6 month supervised diet... really???

[JimmyGotSLEEVED 270]

i'm really starting to believe that you are being set up to actually FAIL in order to get approval from the insurance companies.

I don't see the point of it, because if i could lose the weight on a "normal" diet, i wouldn't be jump through hoops and traffic to get this surgery done.

I strong believe that if you've been obese or morbidly obese for over 5 years you should have to go through this nonsense.

You would assume being obese for a half a decade would be proof enough. Personally, i think this is ridiculous. Insurance providers are always finding new ways to screw people over and this another prime example.

[wondering1 103]

I feel your frustration. It seems as though the only way to get out of it is to change insurances or become a self pay. All I can say is go ahead and sign up for the six month program. I know it seems crappy but it's really not that bad. Before you know it, your surgery date will be here! Just go for it! You can do this!

[Guest Rosalind]

I feel your frustration. It seems as though the only way to get out of it is to change insurances or become a self pay. All I can say is go ahead and sign up for the six month program. I know it seems crappy but it's really not that bad. Before you know it, your surgery date will be here! Just go for it! You can do this!

I will have my 6th visit on August 9. Calm down! Anything good is worth waiting for. When I started, I told my doc that I really wanted to establish new eating habits. It was hard sometimes. I ate right and exercised. None of that was fun! My weightloss was slooooow and steady. Since then, I have lost 35 lbs. :cheer2: Somedays I was ill......especially when I didn't lose weight.

Hindsight.......I am glad I did it. It allowed me to prepare for my new eating and especially learn a lot about calories and serving sizes. The biggest plus......I have 35 less pounds to lose.

Take it in stride and learn to eat better. Your Insurance Company knows...only the strong survive!!!:fencing: Before you know it, you will be approved and scheduled for surgery. You will have to adapt to eating better after the sleeve anyway.

[wishes 125]

I just finished my 6MSWL today, and I cannot tell you how much I HATED it. At times, it flew by in what seemed like minutes, but at others, it was sooooo slow. However, at the same time, I beat this fat camp and did lose weight. I worked on learning the habits I need after surgery like eating slower and small bites, not drinking with meals, exploring my problems with food, and preparing my loved ones for the changes. Six months is a long and short dichotomy of time, but I am glad I had it. You can do this, and you don't actually have to lose weight unless your surgeon requires it. Don't think of it as a set up for failure, just another hurdle to get through.

[JimmyGotSLEEVED 270]

I've been trying to get this surgery for over 2 years now. I've done the 6 month weight loss routine 3 times already just for the doctors to tell me last minute that they did not take my insurance. I've went to several seminars, support groups, dietitians, and psychartrics and it's become overwhelming. As you can see I have 3 times the amount of knowledge then Most because they went thru it once and I think it's a waste of my time. I'm jus spending, spending, and spending... Hopefully I don't get a repeat of the last 2 years this year.

[wondering1 103]

I've been trying to get this surgery for over 2 years now. I've done the 6 month weight loss routine 3 times already just for the doctors to tell me last minute that they did not take my insurance. I've went to several seminars, support groups, dietitians, and psychartrics and it's become overwhelming. As you can see I have 3 times the amount of knowledge then Most because they went thru it once and I think it's a waste of my time. I'm jus spending, spending, and spending... Hopefully I don't get a repeat of the last 2 years this year.

I'm not an insurance expert but you're 6 months of weight loss and nutrition should count for this time as well. You should not have to do it again. Check with your insurance company. Most only require 6 months of a documented program in the last 2 years. If I were you, I would contact my insurance company and make sure I knew the details of the requirements. Good luck!

[Tiffykins 673]

As much as it sucks, and is discouraging, I can honestly tell you that all the prep work you put in pre-op will help you tremendously post-op. Establishing better behaviors, getting the right mindset with eating, learning and beating the eating curve with the sleeve is so much easier if you start establishing those habits before you have to go through all of it at once post-op.

Recovery is a big enough b*tch, and adding on the trying to learn to eat, drink, how to schedule meals around drinking your fluids, how to manage the eating habits and behaviors associated with "why" we are fat is 10 times more difficult if you just rush into having 85% of your stomach removed.

The sleeve only does so much. Our every day choices, living, and learning as much as you can ahead of time to prepare yourself will pay off in the long run. If you read enough on here and other forums, you'll see that some are 2-5 years out have had weight regain. The one constant, and recurring theme is that their BEHAVIORS got them the weight regain. I'm one of those people that saw a true regain because I allowed some old habits to creep in, and while I got it off super fast, I know that it is my choices, not the sleeve that caused the gain.

My gain was only about 7lbs, but there are those out there that have tacked on 40-50+ pounds that they lost just because they thought the sleeve would take care of them. Sadly, the sleeve can only do so much. Nothing beats the mental side of this journey.