Mandatory Diet Before

[stokesmommy 45]

so I've been on a mandatory diet for two months and I've only lost 4 maybe five lbs. could this prevent me from getting the surgery because im struggling to lose weight. I mean I've been on so many diets that's why im getting surgery right

[RJ'S/beginning 5,358]

They will be glad you last the 4 lbs.....everyone loses at a different rate......don't get discouraged......your doing great....Hope your not weighing yourself every day...once a week is plenty......

How you react to the mandatory diet will tell them a lot about your body type and how it works.....it's all good.....keep going forward because 4 lbs is forward....congrats!

[Raven21 121]

Many people don't lose any, so it shows you're trying. That's what they are looking for.

[scaredoftheunknown 95]

Did your dr. Give you a specific amount of weight to lose? I know some dr.s won't do the surgery until you've lost the weight but it's not really to see if you could lose the weight but to make sure you liver shrinks and doesn't get in the way during surgery. At least that's what I was told.

[Holly5.3 423]

Hi stokesmommy! I was put on 6 week then, now a 3- week Pre-op diet to lose 10-12 lbs. before surgery. I don't think it's about weight as much as shrinking some swelling in other organs that are affected by high fat& carb diets. Don't worry- keep positive and it will come off! Drink Water - thats the best way to flush out the fat. If you don't drink a lot (and pee a lot!) your weight lose slows down- at least over my 40 years od dieting, water has always been a primal key to success.

[RickM 1,747]

Is this diet an insurance company or surgeon's requirement? Insurance company diets are primarily a hoop to jump through intended to delay approval while surgeons have a variety of reasons and requirements. Some surgeons want to test patients' compliance with instructions (can you stay on the doc's liquid post-op diet while others at the same stage are having steak?) while others need added confidence when operating around fatty livers (though these so-called "liver shrinking" diets are usually only a couple of weeks or so of low carb dieting.) Some require a specific amount of weight loss while others don't. My doc is in agreement with the OP in that if the patients could lose it on their own, what is he needed for?

[mrs sandy r 152]

Your doing good . I had to do a 6 month weight loss and only lost 10 lbs. It's not easy to lose weight for some ppl, obviously that's why I'm having the surgery. I'm on my liquid diet now & slowly losing , surgery is on the 27th. Keep up the good work

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[stokesmommy 45]

I am on insurance diet not surgeons dowry. after I get approved then I will do a two week liquid diet for the liver shrinkage..

[mrs sandy r 152]

I am on insurance diet not surgeons dowry. after I get approved then I will do a two week liquid diet for the liver shrinkage..

Yup mine is the same situation , insurance is stupid, but hey, they're covering it . Good luck to you

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[RickM 1,747]

I am on insurance diet not surgeons dowry. after I get approved then I will do a two week liquid diet for the liver shrinkage..

That makes some sense then. Double check with the insurance documents or your surgeon's insurance coordinator to verify exactly what the insurance company requires and do what they say. I didn't lose any weight on the 6 month insurance roadblock and it was fine; I just had everything documented - food tracking and exercise logs and doctor's visits notes and it went on through. My philosophy on these longer term pre-op diets (like the 6 month insurance diets,) is to emphasize establishing or reinforcing good eating habits for the long term over temporary weight loss thru fad diets.

Good luck in your journey....

[kristikay 60]

I am struggling with the supervised diet also. I started out great and lost 12 pounds but I see the dietician this week and am sure I have gained some back. One thing the dietician does is ask me a series of questions: Are you chewing your food to mush? Are you drinking pop or juice? Are you drinking alcoholic drinks? Are you exercising? I think they are wanting to know you are starting to make the changes you need to make to be successful with the surgery. I have done it for three months and am sick of it. If I could lose the weight on my own I wouldn't need the surgery. Well I will just keep plugging along but I have been worried that if I don't keep losing i may not qualify so glad to read everyone's post.

[Holly5.3 423]

Is this diet an insurance company or surgeon's requirement? Insurance company diets are primarily a hoop to jump through intended to delay approval while surgeons have a variety of reasons and requirements. Some surgeons want to test patients' compliance with instructions (can you stay on the doc's liquid post-op diet while others at the same stage are having steak?) while others need added confidence when operating around fatty livers (though these so-called "liver shrinking" diets are usually only a couple of weeks or so of low carb dieting.) Some require a specific amount of weight loss while others don't. My doc is in agreement with the OP in that if the patients could lose it on their own' date=' what is he needed for?[/quote']

I disagree with your last statement! Im lucky that my ins no linger requires their own diet or weight loss tracking. However, while some if us can lose weight on "any diet on our own"- we cannot keep the weight off longer than a year or two! I've lost weight and gained wright the past 30 years of my life. I follow the plan, track my food, walk and exercise- everything! I'll lose a safev1-2 pounds a week, look gorgeous then... Dun, dun, dun...plateau! Lower the calories a little more, excursive a little harder...and nothing! Psychologically, it's the worst. The healthy habits start to go to the way-side as the energy you once felt slowly drains from your heart. Old habits return due to the negative self talk and loathing. The list weight returns home, like the proverbial prodigal son, plus anothe 5-10 pounds. My health record for the past 40 years easily reflects my on going battle with my food addiction and disease! Just go through my chart- my weight history looks like an EKG! Any physician who says, let alone thinks, that if a patient can lose weight on a Pre-op diet then they don't need surgery, needs to become a liitle more educated on obesity and this particular procedure.

[RickM 1,747]

I disagree with your last statement! Im lucky that my ins no linger requires their own diet or weight loss tracking. However, while some if us can lose weight on "any diet on our own"- we cannot keep the weight off longer than a year or two! I've lost weight and gained wright the past 30 years of my life. I follow the plan, track my food, walk and exercise- everything! I'll lose a safev1-2 pounds a week, look gorgeous then... Dun, dun, dun...plateau! Lower the calories a little more, excursive a little harder...and nothing! Psychologically, it's the worst. The healthy habits start to go to the way-side as the energy you once felt slowly drains from your heart. Old habits return due to the negative self talk and loathing. The list weight returns home, like the proverbial prodigal son, plus anothe 5-10 pounds. My health record for the past 40 years easily reflects my on going battle with my food addiction and disease! Just go through my chart- my weight history looks like an EKG! Any physician who says, let alone thinks, that if a patient can lose weight on a Pre-op diet then they don't need surgery, needs to become a liitle more educated on obesity and this particular procedure.

I think that what he is saying, is in agreement with the OP and probably you as well, is that if one can lose the weight that they need to lose, and keep it off, then you don't really need his services. What is the point of putting the patient through yet another little temporary diet/weight loss effort, just to prove that they can do it for a couple of months? It has already been proven, in the prospective patient's case, that they can't over the long term and need the added help of the surgery. Some docs need the extra help of the quickie "liver shrinking" diet while others do not, so you do see some variations in surgical plans for that reason. From what I have seen over the years, those docs who have been in the DS business for a long time (and by default, VSGs,) tend not to be overly reliant upon pre-op diets.