6 month wait

[MTMiller]

Hi Everyone!
My insurance requires that I wait 6 months and attend informational classes, and get weighed in, each month. The insurance does NOT require me to lose any weight prior to the surgery. I will do month 4 next week. My trouble... I have good diet days and no diet days. I find it hard to be restrictive since I do NOT have to lose any weight. I know I can stay on the diet after surgery but, I just don't feel like doing the diet now. I hate to admit this but I feel like I might as well eat now because my life will change completely in early August (surgery) I am waiting until after my son gets married at the end of July to actually have the surgery. I s there any way I can motivate myself NOW? Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. I attended the free informational seminar in December and started journey in January. It is a long time to wait for surgery.
Thanks.
Mary

[Donald G]

If you can't motivate yourself to start getting healthier now I honestly don't see how you expect others to do it for you. Your signature shows you have lost 8 pounds so obviously you are able to motivate yourself maybe just not to the degree you want.

[DesertGal]

It was STRESSED to me by my surgeon to LOSE weight before surgery because it's safer for the surgeon to work around your liver. (ANd my insurance wanted to see I could DO IT.) I lost 40 some odd pounds in less than 3 months by doing what I was told. It's going to be mentally harder on you AFTERWARDS to eat the tiny amounts you will have to eat forever, if you don't start now. I never had a 'food funeral' because I knew it wasn't going to be farewell to FOOD, I knew I could taste the things I liked later on, in moderation, but I knew going into this that having this tool to help me was only going to help me by not eating foods that aren't healthy or wise choices. I'm not saying your food habits are unhealthy or wise choices, but most of us who have the surgery liked to eat the wrong foods... that's how we got to be where we were at. Best of luck to you and I hope everything works out.

[ShelbyMoore]

It may help you if you make a Vision Board for yourself. Go on Pinterest on search Vision Board Ideas. Basically what you do is get a poster board, some glue and grab a bunch of old magazines. Section your Vision Board into areas such as "Motivational Quotes", My Life When I Lose Weight", "Reasons For My Weight Loss", "Creative Ways to Burn Calories", "Low Calorie / High Protein Foods", etc. or what ever feels right to you. Then cut out pictures, quotes or whatever you see in the magazine that apply to that topic. It will end up looking like a beautiful collage. When done post it in an area where you'll see it daily. It will be a beautiful reminder of why you need the weight loss. It will hit you in the face every day. Be creative! Enjoy the process. Don't rush through it but focus on each topic.

Also, focus on one day at a time. When we think about the "months" it may take to lose weight it can seem too overwhelming. But just focus on today. Do the best you can just for just that one day. When we think about making a "change" we don't like it because we are comfortable in how we used to do things. But those things were not healthy for us. We all know change, such as making smarter food choices, is difficult. If it was easy we wouldn't be in the mess we got ourselves into. But if you can start making changes just for today it won't be so overwhelming.

Focus on your thinking and be sure you have positive thoughts. Don't sit with the negative... throw the negative thinking out the window. Tell yourself you can do this!

You CAN do this! You deserve to be healthy! Go For it!

[OwnYourJourney]

I was t required to lose weight prior and I was trying but I struggled really badly and I didn't actually lose weight until the liquid diet stage and I kicked butt adding those shakes into my life. It's deff a struggle but I wouldn't eat u healthy foods or go crazy and gain weight bc that was stressed you were NoT allowed to gain so if you can't lose I would still eat healthy and get in the mind set as best you can bc it will only helpful on this journey. And after I'm two weeks out and I'm not hungry but it's hard to just not be able to just eat also so you need to get your mind around that. And it's best to do it before hand ... best of luck to you!

[MTMiller]

Thank you Lori for this post! It is exactly what I needed to hear. I would like to add you as a friend. They should never have told me I didn't HAVE to lose the weight to be eligible. I will make a chart and I will commit to my plan for 1 day at a time. I am a very visual person and that will def help me focus on what will be. The things I am looking forward to doing once I am an average size.
Thanks again!
Mary

[MTMiller]

Thank you for your post and suggestions Shelby. I think I confused the posts but I am going to make myself a board of all the good things and look at it every day and just take this journey 1 day at a time. I really appreciate your support!
Mary

[Christie13]

I could not lose really any weight prior to approval since I could not drop under a 40 BMI before approval. I did not diet. I ate stuff I knew I would not be able to eat any more. The days I took the most serious were the 3 days of liquid only pre op. Even on my 6 days of 2 shakes and one lean meat, veggie meal I was not strict. I have had no issues working my sleeve. I have learned a lot from my surgeon, nut, and this forum. I am doing well and have no regrets. I also know I was determined not to fail and I am going to do everything I can to get to goal and keep it off. I did not go through all this to fail. Good luck!