weight when submitted for approval. For my insurance company, approval only takes 24-72 hours from submittal. But they need to have all the ducks in a row -- blood work, cardiac and pulmonary clearances, results from barium swallow/endoscopy (if necessary), sleep study (if necessary). My surgeon uses the weight I walked in the door at for my first consult/visit, but my plan does not require supervised weight loss for a set period of time. Other plans require 6 months of supervised weight loss and some require a loss of a certain percentage to prove you are committed to the program and lifestyle changes.

I have horrible (horrible) knees. As in they both need to be replaced which is why I'm on this journey. I can't do 5 minutes on an elliptical. However, for the last 2 weeks most of my workout has been an 55 minutes on an elliptical bike (easier for my knee pain) while watching episodes of Breaking Bad. (I never watched it and now only let myself on Netflix for it when I'm at the gym.) I'd die after 10 minutes. It will get easier over time. Make up a good playlist that will keep you going. YOU CAN DO IT>

I'm with @@cmh but instead of running cold Water on the pot, after 10 minutes, I immediately drain them and put them in an ice water bath -- a bowl filled with ice and water and let them chill there for a few minutes. The shock of going into the ice bath pulls the white away from the shell. If you do it this way (add cold eggs to cold pot/water) you don't get the nasty green ring, either.

Please make a list of questions for your primary and call your insurance company to see what their requirements are. You may have to do 3-6 months of supervised weight loss. Also, know that your Hashimoto's may add a layer of complication - as you may need to prove consistent treatment and compliance with your medical regimen to qualify for surgery. (For my insurance company, untreated thyroid disease gets you an immediate rejection.) Ditto what James said regarding a Center of Excellence. Some insurance will only cover if done at a Center of Excellence. Good luck on your journey.

259.7 Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I like the FitCrunch/Robert Irvine bars -- particularly the Chocolate/Peanut Butter. I keep them in my desk at work. I don't have access to a fridge at work so on days when getting out of the house is nuts and I don't have time to pack my lunch, I know I have something I can eat without having to worry. 20+ grams of Protein and 380 calories. They keep me full until dinner. Just like everything else, they are a tool.

@@reachbree Your hubby needs to man up. If something happened, he would pick up the phone and call and tell them what happened. If he knew you would be greeted with the kinds of "support" you are getting (sarcasm font needed here) from your mom, then he may not be supporting you. That sounds like undermining to me. He needs to stand up for you and your emotional health. It sounds like dealing with your mom is not emotionally healthy for you. If she tells your sisters and they bring it up with you, my suggestion is asking when was the last time they were tested for an STD. When they pitch a fit, just tell them you are showing interest in their health just like they are showing one in yours and change the subject. My mother would say the same thing to me - which is why I'm not telling her and she lives less than two miles away from me. I'm not telling her about the overnight hospital stay. I'm not saying anything. If she asks at any point about my weight loss (since she has called me fat, ugly and stupid since I was 5), I'll say I'm following a diet my doctor prescribed. Not a word more. However, my mother is toxic and I don't care what she thinks.

@@Kindra11 Thanks for posting this. I was wondering the same thing. I appreciate all you women who have spoken up. Somehow, I think I'm going to enjoy being skinny more than I enjoy dealing with two now teenage daughter (16 and 13)!

I only have to be in the office on Monday and Wednesdays. I'm hoping to have my surgery done on a Tuesday (my surgeon does Tues. and Thurs.) and return to work the following Monday. I plan on working from home by Friday. I do solely desk work - so absolutely no physical labor is involved.

To be fair, comments about your arse, at work, could get him sent directly to HR -- do no pass go, do not collect final paycheck. In most companies, that would violate the sexual harassment policy. (I used to write them for a living.)

Speak to your NUT on your team. S/he should be able to give you a plan that will work for you. It depends on your starting weight, and other health issues you may have. Schedule a meeting with him/her ASAP.

Moving forward in my process. At this point, my bloodwork, chest x-ray and upper GI (wow that stuff is nasty) are complete. My primary is writing her letter. I'm scheduled for psych on June 24. Only have to schedule pulmonary (I'll see my own asthma doc for that) and cardio. I have to do a support group meeting - probably this month. I want to be ready to roll for July's meeting with my surgeon to put all the paperwork through. Since my first meeting with my surgeon, I'm down 8 pounds and changing habits. I'm nervous and excited. And starting to think about all the clothes I might be able to wear in the next year or so!

Double check to make sure your surgeon and the hospital are on the approved list. Some plans (I'm with Harvard Pilgrim, but not in New England) require you use a "Center of Excellence" of which they maintain a list. Keep dialing that 800 number til you get all the answers you need. You don't want to be surprised by a balance bill because the doc, anesthesiologist or hospital were out of network.

It's kind of like the labor and delivery horror stories that mothers tell pregnant women. I don't know why they feel compelled to do it, but they do. Best of luck!