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I keep it simple. I use the Bariatric Pal multi with iron - 1 per day, along with an extra B-12. That is with breakfast. With yogurt fruit bowl in the evening, I take Calcium citrate and Vit D3. That's it. It's economical and my levels are fine. I think you need to just stick to a routine for at least a few months and then see how your levels are.

No offense. I'm Irish. I had to break up with potatoes for my health and weight loss. I'm Southern, and live in an area that was formerly rice fields. I had to break up with rice for my health and weight loss. I have a little Italian in me and had to break up with pasta for my health and weight loss. I'm English and had to break up with sticky toffee pudding along with other sweets for my health and weight loss... See where I'm going here? I understand food experience and cooking styles are heavily influence by our heritage. But you CHOSE to have bariatric surgery to change your life and give you a chance to live a long, healthy, new, SKINNY life. And that means, you will have to figure out a different plan for how you eat culturally. I get around this by using the spices from my heritage in new and exciting ways. Sometimes eaten with completely different foods! I love using Italian bread spice on fish! On Chicken! No need for bread! I would look at the proteins of your culture and use the spices and low fat, low sugar, low carb ingredients and condiments and methods of cooking that are healthy, light, and lean. Create new light, lean versions of your Dominican dishes you used to love! For instance, instead of refried beans, I make refried pumpkin (lower carb), refried cauliflower/zucchini mash (low carb, lower fat), Mexican cauli rice, chicken instead of pork shoulder, pork loin instead of pork shoulder, turkey to replace ground beef, etc... Does that help? Above all else, break up with any added sugar and the highest carb foods of your culture and keep the rest.

Anyone use the BariatricPal bariatric multivitamin with iron? My surgeon's group advises two multivitamins per day, but I noticed the B12 and the Vitamin A in this version are quite high, so I spoke with three dietitians about it (from two different clinics). Two dietitians (both work at one clinic - where I had my surgery) said it looks good, but to stick to one per day. I showed this label to the dietitian at the clinic where my husband had his surgery (I transferred care there to work with the same dietitian) and she spoke with the pharmacist. They say the vitamin is missing some essential items (calcium, chloride, and phosphorus) and provides mega doses of others (A and B12). The clinic which is opposed wants me to stick to "their" vitamin regimen as it is the "gold standard" according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I kind of feel like they just want to sell their own product, which is a kit of vitamins that costs $85 a month... So, I have two people in favor and two opposed. The vitamin label lists 3,000 mcg of vitamin A, which according to healthline.com is the very top of the adult limit per day as the vitamin is fat soluble and hangs out in our bodies for a long period of time, and can cause serious issues if it reaches toxic levels. Excess B12 is passed through the urine, so I'm not worried about the B12 level. I plan to ask another pharmacist about the vitamin A levels, but until I've talked to them, does anyone else take the BariatricPal bariatric multivitamin? What have your dietitians and pharmacists said about it?

Hi Cammy and Hop Scotch. I’m having two chewable vitamins a day and 1 litre of water is the Max I’ve got down. They have me on soft foods already not just liquids. So for example last night I had 100g of salmon and cottage cheese over about 3 hours. Haha. Basically anything puréed is fine.,... I’m feeling pretty good today. I’ve been sleeping way less and so have gotten up and done an hour walk both mornings this week. Maybe this is the new me. Oooh I haven’t heard of a Bariatric vitamin. They told me that I was to start vitamins in two weeks time. I’ll have a look at them! Please let me know how you all are doing! I can’t figure out how to follow threads on this thing which is frustrating but I can see where I’ve replied. Haha so pls let me know!

I've struggled with my weight my whole life, but most of my family is overweight... I just happened to be bigger than all of them. I never had an eating disorder and I had tried several diets and nothing worked! They had done thyroid testing and it all came back normal. So, after my sister had my niece (who's a year old now) I got serious about my health because I wanted to watch her grow up and my health was only declining so I started to see the bariatric surgeon and followed a 6 month check-in per my insurance. They did that blood test the first month that tests your vitamins and your thyroid and low and behold! I had thyroid issues! -_-" Turns out your insurance only pays for a nominal thyroid test under normal circumstances, but they have to have a thorough one for the bariatric office (supposedly) so they were able to see my thyroid was underactive. I started thyroid meds and did a pre-surgery diet and was so excited that I literally told EVERYONE about the upcoming surgery, because I was actually losing weight and I was proud of myself! I lost 64 pounds prior to my surgery and a lot of people were really surprised that I was still going through with the surgery since I'd been able to lose all that weight without it, but I'm honest and bluntly told anyone who asked that it would take YEARS to do it without surgical intervention and I wanted the help that surgery would provide. I explained to any who asked that the surgery is just a tool to help the weight come off quicker. If I didn't work with it then it wouldn't work to the extend that I want it to and everyone has been really supportive! Likely because a number of my co-workers have had weight loss surgery lol. It's common where I work. My co-workers keep telling me that I'm looking more and more like my sister now, which is a HUGE compliment because she's about seventy pounds lighter than me (and two inches shorter lol). I have a lot more confidence now since I'm 96 pounds lighter in a nine month period. That's damn good imo! However, I can understand why some people keep it a secret. My advice though is, even if you don't tell people PLEASE wear a medical bracelet or necklace! My step-dad's mom had gastric bypass and she was rushed to the hospital and they intubated her not knowing she was a bariatric patient... the tubing went though her stomach and she bled to death. ALWAYS wear a med bracelet or necklace! Your life is important!

The only time that I can vividly remember getting ticked off about the chair arm thing was when I went to Stanford to see the Neurosurgeon in 2017 I remember complaining about their chairs lol. It was sooooo uncomfortable! I was 370-ish pounds at the time and you have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and then wait for like 30-40 minutes to see the doctor and meanwhile they have these really crappy chairs and if you actually want to be comfortable you have to go sit in the hall where they have couches, but chance not hearing your name called. Needless to say I stuck it out and was just irritated the whole time lol I was lucky enough with all my other doctors offices, the hospital where I live, and the bariatric doc's office that they all have a mix of armed and unarmed chairs.

Atkins/Keto/high protein diet for the rest of your life after bariatric surgery is old school nutrition nonsense. FYI most doctors only need to take 1 semester of nutrition classes and that was back when they were in in undergrad or med school. A lot has changed since then. As long as you eat a well-planned, plant-based diet (this applies to non-bariatric patients as well) you will thrive. I'd say success after bariatric surgery is more about using the time where you have restriction to learn better habits and ditch your addiction to empty calorie dense carbs like white breads, pasta, white sugar, etc. than anything else. You will eventually be able to eat normal portions of food so breaking bad habits is key. If you continue to eat a SAD diet and the crap that made you fat in the first place, even if just less of it, you will eventually experience regain. Immediately after surgery (first 1-4 weeks), you will be drinking/ eating very low cal in the ballpark of 500-800 calories. You will be weak some days because of lack of calories, not lack of protein. It takes years to become protein deficient! Then you'll probably be around 800-1000 until 8-12 weeks., 1000 - 1200 for a good while after that. I hovered around 1000 - 1200 for my first year post surgery. Look up Dr. Garth Davis, he is a bariatric surgeon who advocated a whole foods plant-based diet. I also like Dr. Matthew Weiner - he has a number of videos on Youtube, both have Facebook pages and groups to help you.

Wishing you the best.I m in April and i m scared and feel guilty that I cant do it myself.I m sure you have done the reading and checking..so you have done what you can I got a book called."The Bariatric Bible"..very good tips.I live in W.A. Wishing you well

I'm not meeting the 64 ozs of hydration goals. I'm halfway there, but I'm getting closer to my protein goals daily. Today, I'm extremely fatigued and feeling kind of lightheaded. Working on increasing the water intake daily, I'm just too full to keep drinking. I've pooped, thankfully. The Prilosec and bariatric vitamins are not that great, but I'm getting it down. Tomorrow if it isn't raining I will go for a walk. I'm tired of liquids, everything on TV shows food. I don't want the foods, it's the point that I'm restricted and that makes everything look good. Earlier this morning, I really wanted a pancake and a piece of Turkey bacon. I had a vanilla Premier shake and moved on. Tomorrow I'm going to get a better schedule for consuming the required fluids and nutrients timely. I'm also going to allow myself to get some sleep. I'm down from 242 to 236, since surgery day. Pajamas are my uniform, my stomach is still bloated and these incisions are itching like CRAZY!!!! Yes, I'm healing and I know these things will be distant memories soon. My new stomach is going to get a name, just haven't given her one yet. She talks, grumbles and rolls to beat of her own drum already and she's a Pisces, born on March 3rd, 3020...lmaooooo.

Bariatric Advantage has a one a day which I started taking because the chewable made me nauseous. The size is ok about the size of one antibiotic capsule or slightly larger. It does not bother me and there is minimal after taste. The first few days it made me burp but then went away. I found taking them 10 minutes after eating helps keeping them down.

Can't help with direct experience, my surgery date isn't here yet. I do have a medical background though. If you're struggling with swallowing I'm guessing you're not getting your fluids in but being dehydrated is a direct cause for headaches. My 2 friends who went through bariatric surgery suggested sitting extremely upright when drinking to help get the fluids down easier. Also, biotene dry mouth spray can be a big relief when you're not able to hold down fluids.

Agree with all of above. As a GI nurse, I see the bad and the ugly (there is no good) that comes from WLS patients who resume drinking after surgery. The worse ulcers I have ever seen are from that combination. I cannot imagine a bariatric doctor doing surgery on you until the drinking issue is under control. The tissues simply will not heal. That is the issue with smoking, as well. Bariatric surgery is about a lot more than losing weight and looking good. It is about building a healthy lifestyle, resolving comormidities or future comorbidities (high blood pressure, diabetes, GERD, sleep apnea, asthma, stroke, heart attack) and giving someone the chance to have a longer and healthier life. Hanging onto acoholism is in direct opposition to these goals. Perhaps an inpatient treatment program would work for you, but whatever you choose , I wish you the very best in this long, challenging journey. It is highly possible that the over eating and the alcoholism are related - just different branches of the same tree. Serious counselling might be helpful in getting to the root of both problems IMHO.

It's been awhile since I checked in. Things are going pretty well. I feel so fortunate to have such a great bariatric clinic to provide me with support post-surgery. I've been seeing a therapist there since last fall and it has helped me so much. With both WLS and non WLS issues. I'm feeling so much more confident about myself than I ever have in my life and am really growing as a person. I also had gained 12 pounds back since my one-year surgery appointment. But I have been exercising consistently and 3 pounds of that is muscle gained! My bariatric Dr suggested I get some help using medication to lose the last of the weight needed to reach my goal. They put me on Ozempic, which is actually a medication for diabetic patients but has been approved to help with weight loss. It's a weekly injection, which made me a little nervous since I don't care for needles. But it is the tiniest needle ever, I don't even feel it going in when I Inject myself. It is helping a lot, the restriction makes me feel like I've just had surgery again! It reduces cravings and makes me feel fuller faster. I'm very excited to be on the weight loss train again. I've been lifting weights 3-6 days per week. 6 is the goal, 3 is the minimum I set for myself. I don't do much cardio anymore besides walking. I'm excited that the weather here is warming up so I can do more walking outside. I'm pretty proud of the progress I have made with weight lifting. I can see awesome definition in my shoulders, arms, and legs. I can't wait to see how much more muscular I will be when I lose the rest of this excess fat. You know how they say WLS leads to divorce? I always thought this wouldn't happen to me. And it hasn't yet, but now that I know my true worth, the problems in my marriage are starting to make me question it. I feel like I deserve more than what he gives me. It has nothing to do about wanting someone else, because I don't. In fact, I don't think I'd want to date again, at least for a very long time. My husband and I have been married for 10 years. We've had a lot of ups and downs, and at this point I feel like he's more with me because of all I do for him and that I keep him on track doing the right thing. He's had issues with being responsible in his life before we met. It makes me feel like I'm his mom, not his wife. And I don't have or want kids! He doesn't help out around the house enough and isn't very attentive to me. I want to feel loved and special, I think I deserve that. So we're in therapy together working on things. I care about him, I just don't know if he can give me what I need. I don't even want/need much, I am not a high-maintenance gal! That's all for now, I'm planning on Journaling more often here as I continue working towards my weight goal.

I had to stop partaking, I was honest with my Bariatric Team and I stopped smoking. It's been awhile and I don't have any desire to resume the habit again. I feel better, breathing is great and I'm learning to cope with anxiety in other ways. I want to maximize the opportunity of the sleeve w/o complications of old behaviors.

Yay Kristal! Thanks for checking in! I couldn't tell you what the pain is, but I would imagine that it's related to the incisions -- I know for me, sometimes I get pain in other areas than the main area. I was thinking about getting a bariatric girdle (it's not called that, but I can't remember the name) to help hold my gut in, but they told me that I didn't really need anything like that. We shall see....

Well, I'm closing in on week 1 of my liquid diet; I seem to have gotten into a routine. I think I have all of the things in place that I need for the hospital and post-op. I was a bit bummed out because the kidney specialist wants to re-run some labs and my pre-op appt. has to be re-scheduled, but I decided not to allow these matters to take away from my laser focus now. Also I just received some new books on bariatric recipes post-op for the puree, soft and beyond phases. One book, The Complete Bariatric Cookbook and Meal Plan' by Megan Moore, RD, CSOWM, CD answers a lot of questions that many have had post-op. I also got 'Comfort Cooking for Bariatrics Post-Op and Everyone Else' by Lisa Sharon Belkin which is a book with lots of illustrations of quick foods one can fix. In the Introduction of Ms. Belkin's book, she list her 'mantra' to her commitment to maintain her weight that she got from someone who was asked the proverbial question of how long and how did she lose half of herself in weight. I thought it was pretty profound: It has taken me every day. Not six weeks, not six months. Every day. I start again every day. I gave up bad habits one at a time. I gave up excuses. I gave up blame. I gave up sugar and bad carbs. I gave up short cuts and fake stuff. I took advice from my body about wat was working and what wasn't. I took advice from people who had won, not people still at war. I focused on one path instead of chasing miracles. I celebrated every win. Some days it was a new number or a new size. Some days it was an airplane aisle with turning sideways. Some days it was someone saying, "All the cute clothes are for little people like you." Some days it was just being able to put the bread down, spit the sugar out, or stop before regret! And honestly, some days I celebrated being able to start again tomorrow. I made time for success. I prepped, I planned, I scheduled it. Success in anything has to be scheduled. I quit waiting for a better time. This is now my mantra. The time is now. My success has been scheduled.

Bariatric vitamins are not regulated by FDA either, So who knows if you"re just getting an expensive version of a deficient vitamin. Don't know if any companies making bariactric vitamins are voluntarily testing their products. I never bought fast food or ate out so difference in food budget so my food budget won't change. I have been eating low carb, whole food (no processed foods) so my diet will be very much the same, So vitamins and calcium will be extra expense for me. Sent from my SM-T580 using BariatricPal mobile app

Try your best to see about getting a biotin supplement. It won't full on stop it, but it will help slow it down a bit. As for the multivitamin, I have one that is twice a day (the bariatric advantage brand), but the aftertaste is god awful. Bariatricpal store actually offers a one a day (I think they have both chewable and capsule), but I have no idea how large it is. I am planning to order that one next time because, I too, hate taking multivitamins so often and it also plays up with my stomach. If you can, try to take your multivitamin about 15 minutes before you eat a meal- for me, that seems to calm down some of the stomach upset that I've had. Just hang in there and keep taking them!

I had surgery in 2015 but have been on various bariatric forums since probably 2013. I just checked, though, and I didn't join BP until after my surgery in 2015. I've come and gone over the years - so I'll be an active poster for awhile, then I'll disappear again...then I'll come back. That seems to be my pattern....

temporary hair loss is common - and it grows back. I've read it can result from any type of surgery (not just bariatric) and is due to anesthesia and the stress/trauma of surgery to the body. I'm guessing you probably see this "side effect" more often in bariatric patients, though, because we're taking in so few calories those first few months. That said, not much can help with the hair loss. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. For most of us, though, we're the only ones who notice it. as for acne - it may be due to the "hormone dump" that some people experience. Estrogen is stored in fat cells, so it's released during the rapid weight loss (or so I've read). That should all stabilize at some point...

I was told by my doctor and nutritionist to only take bariatric multivitamins because of the lack of FDA approval per the previous comment made. I did use Biatric Fusion, but they do not have a one per day pill, so now I have ordered a one per day from BiatricPal. Has anyone tried their brand?

I am still a couple of months from surgery and have already kicked around some numbers for post-op specialty Bariatric vitamins. Yes. they are a bit on the expensive side compared to other brands. I also factored in the massive saving in food costs post-op, going back one year on expenditures put on a single credit card I use for just about everything (Points!) I was amazed on how much money I was spending on fast food. 1/3 of the money spent on fast foods would easily pay for the increased cost in Bariatric vitamins so for me its basically a wash.

Yes you are right about the starving eventually putting on weight, but you have to take into consideration that any form of "obesity" is obesity, whether it be from eating too much junk food, or from starving too much, they're both the same demons just different outfits, and I personally believe that obesity is caused largely due to hormonal imbalances, all the above reasons mentioned like eating too much, eating too less, psychiatric meds, bariatric surgery is the cure, it cuts off the root of all these problems, you are saying that eating too less will put on weight but when you cut 75% of your stomach, you actually can't eat that much, so no technically, that only happens when your body goes into starvation mode, that's why its essential that you eat 6-8 small meals a day even after surgery. And not to forget, the countless number of problems that obesity brings along, diabetes, depression, back problems just to name a few, but it is a BIG problem. So I think that the benefits outweighs the negatives. Ta.

Hi, the bariatric surgeon I have an appointment with requires that my primary care doctor fill out a form letter about my condition. The doctor included some "misinformation" in the letter. He said I'd tried three things to lose weight that I haven't. I know he didn't misunderstand because I never mentioned them. Does this mean that he wanted to "pad" the letter to prove that I need surgery? Is he afraid that the surgeon won't approve me? I hope the surgeon doesn't read the letter too carefully because I don't want any questions about these untruths.

I was never told no caffeine. It’s very frustrating the difference the surgeons have. In regards to your complications , it happens. I had endless complications for 8 months after surgery. Multiple surgeries, infections, peg tube, PE, bowel rupture. Out of 8 months I was in the hospital 6 months of that. I joked with my surgeon once that anything that could go wrong did go wrong. But now I’m a teaching case. I’m 8 years out, and I hadn’t seen him in 6 years till this past August. I had some issues other specialists couldn’t understand all I had been through so I sought him out. He is now running a bariatric program 5 hours from where he performed my surgery. All his staff knew of me. He knew exactly what I needed and no more problems following his suggestions. These complications can hopefully help others that come after us by teaching these surgeons better ways of doing things. I hope that is the extent of your complications and you can move forward and kick butt in this process. I used to think it wasn’t worth it from what I went through. But now I’m healthy inside and out.