Losing weight before surgery

[BubblyBandit 0]

Ok I have not been banded yet but I am planning on being banded in Decemeber or Jan. I have to wait because I am starting a new job in a few weeks and I won't be able to get financing till have a few pay check stubbs to prove my income and I also have to go through about 6 weeks of testing before they will band me, and I also cannot miss any work for the first 90 days so I have to work appointments in my schedule.

My question is would it hurt to try and lose a bit of weight before the actually the surgery not including the pre-op liquid diet? I currently weigh 247.8, which is the highest I have ever weighed!! I have been bouncing around from 223-246 for the past 3 years but due to just finishing my last semester in college, and being lazy for the past 6 weeks before I start my job I have gained about 20lbs.

I would like to be about 228 before I start my liquid diet in Nov. or Dec. And probably with the liquid diet for 2 weeks I am required to be on I should lose about another 10lbs putting me at about 218 right before surgery. Is this reasonable to do or should I just eat whatever untill it's time for the pre-op liquids? Oh yeah I am about 5,7".

I just feel so awful at this weight!! And none of my clothes fit very well....I'm tired of wearing a girdle!

What would you do??

[Jodi_620 37]

It really is a personal choice.

I chose to just wait until the surgery which was a good thing because it turned out I did not have to self-pay and with a BMI of 41 with no co-morbities losing a few pounds would have disqualified me for insurance coverage. But also, at the time, I felt that after surgery I was going to be missing out on my favorite foods for life and I wanted to pig out on them before it was over. Of course it turns out that there is very little that I am missing out on, just eating a lot less of it.

If you feel that you need to start losing weight on your own right now, it certainly can't hurt to do so.

[terilynn112 1]

Have you checked with the insurance compnay that you'll have at your new employer? they may cover it over such a bmi. That would be definitely worth staying where you are weight wise. My office had a policy you had to loose 5% of your weight (13 pounds for me), and I'm high enough bmi, with comorbidity issues, that it wasn't an issue.

good luck with your decision.

teri

[Lanakila 1]

I'd check with your new insurance company before deciding to lose anything on purpose! If you get down to 228# you'll have a BMI of just barely over 35. Some insurance companies are really hard to convince with that, but others are fine with it.

[Emilie1 3]

I would also check on the BMI thing, but I personally have started eating in the lapband fashion, small bites and chew chew chew just to practice and doing so I have lost 20lbs but I am still a BMI over 40 and I am going to keep it there until insurance approval. Goodluck!!!

[BubblyBandit 0]

My employer does cover the surgery but not until you have worked there for 5 years!!!! I am not waiting that long! I have been waiting 22 years I'm done and I don't mind paying for it myself!