Anyone just now starting thier 6 month supervised diet?

[cheechtrish 1]

I'm on my nutrition clearance adventure now... 2 out of 6 completed and also hoping for mid November or early December approval! I'm full RNY as sleeve is not an option after I had the band a few years ago and got horrible reflux, which I still suffer from. Apparently the sleeve just makes reflux worse

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[kristamae24 5]

I just started! I have THREE months of TWO visits per month. I have to see the nutritionist and my PCP each a month. I am on the same boat. Which surgery do I choose? I am leaning more towards to the gold standard, bypass.

[gina171 626]

@@Cervidae : I really appreciate your thoughtful and well reasoned contributions here, you are a real fountain of knowledge and very generous sharing your experience.

I was wondering if you ever considered sleeve over RNY? And if you did, what made you choose RNY over sleeve? It seems that there are people here who lose large amounts with either operation, and as I near my surgery date and decision, I'd love to know your thoughts.

FYI, my BMI is 49 and I am 49 years old.

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Edited July 29, 2016 by gina171

[Cervidae 2,389]

@@gina171 I did consider sleeve and would have happily gotten one if my surgeon had had some reason for me not to do the rny. But rny seemed like a better option for me based on a lot of different things.

- There is much more long-term data on it.

- It's considered the "gold standard" of wls.

- My bmi was very high at the beginning of the program... about 67. From everything I've observed/researched and learned in the surgeon's seminars, those with higher bmis tend to lose more during the honeymoon phase and continue to lose more/easier in the maintenance phase. I had a looong way to go to get to my goal.

- I wanted the accountability of the rny. Many sleevers I talked to simply didn't have dumping, or were able to tolerate slider foods even in the weight-loss phase. I wanted the most strict accountability either surgery could offer, and that meant the rny.

- Many sleevers I talked to years out that had started very heavy as I did were not really happy with the larger amount they were able to eat, how easy it was to eat bad foods they should not eat, etc. The rny offers more restriction. True, I can stretch out my pouch just like a sleever can stretch out their sleeve but it seemed to me (and statistics back this up) that rny-ers had more restriction farther out than sleevers, and I wanted that.

- I also knew a lot of sleevers who, for whatever reason, wanted revisions years later and couldn't get them because of insurance, etc. I could mess up my rny too, of course, but I wanted the smallest chance possible, and the biggest bang for my buck.

- I saw many sleevers, particularly ones with high bmis, entering maintenance with 50, 60, 80 pounds left to lose to reach goal. Of course, this wonderful tool will help you reach goal after maintenance has started with enough work and dedication regardless of the type of wls, but since I had such a long way to go and I wanted to lose weight as quickly as possible to give me a good head start on my life-long road to health, the rny seemed a better option. As it is, I'm not yet in maintenance and I'm about 45 pounds away from my goal. Chipping away.

- The only arguments people had against the rny did not really matter to me at all. I have to take Vitamins for the rest of my life? Okay, no problem, most people probably should be anyway. There's a slightly higher risk with the rny? Okay, it's really a tiny extra risk, and with all the added benefits, entirely worth it. It didn't scare me at all. I may deal with malabsorption and other complications? Well yes... but so may the sleeve. The different percentages of risk were so close anyway, it didn't worry me at all to take that leap for what I perceived to be my best chance at getting the best head start I could, which would not only greatly improve my health (it has!) and greatly improve my self-esteem (it has!) but also greatly reduce the difficulties of everyday life (it has!!) as soon as I possibly could. I'm 24 and I left college two years ago because I was so sick. I've been sitting here fixing my body and essentially saving my life, and I really don't want to and can't wait another second to start my life. I'm enrolled and going back to school in about 3 weeks, and I look and feel pretty much normal now. I've had no complications, and I've lost 172 pounds since the day of surgery less than a year ago. This was my dream, and it felt like a silly and ridiculous fantasy before. But here I am, and everything I could have possibly wished for has come true for me. AND BONUS! It only gets better from here!

For all these reasons and many more that are more personal and harder to explain, I would choose the rny all over again, and again, and again...

[QueenLeo 9]

@@gina171 I did consider sleeve and would have happily gotten one if my surgeon had had some reason for me not to do the rny. But rny seemed like a better option for me based on a lot of different things.

- There is much more long-term data on it.

- It's considered the "gold standard" of wls.

- My bmi was very high at the beginning of the program... about 67. From everything I've observed/researched and learned in the surgeon's seminars, those with higher bmis tend to lose more during the honeymoon phase and continue to lose more/easier in the maintenance phase. I had a looong way to go to get to my goal.

- I wanted the accountability of the rny. Many sleevers I talked to simply didn't have dumping, or were able to tolerate slider foods even in the weight-loss phase. I wanted the most strict accountability either surgery could offer, and that meant the rny.

- Many sleevers I talked to years out that had started very heavy as I did were not really happy with the larger amount they were able to eat, how easy it was to eat bad foods they should not eat, etc. The rny offers more restriction. True, I can stretch out my pouch just like a sleever can stretch out their sleeve but it seemed to me (and statistics back this up) that rny-ers had more restriction farther out than sleevers, and I wanted that.

- I also knew a lot of sleevers who, for whatever reason, wanted revisions years later and couldn't get them because of insurance, etc. I could mess up my rny too, of course, but I wanted the smallest chance possible, and the biggest bang for my buck.

- I saw many sleevers, particularly ones with high bmis, entering maintenance with 50, 60, 80 pounds left to lose to reach goal. Of course, this wonderful tool will help you reach goal after maintenance has started with enough work and dedication regardless of the type of wls, but since I had such a long way to go and I wanted to lose weight as quickly as possible to give me a good head start on my life-long road to health, the rny seemed a better option. As it is, I'm not yet in maintenance and I'm about 45 pounds away from my goal. Chipping away.

- The only arguments people had against the rny did not really matter to me at all. I have to take Vitamins for the rest of my life? Okay, no problem, most people probably should be anyway. There's a slightly higher risk with the rny? Okay, it's really a tiny extra risk, and with all the added benefits, entirely worth it. It didn't scare me at all. I may deal with malabsorption and other complications? Well yes... but so may the sleeve. The different percentages of risk were so close anyway, it didn't worry me at all to take that leap for what I perceived to be my best chance at getting the best head start I could, which would not only greatly improve my health (it has!) and greatly improve my self-esteem (it has!) but also greatly reduce the difficulties of everyday life (it has!!) as soon as I possibly could. I'm 24 and I left college two years ago because I was so sick. I've been sitting here fixing my body and essentially saving my life, and I really don't want to and can't wait another second to start my life. I'm enrolled and going back to school in about 3 weeks, and I look and feel pretty much normal now. I've had no complications, and I've lost 172 pounds since the day of surgery less than a year ago. This was my dream, and it felt like a silly and ridiculous fantasy before. But here I am, and everything I could have possibly wished for has come true for me. AND BONUS! It only gets better from here!

For all these reasons and many more that are more personal and harder to explain, I would choose the rny all over again, and again, and again...

OMG girl I think you just helped me make up my mind. Thank you all your knowledge. You made it much clearer for me. I want long-term results and I believe rny will give me that. I do need to start getting in thr habit of taking Vitamins NOW. Thank you again, you're awesome!

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@@Cervidae : I really appreciate your thoughtful and well reasoned contributions here, you are a real fountain of knowledge and very generous sharing your experience.

I was wondering if you ever considered sleeve over RNY? And if you did, what made you choose RNY over sleeve? It seems that there are people here who lose large amounts with either operation, and as I near my surgery date and decision, I'd love to know your thoughts.

FYI, my BMI is 49 and I am 49 years old.

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My bmi is 50 so I'm right with ya

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[QueenLeo 9]

I just started! I have THREE months of TWO visits per month. I have to see the nutritionist and my PCP each a month. I am on the same boat. Which surgery do I choose? I am leaning more towards to the gold standard, bypass.

That is one of things I'm thankful for is having to see my pcp. I'd be worried they would not agree or wouldnt approve it. Good luck with everything. What month are they looking at for surgery?

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[kristamae24 5]

Well this is month one so I am hoping for October or November. My husband is all like don't you want to enjoy food on the holidays. No. No I don't. I'm tired of being 30 years old and can hardly walk up the stairs in my house to do laundry

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[QueenLeo 9]

Well this is month one so I am hoping for October or November. My husband is all like don't you want to enjoy food on the holidays. No. No I don't. I'm tired of being 30 years old and can hardly walk up the stairs in my house to do laundry

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I totally understand. I get to the point where I get fed up with my size. I have a interview this week at a grocery store and I so nervous because I don't know how the heck I'm supposed to stand that many hours if I get the job. I'm tired of not being able to do certian things.

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[tholbert08 51]

I am down to three more and she literally gets my weight and asks how my month had gone and what successes I am seeing and what concerns. 30 mins, on the phone, convenient times for me, and she makes sure we move the next appt 28 days our so we will have bought a week at the end!

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[Marissa.Ann.C 21]

had my first appt at the end of july. just heading into month 2. should be having my surgery sometime in the end of january or early february of next year! I'm having the bypass. i considered the sleeve when i was denied by insurance 2 years ago but i already have severe acid reflux and the sleeve can make it worse in some cases. my dr highly recommended the bypass over the sleeve for that very reason. also the bypass can cure acid reflux... its like a 95% success rate or something like that, well in relation to the acid reflux anyways lol. I'm super excited! i just wish i could have the surgery sooner rather than later. on the plus side, ill be able to finish this semester and just take next semester off or take online classes to give myself time to adjust and heal. good luck!

[QueenLeo 9]

Update: My insurance company called and said my policy has updated and no longer requires a 6 month supervised diet nor a psych eval. I guess that is good news!

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[Terri70 37]

I am in my 4th month of my 12 month health education program through my insurance. I have 8 more months to go. UGH! It's went fast so far, but when I look at the time that still needs to go by I get depressed. 12 months is a long wait! I'm hoping for an April or May surgery date. I've already done my stress test, and I have to get a breathing test done for my pulmonologist to see if I have COPD on Sept. 12th. Then I have to do my sleep study on Sept. 19th. On Sept. 21st, I have 3 appts at the surgeons office. First with the Psychologist, then the NUT, then the NP for the clinic/program. I'm not too sure what is supposed to happen after that. I guess I'll find out on the 21st.

BTW, I am 5'6", HW 280 CW 270 GW maybe 145 or so (we'll see).

[Krista143 20]

Hi QueenLeo,

I start my supervised diet on Thursday September 8, so excited. I'm always around if you ever need support. New to the forum, but since I found it, I'm addicted to reading everything on here, successes and setbacks. Let the journey begin.

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[KristenLe 5,979]

@@Terri70 my Psych and Nutritionist both thought 6 months was too long - 12 is ridiculous!! They probably hope 80% give up. Stay strong!

[Terri70 37]

@@Terri70 my Psych and Nutritionist both thought 6 months was too long - 12 is ridiculous!! They probably hope 80% give up. Stay strong!

Yeah. My insurance requires a 12 month "health education program" that consists of a 30 minute phone call once a month. My surgeon only requires his program for 6 months. I start that on Sept 21. Still have a long way to go.