6 Month Pre op. Help!

[ABarnett916X 12]

Spoke with the bariatric nurse today through the program I'm going through and she mentioned I'd only need to show a 3-5lbs lost in the 5 months I have left. Well with my thyroid problem and other conditions it's been very hard to lose anything!! When's the best time to start this diet? And show the insurance I can make these life changes??!

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[blizair09 3,250]

Start now. I followed a low carb/high protein/high healthy fat diet for my six-month insurance-required diet program. I lost 99 pounds pre-op; I re-established my relationship with food, and I began an exercise program. This prepared me more for the physical and mental demands of the surgery than anything else could have. My surgery was relatively easy, and my recovery has been accelerated, and I attribute much of that to the work I did pre-op.

Good luck!

[ABarnett916X 12]

@@blizair09 Only issue is I have 5 months to lose this an she mentioned I can't gain weight but I also can't lose no more than 5 to prove to insurance I want this lifestyle change. Lol sorry I'm a little confused. And thank you!

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[heidikat72 935]

start now! I managed to lose 78lbs pre-op - how did I do it?

started logging immediately on my fitness - and be honest with it. Once you see it there in front of you - it's very easy to see what you should cut back on.

I started with cutting out sugary drinks altogether and started cutting back on carbs - potatoes and pastas were my go to foods. Each month, I dropped my calorie goal a little more.

And each month I increased my activity/exercise more. Working on the exercise and especially building some core strength is going to make your recovery immediately post op so much easier!

And start working on the mental - this journey is really about changing the way you think about food. Figure out what triggers your eating. And find other things to take the place of food. Even though you won't have much physical hunger post-op, the "head" hunger and cravings can still hit you with a vengeance and you'll want to know how to reset your brain and get rid of the food craving - for me it is doing something active, particularly with my hands (it's hard to put food in your mouth if your hands are busy doing something else).

[ABarnett916X 12]

@@heidikat72 as I mentioned if I start now being I have months before surgery I'm scared to lose more than 5 lbs

Making changes tho I definitely can start now on that and getting in work outs!

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[blizair09 3,250]

@@blizair09 Only issue is I have 5 months to lose this an she mentioned I can't gain weight but I also can't lose no more than 5 to prove to insurance I want this lifestyle change. Lol sorry I'm a little confused. And thank you!

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Why can you not lose more than 5 pounds? Are you close to the BMI minimum?

[ABarnett916X 12]

@@blizair09 I'll be getting the surgery yes due to weight but more cause of medical conditions

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Edited October 13, 2016 by ABarnett916X

[heidikat72 935]

have they said you cannot lose more than 5lbs? I'd get that clarified. While some insurance will take the final weigh in BMI, some use the BMI from your initial consult for determining eligibility. Do you mind sharing what your current BMI is?

[ABarnett916X 12]

@@heidikat72 I'm borderline at 36 so that's why I was a candidate for medical conditions more then BMI

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Edited October 13, 2016 by ABarnett916X

[anonmom 95]

I would start working out and start figuring out what is problematic about your relationship with food. Track your calories and exercise and weight and then you can make adjustments as the months progress.

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[blizair09 3,250]

@@heidikat72 I'm borderline at 36 so that's why I was a candidate for medical conditions more then BMI

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It really is ridiculous that you can't work to improve your health situation without risking insurance implications sometimes. (But I also understand how insurance can be, and as one who has watched over $40K in medical charges magically become less than a $1400 obligation for me over the past few days, I know how important appeasing them is!)

Anyway about it, I would work on changing your relationship with food. Specifically, think about how to build a new situation where food isn't the center of every event in your life. That has really helped me!

[ABarnett916X 12]

@@blizair09 Thank u so much for the info. An yeah insurance companies can deff be a huge pain!

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