What I didn’t know was the weight loss surgery requirements were so much work just by themselves. Between consults, support groups, nutrition classes and medical testing, it’s enough to cause stress and anxiety. Your life is a revolving door of doctors and hospitals for a few months. Honestly, this time especially is when you need a life planner, and the best one is the Living Well Planner. You can check out my Living Well Planner review for more information. I also didn’t realize that I’d have to lose weight just to get surgery. And yes, people who get weight loss surgery have to watch their calories and exercise more, just like everyone else.
I surely can’t be the only person who thought these things. I used the “Weight loss surgery is the easy way out” excuse for years as I avoided it, and continually tried (and failed at) new ways to lose weight. Sure, I was able to lose weight via the more traditional method of eating less and exercising more, but only temporarily. I’ve never been able to keep it off, and I end up gaining back more weight than I’d lost.
Why So Many Weight Loss Surgery Requirements?
Now that I have completed the weight loss surgery requirements, let me tell you it is not the easy way out. It’s not simply going under anesthesia, having my insides rearranged, and *POOF* the weight is gone.
It is so much more than that.
You know what? That’s a good thing. When you’re morbidly obese like I was, changing 30 years of habits isn’t easy. For these reasons, my doctor designed a program that addressed not only the physical causes and effects of morbid obesity but also the psychological causes and effects. It includes everything from heart, to pulmonary, physical therapy and psychology.
RELATED CONTENT: Want to learn the 10 changes you need to make in your life to be successful with bariatric surgery? Get our free download here!
Obesity can be caused by genetic factors, psychological factors or a combination of both. It can also cause a wide variety of other issues, like diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, some cancers, polycystic ovarian syndrome and a whole wide variety of other issues. You can read more about the issues caused by obesity by visiting the Centers for Disease Control page about obesity. It’s important we not only address these issues and treat them, but also avoid major complications after surgery by getting certain clearances for surgery.
Plus, I also think it helps insurance approval if you can show that your obesity is causing other health issues. Losing weight is shown to help improve a lot of these conditions. My sleep apnea, PCOS and pre-diabetes improved since losing over 235 pounds with bariatric surgery.
Weight Loss Surgery Requirements
Below is a list of all the appointments I had to complete to get clearance for bariatric surgery. A lot of the appointments led to further appointments and testing. Each appointment has a more detailed post, so if you want to learn more about a requirement, just click the link. This way, you’ll know what to expect as you progress through your weight loss surgery requirements.
Click next for a list of all the requirements!
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