2beskinny

I have been through every emotion on this journey...when i first decided to go for the consult, it was like every meal was my last! I needed to gain a few pounds actually, to be at a solid 40 bmi, and now I'm definitely there! Then my insurance came back with a 3 month diet - I lost almost 9 pounds in one month and today found out I was approved!!!! I am hoping for a July 12 surgery date...will be confirmed in the next few days. Now I kind of have that last meal mentality feeling coming back. I don't beat myself up over it, though. It's part of the cycle and part of the reason that I am choosing lapband surgery!!!

I think you should definitely work out! I have been working out like crazy (not quite to the pre-op yet - probably in the next 2-3 weeks will be starting that). The nurse pratitioner (who is also a bandster) told me that the better shape you are in going into surgery - the better/easier your recovery will be! She was also exercising lots right up to her surgery and she felt lilke she wanted to go back to work the next day! Her doctor (also her boss) made her stay at home, but she felt like she could have done it. Don't know about you, but that's the kind of recovery I want :Dancing_biggrin:

Had my 3rd appointment for the doctor supervised diet today. Lost 9 pounds this month - whohoo! So nice to have that behind me and know that we will be re-submitting for approval (hopefully by Friday!). The first time the doctor's office submitted my paperwork, I heard from my insurance within 36 hours! Hope it's that fast this time. I made a friend on the inside of my insurance company who is also waiting to be banded - how lucky is that? She was the one who called me right away when the decision came back about the 3 month diet, etc. I am continuing to believe what my doc's office is saying...that the insurance companies need 3 consecutive month's of weights/records for the diet. I went on April 7 for my initial consultation, had my psych eval., nutrition appointment sleep study, etc. On May 6 I found out that insurance also wanted the 3 month diet. On May 7 my doc's office saw me and said they could count Apr 7 as visit #1, May 7 as visit #2 and today - June 2 was visit #3!!! I had actually gained 4 pounds at my May 7, but today was down 9. I've been sticking to 1500 cals. a day and exercising 5-6 times a week (lots of cardio!). I feel so great - can really tell a difference in my cardio fitness. Nurse today told me how much that will help my recovery after surgery. I felt so proud of myself! Now just need to keep it going until I start my pre-op (which I was told today may only have to be one week instead of two since my BMI was down to 39...if I can lose a few more pounds by the time I go back in, she felt pretty confident that the surgeon would agree to only one week of liquids!). I also asked for a tour of the surgery center today and was eagerly shown the pre-op and recovery rooms as well as peeking into the actual OR. I was relieved to see it all and it really has helped calm my nerves about it. I've never had general anthestisia and am very nervous! Also, the idea of a "surgery center" vs. hospital was foreign to me also. To my relief, it looked exactly like a state of the art, CLEAN hospital :biggrin: I don't think they get asked for "tours" very often but I liked the spontaneous nature of how it all happened and how accommodating they were. Makes me know I've picked the right surgeon! Will post back with an update!

Being able to run again. When I turned 40, I dieted down to 180 pounds and ran a 1/2 marathon. I still felt so fat (always comparing myself to others). Now I've gained it all back and then some! Going forward with this to get ALL the weight off this time and run a FULL marathon!!! I am 46 and look pretty young - I want to celebrate turning 50 and looking fabulous! My son will play a sport in college next year...want to go to his games and not be the fat parent! My younger sons (twins) plays sports in high school...want to walk with them on senior night and not be fat!

I am in the supervised diet stage of this journey. I have been thinking a lot about commitment to this process. All my life, I have known that the bigger the commitment, the more likely I am to stick it out and make it work. For instance, it's much easier to break it off with a boyfriend, than say a husband you have 22 years of marriage with, 3 kids and a mortgage I seem to have new found resolve in my approach to dieting right now. I think it's because of the commitment I am making to myself. If I have thought about cheating, I remind myself that I am committing to surgery to fix this problem in my life. I do believe the size of the commitment has a direct affect on a successful outcome. Most of us on this site have chosen to commit to ourselves...let's be mindful of this everyday and be sucessful no matter what stage of the journey we are in!

I thought a thread about losing weight on the doctor supervised diets would be a good one. There are so many of us who have to complete this necessary step for insurance approval. I resented it so much at first, but now I am kinda thankful for the process. I am really takiing a hard look at my diet and triggers, which I believe will help me be successful after the wls. I also am going into this process with eyes wide open. Maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones who never feels hungry without the first fill...not! I'm trying to view the diet I'm on right now as the beginning of my weight loss. It's also the diet that will carry me through bandster hell that can last several months (longer for some!) I am mentally preparing for 6-9 months of doing this on my own, and then the band will be there when I need it the most. I believe only with the help of the band will I reach and maintain my goal.

I am on day 15 of my supervised diet and have lost 7 pounds. I'm doing very well, eating about 1300 cals. a day on average and exercising (walking 1 hr. or 45 mins. on the elliptical) about 5x a week. I've only had one day (so far) of giving in to temptation which was day 3. It's interesting because I am really not hungary, I'm making good food choices, etc. but I can't help but feel that something is missing. I have an emptiness inside that is not hunger. I think I'm going through a withdrawal of sorts. I'm not worried that I'm going to cheat so much, it's just this weird feeling that I've really never dealt with before. Even in my days of being able to lose 25 pounds on ww, I've never had this feeling. I think it is here because I know in my head that THIS IS IT. By choosing this path, I am turning my back on my habits that have brought me to this place and I think there is some sadness to it for me. Just another perspective on this complicated problem of obesity.

I inquired about it as my doc was one of the first to do the procedure...he now says that he prefers a modified single incision - he locates the port by your belly button with a few small scars to the left and right...sounds like they will all be in the same general area vs. spread out on the tummy

I would not tell your office workers if you can get away with it. Let them be jealous of your youth and your weightloss all at the same time! They sound like they don't have your best interest at heart and I think that is the litmus test for deciding who to tell. It really is none of your boss' business either. You can tell him that you are having surgery, but he does not have to know the reason why. If he presses you - tell him it's female related...that's usually enough to get get men to stop asking questions :smile2:

The people I struggle telling the most is my parents. They have been fat people my whole lilfe. I can remember when I was younger thinking that it was normal to keep getting bigger your whole life. It wasn't till I was older did I realize that it wasn't the norm. I can remember being a freshman in high school (normal weight) and picking out a girl who was a senior who was a little bit chubby hoping that I would only be as big as her by the time I was a senior. I'm getting a little choked up as I recall these feelings and how wrong my perception was. So now my dad is about 500 pounds if I had to guess. He is 72 years old and does not move well. He manages to get out, but with a cane, and with people coordinating the logistics so he does not have to walk far. He and my mom built a house a couple of years ago and they built extra wide doorways and raised toilets to accommodate a wheelchair. My mom has begun shrinking as she is aging due to what she refers to as fortunate IBS that has caused her to lose a lot of weight (and I think her appetite has diminished a bit as well - she is 67). They are wonderful people, have a great marriage, love their kids and grandkids - are ALL about family. I am blessed to still have them. Especially my dad. Evaluating their weight issues does make me happy that I am not married to my eating partner, like they are, although it doesn't seem to matter. I seem to be fulfilling my destiny...I keep getting bigger. By choosing surgery I feel like I am trying to jump off a moving train headed for disaster. Part of me feels like I'm leaving my parents on the train, though. Maybe that's why I can't imagine telling them. I somehow feel I am betraying them by choosing a different path for myself. They are educated, loving people and I know I'm probably wrong about this, but somehow I feel like that me having to resort to this drastic measure might make them sad and somehow feel responsible and I don't want to do that to them. No wonder it's so hard to lose weight...what an incredibly complicated mix of circumstances and emotions that have brought us all here.

I also feel like I don't want to be tasked with having to educate those around me about the band and how it works. I think that's a big part of not wanting to be open about it. That would be annoying to me...but so are many things these days are...I think it's day 28...ha! Anyway, I do agree with that. I do realize that I may not feel this way after surgery, though. A lot of my energy right now is spent on thinking about how to keep it hidden...when I think about how much easier it would be if folks knew...seems like a bit of relief. Who knows how all this will play out!

That is so sweet that they wore your favorite color on your surgery day - that must have made you feel really good, especially after not wanting people to know. I love that story

I enjoyed your post. I hope that mentally I will "get there" as well. Waiting for insurance approval right now, so I've got a long way to go, however I feel that I don't want anyone to know other than my husband and sister. I am sure that as time goes on, I may selectively tell a few others (after the surgery?), and I like the idea of inspiring others; it's just that right now I'm so afraid of failure (by me) and judgment (by others). I hope I get to a peaceful place about it all one day, like you :scared2: Congrats on your success!

I have several social situations as well that could be a factor depending upon when exactly my surgery gets scheduled. I have thought long and hard about how I'm going to handle them. One time, during an especially motivated weight loss attempt, we were invited to friends house for dinner. Not a big group, mind you, but still an eating/drinking trigger. I actually brought my own food, drank only water, and told my friend that I was just beginning a diet and was trying really hard to be good. She totally understood and was actually impressed by my drive to stay on track. She was not a huge person herself by any means, but who doesn't understand trying to lose weight? Even if you only have a little weight to lose - we can all relate to the effort. How long till the wedding? Maybe you can just tell everyone that your trying a crash diet to lose as much as you can before the wedding - make a jokey thing about having to look the best you can in the pictures! The week after surgery I will be allowed to eat anything about the consistency of applesauce. Maybe there are a few things you could work into the menu. May 18 is coming up soon. Best of luck to you :cheers2: Hang tight on the Optifast. I think that will be a hard part of the process (preop diet), but at least it's dieting with a purpose. Keep thinking about how tiny your liver will be on surgery day :party:

I play the same situation in my head...when I think about telling people, they would say i really dont need it...haha...reality check! No one would say that to me anymore! I think if I decide to tell more people it will be after the surgery as well. I especially don't want to hear all the "scary" stories about wls BEFORE my turn that people would undoubtably share with me :scared2:

I think going in there like you're taking charge of an out of control situation (we all know the definition of insanity by now) and letting the doc see how informed you are about the procedure and process will help a lot. Doc's don't want patients who think they are getting a magic band that will automatically cure them. It's only a tool, and it only works if we choose to use it. You'll do great!!!! Let us all know how it goes. In the off-chance it doesn't go well...your surgeon can recommend a pcp who will be more symphathetic :biggrin:

All good points talked about on here. I think the problem I have with telling people (other than the fact that it goes against my private nature) is that I don't have many fat friends. For the most part, they are all really active and trim (work out a lot!). One of my really good friends is a personal trainer/exercise instructor and has told me she really likes to help people (one of her favorite classes that she teaches is to seniors). Problem is...I know her too well and I know she is a gossip :biggrin: Don't get me wrong - I love her to death - but I know the drill when you have a gossipy friend Guess I will take this decision in stages. Part of me realizes how easy it would be if those around me all knew...I keep thinking of how differently I will be eating after I have bounced back from the surgery. I read something that says - food should be cut into small bits - about the size of a fingernail....Huh? That would look weird in a group outing at a restaurant. I'm already planning on ordering a lot of soup when I go out to eat with people after my life-change!

I had the same fear that my pcp would not recommend the surgery for me. Took a lot of guts to bring it up with her on my part. She never seemed concerned about my weight and one time, years ago, I inquired about Meridia and she gave me a very condesending talk about "taking in fewer calories than I burn." :biggrin: (Oh really? Is THAT how it works?) I was bracing for a very direct conversation with her about everything and to my surprise, she could not have been more supportive We talked at length about the surgery and she felt it was very safe (as far as surgery goes) and said she has several patients who have done it and acheived excellent results. She had my letter ready that day and it was extremely well-written and supportive. I hope you get pleasantly surprised, too! As for your insurance - I hope that goes your way as well. Sounds like they are a little behind the times with their requirements...

Well, I was denied coverage today :thumbup:. I initially thought I would self pay, then was encouraged to submit to insurance, but I told myself I would self-pay if I was denied. Well........now they say a 3 month diet (my surgeon's staff thought that my 5 mos. of ww as well as all my other weight loss attempts might be enough to get it approved. They are not discounting that, but want to see proof of lifestyle change, nutritional counseling, exercise, behavior modification...ummm....how does ww provide proof of those things:confused:? I called my doctor's office and told them what was going one. They, of course, are familiar with this tactic (yes, I said tactic). She said she could count my initial consultation as the first visit, they booked me an appointment for tomorrow and will be conducting my supervised diet (giving me credit for one month already, I guess). I am so thrilled with their level of responsiveness and caring. Now I have to ask myself if waiting 2 more months is worth it. Yes, I have to say it is. Guess I will be starting my diet for real tomorrow. Since I'm right at a 40 bmi, they recommended that I did not lose any weight till my approval came through. My insurance company has assured me that they only consider the initial weight for this purpose. I know my doc's office is just being cautious as I'm sure they have seen it all. Feel like I have lucked out in a way...my insurance person that I've been speaking with is also waiting for lap band approval and has been above and beyond nice to me. She's giving me good advice on the whole process. I'm not looking at it as a big disappointment though (turn that frown upside down!)...Since I've been trying not to lose any weight, I've been treating every meal like the last supper and quite frankly I'm just over it! I gained a few more pounds in the process and I just want to start this phase of my life. If it begins with a three (two) month diet, minus the band, who cares? It's all weight that needs to come off. I know I can lose weight - just can't keep it off. I'm also considering taking phentermine to jump start everything. I was seeing a doctor last year who prescribed it (lost 25 lbs!) and as long as my surgeon is ok with it (I'll ask tomorrow at my appt.) I think I will go that route since I know there is an end in sight. Thanks for listening to my ramble...just had to vent!:thumbup:

I just talked to my surgeon about that exact thing. I really wanted to do phentermine until surgery - just to get going on this journey! I saw another wls doc last year who prescribes it and lost 25 pounds pretty easily on it. 10 years ago I did phen-fen and lost ALL my weight on that. His answer was that he was not a big fan of the drug. He said he prescribes it for his patients that have to lose a significant amount of weight just to make the surgery even possible for them. I am at a 40 bmi and he flat out told me, "you don't need phentermine - you need the band." He was right. I have adjusted my attidude to do it on my own and not take the drug anymore (even though he told me I could go back to my other doc if I wanted to and get a prescription). I asked him if I did decide to take it, would it make surgery any more risky, meaning should I stop taking it 2 weeks before surgery, etc. He said I could take it the day before surgery and that would be ok, but his point was why take it and give yourself a heart attack when you are only 6 weeks away from surgery which is what you need anyway. He just didn't feel it was worth the health risk when I'm on track for getting banded. Makes sense to me now. It's my quest for immediate gratification that wants to take it!!! I'm impatient :confused:

I totally get what you mean about appreciating the requirements...I'm starting to turn the corner on that as well. I think the initial frustration comes from years of battling this issue, years of dieting, gaining, and then having to prove "you've made an effort." It can initially seem condesending, even though it's not. I'm beginning to feel it's all about having the right attitude and not waiting for a surgery date to get your head into the whole process! It's about appreciating each step as important to the final goal

Awesome for you!!!! Nice when you have the inside track and it saves you time, huh? Same thing about the girl I know waiting for her surgery...she knew exactly what was necessary and her primary care doctor worked with her to submit everything necessary. She was approved after the 1st submission. I've heard stories from her as well as doc's office of people doing their physician supervised diet (for 6 months or longer sometimes!) and when they "turn it in" it doesn't necessarily have ALL the documentation they were looking for and were told they had to start over! What a bummer that would be!

Yes, we are in the same boat My doc's office said same thing...they can count my initial consult as 1st visit. My visit yesterday was #2 and I go back 1st part of June for #3...that should be it. I questioned the logic as that's really only 60 days - not 90... She said they want 3 appointments and that's fine. I called bsbc to verify - the girl I've been working with has been so....great - she is also waiting to be banded! She confirmed same thing...3 doctor appointments with documentation of all the right things. When you said you heard from your insurance - did you mean you got approved? I'm happy with how quick my insurance got back to me at least. From when we submitted the 1st time to the 1st "answer" it was less than 48 hours. I'm hoping that when we re-submit in June it will be as quick - and of course, be a positive result. Then I could schedule as soon as 3-4 weeks after that. I've already had the psych eval and I had to do a gi scope. I had a little stricture in my esophogus that they used a balloon to expand. Nice not getting food stuck anymore. When I read about the painful stuck feeling that bandsters can get, I can totally relate because that would happen to me without the band. My doc just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything else going on and luckily there wasn't I think I actually may wait till mid-July to do it, however. I have 2 things going one with friends/family that are overnighters. I don't really want to be on a liquid pre-op diet at that time. Not because I want to pig out, it's that I'm not ready to tell anyone about this other than hubby and sister (my bff). I just don't want the attention to my diet. Hard for me - I've always been so internal about my weight.

Sounds like your BF is a great guy. What a nice thing for him to say. My hubby is also quiet about it and we only talk about it when I bring it up. Part of that is my fault, I guess. I have trained him well..haha. He knows how sensitive I am about my weight and knows what a personal struggle it is for me. I'll admit it has been nice to "bring him in" to this whole thing because my weight battle has always been so internal with me. Not that externally it was being hidden, ha! It has been nice to have conversations with him without me getting irritated at his well-meaning advice, as before. He just wants me to be happy. You know, "when Mama happy...everybody happy!" That is sooooooo true when you live with a husband and 3 teenage boys

Yes, you do sound like me! I'm sure you're glad you waited and now May 24 will be here a a flash. Congrats to you. I'm also glad I'm waiting. The "immediate gratification" thing is everywhere - even is this field It's a smart decision on our part. Not sure about you, but somehow if insurance companies say "yes" it adds more validation that I'm making the right choice!