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Alisa_S reacted to WendyJane in Meal REPLACEMENT shakes
I use Quest brand Milk shake Protein replacements with 45 grams of protein. I also get 30 grams of protein from various flavors of Premier Protein, these are both meal replacements. Be careful with anything bought in a store, make sure it has 3g or less of fat and 3 g or less of sugar, and make sure that they have NO added sugars. Gotta read the labels. I agree with SpartanMaker, you need to be very careful when looking for what you need in the guidelines you shared. That's page 19, I wonder if there are other dietary guidelines within your packet. Wishing you the best.
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Alisa_S got a reaction from WendyJane in Meal REPLACEMENT shakes
I have a tentative surgery date of June 17th so I'll be starting my 2 week liver shrink / pre-op diet the first week of June. My nutritionist said I will have to drink meal replacement shakes for Breakfast, lunch, & supper. I have Premier Protein powder at home, but he said that is not a Meal Replacement, it's just a high Protein Shake.
What meal replacement shakes do you recommend? Which ones tastes the best? I don't think I can drink the ones that have a heavy Vitamin taste.
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Alisa_S reacted to NickelChip in Meal REPLACEMENT shakes
The meal replacement shakes I liked the best were Bariatric Fusion brand in the Cappuccino flavor for Breakfast and the chicken Soup flavor (made with warm water) for lunch and dinner. A caveat is that I hated both of these when I tasted them the first time. I almost got rid of them. Especially the chicken soup. But after about 3 days on the liquid diet, the soup was the best thing I ever tasted. I was so tired of artifical sweetness.
I also can't say enough nice things about Syntrax Nectar Naturals orange flavor Protein Shake (but this is not a meal replacement shake, just a Protein supplement). I quickly tired of the meal replacement shakes within the first month post-op, but I drank an orange protein shake every morning for about 6 months. I had very little appetite in the mornings but specifically the lightness of the orange texture/flavor made me feel like I was having a glass of juice. It's similar to drinking Tang, if you ever had that back in the day. Or maybe like Sunny-D. Not quite orange juice, but kind of a treat. I tried the other flavors and they weren't as good in my opinion, but I would probably still drink the orange one if I needed a supplement.
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Alisa_S got a reaction from summerseeker in Had my consult 01/14/25
All great advice and much appreciated! Thank you all. @SpartanMaker thanks for the number crunching! I am definitely trying to cut portion size. We got rid of all the sugary stuff in the house and things like my tortillas. I've started walking (I have been completely sedentary for years- I work a very stressful, 40 hour week desk job from home.) I can't walk for 30 minutes straight. My low back and knees are trash. I carry most of my weight in my belly. I joke to my husband that I need a rolling cart to set my belly on so my back won't hurt so much.
I walk as long as I can & fast enough to get my heart rate up and be breathless to the point that I cannot carry on a conversation. I'm looking for a treadmill so I can walk inside. I tend to turn my ankle & fall if I'm not super careful while walking on the gravel road. Thinking about pulling up some of those old Sweating to the Oldies videos by Richard Simmons LOL That might be a good way to do some cardio.
I've failed at losing weight for so long. Today I'm feeling kind of emotional just thinking about what I'm facing. I said in an earlier post that Keto & low carb didn't work for me.... fact is, they do work... as long as I stick to them. The minute I stop, I regain the weight I lost. sigh. Seems like I gain weight if I breathe in the aroma of baked goods.
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Alisa_S reacted to ShoppGirl in Had my consult 01/14/25
Maybe check out Dr. Matthew Weiner’s pound of cure weight loss book. He goes over a handful of things that you can change and you can pick which one you want to start with. For me, the fruits and veggies was a good one because I actually like fruits and veggies. Replacing a lot of the process carbs with healthy carbs for me is the most important component to weight loss not just to cut calories in the short run but to stop cravings in the long run. For me processed carbs, make me crave sugar. One cookie and I want Pasta I want cake. I want it all and I crave it for a week. Natural carbs do not do that to me and they can help reduce the cravings a little while I get through the week or so to detox from them. Once I am off of the processed carbs so long as I get my Protein, I stay feeling full so it’s much easier to sustain a healthy diet. Keto never worked for me either and I have learned post surgery that is most likely because of not being able to eat hardly any carbs at
or it was all the processed junk I was eating instead of natural food. They alter things by adding more Fiber to cut the carbs and all of that and that may be reducing your calories to help you lose weight, but for me it wasn’t the same for my body as a veggie with fiber. It’s not sustainable because my body was still craving the carbs. I would lose weight in the beginning, but the cravings were horrible and eventually I would give in to them and then I just wanted even more.
Anyways, you may not be able to replace every unhealthy carb with healthy carbs on your own before surgery, but if you can reduce some of them by trying out different recipes to find fruits and veggies that you like, it may cut enough to lose your 10% and be a good start to finding healthy carbs that you enjoy
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Alisa_S got a reaction from summerseeker in Had my consult 01/14/25
All great advice and much appreciated! Thank you all. @SpartanMaker thanks for the number crunching! I am definitely trying to cut portion size. We got rid of all the sugary stuff in the house and things like my tortillas. I've started walking (I have been completely sedentary for years- I work a very stressful, 40 hour week desk job from home.) I can't walk for 30 minutes straight. My low back and knees are trash. I carry most of my weight in my belly. I joke to my husband that I need a rolling cart to set my belly on so my back won't hurt so much.
I walk as long as I can & fast enough to get my heart rate up and be breathless to the point that I cannot carry on a conversation. I'm looking for a treadmill so I can walk inside. I tend to turn my ankle & fall if I'm not super careful while walking on the gravel road. Thinking about pulling up some of those old Sweating to the Oldies videos by Richard Simmons LOL That might be a good way to do some cardio.
I've failed at losing weight for so long. Today I'm feeling kind of emotional just thinking about what I'm facing. I said in an earlier post that Keto & low carb didn't work for me.... fact is, they do work... as long as I stick to them. The minute I stop, I regain the weight I lost. sigh. Seems like I gain weight if I breathe in the aroma of baked goods.
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Alisa_S got a reaction from FifiLux in Had my consult 01/14/25
Had my consult at Banner University Medical center in Tucson. The team seems really nice and eager for you to succeed. My first appt with the dietician is Jan 29th and is supposed to be about 90 minutes. Lots of tests I need to have completed asap; sleep study, cardiology clearance, endoscopy, barium swallow, psych eval, chest X-ray, and a ton of labs. Gotta complete the 6 month supervised diet and lose 10% of my weight throughout the 6 months. They want to see a little each month and not a lot at real quick. I weighed 344 yesterday and they want me at 310 before surgery. I shared this in a Facebook forum and the 1st comment was, "Really, how do they figure you can lose that much in 6 mos? Wow. Good luck with that!" (Nothing like a little encouragement right off the bat! 😬 ) I replied that it's only 34 lbs & I need to lose 6 lbs a month. She said if she could lose 6 lbs a month she wouldn't need surgical help! I looked at her profile & it turns out she's a failed ESG from September because 'she likes food too much'. BUT now it's in my head that maybe I can't lose the 34 lbs in time. I'm definitely ready to get this going! I have studied this for so many years! I'm super excited to have finally taken this step & have saved money for the last several months to cover my deductible & most of my Out of Pocket max. The fat girl in me decided I needed a food funeral, so I had my last ever buffet yesterday. I hope this 6 months goes by quickly! I'm ready to feel better & move better. My knees & back need a break LOL! If y'all have any tips for losing the 34 lbs in 6 months, please share them. I know low carb/sugar free & keto..... but I've obviously never been successful with them or I wouldn't be this big. -
Alisa_S got a reaction from Arabesque in Had my consult 01/14/25
I appreciate your input I have to loose the 34 lbs prior to surgery due to my fatty liver. I feel very confident that I can lose the 34 lbs. I just thought is was crappy that the first person to comment was someone trying to rain on my parade.
As for a tracker, I am using Baritastic app. The weight loss clinic gave me a code to put in that pulls up their program and their staff can check on my stats right on the app and recommend changes, etc. thru it also. Plus I can log all my food & Water, activity, & Vitamins.
I am definitely starting an exercise regimen now. Walking and some light weights. Also trying to train myself to drink water... I've never been one to drink much, so this part is tough LOL
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Alisa_S got a reaction from summerseeker in Had my consult 01/14/25
All great advice and much appreciated! Thank you all. @SpartanMaker thanks for the number crunching! I am definitely trying to cut portion size. We got rid of all the sugary stuff in the house and things like my tortillas. I've started walking (I have been completely sedentary for years- I work a very stressful, 40 hour week desk job from home.) I can't walk for 30 minutes straight. My low back and knees are trash. I carry most of my weight in my belly. I joke to my husband that I need a rolling cart to set my belly on so my back won't hurt so much.
I walk as long as I can & fast enough to get my heart rate up and be breathless to the point that I cannot carry on a conversation. I'm looking for a treadmill so I can walk inside. I tend to turn my ankle & fall if I'm not super careful while walking on the gravel road. Thinking about pulling up some of those old Sweating to the Oldies videos by Richard Simmons LOL That might be a good way to do some cardio.
I've failed at losing weight for so long. Today I'm feeling kind of emotional just thinking about what I'm facing. I said in an earlier post that Keto & low carb didn't work for me.... fact is, they do work... as long as I stick to them. The minute I stop, I regain the weight I lost. sigh. Seems like I gain weight if I breathe in the aroma of baked goods.
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Alisa_S reacted to SpartanMaker in Had my consult 01/14/25
Congrats on taking the first step!
As @FifiLux pointed out, the keys are really going to be reducing portion sizes and making good food choices. These will be really important after surgery, so getting started on them sooner rather than later is the right approach. By the way, fad diets like Low Carb and Keto may work for some people, but as you said, they don't work for you so there's no point going there.
It's also really critical you don't try to make drastic changes all at once. What you need to focus on is one sustainable positive change at a time until it becomes the new norm for you. People almost inevitably fail when they make wholesale changes to their diet and activity level simultaneously. Also, If after implementing a particular change it still feels like a challenge to you, then keep at it until that one is just part of what you do. Once you get to that point, only then is it time to try to make another change.
My suggestion is to pick no more than 2-3 things per month you want to change about your diet and activity level and start with the ones you think will be easiest first.
Changing subjects a bit, let's do some math here. To lose 6 pounds a month, you'd need to reduce your energy balance by -750 calories a day. This can be made up of lower intake, greater activity, or most likely both. At your current weight, walking ~3 miles an hour would burn ~200 calories per mile. Thus a 30 minute walk would burn ~300 calories and an hour walk would burn ~600.
Add in smaller portions of the same things you're eating now and 6 pounds a month will be easily attainable.
Keep us updated as you progress and the smart folks here will be glad to help.
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Alisa_S reacted to NickelChip in Had my consult 01/14/25
My advice is to make changes to your diet and exercise in the next few months that you feel you can maintain for the rest of your life, as opposed to trying a fad diet (Keto, paleo, etc.) that is likely to be too extreme. Focus on basics like reducing your simple carbs and sugars, increasing your lean Protein and veggies. Start measuring your portions to make sure you are not eating more than you think. Start getting your 64oz or more of Water every day and cut out any sugar-sweetened drinks that you might drink (and also alcohol) because it's just empty calories.
Walking and light weights are really great, but remember that about 80% of your weight loss comes from your diet, and only 20% from exercise, so don't feel like you have to go crazy with joining a gym and working out, especially if you're starting from sedentary. Regular walking every day does amazing things.
At this stage, small changes can make a big difference. One thing I did right away was go through my cupboards and get rid of temptations. I stopped buying crackers, pretzels, Cookies, and sweets. I would still have a treat when I was out, but I would try not to bring it home. Since I work from home, not having things in the cupboards to tempt me was a huge help.
I was not required to lose weight before my surgery, but by making these little changes, plus the strict 2-week liquid diet, I ended up going from 251 lbs to 225 lbs in about 6 months. You can do it!
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Alisa_S got a reaction from Arabesque in Had my consult 01/14/25
I appreciate your input I have to loose the 34 lbs prior to surgery due to my fatty liver. I feel very confident that I can lose the 34 lbs. I just thought is was crappy that the first person to comment was someone trying to rain on my parade.
As for a tracker, I am using Baritastic app. The weight loss clinic gave me a code to put in that pulls up their program and their staff can check on my stats right on the app and recommend changes, etc. thru it also. Plus I can log all my food & Water, activity, & Vitamins.
I am definitely starting an exercise regimen now. Walking and some light weights. Also trying to train myself to drink water... I've never been one to drink much, so this part is tough LOL
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Alisa_S got a reaction from FifiLux in Had my consult 01/14/25
Had my consult at Banner University Medical center in Tucson. The team seems really nice and eager for you to succeed. My first appt with the dietician is Jan 29th and is supposed to be about 90 minutes. Lots of tests I need to have completed asap; sleep study, cardiology clearance, endoscopy, barium swallow, psych eval, chest X-ray, and a ton of labs. Gotta complete the 6 month supervised diet and lose 10% of my weight throughout the 6 months. They want to see a little each month and not a lot at real quick. I weighed 344 yesterday and they want me at 310 before surgery. I shared this in a Facebook forum and the 1st comment was, "Really, how do they figure you can lose that much in 6 mos? Wow. Good luck with that!" (Nothing like a little encouragement right off the bat! 😬 ) I replied that it's only 34 lbs & I need to lose 6 lbs a month. She said if she could lose 6 lbs a month she wouldn't need surgical help! I looked at her profile & it turns out she's a failed ESG from September because 'she likes food too much'. BUT now it's in my head that maybe I can't lose the 34 lbs in time. I'm definitely ready to get this going! I have studied this for so many years! I'm super excited to have finally taken this step & have saved money for the last several months to cover my deductible & most of my Out of Pocket max. The fat girl in me decided I needed a food funeral, so I had my last ever buffet yesterday. I hope this 6 months goes by quickly! I'm ready to feel better & move better. My knees & back need a break LOL! If y'all have any tips for losing the 34 lbs in 6 months, please share them. I know low carb/sugar free & keto..... but I've obviously never been successful with them or I wouldn't be this big. -
Alisa_S reacted to summerseeker in Had my consult 01/14/25
A few of us have only told our most supportive friends and family before we had the surgery. I personally didn't need any of the negativity that comes from worried others, people who think they know about the surgery or the one person that I know who failed with a sleeve. I find that people will post things on Facebook that they might not say to your face. If they did, you would get a chance to ask why they felt you may be the same as them.
It is a brutal test to see if you can loose this big amount of weight pre surgery but plenty people have managed it. I had a 3 week liver shrink diet. I cursed that surgeon every day of it. AND I was paying for the privilege. I very badly wanted the surgery, my life depended on it. Thats what got me through.
You will have to find the disipline from somewhere and start as soon as you can. Start moving more, walking was my go to. Started small and ended up finding the world.
Find a tracker you can use every day. Set yourself a reasonable calorie limit. Log everything you eat and drink. Good or bad. I still do it, I use Fat Secret. There are lots of other free sites. Eat fresh food, home cooked. You know the calories then. Plan your food and buy it in. That way you will never be tempted to get a take out
Its a test but you can get there. Keep on this site, keep talking to us.
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Alisa_S reacted to FifiLux in Had my consult 01/14/25
I know it is hard but try not to let her (and anyone else with a negative attitude) get to you.
You have taken a big step and congratulations on starting the journey to a new you.
Did the medical team say they wouldn't operate if you didn't reach the 34lb loss? I am sure they don't stop everything if you are just a few pounds short so don't stress if you can help it. You say it is a supervised plan so I presume they are used to helping patients follow it and adapt it to an individuals needs so that should be a help for you. You are so motivated (studying, saving etc) that you will do your best and any loss pre-surgery is a win.
I had sleeve surgery and in the months before I tried my best to eat smaller portions so I switched to an appetiser sized bowl and plate for most of my meals. I knew I would be using them after the surgery so figured may as well ease myself into it. I also tried to start eating slower - I am still not great at that but better than before.
food wise don't go so extreme that you then self sabotage at some point out of desperation for a food you love. We all have different reasons for getting to the size we do that needs surgical intervention, for me it was partly not knowing when to stop eating, too much carbs and alcohol and not exercising at all. I didn't have to go on a diet pre-op or do the liver reduction thing a lot of patients have to do but in the weeks before my surgery I went on holiday and ate everything I wanted so actually went up in weight so then when I returned I just cut down on things but still allowed myself an occasional treat, so instead of pastries for Breakfast I had Greek or skyr yogurts, shop bought sandwiches etc for lunch were swapped for homemade veg Soup, for dinners instead of pizza's, burgers and Pasta dishes I tried to have more chicken & veg based meals, cutting back on a lot of carbs. I swapped out rice and pasta for cauliflower rice or lentil pasta. These small changes helped me get back on track before my surgery but as I didn't have to follow a pre-surgery diet plan it was more for me, so as to get into good habits.
I am sure there will be plenty of advice and support here for you 💪
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Alisa_S got a reaction from FifiLux in Had my consult 01/14/25
Had my consult at Banner University Medical center in Tucson. The team seems really nice and eager for you to succeed. My first appt with the dietician is Jan 29th and is supposed to be about 90 minutes. Lots of tests I need to have completed asap; sleep study, cardiology clearance, endoscopy, barium swallow, psych eval, chest X-ray, and a ton of labs. Gotta complete the 6 month supervised diet and lose 10% of my weight throughout the 6 months. They want to see a little each month and not a lot at real quick. I weighed 344 yesterday and they want me at 310 before surgery. I shared this in a Facebook forum and the 1st comment was, "Really, how do they figure you can lose that much in 6 mos? Wow. Good luck with that!" (Nothing like a little encouragement right off the bat! 😬 ) I replied that it's only 34 lbs & I need to lose 6 lbs a month. She said if she could lose 6 lbs a month she wouldn't need surgical help! I looked at her profile & it turns out she's a failed ESG from September because 'she likes food too much'. BUT now it's in my head that maybe I can't lose the 34 lbs in time. I'm definitely ready to get this going! I have studied this for so many years! I'm super excited to have finally taken this step & have saved money for the last several months to cover my deductible & most of my Out of Pocket max. The fat girl in me decided I needed a food funeral, so I had my last ever buffet yesterday. I hope this 6 months goes by quickly! I'm ready to feel better & move better. My knees & back need a break LOL! If y'all have any tips for losing the 34 lbs in 6 months, please share them. I know low carb/sugar free & keto..... but I've obviously never been successful with them or I wouldn't be this big. -
Alisa_S reacted to Selina333 in I had surgery on Dec. 2 and doing ok! Just saying hi and thanks for all the inspiration!!
Hello! Just wanted to say hello and thank you all for sharing all that you do and tell you it helped me so much during this process. I may not have written much but just seeing your before and after pics often helped keep me motivated and happy I was getting surgery. I feel ok. Just need more ways to get Protein in that I can stomach. My tastes have changed SO MUCH! It's crazy. LOL. Like I woke up in someone else's body. Haha. Amber said to do coffee with collagen and Protein Shake so will start that soon. I kinda just don't want anything at all sometimes. But get some bites in daily. I've haven't thrown up at all. I hate to so I stop when I'm near full if I do eat something I like a lot. But nothing is that appealing. I do get hungry though. Some say they never do. Or rarely. So just maybe not feeling satisfied by what I'm eating but everything tastes very different now. LOL! But will keep going and it'll work itself out. I was cleared to begin weights now. (Had hiatal hernia repaired so was not allowed to for 6 weeks.) So I went today and am writing down the days I go and if I do my list of tasks... hand weights, machines, treadmill, etc, and all of what I listed for leg day and then tomorrow is upper body day, then I check it off. So far I still love grapefruit and cucumbers and my tea with Stevia and lemon. Lol!
I am enjoying reading up on here. I hope to have time to keep coming in here to read. Will be working more hours starting tomorrow so will see. But feel free to message me any time. And I'll respond when I'm on here! Have a great day!! 🤗
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Alisa_S reacted to Mspretty86 in Let's Talk GRIEF! An ongoing thread about bariatric grief!
I think it's always Good to talk about GRIEF and anger. Yesterday I was driving around Houston Texas running errands and the overwhelming grief took hold. If anyone has visited Texas you know our food is TOP tier so much seasoning so much flavor.
I grieve not pulling in the drive thru after shopping. (Taco Bell, What-A-Burger, Shipleys Donuts)!
I GRIEVE OUR ever so plentiful TACO TRUCKS at 2am where I would order 10 street tacos and a burrito with the red/green sauce
I grieve boba TEA
I grieve the comforts
I grieve just being able to drink alot at one time. Who knew that a few sips of Water could make you so full
In noticing the griefs you become aware of how addicted you were to the food and the feeling. Sighs*
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Alisa_S reacted to ShoppGirl in What conversation to have with PCP?
Yea. I’m sure you would’ve thought about it once you calmed down a little. You just have a lot on your mind. This process can seem like a lot at times. You've got this though. Schedule if all now since some of them specialists take a while to get into so you have it as early as possible and double check with Dr that you won’t have to follow up for any Of it because that will mess up your timeline a little but hopefully it will all fall right into place. ❤️
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Alisa_S got a reaction from ShoppGirl in What conversation to have with PCP?
Oh thank you! I didn't think of that and you're really talking me off of a ledge right now! That's what I'll do, knock out the 6 month diet, then have the tests done in January and hopefully surgery soon after!
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Alisa_S got a reaction from Arabesque in What conversation to have with PCP?
Sigh 😩I told her all that & gave her my weight chart from Dec 2022 to present and she still said "Mmmmm....I'm still going to need to see you monthly for 6 months."
Then added sleep study, EDG, and cardiac appt to the 6 month supervised diet with documented failure of weight loss.
Documentation supporting the "reasonableness and necessity of a Gastric Restrictive Surgical Service being required, and significant clinical evidence that weight is affecting overall health and is a threat to life."
Psych eval & Nutritionist counseling that I already have to do.
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Alisa_S got a reaction from Arabesque in What conversation to have with PCP?
Sleevetobypass2023 - I've mentioned it a little & I have months and months of weight charts on my Carb Manager account. I used to track all my meals there when I was doing Keto & Low carb. I got tired of tracking all the meals and started just tracking my weight on there a couple times a month. I think I'll print that out and take it to my PCP. Can't hurt I guess.
I did hCG diet back in 2010 (too long ago). In the 90's I did fenphen / phenfen - whatever it was, & dang near got a divorce because I got really mean. Tried just the phentermine about 6 years ago & it affected the same (my boss finally asked me if I wanted to work somewhere else-I quit taking it that day). Been fooling with keto or low carb off & on for the last 8 years. sigh. Through it all I just keep losing and gaining the same weight, over & over. Gosh I'm tired of it.
WEIGHT LOG.pdf
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Alisa_S got a reaction from ShoppGirl in What conversation to have with PCP?
Oh thank you! I didn't think of that and you're really talking me off of a ledge right now! That's what I'll do, knock out the 6 month diet, then have the tests done in January and hopefully surgery soon after!
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Alisa_S reacted to SleeveToBypass2023 in What conversation to have with PCP?
Have you ever mentioned to your doctor, in the past, the things you did to try and lose weight? I have BCBS and they had the same requirement. But I had mentioned to my pcp that I did Keto, weight watchers, calorie restriction, and the mediterranean diet. When I mentioned this, she put it in the notes that went to the insurance company and they accepted it and that took 6 months off the process.
My pcp was very supportive and was happy for me to do the surgery. I gave her all the requirements from my insurance company (I needed to pass a ekg, her form stating what I've tried to lose weight, my comorbidities, etc...) he jumped right on that and got it done asap.
By the time I went to my 1st appt w/ my surgeon, she had already sent all of this to their office. So I was 3/4 of the way finished on day 1 of seeing my surgeon. All I had left to do was the psych eval, blood work the surgeon needed, and then waiting for it all to be submitted and approved by insurance. My first appt with the surgeon was Feb 28th, 2022. My psych eval was March 7th. Everything was submitted to my insurance on March 10th and I got my approval on March 14th 2022. The longest part of this was honestly actually getting to the surgery date because I couldn't have it until May 3rd due to the surgeon's schedule.
So honestly, the better prepared you are, the more you do behind the scenes, the faster the whole process will go.