What exactly is a medically supervised diet, anyway? - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

cnvh · 01-30-2006, 03:31 PM

I plan on calling my PCP tomorrow to schedule an appointment and discuss the possibility of me having WLS. My insurance is Highmark BS in PA... another poster let me know that Highmark's requirements include a 6-month medically supervised diet... does anyone know what exactly this entails? Is that generally a 6-month diet from the time your doc recommends the surgery, or any 6-month period of being on such a diet in the past? I did TOPS for over a year (and lost a bunch), but I don't think that can be considered medically supervised...

Also, since I'm new to this forum, I've been reading back over old threads... I came across one where the insurance company wanted the poster to go on a 6 month Optifast diet!!! Isn't that all liquids?? For SIX MONTHS?!?! Can that be possible??? I don't for the life of me see how I could handle a 6-month liquid-only diet... I understand that I'll most likely need to be on a liquid diet for a few weeks leading up to the surgery and will only be able to tolerate liquids for quite a while afterwards, but a 6-month liquid diet with my stomach in its current state will NOT be possible. Is that even healthy to do for that long?!?!

I'm trying to foresee any and every worst-case scenario that my PCP may throw at me as a discouragement against WLS, so that I can say I know what the risks and expectations are... But I no way see myself adhering to a voluntary 6-month Optfast diet, if it's what I think it is.

My current weight is 318, BMI 58.2, so I'm clearly in the zone BMI-wise, with or without complications (of which I have some, but none of the biggies like diabetes).

coptergirl · 01-30-2006, 04:01 PM

I am on Opti-fast. I started 1/18,and won't have surgery until 3/17 - hopefully 3/7 if I lose the 27 pounds by then. I am excercising and am burning 500 of my 800 comsumed calories almost daily, so I hope to attain the 3/7 date. Its nhot too bad if your doc also has you on an appetite suppressant like Tenuate. So I am on this thing for 2 months....the goal of surgery is well worth it ( I have cheated only a tiny bit...)

sUzYzPLaCe · 01-30-2006, 04:10 PM

Why do you have to lose 27 lbs to have surgery? I noticed your weight is mid 200's.. wouldn't that put you out of BMI range? Suzy

Quote:

Originally Posted by coptergirl

I am on Opti-fast. I started 1/18,and won't have surgery until 3/17 - hopefully 3/7 if I lose the 27 pounds by then. I am excercising and am burning 500 of my 800 comsumed calories almost daily, so I hope to attain the 3/7 date. Its nhot too bad if your doc also has you on an appetite suppressant like Tenuate. So I am on this thing for 2 months....the goal of surgery is well worth it ( I have cheated only a tiny bit...)

Brooke220 · 01-30-2006, 04:24 PM

Whitney,

You're a strong lady to be able to do that. Gee whiz.

Brooke220 · 01-30-2006, 04:30 PM

A medically supervised diet for me involved monthly visits to my PCP who weighed me, talked to me about my exercise or lackthereof, and took good notes on the medical chart. I was told my PCP just had to consider meds to help me lose weight but he decided that wouldn't be appropriate for me. I also attended Weight Watchers at the same time and CIGNA accepted that as my nutritional consult since I did it in conjunction with monthly visits to my doctor.

coptergirl · 01-30-2006, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sUzYzPLaCe

Why do you have to lose 27 lbs to have surgery? I noticed your weight is mid 200's.. wouldn't that put you out of BMI range? Suzy

Geez Suzy - I don't think I need to do it either, but the doc said it is to help in decreasing the fattiness of my liver thus making my surgery safer. Its a long story and I went around and around with him about it. He also said that doing this decreases the dense-ness of my pannus making for an easier cut (but I am having it lap), and by decreasing this fatty layer he said that I would be more successful post op b/c the dense-ness is less dense and that the weight loss can be concentrated on a thinner layer and my extremeties. I meet with him again on Wednesday and will nail him to the wall with all of my questions...look out doc - here I come

Being at 242-245 will put me at a BMI of 40-41...

cnvh · 01-30-2006, 05:11 PM

Two months on a liquid diet I could almost imagine, but SIX... phew...

coptergirl · 01-30-2006, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnvh

Two months on a liquid diet I could almost imagine, but SIX... phew...

If you could make it 2, it becomes habit so that 4 more is normal (hehehe)

lealphachienne · 01-30-2006, 07:26 PM

My 6 months was monthly visits with my PCP. Did weights, recomendations, a few drugs here and there. The 6 months has to be recent, usually within 1-2 years before you request a consult.

Cinerbelle · 01-30-2006, 08:42 PM

My six months consisted of having to drive 70 miles twice a month to attend a "nutrition" class...which I can't remember learning anything about nutrition and I just completed the classes. It was more like a reading group. We would meet and the "nutritionist" would weigh us and then read to us for 45 minutes...and the things she would read were off the wall.