Be Honest...keeping BMI and weight the same for surgery

[Lexigurl82 160]

I am in the pre-op stage and I have lost a few pounds. I read that some people didnt want to lose too much weight because they didn't want to be denied by their insurance company. When I told my husband that I was considering doing this , he said he disagreed with me not losing weight on purpose. He feels I should lose as much weight possible, regardless if I am approved for surgery or not. Did anyone keep their weight or BMI the same so that they could have surgery? Is it considered to be selfish?

Edited August 3, 2015 by Alexis Brown

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I don't understand the question.

[nursey 46 38]

I am because if I fall under a 40 BMI I need two comorbidities so I purposefully not losing to qualify. I'll keep my 40.5 BMI thank you

[jane13 2,256]

if you have other health issues like HBP, sleep apnea, pre-diabetic lot of insurances will give approval and the BMI isn't as crucial at that point.

[Lexigurl82 160]

I don't understand the question.

Hi Ann, what I was saying was some surgeons want you to lose some weight during the pre op stage, however some people feel if they lost too much weight that their insurance would deny them for surgery. So in other words, people are doing their best to keep their BMI the same so that their chances of getting surgery approved by their insurance. When I considered this, my husband disagreed and said that I should do my best to lose weight regardless if I get approved or not. So I wanted to know was it selfish for someone to purposely not lose weight or lower their BMI

[jcrob 19]

When I started my journey I was 273 . I had to wait 6 months for insurance purpose . When I got approve i was 255 .

[MarceMonster 161]

I would say yes it's selfish, but it's not wrong. Sometimes you need to be selfish in order to better your life for both you and your husband. I know I did.

[Lexigurl82 160]

When I started my journey I was 273 . I had to wait 6 months for insurance purpose . When I got approve i was 255 .

Oh wow that is awesome! I am worried if lost too much weight then my insurance word deny me for surgery. This gives me hope, I appreciate it. I am proud of the weight I've lost so far.????

[Lexigurl82 160]

I would say yes it's selfish, but it's not wrong. Sometimes you need to be selfish in order to better your life for both you and your husband. I know I did.

I appreciate your honesty. I'm so sick of being overweight and I want the surgery as a tool to help me go in the right direction. I have a daughter too and want to be around for her and my husband. I'm tired of not being able to do certain activities without being tired and out of breath.

[ArtSmartInNH 9]

I can relate to this!

I tried my best to lose the pre-op weight... And succeeded.

Though as you describe and worry about, I lost too much and would have been denied by my insurance as I didn't have comorbidities... If I didn't literally put sand bags in my pockets for my final weigh in at my Drs office. With adding 4 lbs of sand my pre-op BMI was 40.1. It was scary to work so hard to only have it almost pulled out from under me at the last moment. I don't regret doing this one bit.

Do what's best for you and your family. You can work towards being successful at the surgery without losing weight: practice eating slow, portioning, reading labels.

Good luck!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

The word "selfish" in the situation you described does not even apply.

I'm assuming you've lost weight before and been unable to keep it off. Most people here have lost many tens, even hundreds of pounds before having WLS, only to regain that weight and more and wind up right back in the same mess they were in before. The reason most people have WLS is not because they cannot lose weight, but because they cannot keep from regaining it.

Your husband sounds to me like he either doesn't understand why you need WLS (if you do) or he's running some sort of control game on you.

What do YOU think you should do?

[cindyw41 761]

Check with your insurance and put your mind at ease. Most use the first initial BMI as their determining factor. I asked mine about this as I was 39.5 at my first appointment.

[Susan66 128]

My surgeon said the weight & BMI that I presented with at the initial visit, is what he would be submitting to my insurance.

[Lexigurl82 160]

The word "selfish" in the situation you described does not even apply.

I'm assuming you've lost weight before and been unable to keep it off. Most people here have lost many tens, even hundreds of pounds before having WLS, only to regain that weight and more and right back in the same mess they were in before. The reason most people have WLS is not because they cannot lose weight, but because they cannot keep from regaining it.

Your husband sounds to me like he either doesn't understand why you need WLS (if you do) or he's running some sort of control game on you.

What do YOU think you should do? [/quote

The most weight I've lost before is 13 pounds, just to gain it back and then some. I've tried WW plus I am at times an emotional eater. My PCP suggested WLS and I do feel I need it. I'm 5'7 and between 303-307 pounds. I'm ready for a change and I feel that WLS will be a tool to help me gain more control of my life. My husband says he is behind me having WLS but he feels its an easy way out. He said I should do my best to lose weight and that I shouldn't keep my weight at what it currently is just so I can have surgery. I'm going to go thru with the surgery if my insurance approves me but I wanted to know if I was making the right decisions.

[cindyw41 761]

do? [/quote

The most weight I've lost before is 13 pounds, just to gain it back and then some. I've tried WW plus I am at times an emotional eater. My PCP suggested WLS and I do feel I need it. I'm 5'7 and between 303-307 pounds. I'm ready for a change and I feel that WLS will be a tool to help me gain more control of my life. My husband says he is behind me having WLS but he feels its an easy way out. He said I should do my best to lose weight and that I shouldn't keep my weight at what it currently is just so I can have surgery. I'm going to go thru with the surgery if my insurance approves me but I wanted to know if I was making the right decisions.

My husband is the same. He wants me to lose as much weight as I can before surgery. He'd rather me not have the surgery but is being supportive.

Here's the thing. The time before surgery (whether it be 3 months, 6 months or however long your insurance requires) you are learning how to eat after your surgery. If you aren't putting into practice what you're learning now, it will be that much harder after the surgery.

I know 6 months is a long time (seems like forever) but I am making better choices and learning good habits. (I've lost 5 lbs so far)

????